Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards

The problem being is that most docs don't order lab tests to test "Free T-3" and that is the one component that affects mood, fatigue, weight gain and a whole host of other things. If a doc orders just a normal thyroid panel it will show TSH and T-4 (and a few other things) which may show normal range numbers yet the patient doesn't feel good but can't explain why. Most docs prescribe a synthetic T-4 only medication (like Synthroid or Levoxyl) with the expectation that the body will convert the T-4 to some T-3. It doesn't always, which is the case with Wilson's syndrome. Or, the body will convert some, but not enough. The normal blood range of T-3 is between 200+ and 600+ yet if you're at the low end of the spectrum you still may feel lousy. Often in Fibro a doc can prescribe a low dose T-3 only (Cytomel in the US) even though the Fibro person doesn't have clinical signs of hypothyroidism. It may make the fibro person feel so much better. Docs are reluctant to give it since it is a touchy drug and you need to have frequent blood work to make sure it doesn't throw you into a hyperthyroid state (which, in my estimation is so much worse than being hypo). Also, T-3 has a short half life, so to be of any benefit it needs to be taken twice a day, consistently at the same time of the day.

On a personal note, I was on a natural thyroid replacement drug (Armour) for over 10 years, with fantastic success. I had Hashimotos (goiter) and hypothyroidism. Due to a severe upper respiratory infection it threw me into subaccute thryoiditis, something I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. You flip from hypo to hyper and need to go off all med until you go back to hypo and then start all over again with meds, at a very slow rate. Well, I'm on a synthetic T-4 now and still don't feel just right. My next move may be to ask my (good) Doc to do what he wanted a while back, and that is instead of going back on a natural one, go to having a compounding pharmacy mix the T-3 and T-4 in the proper proportions for my blood levels, which BTW, will have to be constantly monitored. I'm hoping it will help the chronic throiditis attacks, plus give me an over all feeling of well being, but who knows..it will be a trial and error situation.

Now, aren't you sorry you asked? LOL

Kandee

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