Re: Help with Labs - Dr wants to up PTU dosage

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

I'm no expert at this stuff but I wouldn't increase the dosage. You seem

to be doing well at the dose you're at now, so why up it? TSH can lag

behind all the other lab numbers. According to both of the endos who

have treated me, in some people the TSH can lag behind as much as six

months. Upping your dose will most likely make you hypo and that will

make you feel pretty crummy.

My opinion of course but if those were my lab results I would not

increase my dosage.

in MA USA

Graves since March 1997

Currently on 2 PTU tablets per day

Was in remission from 2000-2003

Will not undergo RAI

[Guest guest]

Thanks ,

That is what I was thinking. I know that the TSH can lag and the fact

that it finally moved I thought was a sign that the current dosage

must be working. So, why mess with it? I basically told the nurse

the same thing, why should I change my dosage when I'm feeling good

and the labs are still good.

Thanks for your input!

>

> I'm no expert at this stuff but I wouldn't increase the dosage. You

seem

> to be doing well at the dose you're at now, so why up it? TSH can

lag

> behind all the other lab numbers. According to both of the endos who

> have treated me, in some people the TSH can lag behind as much as

six

> months. Upping your dose will most likely make you hypo and that

will

> make you feel pretty crummy.

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

I got the same story from my doctor (soon to be my ex-doctor, I am never

going back). My FT4 is .8, and that is at the bottom of the normal range.

Clearly too low. He wanted me to maintain this dose, and I said " what about

my symptoms. " He repeatedly said " but the TSH. " The TSH my ass, if you know

what I mean! TSH is falsely suppressed due to the presence of the

antibodies, and won't rise to anywhere near normal until approaching

remission. He is clueless about this, and apparently thinks that the

antibodies are irrelevant in the lab values obtained. So sad. I am reducing

my dose.

, please follow your own wisdom -- you know the deal. You actually

should be DECREASING your dose, in my unqualified opinion, as you would

probably be best at a somewhat higher FT4 (like around 1.2, as long as you

don't feel hyper).

At 12:08 PM 9/30/2003, you wrote:

>Hi,

>

>I am hopeful that someone can help me determine what is going on with

>my labs.

>

>I have been on PTU since May - the original dosage was 150 mg and my

>numbers prior to medication were:

>TSH <.011 ref .3-5.0

>FT4 5.30 ref .71-1.85

>

>In June I started splitting my dosage, taking it 3x a day.

>

>In July they decreased my dosage to 100 mg a day after the following

>labs (I continued to split the dosage)

>TSH <.011

>FT4 .5

>

>August TSH <.011

> FT4 .87

>

>Now, the nurse called after Fridays labs and the doctor wants to

>INCREASE my dosage back to 150 mg a day. The new labs are

>TSH .07

>FT4 .75

>I have been feeling good, and the TSH FINALLY moved, so I am

>wondering, why would the doctor want to increase my dosage? Won't the

>FT4 go lower if I go on more PTU?

>I questioned the nurse and she is going to check back with the doctor.

>She said something about the additional PTU would help push the TSH

>higher....... Also, I told the nurse I am currently weaning my son and

>hope to be done within the next month and won't that mess with my

>hormones and perhaps screw things up a bit??

>Any help at all is greatly appreciated.

> Schwartz

[Guest guest]

LOL you go ! Tell him that Tsh don't mean squat at this point! grrrrr!

don't ya just wanna smack those dr's upside the head sometimes? rofl

Sandy~Houston

Re: Help with Labs - Dr wants to up PTU dosage

Hi ,

I got the same story from my doctor (soon to be my ex-doctor, I am never

going back). My FT4 is .8, and that is at the bottom of the normal range.

Clearly too low. He wanted me to maintain this dose, and I said " what about

my symptoms. " He repeatedly said " but the TSH. " The TSH my ass, if you know

what I mean! TSH is falsely suppressed due to the presence of the

antibodies, and won't rise to anywhere near normal until approaching

remission. He is clueless about this, and apparently thinks that the

antibodies are irrelevant in the lab values obtained. So sad. I am reducing

my dose.

, please follow your own wisdom -- you know the deal. You actually

should be DECREASING your dose, in my unqualified opinion, as you would

probably be best at a somewhat higher FT4 (like around 1.2, as long as you

don't feel hyper).

At 12:08 PM 9/30/2003, you wrote:

>Hi,

>

>I am hopeful that someone can help me determine what is going on with

>my labs.

>

>I have been on PTU since May - the original dosage was 150 mg and my

>numbers prior to medication were:

>TSH <.011 ref .3-5.0

>FT4 5.30 ref .71-1.85

>

>In June I started splitting my dosage, taking it 3x a day.

