I am on 100 Synthroid and 45 desiccated Thyroid. Allergic to PTU, have been on Tapazole .
In the last few months my T4 has been at the top of the range and so has my TSH so with the addition of desicated thyroid ( and lower Synthroid from 150) my T4 has dropped a point or 2 but my TSH has gone back down to under 1 which I need to rest the thyroid. Strange but my T3 really has not changed.

Hmm, why does your doctor have you on synthroid along with your dessicated meds? That seems like a really high T4 dose to add in, no wonder your free T4 is at the top of the range!

I would talk to your doctor about dropping your synthroid (possibly even altogether) and increasing your dessicated med if you need it.


Are you on the dessicated med Thyroid? (wasn't sure if that was an intentional capital T or not). Just wondering if you're in Canada, since that's what Canada's dessicated med is called.

My levels were/are fine with the exception of inflammation of the thyroid. ( was diffuse goiter now 2 nodules) .
Yes in Canada.. ( Vancouver) My T4 was 20 and my TSH went up to 2.65. I was taking 150 mcg of Synthroid.
Doctor switched me to 100mcg of Synthroid and 60 mg ( =38 -T4 and 9- T3 )of Thyroid ( desiccated) in an effort to lower the TSH and rest the thyroid. My endo then lowered the Thyroid to 45mg.

That's definitely a high free T4, good that he lowered the dose. Do they also test your free T3...? Keep in mine that "within normal range" and "optimal" are two very different things.

I take 88 mcg Levothyroxine. I have been out of it now for a month (dr. appt. this month woo hoo) and I can tell a difference without it. I was actually on it 6 years ago and moved and switched doctors. When I went to that new doctor to have my bloodwork done he said "oh you don't need it anymore, you've been on it for a year now" without doing any labs. I was new to the whole thing and thought well ok he's the one with the degree he must know what he's talking about. Then just last year when we moved again I was trying to loose weight at a clinic, they ordered labs and said that no matter what I did to loose weight it would never come off if I didn't get on meds. Now I know I have to take it forever and I really hate that I've been off of it now for a month.

I take 112mg, I started at 75 and as I get older the dose gets higher.

I'm on roughly 100 mcg of synthroid plus an additional half pill twice a week. I go back to the endocrinologist in March and will make sure I get the numbers for Free T4 and T3. Have been on this dosage for a while now, but now that I have lost weight I feel much better so I wonder if the dosage was correct before (or just feel better in general).

175 mcg levothyroxine daily to suppress TSH post-thyroidecotmy. My levels are ideal in mind of my endo (who doesn't even test free t3). I could really use something to address T3 issue. And perhaps dosage change would help with that 20 lbs I can't seem to lose...or not!

It makes me so angry that doctors would prescribe a T4-only med for anyone without a thyroid. 20% of the hormones a thyroid pumps out are T3, so you're already behind the game; plus people often have issues converting T4->T3 after surgery.

Are you in the US? If you are you can order your own free T3 test, either through First Choice Labs or through My Med Lab. You pay $35 online, they email you a requisition, and you take it into the lab like you usually would - and get the results online usually within 24 hours.

I am taking 100mcg of Levothyroxine daily to suppress TSH following post-thyroidectomy done in November, 2006. I recently had bloodwork done for my endocrinologist and my levels were fine.

Also in the uk so levothyroxine only 150mg with ths 2.7 doc says is fine. I'm thinking of buying cytomel on the Internet to see what happens, we get our prescriptions drugs free over here but they won't give us what we need.

I've just found this discussion so don't mind me jumping in. IslandMonkey, you said you are trying to find a dr to prescribe Erfa Thyroid in Canada. I'm working with a great endocrinologist in Vancouver who listens and treats by symptoms and prescribes Erfa and Cytomel............Dr. David Thompson. I am currently on 3 1/2 gr Erfa and 5 mcg Cytomel. Hope this helps.

I'm currently on 100 mcg of levothyroxine. Was started out at 25 mcg and it was a slooooooow process to finally get leveled out. 2.5 years I think. I had to keep requesting blood work every few months. My doctor seemed content to just give me the initial dose and let me go on my way.