Re: 25 mg PTU 2 X's a day.

[Guest guest]

Hi Al,

You could take 1/4, 1/4, and 1/2.

At 08:33 PM 10/17/2003, you wrote:

>Dear Elaine and All,

>

>Endo visit today. She wants me to reduce form 25 mg PTU 3 x's daily

>to 25 mg PTU 2 x's daily.

>

>Should I take it divided between 3 doses ....or is 2 times a day

>okay with this small a dose?

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

1/4, 1/4, 1/2. I'll try that. Has anyone ever taken less? (My doc

has given me premission to reduce on my own!!!) I'm sure I've read

that too little is silly to take. I asked my doc about adding

Synthroid, but she hasn't been trained in that.

She absolutely refused to run a FT3 test ever. I had her sign my

prepared copy of " my treatment " with her refusal, opinion, date and

signature. (My husband just held his head is disbelief.) Now I

need some research to present to try to sway her. Do you know any?

I'll also need it to convince her to run TPO and TSI when it is time

to discontinue. She won't run those either. (One fight at a time.)

Thank you for your opinion,

Ever hopeful,

Alice

> >Dear Elaine and All,

> >

> >Endo visit today. She wants me to reduce form 25 mg PTU 3 x's

daily

> >to 25 mg PTU 2 x's daily.

> >

> >Should I take it divided between 3 doses ....or is 2 times a day

> >okay with this small a dose?

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Alice,

Yes, people have taken less than 50ngs/day, and believe that it does make a

difference (I am one of them).

I don't know of any research off-hand to support the use of FT3 testing,

but I would guess there is info in Elaine's book that you can show her. It

has been my experience that doctors are resistant to being taught by

patients, although others have had more luck than I've had. I would be

inclined to find another doc, rather than beat my head against a brick

wall. Perhaps your doc will be more open-minded, or at least cooperative.

If not, and if you have limited access to endos, a good GP will do. You

just need someone to run the tests, and if you are determined, chances are

you will succeed.

At 09:23 AM 10/18/2003, you wrote:

>Hi ,

>

>1/4, 1/4, 1/2. I'll try that. Has anyone ever taken less? (My doc

>has given me premission to reduce on my own!!!) I'm sure I've read

>that too little is silly to take. I asked my doc about adding

>Synthroid, but she hasn't been trained in that.

>

>She absolutely refused to run a FT3 test ever. I had her sign my

>prepared copy of " my treatment " with her refusal, opinion, date and

>signature. (My husband just held his head is disbelief.) Now I

>need some research to present to try to sway her. Do you know any?

>

>I'll also need it to convince her to run TPO and TSI when it is time

>to discontinue. She won't run those either. (One fight at a time.)

>

>Thank you for your opinion,

>

>Ever hopeful,

>Alice

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

This was my BEST visit with my endo ever!!! (Of course I've only

had about 4 altogether.) She's come a long way.

I've lowered my med the 3 times since I was started on 200 mt PTU 3

months ago. She was not in favor of it each time...until now. She

recommended the 4th reduction of 25 mg at our apt Friday. She has

given me the lab slip and given me " premission " to adjust if I need

to at the next test, according to my symptoms. She may become a Top

Doc yet. She is young, very bright, but educated in a

conservative...RAI " school of thought " .

My doc isn't convinced about ignoring TSH ...yet. She also knows

nothing about adding synthroid.

, did you add synthroid to your PTU? I assume I will be

reducing to 25 in 3 more weeks. What was your lowest dose?

Presently, I'm splitting the 50 mg pill in half. Then I chop off

1/3 of each half. So I am taking 1/3 of 50 mg every 8 hours.

Is it so " normal " for a Graves' patient to be at 50 mg PTU in 3

months? At that I'm hanging at FT4 of 1.1. It has to come up.(I'm

still in denial that GRaves' is the correct diagnosis.)

Ever hopeful,

Alice

In graves_support , " Conner, Psy.D. "

<aconner@a...> wrote:

> Hi Alice,

> Yes, people have taken less than 50ngs/day, and believe that it

does make a

> difference (I am one of them).

> I don't know of any research off-hand to support the use of FT3

testing,

> but I would guess there is info in Elaine's book that you can show

her. It

> has been my experience that doctors are resistant to being taught

by

> patients, although others have had more luck than I've had. I

would be

> inclined to find another doc, rather than beat my head against a

brick

> wall. Perhaps your doc will be more open-minded, or at least

cooperative.

> If not, and if you have limited access to endos, a good GP will

do. You

> just need someone to run the tests, and if you are determined,

chances are

> you will succeed.

>

>

> At 09:23 AM 10/18/2003, you wrote:

> >Hi ,

> >

> >1/4, 1/4, 1/2. I'll try that. Has anyone ever taken less? (My

doc

> >has given me premission to reduce on my own!!!) I'm sure I've

read

> >that too little is silly to take. I asked my doc about adding

> >Synthroid, but she hasn't been trained in that.

> >

> >She absolutely refused to run a FT3 test ever. I had her sign my

> >prepared copy of " my treatment " with her refusal, opinion, date

and

> >signature. (My husband just held his head is disbelief.) Now I

> >need some research to present to try to sway her. Do you know

any?

> >

> >I'll also need it to convince her to run TPO and TSI when it is

time

> >to discontinue. She won't run those either. (One fight at a

time.)

> >

> >Thank you for your opinion,

> >

> >Ever hopeful,

> >Alice

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Alice,

Woo-hoo!! Great on your endo visit!! Now you're cookin' with gas.

As for my situation, I've been taking 12.5mg per day. I cannot yet find

anyone to add synthroid, and since my hair was falling out (like half my

head, and I am sad), I thought maybe I should try to wean off this amount.

I skipped a day, took some yesterday and was going to skip today, but just

popped another quarter as I was feeling a little edgy. Pulse was a little

high, at 78. I am not advising anyone to play around like I am, but I feel

I am (or maybe I should say that I am) on my own at the moment. I get labs

frequently, though, so I never stray too far (have been mostly hypO for the

past few months).

Now I am learning why those who are subclinical should not be on ATDs. I

was subclinical until Dr. Nuclear slipped a small amount of I-131 on me,

saying it was completely safe (for the scan). Well, either it was

coincidence, or that kicked me over the edge, and I went into mild GD. I

think I have subsided back to my original subclinical state. I am probably

going to try a new doctor soon, but it will be at my own expense, so I'm

not rushing into it. I feel basically fine, except for my poor hair.

Anyway, my point...Alice, everyone is different, so it is hard to say what

dose any one person should be on at a certain point. But yes, it is

" normal " for a Graves' patient to be at 50mg PTU in 3 months. After 6-8

weeks on ATDs, the excess hormone stored in your thyroid is used up, so you

then only need a lower maintenance dose to block excess thyroid production.

The typical maintenance dose is 25-100mg PTU per day. I know it is tempting

to deny Graves', but there is no arguing with a TSI test. Better to accept,

and deal -- know what I mean?

You're doing great. Hang in there!

>, did you add synthroid to your PTU? I assume I will be

>reducing to 25 in 3 more weeks. What was your lowest dose?

>Presently, I'm splitting the 50 mg pill in half. Then I chop off

>1/3 of each half. So I am taking 1/3 of 50 mg every 8 hours.

>

>Is it so " normal " for a Graves' patient to be at 50 mg PTU in 3

>months? At that I'm hanging at FT4 of 1.1. It has to come up.(I'm still

>in denial that GRaves' is the correct diagnosis.)

>Ever hopeful,

>Alice