<p>Are there not some bone-loss issues associated with higher than necessary thyroid-replacement doses?</p>
<p>To the person who said bovine thyroid glands are located behind their eyes, you are incorrect. That is the pituitary gland.</p>
<p>In the US, I believe all dessicated thyroid used for Armour thyroid is porcine NOT bovine anyway, and a pig’s thyroid is also NOT behind the eyes. The thyroids are obtained from pure grain-fed pigs. </p>
<p>The best TSH level may vary depending upon why a patient is on it. A person who has had a thyroidectomy due to thyroid cancer needs enough external thyroid to suppress totally the production of any thyroid cells that can be left behind after surgery. Leaving one’s parathyroid glands behind (VERY IMPORTANT they be left) can result in leaving behind microscopic thyroid cells. Those patients need a very LOW TSH. Other patients need a TSH at 1-4. To be perfectly honest, there is chemically little difference between a TSH of 1 and one of 4. Really. The feedback to the pituitary is almost indistinguishable comparing a 1 to a 4. </p>
<p>Now, if a TSH is so low as to be undetectible (often listed as <0.25 or so) then a patient is getting too much, UNLESS THEY HAD THYROID CANCER. And too much can result in a subtle hyPERthyroid state, even when the T4 level is OK. This can lead to bone loss. Osteoporosis is NOT associated with being hypothyroid and is not associated with thyroid replacement, unless the replacement results in a T4 that is chronically too high or unless it results in a TSH that is chronically too low. But again, prior cancer CHANGES THINGS, and a low risk of osteo is balanced against the risk of recurrence. </p>
<p>Basically the rules are different if there was cancer in the history. If not, the aim is to keep the T4 normal and the TSH between 1-4. If this is the case, and a patient does not feel well, then one checks T3, free T3 and free T4. That is where we can find patients whose other numbers look OK but these numbers not as great. And this is where using both supplementation with T4 and T3 comes into play. </p>
<p>NOW, a doctor who treats himself has a fool for a patient. And a patient who relies on medical advice from an internet board…well… So take this information TO YOUR DOCTOR and discuss. If you have a doctor who NEVER USES ARMOUR OR T3 EVER, consider a second opinion. DO NOT LOOK FOR A DOCTOR WHO USES IT EXCLUSIVELY. Equally problematic. One who has 90-98% off their patients on synthroid/levothyroxine (T4) but who has a small percentage of patients on Armour, or a combination of levothyroxine and cytomel is someone who manages a lot of thyroid patients, and is one who will likely take more time to check additional levels if needed (T3,free T4, free T3) in a patient who does not fell their thyroid balance is correct. </p>
<p>My white coat is off for the day. And I don’t wear one anyway.</p>
<p>sunnyflorida, what is your specialty, if any?</p>
<p>I believe sunnyfla is an ob-gyn, correct??</p>
<p>Funny how this thread pops up, and a friend was just talking about this at dinner last night.</p>
<p>Yes, Ob/Gyn.</p>
<p>The person who first recognized I had hypothyroidism was my D’s pediatrician. I wasn’t even the patient. I brought D in for a checkup and asked “how does she look?” He said, “She looks fine; you look terrible” and he had me tested same-day for 3 things (one serious) and diagnosed this easy-solve within 24 hours. Thank goodness for doctors who look up from their file folders.</p>
<p>^ you lucked out - it took literally years before I changed doctors to one who immediately added up my symptoms and checked my thyroid, despite my having asked directly for it with previous doctors. I now blame myself for not being assertive, guess you can’t go back.
Am now three months in and still having my synthroid dose adjusted to get to the right level. Auto-immune thyroid disorder (Hashimoto’s); 3 months ago TSH = 89!, 2 months = 35, 1 month = 11.49, now supposedly 3.5. Should be feeling much better but nothing dramatic at all. I go in in a week and am hoping to further adjust this to the point where I feel awake again… that would be amazing. I now realize this has been a problem for at least the past five years but the symptoms were passed off by my drs. as early menopause. Feel like I’ve totally wasted five years feeling crappy!</p>
<p>cross your fingers for me ladies! interesting thread. :)</p>
<p>^^it takes awhile before you stablize and start feeling normal. I was fortunate in my early diagnosis, also, in that I dragged my sorry butt into the doctor’s office decades ago. I am normally an energetic, upbeat, jump out of bed in the morning ready to tackle the day, athletic person and I could hardly get out of bed that morning and my feet felt like I was wearing lead boots. The doctor and the nurses I known for many years apparently thought I looked like I’d been through the wringer, my hair was falling out on everything including the registration desk and I’d lost most of my eyebrows. He told me there was at least one of seven things “wrong” with me and sent me right to the lab. I feel for people that exist for years without being diagnosed. Look forward AL34…not back…you will feel better soon. It’s not dramatic but one day you realize you have more energy, or your hair has stopped falling out or you’re not depressed but it’s a subtle change.</p>