General Medicine

» Elaine Moore - Weird symptoms again!

In response to Weird symptoms again! posted by nurseheatherone:

Hi,
Your sed rate could be elevated from any kind of inflammation. It's pretty much a generic test so you can't say from the results exactly what's causing it. A mild infection can cause it too. With your back pain, you probably want to have a routine urinalysis done too to make sure you don't have a UTI. Best, Elaine

» Elaine Moore - New labs

In response to New labs posted by nurseheatherone:

Hi,
Your thyroid levels could be too low for your body's needs even though they're within the normal range. I wouldn't take any more than 2.5 mg and if you were reliably on this dose you might consider 1.25 mg daily. Subclinical disorders aren't usually treated for the reason that it's too easy to move into hypoT when you start out with normal thyroid hormone levels and add an ATD. Beta blockers are usually a good approach since they reduce symptoms and very mildly lower thyroid hormone levels. You might want to do some research on Broda Barnes and see what he had to say about thyroid hormone levels that are too low. Best, Elaine

» nurseheatherone - New labs

In response to New labs posted by daisyelaine:
Thanks Elaine, I am just thinking that when I went back on Tap my labs were in normal range, the only reason I was restarted on it was because one morning I woke up with all of those strange symptoms and when I started taking the beat blocker and the Tap again they started to get better. Now that I am still on both of those meds, the day before my period started the symptoms came right back. I am wondering if I had just waited a little longer to restart the meds that maybe i would have started to feel better on my own. I looked in to Broda Barnes and will definetely do the basal temperature next month. I am just thinking that with my last TSH being .46 and Ft4 it could be possible that I was even too hypo for my bodies needs then and by starting the medication I made it worse. Over the past month I have lost more hair and been more fatigued, not to mention the very cold hands and feet ( even drinking a cold drink sends me into shivers). With the subclinical hyper-T, I am wondering if this is the problem. In June if this year My TSH-0.04, FT4 3.7 and T3 uptake-37.4 this is when my symptoms started of missing periods. 3 weeks later my TSH-0.017,FT4-1.68, FT3 5.0, with no treatment yet. 1 month later my TSH-0.01,FT4-2.96,FT3-4.53, TSI-143,RAI uptake 50%, would these labs put me in the subclinical hyperthyroidism range or would I be considered full Hyperthyroid? Since then my TSH has been all over the place,but never hyper again and my FT4 has been 1.15,1.10 and off meds for a week 1.4. Now on 2.5 it has gone down again. I am going to reduce my dose to 1.25 starting tomorrow, but I really wish my endo would consider all of this and take me off again. Maybe if I got my labs in a good range I would not have this issue when my monthly cycle starts. I appreciate the info, If I did not have you to discuss this all with I may have had RAI and been severly hypo by now! you have been such a saving grace in this battle I have been fighting for these past couple of months
Thanks again, Heather

-- posted by nurseheatherone

» Elaine Moore - New labs

In response to New labs posted by nurseheatherone:

Hi,
If your FT4 was 3.7 when you started out (range 0.8-1.8) than you would have been hyperthyroid at the onset. If this was FT3 a 3.7 would have been normal and you would have had subclinical hyperT.
The effects of the ATD won't be immediate. If you felt better after starting the ATD it may have been coincidental. The beta blocker could have been responsible for your feeling better, and you'd mentioned having elevated bp from time to time.
I think you'll learn alot from Broda Barnes's theories, and checking your basal temperature will help you figure things out. Best, Elaine

» nurseheatherone - New labs

In response to New labs posted by daisyelaine:

Thanks Elaine, my firt 3 FT4's with about a month and a half before treatment, at three different labs were 3.7,2.68,and 2.96, so technically 2 of them would have been hyper then. After that it has not gone above 1.4. I kindo of think that going by those numbers and feeling better at those pre-treatment ranges I may need to go off the medication to see what happens. Today I started taking 1.25 of Tap ( they are hard to split in 4's) and since I am still having those symptoms ( headache, queaziness, upper/left side back and chest ache) and am at the end of my menstrual cycle, I am interested to see what happens. Luckily I do have an OB apt. in two weeks so maybe he can shed some light on this for me. I am still losing hairaround my hairline and am the have lost about 10 lbs since starting treatmemnt( I had gained about 20-30 lbs prior), if I was hypo wouldnt I gain weight or can you do the opposite? I do not hav emuch of an appetitite these days. I am still on the smallest dose of atenolol and I agree that was probably what made me feel better last time around. With only TSI antibodies is it still possible to have hashimotos? or could I just be heading in remission, or just be subclinical. I am super confused, hopefully some light will be shed soon enough on all of this for me.
Thanks again, Heather

-- posted by nurseheatherone

» nurseheatherone - New labs

In response to New labs posted by nurseheatherone:

Hi Elaine, just wanted to add to the previous post, This morning my basal temperature was 97.2, so I beleive that is low. I am determined to get to bottom of all of this:)
Thanks, Heather

-- posted by nurseheatherone

» aviano - Androgen Levels

In response to Androgen Levels posted by daisyelaine:

Elaine:
What is HBIG? I've looked it up but it looks like a hepatitis related immunoglobulin. Is this growth hormone related? And how can it be tracked?
Avi

-- posted by aviano

» aviano - struma ovarii

Elaine:
I'd like to know more about this and how it might influence Graves Disease...I'm wondering if the addition of estradiol might influence the increase in antibodies and thyroid hormone through this mechanism. This may be too "rare" for an article, but I'd sure like to learn more.
Thanks,
Avi

-- posted by aviano

» aviano - Doc in N.C., VA, NC

Elaine:
I'd be interested in hearing from you or your discussion group on really good docs in N.C. I can't seem to find one that can address the hypo/hyper/excess androgen issues. I have a great D.O., but she leans heavily on supplements..sometimes to the degree of feeling overwhelmed.
Thank you,
Avi

-- posted by aviano

» aviano - hydrocortione/cortisol for Graves

Elaine:
I am currently reading a book by William McK Jefferies entitled, "Safe Uses of Cortisol"..In the book he treats several Graves patients with low/physiologic doses of cortisol (generally less than 20 ug/day) and sees improvement. What are your thoughts?
Thank you,
Avi

-- posted by aviano