![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 12 of 12. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Kwazy on May 4, 2003, at 17:16:48
I have a lot of the symptoms of being hypothyroid (fatigue, weight gain, depression).These are the results from my last blood test:
TSH = 0.88
T4, Free = 1.5
T4, Total = 8.7
T3, Free = 286The TSH # shows that I am not hypothyroid, but my pdoc put me on levoxyl anyway. I have been on it now (100mg/day) for about 4 weeks and I think my symptoms have gotten a good deal better (I am less fatigued and my mood has lifted a bit). Does anyone have any experience with being put on thyroid meds despite a normal thyroid panel? Think this is a good/bad idea if it seems to work?
Thanks
Posted by Snoozy on May 4, 2003, at 18:30:43
In reply to Low TSH numbers - , posted by Kwazy on May 4, 2003, at 17:16:48
I've been hypothyroid pretty much my whole life. My internist keeps me on the high end of the normal range. (I mean that my medication dose is as high as it can go while still remaining in the normal range on the tests - I hope that makes sense). The reason he's doing this is to help my fatigue. I don't think it makes a big difference, but that's about all he has to offer me.
I'm curious about your dose however - 100. I've always taken Synthroid, which is the same drug as levoxyl. After over a decade of slowly failing thyroid, I'm now taking 112 mcg (I think you meant micrograms, not milligrams?). I think I started at something like .075 mg. So assuming the medication you're taking comes in the same strengths as the one I take, which I think is very likely, that's a pretty high dose to start with for someone who's not really even hypothyroid.
You should probably have your levels rechecked in 2-4 weeks.
> I have a lot of the symptoms of being hypothyroid (fatigue, weight gain, depression).These are the results from my last blood test:
>
> TSH = 0.88
> T4, Free = 1.5
> T4, Total = 8.7
> T3, Free = 286
>
> The TSH # shows that I am not hypothyroid, but my pdoc put me on levoxyl anyway. I have been on it now (100mg/day) for about 4 weeks and I think my symptoms have gotten a good deal better (I am less fatigued and my mood has lifted a bit). Does anyone have any experience with being put on thyroid meds despite a normal thyroid panel? Think this is a good/bad idea if it seems to work?
>
> Thanks
Posted by kwazy on May 4, 2003, at 18:37:48
In reply to Re: Low TSH numbers - » Kwazy, posted by Snoozy on May 4, 2003, at 18:30:43
You're right, it's 100mcg (not 100mg). I just had blood taken so I should be finding my results out soon. I am curious to find out what taking Levoxyl has done to my TSH levels.
Have you ever noticed weight-loss from your thyroid meds?
> I've been hypothyroid pretty much my whole life. My internist keeps me on the high end of the normal range. (I mean that my medication dose is as high as it can go while still remaining in the normal range on the tests - I hope that makes sense). The reason he's doing this is to help my fatigue. I don't think it makes a big difference, but that's about all he has to offer me.
>
> I'm curious about your dose however - 100. I've always taken Synthroid, which is the same drug as levoxyl. After over a decade of slowly failing thyroid, I'm now taking 112 mcg (I think you meant micrograms, not milligrams?). I think I started at something like .075 mg. So assuming the medication you're taking comes in the same strengths as the one I take, which I think is very likely, that's a pretty high dose to start with for someone who's not really even hypothyroid.
>
> You should probably have your levels rechecked in 2-4 weeks.
>
> > I have a lot of the symptoms of being hypothyroid (fatigue, weight gain, depression).These are the results from my last blood test:
> >
> > TSH = 0.88
> > T4, Free = 1.5
> > T4, Total = 8.7
> > T3, Free = 286
> >
> > The TSH # shows that I am not hypothyroid, but my pdoc put me on levoxyl anyway. I have been on it now (100mg/day) for about 4 weeks and I think my symptoms have gotten a good deal better (I am less fatigued and my mood has lifted a bit). Does anyone have any experience with being put on thyroid meds despite a normal thyroid panel? Think this is a good/bad idea if it seems to work?
> >
> > Thanks
>
>
Posted by noa on May 4, 2003, at 19:27:42
In reply to Low TSH numbers - , posted by Kwazy on May 4, 2003, at 17:16:48
>>TSH = 0.88
T4, Free = 1.5
T4, Total = 8.7
T3, Free = 286Acc. to Mary Shomon (from the about.com thyroid site*), the range for Total T4 is 4.5 to 12.5, The Free T4 test ranges from 0.7 to 2. And T3 ranges are from 80-220.
* http://thyroid.about.com/library/weekly/bltest-values.htm
Posted by Snoozy on May 4, 2003, at 20:13:47
In reply to Re: Low TSH numbers -, posted by kwazy on May 4, 2003, at 18:37:48
No, I've never noticed any weight loss from Synthroid. There is this warning on the drug from medline:
IMPORTANT WARNING:
Thyroid hormone should not be used to treat obesity in patients with normal thyroid function. Levothyroxine is ineffective for weight reduction in normal thyroid patients and may cause serious or life-threatening toxicity, especially when taken with amphetamines. Talk to your doctor about the potential risks associated with this medication.You can see the whole page here:
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/medmaster/a682461.html
Hope this helps -let us know how your levels turn out.
> You're right, it's 100mcg (not 100mg). I just had blood taken so I should be finding my results out soon. I am curious to find out what taking Levoxyl has done to my TSH levels.
>
> Have you ever noticed weight-loss from your thyroid meds?