>

>In July they decreased my dosage to 100 mg a day after the following

>labs (I continued to split the dosage)

>TSH <.011

>FT4 .5

>

>August TSH <.011

> FT4 .87

>

>Now, the nurse called after Fridays labs and the doctor wants to

>INCREASE my dosage back to 150 mg a day. The new labs are

>TSH .07

>FT4 .75

>I have been feeling good, and the TSH FINALLY moved, so I am

>wondering, why would the doctor want to increase my dosage? Won't the

>FT4 go lower if I go on more PTU?

>I questioned the nurse and she is going to check back with the doctor.

>She said something about the additional PTU would help push the TSH

>higher....... Also, I told the nurse I am currently weaning my son and

>hope to be done within the next month and won't that mess with my

>hormones and perhaps screw things up a bit??

>Any help at all is greatly appreciated.

> Schwartz

[Guest guest]

At 07:04 PM 9/30/2003, you wrote:

>LOL you go ! Tell him that Tsh don't mean squat at this

>point! grrrrr! don't ya just wanna smack those dr's upside the head

>sometimes? rofl

>

>Sandy~Houston

Totally. Thanks for the laugh! Actually, I'd like to smack 'em with

Elaine's book. I told him that TSH stayed suppressed, and he just says no.

This man is probably about 70 years old -- you would think he'd have seen

enough to know. He's listed as one of America's Top Docs in Manhattan, a

thyroid specialist no less. Sheesh. Obviously that book is an unreliable

source. There are so few endos that accept insurance. Gonna have to bite

the bullet and pay.

[Guest guest]

ya know , sometimes it's the older dr's that give ya such fits. They are

old and set in their ways, and not eager to learn. I'm betting that is the kind

of dr you ended up with. I hate it that they all don't take insurance myself!

I'd love to go to dr Arem, but I just know at this point in time, I could not

afford it. :-(

Sandy~Houston

PS (rofl) at the smack him with Elaine's book. :-)

Re: Help with Labs - Dr wants to up PTU dosage

At 07:04 PM 9/30/2003, you wrote:

>LOL you go ! Tell him that Tsh don't mean squat at this

>point! grrrrr! don't ya just wanna smack those dr's upside the head

>sometimes? rofl

>

>Sandy~Houston

Totally. Thanks for the laugh! Actually, I'd like to smack 'em with

Elaine's book. I told him that TSH stayed suppressed, and he just says no.

This man is probably about 70 years old -- you would think he'd have seen

enough to know. He's listed as one of America's Top Docs in Manhattan, a

thyroid specialist no less. Sheesh. Obviously that book is an unreliable

source. There are so few endos that accept insurance. Gonna have to bite

the bullet and pay.

[Guest guest]

,

Christmas is coming. Give him the book, it worked wonders with my endo.

Terry

>

> Reply-To: graves_support

> Date: Tue, 30 Sep 2003 19:50:00 -0400

> To: graves_support

> Subject: Re: Help with Labs - Dr wants to up PTU dosage

>

> At 07:04 PM 9/30/2003, you wrote:

>> LOL you go ! Tell him that Tsh don't mean squat at this

>> point! grrrrr! don't ya just wanna smack those dr's upside the head

>> sometimes? rofl

>>

>> Sandy~Houston

>

> Totally. Thanks for the laugh! Actually, I'd like to smack 'em with

> Elaine's book. I told him that TSH stayed suppressed, and he just says no.

> This man is probably about 70 years old -- you would think he'd have seen

> enough to know. He's listed as one of America's Top Docs in Manhattan, a

> thyroid specialist no less. Sheesh. Obviously that book is an unreliable

> source. There are so few endos that accept insurance. Gonna have to bite

> the bullet and pay.

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Sandy,

It seems to me that someone went to Arem and was terribly disappointed, he

wanted her to do RAI. Now, if I could just remember who...

Terry

>

> Reply-To: graves_support

> Date: Tue, 30 Sep 2003 19:09:05 -0500

> To: <graves_support >

> Subject: Re: Help with Labs - Dr wants to up PTU dosage

>

> ya know , sometimes it's the older dr's that give ya such fits. They

> are old and set in their ways, and not eager to learn. I'm betting that is

> the kind of dr you ended up with. I hate it that they all don't take

> insurance myself! I'd love to go to dr Arem, but I just know at this point in

> time, I could not afford it. :-(

>

> Sandy~Houston

>

> PS (rofl) at the smack him with Elaine's book. :-)

>

>

> Re: Help with Labs - Dr wants to up PTU dosage

>

>

> At 07:04 PM 9/30/2003, you wrote:

>> LOL you go ! Tell him that Tsh don't mean squat at this

>> point! grrrrr! don't ya just wanna smack those dr's upside the head

>> sometimes? rofl

>>

>> Sandy~Houston

>

> Totally. Thanks for the laugh! Actually, I'd like to smack 'em with

> Elaine's book. I told him that TSH stayed suppressed, and he just says no.

