Barely Low Thyroid

[BRUMI1968]

Hi all! Got my thyroid tested recently (TSH, Total T3/Total T4) and came back "normal". Then went home and did some research; went back and demanded Free T3/Free T4. Free T4 came back barely normal, Free T3 came back barely below normal. But even though I have lots of symptoms of low thyroid, my "doc" thinks I don't need to treat it at all. Hmmmmm.

Similarly, my B12 came back okay, but on the low end, and I now read that one should test for MMA if B12 is lower than 300 - to see if there is a deficiency. Again, lots of symptoms of B12 deficiency. Plus, Celiac.......

So, are any of you out there "barely" low thyroid and taking armor or another natural thyroid supplement? How do you deal with not ignroing your probable low adrenal function by just feeding the thyroid and not adrenals - I sound like I have adrenal fatigue to me.

Any advice/experiences would be helpful. Also, any side effects of the natural thyroid, other than too much dose and going hyper instead of hypo?

-Sherri

[MaryJones2]

I fall into the barely category. I had what most doctors consider normal labs but had dramatic results when I started taking Armour. (my TSH was 3.8) I can't really say that I've noticed any negative side effects of Armour. I'm not sure about the adrenal question though so maybe someone else will chime in on this one.

[ravenwoodglass]

The first thing I would do is start taking some sublingual B12. If your numbers have dropped and are low chances are that you are not utilizing it. It can take a long time for those numbers to bottom out totally because of the way it is stored in the body and by the time they do you have been being impacted for quite a while usually. Make sure the B12 is sublingual as it is absorbed directly into the blood stream through the mucous membranes in your mouth bypassing the damaged gut. You should notice a difference fairly soon after starting the supplement. Make sure you let them know that you are supplementing when you see the doctor as it will show up in your B12 testing if they are monitoring those levels.

[ShayFL]

Please go to:

www.stopthethyroidmadness.com

And read read read!!

I wasnt "barely" normal. I was "perfectly" normal according to doctors for 12 years. WRONG!! I was severely hypothyroid at a TSH of 2.88. Armour made ALL the difference in the world for me. It was like someone flipped switch. I couldnt believe it!

You should also have antibodies tested to see if you have Hashimoto's Disease. Because if you do, you should be treated so that your TSH gets suppressed. This stops the autoimmune attack.

You should also have your Ferritin checked because if it is too low, you may have difficulty increasing your Armour to the right dose.

I tested my adrenals via saliva before starting Armour. My adrenals were good. So I went ahead in increments of 1/8 grain every 10 days or so. I am now up to 3 grains and feel it is optimal for me. My Ferritin is a work in progress, but it is climbing.

All of this under my doctors care. A good doctor. A Holistic M.D. who understands thyroid. You need to find a good doctor. Your life can depend on it!

My Mom has a BAD doctor. She had her thyroid removed and is on Synthroid. They wont give her any Armour. She complains ALL of the time of being tired, fat and foggy headed. She is undermedicated. It will eventually kill her prematurely. But she wont change doctors. Her life.......

I do well with my TSH fully suppressed. It is currently around .08

I also do well with my Free T3 at the very top or a point or two over.

My Doc doesnt look at T4 much unless it is out of range.

[Nancym]

You should always get your test results in hard copy so you know exactly what they are.

There have been some recent studies showing a TSH > 1.0 is connected with a significant increase in heart disease. Meanwhile the "normal" range goes up to 5 in some practices.

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[BRUMI1968]

You should also have your Ferritin checked because if it is too low, you may have difficulty increasing your Armour to the right dose.

I tested my adrenals via saliva before starting Armour. My adrenals were good. So I went ahead in increments of 1/8 grain every 10 days or so. I am now up to 3 grains and feel it is optimal for me. My Ferritin is a work in progress, but it is climbing.

My ferritin is very low "normal". I think I'll dig up a naturopath in my new town (I'm moving in the next couple weeks) who can help me out with this. I am going to try to find some B12 shots in that timeframe too -- I do sublingual, but I don't really notice much of a change. I'd like to do 4-6 shots, and the sublingual, and see if I can't get a bump.

Thanks, all!

[ShayFL]

In this large and extraordinary observation, increasing TSH levels were associated with increasing levels of LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, and decreasing HDL. At what level of TSH did this relationship start? At TSH levels as low as 1.0!

In other words, there were perturbations in standard lipid measures even with TSH levels ordinarily regarded as "normal," even "perfect."

I will have to agree with this as my Cholesterol dropped as my TSH dropped. My Cholesterol is now perfect and all of my heart indicators (C-Reactive Protein, Lipids, etc. are all perfect).

I wont ever let my TSH go anywhere near 1 again. That is too high for my personal biological makeup.

[beachbel]

My thyroid also tested barely low, but luckily for me, my dr wanted me to start thyroid medication. The thyroxin has done wonders for me! I am much less tired. I should mention that there have been times that my thyroid tested normal, but my dr said that especially when hypothyroidism is caused by an autoimmune disease (like celiac) that it will go up and down. I just go in for periodic blood tests to check my level. You might want to see if your dr will consider checking you again. I also was checked for thyroid antibodies and that is how they decided that my thyroid problem is caused by the autoimmune problem - celiac. Good luck.