Re: Please help!!! Continue PTU til TSH normal or 2-4 weeks of HYPO!!

[Guest guest]

Aj,

I saw my endo yesterday. My FT4 was 1.9 (range .75-2.0), FT3 was 4.1

(2.4-4.5) and my TSH was <.01. I FEEL good. My endo did not have major

concerns about my TSH level. I take 1/4 of a 5 mg. Tapazole pill x 2 per

day, so about 2.5 mg. of tap--the equivalent of 25 mg. of PTU if I

understand the correlation correctly.

The last time I saw my endo (3 months ago) I was on the same dose, my TSH

was a bit higher but not much. He said " I could increase your dosage to get

your TSH up, but then you'd feel hypo " .

Some of us do BEST at very high-normal ranges of FT4 and FT3. When I got

down to 1.2 FT4 (as I did about 6 months ago) I felt like a zombie. I gained

weight looking at food despite having no appetite--I gained 10 lbs. in 2

weeks! I couldn't stay awake, or think straight. I felt like I was swimming

uphill through molasses all day.

Now, I have NO thyroid symptoms other than my goiter. My pulse is normal, BP

normal, I sleep decently, maintain a steady weight (well, I'd like to lose a

bit of that...), am calm, think clearly, and I am happy.

I hope this answers some of your questions and validates how you feel.

Personally, I'd challenge the endo to allow you to adjust your dose based on

how you feel, with him monitoring your levels, and see if he agrees.

Terry

>

> Reply-To: graves_support

> Date: Tue, 26 Aug 2003 16:27:51 -0000

> To: graves_support

> Subject: Please help!!! Continue PTU til TSH normal or 2-4

> weeks of HYPO!!

>

> Please help.

>

> My Free T3 and Free T4 are in normal range as of last Wed. (Free T4

> unknown...Free T3 398 range 230-420. Total T4 was done by

> mistake 11.2 range 4.2-11.6.

>

> The endo wants to continue same PTU dose til my TSH .05

> reaches " Normal " or I experience 2 to 4 weeks of HYPO symptoms.

>

> I don't want to be HYPO> I am certain I have hypo symptoms now...and

> have reduced the dose from 200 mg daily to 150 daily the day of the

> blood test. (The dozen spots I had over my body are healing. No new

> ones. Could be from too much PTU.)

>

> What I have learned is that

>

> I need 3 daily doses of PTU create even blood levels.

> My Free T4 and Free T3 show my present hormone function.

> The TSH is 6 weeks behind the hormones.

> I want to be near the top of normal for both Free T4 and Free T3.

> I don't mind if my TSH lags behind for a long time.

> TSH may also lag as long as my thyroid is being stimulated by my

> autoimmune disease.

> I believe I already have hypo symptoms.

> I don't want to go hypO.

>

> I've not gone contrary to a doctor...before. I really don't have

> another doc in the wings. How do I resolve this?

>

> Ever hopeful,

> (MOre doubtful today.)

> Aj

>

>

>

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