>
> > I've been hypothyroid pretty much my whole life. My internist keeps me on the high end of the normal range. (I mean that my medication dose is as high as it can go while still remaining in the normal range on the tests - I hope that makes sense). The reason he's doing this is to help my fatigue. I don't think it makes a big difference, but that's about all he has to offer me.
> >
> > I'm curious about your dose however - 100. I've always taken Synthroid, which is the same drug as levoxyl. After over a decade of slowly failing thyroid, I'm now taking 112 mcg (I think you meant micrograms, not milligrams?). I think I started at something like .075 mg. So assuming the medication you're taking comes in the same strengths as the one I take, which I think is very likely, that's a pretty high dose to start with for someone who's not really even hypothyroid.
> >
> > You should probably have your levels rechecked in 2-4 weeks.
> >
> > > I have a lot of the symptoms of being hypothyroid (fatigue, weight gain, depression).These are the results from my last blood test:
> > >
> > > TSH = 0.88
> > > T4, Free = 1.5
> > > T4, Total = 8.7
> > > T3, Free = 286
> > >
> > > The TSH # shows that I am not hypothyroid, but my pdoc put me on levoxyl anyway. I have been on it now (100mg/day) for about 4 weeks and I think my symptoms have gotten a good deal better (I am less fatigued and my mood has lifted a bit). Does anyone have any experience with being put on thyroid meds despite a normal thyroid panel? Think this is a good/bad idea if it seems to work?
> > >
> > > Thanks
> >
> >
>
>
Posted by Bill L on May 5, 2003, at 8:44:45
In reply to Low TSH numbers - , posted by Kwazy on May 4, 2003, at 17:16:48
Putting people with normal TSH on thyroid medicine is something that usually only psychiatrists (pdocs) do. Internists and family docs generally will not do it.
As long as the TSH remains above 0.2 or 0.3, it should be safe. I believe that there may be an increased risk by taking thyroid supplements for osteoporosis in women after menopause. But that risk can be decreased by taking estrogen.
Some pdocs give synthroid (T4), some give cytomel (T3), and some give both (eg armour).
A couple of years a go I read a bunch of comments from pdocs about this topic. Some said that giving thyroid supplements to depressed patients with normal TSH did not normally relieve depression per say. But that it did in some cases give the patients more energy. So it seems that your reaction is the same as with some other patients.
Posted by Snoozy on May 5, 2003, at 9:00:10
In reply to Re: Low TSH numbers - , posted by Bill L on May 5, 2003, at 8:44:45
I think the osteoporosis risk is for all women, not just post-menopausal.
> Putting people with normal TSH on thyroid medicine is something that usually only psychiatrists (pdocs) do. Internists and family docs generally will not do it.
>
> As long as the TSH remains above 0.2 or 0.3, it should be safe. I believe that there may be an increased risk by taking thyroid supplements for osteoporosis in women after menopause. But that risk can be decreased by taking estrogen.
>
> Some pdocs give synthroid (T4), some give cytomel (T3), and some give both (eg armour).
>
> A couple of years a go I read a bunch of comments from pdocs about this topic. Some said that giving thyroid supplements to depressed patients with normal TSH did not normally relieve depression per say. But that it did in some cases give the patients more energy. So it seems that your reaction is the same as with some other patients.
>
>
Posted by jrbecker on May 5, 2003, at 10:24:28
In reply to Low TSH numbers - , posted by Kwazy on May 4, 2003, at 17:16:48
Slightly off topic, though I found this was interesting...
Thyroid Augmentation (May 2, 2003)
An Israeli study of 44 nonresponders to Prozac after four weeks found that raising the dose from 20 mg to 40 mg was effective in only five patients, but adding thyroid T3 was effective in 10 of 16 women, while none of the nine males responded.
Posted by Bill L on May 5, 2003, at 16:26:22
In reply to Re: Low TSH numbers - , posted by jrbecker on May 5, 2003, at 10:24:28
That is interesting. I'm glad that scientists are still studying this issue.
> Slightly off topic, though I found this was interesting...
>
> Thyroid Augmentation (May 2, 2003)
>
> An Israeli study of 44 nonresponders to Prozac after four weeks found that raising the dose from 20 mg to 40 mg was effective in only five patients, but adding thyroid T3 was effective in 10 of 16 women, while none of the nine males responded.
>
Posted by bookgurl99 on May 5, 2003, at 22:16:36
In reply to Low TSH numbers - , posted by Kwazy on May 4, 2003, at 17:16:48
kwazy,
could it be that your doctor is trying to balance out your t3 relative to your t4? if your t3 is too high, you'll feel exhausted due to not being able to relax. :D
books
Posted by bookgurl99 on May 5, 2003, at 22:20:52
In reply to Re: Low TSH numbers - , posted by Snoozy on May 5, 2003, at 9:00:10
> I think the osteoporosis risk is for all women, not just post-menopausal.
>This risk holds true for men on thyroid hormone too. I have a 28-year-old male friend who started on synthroid 10 years ago (because of a chemotherapy and radiation that killed lymphoma _and_ his thyroid), and he now has osteoporosis. But of course, he'd rather be alive _with_ it.
I think sometimes people don't know that men are at threat for some of the things we think of as a danger to women.
Posted by caha on May 5, 2003, at 22:42:10
In reply to Re: Low TSH numbers - , posted by bookgurl99 on May 5, 2003, at 22:20:52
My daughter is taking synthroid and T3 both of which are prescribed sublingually. Her endo recommends taking these meds under the tongue not only for effectiveness, but also to lessen the chance of osteoporosis.
This is the end of the thread.
Psycho-Babble Medication | Extras | FAQ
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.org
Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.