Blood Test Results, Would Appreciate Some Help

Noodlz

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I've been peating for about 2 months. I haven't seen any dramatic results, but I've certainly gained a good amount of weight (which I'm happy about), and feel warmer in general. It seems like my nails and teeth are doing better with the extra calcium and K2. My digestion is pretty bad and my head isn't too clear, but I feel healthier, and think I'm on the right track.

My doctor called me earlier today. He told my TSH was a little above 10. He wants me to start Synthroid right away. I'll be going in to test for antibodies to see if I have Hashimoto's. I don't have the rest of my results yet, but I'll post them ASAP.

What is a good plan of action considering thyroid supplementation? It seems like Ray and this community consider it better to take a combination of T3/T4 or even just T3 instead of only T4. Cynoplus and Cynomel seem to be highly recommended. Would it be appropriate to take one of those or a combination instead Synthroid? Should I try Synthroid first?

To be honest, I'm relieved that I'm hypothyroid. I've been stumped for the past couple years about what exactly was wrong with me. I'm glad I can finally point my finger at something specific, and that there's an actionable solution. Thank you guys for fostering such a great community. :D
 

Gl;itch.e

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I think most people would tell you not to jump of thyroid straight away. Take some time with the new diet modifications and slow evolution. Better liver health and glycogen stores will help with thyroid issues.
 
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Noodlz

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Gl;itch.e said:
I think most people would tell you not to jump of thyroid straight away. Take some time with the new diet modifications and slow evolution. Better liver health and glycogen stores will help with thyroid issues.

Even with my TSH above 10? Waiting sounds reasonable, but at what point should I consider supplementing thyroid?
 

tara

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I'm no expert, and I usually argue for seeing what you can do with diet before resorting to thyroid supps. But TSH of 10 is very high, and maybe supplementing thyroid fairly quickly makes sense.

I think you are young and male, so there is a chance you would do well with straight T4 as in synthroid, though Peat suggests most people do better without least 1:4 T3:T4 if you can get it.

Whether you use just the T4 or get some T3 to go with it, remember that T4 has a long half life, so it can take 2-4 weeks at a steady dose to reach a stable level in your system. It seems to me, without experience of this, just reading here, to be easier to get the dosage right if you approach it slowly from below. Ie start with a small dose, measure temps regularly, and increase dose after ~3-4 weeks if it is going in the right direction but not yet up to suitable temps.

Keeping up the nutrition is also important.

Good luck
 
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Noodlz

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tara said:
I'm no expert, and I usually argue for seeing what you can do with diet before resorting to thyroid supps. But TSH of 10 is very high, and maybe supplementing thyroid fairly quickly makes sense.

I think you are young and male, so there is a chance you would do well with straight T4 as in synthroid, though Peat suggests most people do better without least 1:4 T3:T4 if you can get it.

Whether you use just the T4 or get some T3 to go with it, remember that T4 has a long half life, so it can take 2-4 weeks at a steady dose to reach a stable level in your system. It seems to me, without experience of this, just reading here, to be easier to get the dosage right if you approach it slowly from below. Ie start with a small dose, measure temps regularly, and increase dose after ~3-4 weeks if it is going in the right direction but not yet up to suitable temps.

Keeping up the nutrition is also important.

Good luck


I think I'll wait a month and recheck my TSH. If it hasn't changed for the better, I'll start supplementing very small doses. Meanwhile, I'll get a liver panel done to see how healthy it is. If it's not ok, I'll consider using some T3 if and when I choose to supplement. Does anyone know if there are specific markers I should look for in a liver panel to see how effectively I turn T4 to T3?

On a slightly unrelated note, can donating blood have a temporary effect on TSH? I donated blood the day before I got my TSH checked.

Thanks for the advice.
 

tara

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It will be interesting to see if your labs change.
You can also track your own body temps and pulse, and see what they tell you along the way.

I think there are risks with T3 only, and it is generally better to go for a balance of T3+T4, although sometimes using just T4 temporarily to help figure out overall dosing may work. I think others may have posted about how to do this.
 

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