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Thyroid Problems leading to weight loss

Diabetes & Endocrine System | Last Active: Sep 25, 2019 | Replies (69)

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@crenhov

In September of 2018 I had my multi-nodular goiter removed. In surgery it was discovered to be completely inflamed - nothing showed in my blood work nor sonograms to indicate this. Since the operation I take 0.1 mg Eltroxin every morning. I used to set my alarm and take it in the middle of the night but now I take it whenever I wake early in the morning. Occasionally I am not sure if I have taken it. Once my surgeon added to my dosage because I had such a lack of energy but then my TSH dropped way too low, so I went back the dosage above.

Below are my TSH, free T3 and free T4 levels since the operation. I have noticed that along with my TSH being suppressed still, my fT3 is now the lowest it has been and my fT4 is now the highest it has been.

I meet with my surgeon on Thursday. He told me at my last meeting that as I was feeling good and more energetic he would let my TSH stay surpressed for awhile but not if it dropped any lower. No cancer was found in my thyroid - I am almost 55 and was diagnosed with Osteoporosis at 50 when I tripped and broke my wrist. The surgeon feels that my thyroid played a part in my development of Osteoporosis.

What do you think about my blood values listed below? Why do you think my fT3 is dropping and my fT4 is rising? Is this a good or a bad thing? What questions do you recommend I ask my surgeon when I see him? If he insists on lowering my dose, what do you think about that? I am afraid of losing my energy levels.

Thanks in advance... Carmen in Zurich

TSH fT3 fT4
mlU/l 0.25 - 5.00 pmol/l 2.63 - 5.70 pmol/l 9.01 - 19.1
1.22 3.31 15.7
0.04 3.59 15.3
0.34 3.85 15.9
0.04 4.13 16.0
0.23 3.87 14.7
0.20 4.26 13.5

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Replies to "In September of 2018 I had my multi-nodular goiter removed. In surgery it was discovered to..."

@crenhov I have a thyroid condition (Hashimoto's) and I take desiccated pig thyroid hormones. My doctor did say that patients with Graves disease are unable to convert the T4 to T3, and that when taking synthetic thyroid medicines, patients don't feel better and it doesn't help to increase the dosages. He said these patients need the pig thyroid because it has all the components needed where the synthetic pill does not. Graves disease has the thyroid producing too much T4. In Graves disease the TSH levels are low. TSH is Thyroid stimulating hormone that comes from the pituitary, so your body is asking the thyroid to produce more hormones. I am not a medical professional and can't interpret your lab results, but it might be worth asking your doctor about trying the natural hormones and see if you feel better.

This is an excerpt from some literature https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK500006/

"Graves Disease

Graves disease is the most common cause of hypothyroidism. It is an autoimmune disease caused by the production of TSH receptor antibodies that help stimulate thyroid gland growth and thyroid hormone release. Patients will have abnormally increased T4 and T3 levels and a decrease in TSH, with a positive TSH-receptor antibody test confirming the diagnosis. Patients will often present with weight loss, tachycardia, heat intolerance, palpitations, proptosis, and a diffusely enlarged thyroid gland."

The natural thyroid brands that I have taken are "Armour Thyroid" and "Naturethroid". I'm not sure if these are available in your area.

Here are some other links about the thyroid
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hyperthyroidism/symptoms-causes/syc-20373659
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK500006/
https://www.endocrineweb.com/conditions/hyperthyroidism/hyperthyroidism-overview-overactive-thyroid
https://www.endocrineweb.com/conditions/thyroid/hypothyroidism-too-little-thyroid-hormone
https://www.endocrineweb.com/conditions/thyroid/all
This article had some interpretation of lab numbers
https://academic.oup.com/jcem/article/87/3/1068/2846746