Posted by Simus on September 4, 2004, at 22:33:31
In reply to thyroid test results, licorice etc » Simus, posted by tealady on September 4, 2004, at 21:43:16
> I've no idea whether you may benefit from thyroid meds...probably not if I HAD to guess.
My symptoms lean a little toward the hyperthyroid right now, oddly enough, and I am a little leary to go any farther in that direction.
> Your results are strange (similar to what mine were actually before thyroid meds..but yours are a tad more so). I've benefited from thyroid meds..but it's been a very difficult road, and one I'd not readily recommend without tyring other things first. Definitely just taking one t4 tablet a day just made me much worse, but then we are all individual. One thing about thyroid meds is..very difficult to get off once on. I was very symptomatic too or I wouldn't have tried them.
Hmmmm... I will definitely consider the thyroid drugs carefully before I try any.
> I don't think anyone could tell you with your test results what you should do...but see if can get FT3 and perhaps RT3(that's Reverse T3.) taken together with he T3, Ft4 and TSH...the FT3 is important.
My sister has Hashimoto's Disease and my mother is hyperthyroid, so there could be some genetic things going on that would merit the further testing.
> I'd guess your results may be plausible with highish RT3 and low Ft3, (mine RT3 looked OK I guess..but that was taken byu itself after I'd been on thyroid meds for a long time..shuld have been taken before really to be meaningful ..and with the total T3 etc for a ratio)
>
> I really have no idea exactly how the various thyroid hormones (T3, RT3, T3S, T2's, T4..the free levels and the total levels) relate to TSH feedback...noone does I think as yet. Your TSH is your Pituitary's output in reposnse to (amonst other things) thyroid hormone levels ..I have wondered about the pituitary thing, but I don't exactly fit any of the profiles there either...
> it would , I assume, be affected by other things too..including pdrugs, adrenals, cortisol levels, perhaps other hormone levels, things like aspirin, etc....
Ahhhh... Now that is a definite possiblilty. I definitely had exhausted adrenals last spring, and I still have symptoms of adrenal fatigue.
> I suspect its a lot more complicated than just what your FT3 and Ft4 levels are, but for most folk TSH has a good enough correlation to thyroid functioning....
>
> The pituitary can get itself in a bind sometimes..eg. when the TSH has been suppressed when one is hyperthyroid for a long time..the TSH may (in SOME people) stay suppressed for a long time..months, maybe up to a couple of years after they have reduced their thyroid hormone levels...as measured by FT4 and FT3. Too many docs just go by TSH...which is OK if you don't have any problems. (like for the majority of people)
>
> I'd like to suggest you tooddle over to http://forums.about.com/ab-thyroid/messages
> and put your results up..make the heading meaningful..and also mention what pdrugs you are on.. Wellbutrin? at the time of the test..and how long for etc. A significant percentage of folks there are on or have been on pdrugs, so you may come across someone who can comment...well it's worth a try IMO.Thanks for the advice. Its worth a try...
> Also mention your strange reaction to licorice, perhaps in another post..you may get some feedback. Although there are a lot of posts there every day so they don't all get answers.
> You can always try the advanced search on there (if it works)...search on licorice...
> The other thing worth checking , IMO, is your electrolyes..like potassium, magnesium, sodium,calcium etc. ..and your ferritin levels too(part of iron studies).I definitely want to have this test.
> Look for lowish potassium maybe? or perhaps VitD/calcium levels? Licorice lowers potassium..but I doubt just one lot of licorice would do this.
> Worth checking before you consider thyroid hormones?Thanks for the advice, Tealady. You really took a lot of time just to help me, and it is an encouragement to me.
God bless,
Simus
poster:Simus
thread:384584
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/alter/20040901/msgs/386522.html