> This man is probably about 70 years old -- you would think he'd have seen

> enough to know. He's listed as one of America's Top Docs in Manhattan, a

> thyroid specialist no less. Sheesh. Obviously that book is an unreliable

> source. There are so few endos that accept insurance. Gonna have to bite

> the bullet and pay.

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Terry,

If I thought there was a snowball's chance that he would read the book, I

would. For instance, when I asked him if he would add synthroid to the mix

(my dose is very low, and I've been skimming hypO), he said " No, I wrote a

paper in the 1960's on how it is not good to add synthroid. " My mouth was

ajar at that statement. OK, I'm done venting :-o

At 10:16 PM 9/30/2003, you wrote:

>,

>Christmas is coming. Give him the book, it worked wonders with my endo.

>Terry

[Guest guest]

oh that's right Terry! I talked with somebody who'd been to see him! They

weren't pleased at all.

Sandy

Re: Help with Labs - Dr wants to up PTU dosage

>

>

> At 07:04 PM 9/30/2003, you wrote:

>> LOL you go ! Tell him that Tsh don't mean squat at this

>> point! grrrrr! don't ya just wanna smack those dr's upside the head

>> sometimes? rofl

>>

>> Sandy~Houston

>

> Totally. Thanks for the laugh! Actually, I'd like to smack 'em with

> Elaine's book. I told him that TSH stayed suppressed, and he just says no.

> This man is probably about 70 years old -- you would think he'd have seen

> enough to know. He's listed as one of America's Top Docs in Manhattan, a

> thyroid specialist no less. Sheesh. Obviously that book is an unreliable

> source. There are so few endos that accept insurance. Gonna have to bite

> the bullet and pay.

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Now Terry, hitting him upside the head with it sounded like much more fun! lol.

Sowwy, I'm in a 'mood' tonite! I'm slinking back to the corner to observe.

heheh

Sandy~Houston

Re: Help with Labs - Dr wants to up PTU dosage

>

> At 07:04 PM 9/30/2003, you wrote:

>> LOL you go ! Tell him that Tsh don't mean squat at this

>> point! grrrrr! don't ya just wanna smack those dr's upside the head

>> sometimes? rofl

>>

>> Sandy~Houston

>

> Totally. Thanks for the laugh! Actually, I'd like to smack 'em with

> Elaine's book. I told him that TSH stayed suppressed, and he just says no.

> This man is probably about 70 years old -- you would think he'd have seen

> enough to know. He's listed as one of America's Top Docs in Manhattan, a

> thyroid specialist no less. Sheesh. Obviously that book is an unreliable

> source. There are so few endos that accept insurance. Gonna have to bite

> the bullet and pay.

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

he said " No, I

> wrote a

> paper in the 1960's on how it is not good to add synthroid. "

If you can do obsequious well, gush and ask him for a copy of the paper

(he probably knows you well enough that it's too late for though, huh)

and share it here.

Minor detail - were ATDs in use then? Both PTU and methimazole?

Take care, Fay

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[Guest guest]

Terry, Sandy -

Was it over on Mediboard you're thinking of perhaps? RitaLucy went to him

and was disappointed afterwards. That's ht eone I remember anyway. Here's

the thread:

http://www.mediboard.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=001636#00000

0

And the continuation:

http://www.mediboard.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=001682#00000

0

Re: Help with Labs - Dr wants to up PTU dosage

> >

> >

> > At 07:04 PM 9/30/2003, you wrote:

> >> LOL you go ! Tell him that Tsh don't mean squat at this

> >> point! grrrrr! don't ya just wanna smack those dr's upside the head

> >> sometimes? rofl

> >>

> >> Sandy~Houston

> >

> > Totally. Thanks for the laugh! Actually, I'd like to smack 'em with

> > Elaine's book. I told him that TSH stayed suppressed, and he just says

no.

> > This man is probably about 70 years old -- you would think he'd have

seen

> > enough to know. He's listed as one of America's Top Docs in Manhattan, a

> > thyroid specialist no less. Sheesh. Obviously that book is an unreliable

> > source. There are so few endos that accept insurance. Gonna have to bite

> > the bullet and pay.

> >

> >

> >