Posted 11/7/2012 11:29 AM (GMT -7)
Glad to have found this forum, it looks brilliant
I am a middle aged woman, had chronic fatigue all my adult life, and eventually spotted that my symptoms were like hypothyroidism, even though I tested 'normal'. I was the very top value of the ref range but they wouldn't treat me. I eventually found a doc who would try me on some thyroid, very gently increasing the dose 25micrograms at a time until the lights came on again. Unfortunately I got palpitations ( I already had a heart murmur). He changed me to T3 only, and I did great on 20 mcg a day, but that leaves no buffer - short half life - and I got stranded away from home and fell down a 'hole' it took a month to climb back out of. So we tried me on Armour thyroid, which suited me well till they did something to the formulation. Now I take Erfa , or Armour if that's not available. I topped out at about 175mcg per day of T4 before having to change, but take the equivalent of 300 of the Erfa before I get too hot and my heart starts up again. I could use more for the other symptoms I have, but no use complaining! Interesting that different symptoms have different dose thresholds, which I suppose shows that thyroid hormone has many functions in the body and those parts have different sensitivities to hormone level.
Opinions as to what is the proper reference range are a big bone of contention, and my TSH is now very low, nor was it high enough pre-treatment to warrant help if I'd presented now because they've doubled the top end of the range, making things very difficult. Our ref range now tops out at 10. I dread getting myself tested every year in case the latest doctor to see me wants to change my dose. But have to to get my prescription. But finally I got a letter on my file from the Consultant who, though he doesn't like what he calls 'inappropriate doses', thinks it's too late to change me now and I can make this a 'life choice' to continue ( ie my problem if I explode!). So I am happy.
That's my thyroid story, though I have other issues running in parallel, I know many are related.