Prosanta asks metabolism.com if her thyroid blood test results indicate that treatment with t4 is required. I suspect that she is also wondering if other forms of treatment might be better (Armour Thyroid for example).
Here is what Prosanta writes:
Iamsuffering from Diabetes type2.recently on routine Blood test—
FT3(ECLIA) 2.33pg/ml
FT4 1.07ng/ml
TSH 9.32microIU/ml
AntiThyroid Peroxidase 37.02IU/ml
Do I need to take only Levothyroxine
In response to her question I offer my thoughts on whether someone beginning with thyroid hormone replacement therapy should start with t4.
Hi Prosanta
You know I can’t recommend medical therapy in this forum. I can make some general comments, however.
There is debate among endocrinologists about what level of TSH indicates a clinical degree of thyroid deficiency, but there is no doubt that a TSH of 9 is abnormally high. Since elevated TSH almost always indicates that the pituitary gland is releasing excessive TSH in response to thyroid hormone deficiency, unless there is a pituitary tumor (exceedingly rare), replacement therapy with thyroid hormone is indicated.
Thyroid hormone replacement therapy in the U.S. usually consists of taking a pure t4 product such as Synthroid or levothyroxine (generic t4). On this website you will notice extensive posting about treating hypothyroidism with alternative forms of thyroid hormone replacement, particularly desiccated thyroid products such as Armour Thyroid. An appropriate concern in a situation like yours is whether to take t4 only or to use desiccated thyroid or t4 plus t3 therapy.
If you are like most people in this country being treated with t4, you will wonder why someone might need alternative forms of thyroid hormone replacement. In the past year or so researchers have discovered that a portion of the population lacks the ability to normally metabolize t4 into the highly biologically active t3. This means that affected individuals may continue to experience symptoms of thyroid hormone deficiency when treated with conventional t4 therapy [https://www.metabolism.com/2009/11/07/breakthrough-discovery-thyroid-hormone-therapy-part-2/ ]. How does a person know if they won’t respond to t4? The simpliest approach is to try t4 and see how you feel. Then you and your doctor can decide whether you are a t4 responder or not.
You may be aware that Armour Thyroid and similar products are in very short supply in the U.S. Even if some advocates of desiccated thyroid therapy for hypothyroidism argue that only desiccated thyroid can result in a full return to normal, in my opinion the present shortage makes t4 therapy the clear initial choice. If symptoms of hypothyroidism persist even after a full course of t4 has been tried, then you may be forced to join the ranks of those struggling with the pharma industry to get desiccated thyroid products.
Please discuss these ideas with your own physician.
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