Dosage Adjustments---Liz

[Guest guest]

Liz,

I have been away for a few days and am just catching up.

My, it has been busy here the past couple of days. Just a short

bcomment in relation to the RAI: Yes or No debate. I was diagnosed in

Australia (Brisbane), by an endo in Dec 2001. Was told immediately I

was an ideal candidate for RAI. Fortunately I live in Japan and the

Australian endo wrote a letter to " advise " my Japanese doctor what the

ideal course of action was when I returned there. My doctor in Japan

read the letter carefully and without a word filed it. RAI was never

mentioned from that day to this, twenty months later.From what I have

learned from this group and from the doctors here in Japan I am

satisfied that ATDs, carefully monitored, are the way to go.

Now to the question of your dosage. I started out on 45mg a day of

Neomercazole as prescribed by said endo in Brisbane. This was changed

to Mercazole (has to be very similar) when I got back to Japan and

reduced to 30mgs after six weeks and then to 20, 15, 10 and then to 5

in December last year and that is where I am now. These dose

reductions were done at about two-three month intervals and only after

monthly labs and more importantly a close examination of what my

symptoms were every month on the day blood was drawn. On more than one

occasion the doctor made his decision based on how I felt rather than

what the numbers said. My FT4 numbers have been normal for months now

despite a slightly low FT3 and a non existent TSH.

I guess what I want to say is that with monthly labs you can control

quite closely where you are. Do the reductions slowly. Your body will

tell you what level is good for you. When you do feel good make sure

you make a record of it and tell the endo and mark those next lab

numbers. Those will probably be your set points, where you feel best

and those will become your guidelines.

I took Chinese herbs for about 9 months and now I am having

acupuncture. I believe that the body's overall balance has to be

restored and I think that TCM is a good way to do this. I had to smile

at your acupuncturist post. I was at my acupuncturist this afternoon

and at one point I asked him how many needles he had in my body and the

answer was 21! What is interesting is that he never inserts needles

anywhere near my thyroid. I have them in the lower legs, around the

elbows, in the chest, behind the ears and in the back of the neck.

Cheers,