Help Requested - Thyroid and Test Labs

[kjcmjc]

I also received my Thyroid test back today from my TRT Dr.
Thyroxine (T4) was 0.98 (0.82-1.77)
TSH 2.130 (0.450-4.500)
Triiodothyronine, Free, Serum 2.2 (2.0-4.4)

I had the same tests run 6 months ago and T4 was 1.13. TSH was 2.720. Triiodothyronine was 2.3.

My doctor has Tanita Scale in his office and every 6 months takes measurements. My body fat from 6 months ago has gone up a little from 17% to 17.4%, almost everything else has stayed the same.
Since Christmas I have been strictly watching my diet and have been weight training 3 to 4 times a week. Cardio up to 2 times a day 5 days a week, and cannot lose weight. One day a week I eat want I want for about a 1/2 day. That I know does not help.

So my Dr said he can prescribe Armour Thyroid and start at 30mg a day and go from there.
My Test level was 998.3, Free Test was 26, all other numbers were in range.

I trust my Doctor but have a little reservation on starting Armour. If I start it and do not like it will it damage my Thyroid for the rest of my life? Can you safely get off?
He did not run reverse T, or any other thyroid tests? These test were LabCorps thyroid panel.

 

[CoastWatcher]

Other than unsuccessful trying to lose weight, how are you feeling? Have you treated your thyroid in the past?

 

[Vince]

Nobody knows the ideal dose of iodine. I believe, however, that it is somewhere in the 500-1000 mcg per day range. In this range, many people improve T4 levels and reduce TSH over several months and no toxicity.

Note that higher doses can provoke toxicity.

Chris is the thyroid expect, hopefully he will chime in. https://www.excelmale.com/forum/showthread.php?5657-Kelp

Taking Armour Thyroid won't hurt your thyroid. In my opinion the best way to lose weight is to go low carb.

 

[kjcmjc]

Thanks for the replies. I have gone low carb sub 100g a day, I lowered calories from 2000 a day to 1700 a day weight training days. 1500 calories non weight training days. I lowered fats to 30g a day and upped carbs to 180 a day.

I try a bunch of different things. I weigh 195 at 5'9"

I am 57 when I was 50 I went into a natural BB contest and I super strictly watched my diet for 12 weeks and I lost weight but did not look like I should. I hired a well respected trainer. At the end of the prep I was doing 3 cardio sessions a day with a 1500 calorie diet and was still only losing about a pound or 2 a week. That is when my trainer said to have my test levels checked, they were 172, I had 2 other tests after I recovered from my diet and the highest level I had was 220. That is when I started TRT My thyroid also was low (I cannot remember the number)

I have never taken anything for my thyroid. I am not looking to get back into contest shape, but I would like to get below 15% body fat. I know diet plays the most important role, but when you are living on a treadmill and staying the same its gets frustrating.

I don't know much about thyroid meds and you hear horror stories from people that take meds to control thyroid have bad side effects. Right now I am healthy and want to keep it that way. But I want to lose some body fat without any major side effects.

 

[Vince]

"Stop the Thyroid Madness" you can buy it on amazon, it's the best book on Thyroid.

 

[Vettester Chris]

Your FT4 is at 17% of the reference range, FT3 is at 8.3% of its reference range. If everything were in the "optimal" zone, you would hope to see both of these in the 50% to 80% range, relatively close together (most cases).

These results are obviously letting you know that your thyroid hormone level is quite low. One note of observation ... Notice how TSH really isn't reflecting these results? Based on the provided results, one might expect to see a TSH level > 4.00 or even 5.00. A large percentile of the physicians would have just looked at your TSH and checked your thyroid off as "normal", or even "excellent"! Your results alone prove just how unreliable the TSH lab can be. It's a great lab to use in conjunction with other thyroid labs, but not very dependable by itself.

Hypothyroidism looks evident, BUT, I would suggest suggest completing the other labs (Reverse T3 & Antibodies TPO & TgAb) before getting too far into the program.

On the Armour, 30mg is only 1/2 grain. Is your doctor looking to titrate that to a larger dosage? Even if the RT3/FT3 ratio is adequate, antibodies fine, 1/2 grain will do little to your serum levels. If your thyroid is healthy, meaning no parathyroid issues or pathology, there isn't any need to be concerned about "damage" to your thyroid gland. The structure of NDT is quite similar to a human's thyroid; ratio of T4 & T3 a little bit different, but all and all an excellent substitution for hypothyroidism.

 

[kjcmjc]

Thanks Chris, yes he is going to check my levels again in a few months and make adjustments from there. I asked to be started at a low dose of Armour and then go from there.He even said the 30mg might not be enough, he wanted me on 60mg but I said lets start with 30.

I will ask him about the other test you suggested.