Sittin on the fence: TOO LOW now!

[Guest guest]

Hi again

Would love to have your comments on latest labs.

October 7

FT4 10 (10-20)

FT3 4.31 (2.5 - 6.00)

TSH 3.11 (.35-5.0)

I am now on 2.5mg methomerc. split 1/4 a day and have been doing this for a

week. I feel a lot better than the last labs - i.e. not so hypo. However I

know that the FT4 should be in the mid range.

My question is how do I get myself back to mid range?

Requested TPO antibodies test as suggested by you. Results came back as:

Antithyroglob Ab 100 (100)

Anti-microsomal Ab 6400 (100)

When I compared the antimicrosomal, it was 25,000 before.

Is this the TPO test?

Appreciate your guidance

Cheers

=============================

on

liz.jameson@...

Re: Sittin on the fence: TOO LOW now!

Hi ,

I hesitate to suggest dosage changes, as I am not a physician, but I would

say a dose reduction is in order, according to your labs and symptoms. I

think the schedule you propose seems like you might be planning on dropping

your dose too quickly. It is best to glide in, as if landing a plane.

That's the way I think about it :-)

Dosages should be maintained for about 2-4 weeks in order to have blood

work results be meaningful. I think dropping to 5mg from 15 is too much;

maybe you could do 10mg for about a week and then if you don't feel hyper,

then do 7.5 for two weeks, and get labs done. Only a rough idea, and

everyone takes their own path. General guideline is to make changes

smoothly and gradually, if possible.

At 07:37 PM 9/15/2003, you wrote:

>Hi again

>

>Can you have a peek at my blood tests and tell me what you think:

>

>Latest blood 9/9/03

>

>FT4 9 (range 10-25)

>FT3 3.15 (range 2.5-6.0)

>TSh 0.38 (.38-4.00)

>

>This too low score was achieved on 15mg of methomercazoe for 2 weeks.

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

It seems the dose reduction from Sept. 26 is having an effect and

bringing your TSH down and your thyroid levels back up. Perhaps you

should just stay with it for another two weeks or so and see what

happens. At that point, if you are becoming more hypo again you may

need to add some replacement hormone to be able to keep taking the

ATD.

I don't understand all the antibody tests yet (except to know they're

useful); hopefully someone else can comment. It is encouraging that

those numbers came down as well. This all seems to suggest that

you're someone who responds well to antithyroid meds and may be able

to achieve remission quickly. And I bet you feel better than with a

TSH close to 6. When I was at 8 I thought I was walking in my sleep!

Best wishes,

-- In graves_support , " on "

<liz.jameson@p...> wrote:

> Hi again

>

> Would love to have your comments on latest labs.

>

> October 7

>

> FT4 10 (10-20)

> FT3 4.31 (2.5 - 6.00)

> TSH 3.11 (.35-5.0)

>

> I am now on 2.5mg methomerc. split 1/4 a day and have been doing

this for a week. I feel a lot better than the last labs - i.e. not

so hypo. However I know that the FT4 should be in the mid range.

>

> My question is how do I get myself back to mid range?

>

> Requested TPO antibodies test as suggested by you. Results came

back as:

>

> Antithyroglob Ab 100 (100)

> Anti-microsomal Ab 6400 (100)

>

> When I compared the antimicrosomal, it was 25,000 before.

>

> Is this the TPO test?

>

> Appreciate your guidance

>

> Cheers

>

>

> =============================

> on

> liz.jameson@p...

> Re: Sittin on the fence: TOO LOW now!

>

>

> Hi Terry

>

> Spent 12 days on 7.5mg methomercazole. Did blood test.

>

> The results were FT4 10 (10-25) FT3 4.4 (2.5-6.00) and

> my GOD! TSH 5.67.

>

> I have never ever had such a silly TSH.

>

> I am in a place where I have never been before.

>

> My endo told me to go down to 5mg immediately (split in half) and

do blood in 3 weeks.

>

> I am again worried about the long time again on 5mg.

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

My TSH also bounced back up. I don't know if that means I have

locking as well as stimulating antobodies or if it's a good sign that

remission is close.

I agree that your numbers look hypo. I assume you're already down to

2.5 mg, so that means either decreasing further (eventually going

down to every other day?), adding some T4 hormone, or getting a TSI

test to see if you might already be in remission. I've had good luck

adding T4; in my case I have eye problems and don't think I'm at

remission yet (it's been 13 months).

Best wishes,

B.

Re: Sittin on the fence: TOO LOW now!

>

>

> Hi ,

>

> I'd drop to 5 mg. immediately, as suggested. Your numbers are

awfully

hypo.

> I suspect you'll end up dropping to 2.5 mg. a day within a week,

but I

> wouldn't go lower than that without giving your body time to

adjust.

You

> could also try to schedule a TSI for those next labs, if you

haven't

had one

> in a while--antibody levels are a great predictor of remission.

You may

want

> to talk to your endo about testing for hashimotos as well. I've

never

been

> there--so don't have any answers on that one, but your lab

numbers make

me

> suspicious.

>

> I find at this point that 2.5 mg. a day is about right for me. If

I

edge

> lower I notice a few symptoms. More and I'm miserably sluggish in

every

way.

> I'm resigned to staying here long-term. But, I never, ever in my

wildest

> imagination could conceive of having numbers like yours. I stay

at the

top

> of normal range for FT4 and FT3, and my TSH hasn't gone about

about .25

> ever. So I have a totally different experience.

>