When I had my thyroid tested over the summer, the numbers were…. weird. Typically you want your TSH to be at the low end of the range, your Free T3 to be high in the range, and your Free T4 to be in the middle (or a bit higher) part of the range. I have hypothyroidism so sometimes my TSH is high and my Free T3 and Free T4 are low. That means I need to increase my medication. Every year or two I become hyperthyroid (TSH is super low and Free T3 and Free T4 are way too high) and I reduce my medication. Then a year or two later I become hypothyroid again and I increase my medication. I’ve switched back and forth between 3 and 4 pills for years. So what went wrong?
The first thing that went wrong was that my amazing primary care practitioner (PCP) retired. He managed my thyroid and adrenal care, and I’ve been feeling lost without him. And not too long before that, a Facebook group where I used to get advice changed, and now they no longer accept member questions, so I can’t get advice there from knowledgeable patients. I feel like I’m on my own.
Next, over the summer I got my iron tested before getting an iron infusion and I asked to get my thyroid tested at the same time since it had been a while (I shouldn’t have to ask!) Oddly, my TSH was really low, but the Free T4 was low, too. And the nurse practitioner (NP) didn’t run the Free T3 at all. (Argh! That would have been helpful!) This made no sense. They shouldn’t both be low. Always, one should be high while the other is low. My only thought was that anemia can affect thyroid levels, so maybe things would even out after my iron infusion. Too bad I couldn’t ask my former PCP for his ideas.
Meanwhile, I had gained a lot of weight in a way that made no sense. My activity level had increased, if anything. My diet was really good. Sure, I have some chocolate here and potato chips there, but not a lot of either, and no more than I’d been eating before. I eat a lot of meat, eggs, and vegetables. I eat very few processed foods. Maybe I could cut back on quantities? I suppose I could, but again, nothing had changed, so I shouldn’t have gained any weight, never mind 10 pounds in a short time. Usually when I gain weight for no reason it’s because I’m hypothyroid. I’ve had a few other symptoms that could point to that, too. But I’m at 4 pills, so what’s going on? Again, asking my former PCP would have been nice.
Finally it was time to check my iron levels again, and I asked the NP to run the thyroid tests again, too, this time including the Free T3. Here’s where it gets especially weird. I’m no longer anemic, so I expected my thyroid levels to be better. When I saw the results, I immediately knew I was in a hypothyroid state. The TSH was within the “normal” range but not the “functional” range. For someone with hypothyroidism, you generally want your TSH under 1, and for me, it’s better under 0.5. It was over 1.6. The Free T4 was well below the middle of the range. And the Free T3, the most important number for me, was below the “normal” range altogether, when it should be near the top of the range!
I told a friend that I had good news and I had bad news. The bad news was that I’m in a hypothyroid state again, but the good news is that I now have a fix for my weight gain and other symptoms. But the more bad news is that I have no easy way to handle this. Before, I could have emailed with my PCP and he’d have told me to increase my dose. I could have asked some basic questions. Or I could have made an appointment to ask the myriad more complicated questions I have: Could the end of daylight savings time that week have impacted my results in any way? I’ve been lowering my adrenal medication (per doctor’s orders) and that could have impacted this, but in what way? If I’m at my historically maximum dose, this must mean that my thyroid is deteriorating. That’s expected with Hashimoto’s Disease (it’s an autoimmune disease, where my immune system attacks my thyroid) but after so many years of stability, this is surprising. What could be causing this sudden increase in deterioration?
But alas, I can not ask him these questions. I considered my options. There’s the doctor I saw once as a potential replacement for treating my thyroid and adrenal issues. He seems good, but he doesn’t take my secondary insurance, so he’s going to be expensive. Plus, he’s older (I’d guess early 60s) and I worry about him retiring soon. But last week, to my shock and delight, I got a call from my NP’s office (which is also my former PCP’s office) that they just hired a new doctor that they’d like me to see. She’s an integrative medical practitioner and yes, she has experience with thyroid and adrenal issues. And that practice takes all of my insurance. I could hardly believe it! But the soonest appointment wasn’t until the end of the month. Until I meet her, there’s no way to be sure she has the experience that I need.
Meanwhile, I’m overweight, losing my hair, getting zits, and exhausted. Yesterday I had my first migraine in several years. I want to just take that extra thyroid pill! I have no doubt it’s the right move. What to do? With my old PCP, I might have just taken it while I waited to hear back. I do have plenty of pills for that. But I don’t want to make a bad impression on the new doctor. Isn’t that absurd? But it’s the way the “game” works. And while I know it’s the right move, I also know that taking too much of this medication can be dangerous, so I do want to be careful. Plus, I want to know her thoughts about the impact with my adrenal meds. Should I lower those more first? Or take the higher dose of thyroid med first and then lower the adrenal med some more? I would guess the latter, but I’ve only been on the adrenal meds for a few years and don’t have as much experience with them, so I’m not completely sure. The thing is, I think I’ve been hypothyroid for months, so I guess I can wait a few more weeks. But just in case, I did make an appointment with that other doctor for the following week. That way if the new one isn’t helpful, I have a backup plan.
And just as I figured all of this out, I got an email from my NP: “Good news, all of the test results are normal!” Um, what?
There’s always something with chronic illness, isn’t there? This is this month’s problem (well, one of them.) Next month I’m sure there will be something else. But I’m grateful, because at least this is a known problem with a known solution, and that’s all too rare. Now if I can just find a knowledgeable practitioner to help me address and treat it. Wouldn’t that be a novel approach?
Chronic Rants 
I hope the new doctor is able to help and understand, but in the meantime, focus on looking after yourself (this should be an obvious, all the time, but sometimes we need reminding, especially during stressful times). Don’t try to fix your weight by cutting too much food, make sure you’re hydrated, and if there are vitals you can measure at home, do so regularly so you’ll have numbers with you for the new doctor (I also recommend writing down any concerns and questions – I know you probably won’t have time to ask them all, but that way you can ensure you get the best out of the appointment). Wishing you well (as possible) xx
Thanks so much Tamara! You’re right, all too often we need reminders to look after ourselves. I do have a list of questions going, and it grows every day. It’s a good idea to keep track of measureables – I’ll start doing that 🙂 Thanks again!