I got my lab results.
Cortisol 8am 22.1 (4.3-22.4)
Calcium 10.3 (8.5-10.3)

The cortisol is "normal" but it sure is close to the top. The calcium is "normal" but, again, it sure is close to the top!!!

My FT4 and FT3 are also out of sync. I won't post the values again but FT4 was 41% and FT3 was 75% on 01/08. On 3/12, FT4 was 27% and FT3 was 63%. I take 50mcg Synthroid and 5mcg Cytomel.

MG, Can you help at all? I saw what you posted earlier and this looks like the opposite. I believe you said if if FT3 is higher, to look for low cortisol?

I hope, again, that although calcium is high "normal", my doctor will agree that humans do not like to live with calcium in the 10's.

Does anyone know what the causes might be for "artificially" lowering the calcium? I think I read that low Vitamin D is one reason (and mine is low but I am taking 50,000IU weekly). Is there ANYTHING else I can look for or ask about? Any help would be most appreciated. Hoppy

You are on Ft4 and Ft3 supplmentation. How were your levels before the Ft3 was added? Alright you do have an FT3 to FT4 imbalance. This can be due to high cortisol.. or poor ACTH/pituitary function.. or iodine/selenium/B12 imbalance. Your blood cortisol at 8 am is on the high side.. how is it the rest of the day. You need a saliva test/urine test to see what things are doing cyclically. Now your ACTH levels when tested may be revealling. If you have high cortisol you treat the ACTH levels.. you do not add more cortisol. If ACTH and cortisol are fine.. you need to look to your iodine/selenium/B12 balance. I question whether T3 supplementation is needed at your level. You definitely need more T4 supplementation. The urine test maybe the cotisol rhythm of choice. Selenium and iodine can be tested in the urine as well. Something is off and now we just need to keep poking about til we uncover it.

You need more meds either way.. your imbalance is ~34%. Optimal levels are when FTs are with in 5-10% of each other and in the 50-80% range of normal where your symptoms are negligible. So IMO you are undermedicated in the T4 range. You should get a boost to 75 mcgs and maybe cut back the cytomel to 2.5 instead. Because you are on the T3 supplement your TSH will be suppressed and the Ft3 levels will rise. How much T3 you need is another individual niche. What you need, you and your MD will need to figure out. You may need an FT3 and Ft4 level in the 60% range. I can not tell you what is optimal for you.. your body and blood will though. Investigate the pituiitary gland.. because something is up for it to be that low when your FTs are that low. Also get that PTH as well. YTou should also look into the aldosterone, progesterone, and testosterone levels. Something is going on and i can not put my finger on what.. so i recommend the shot gun analysis route and see what hits. Keep up with it.. something is going to come out of this.

MG

Well, I went to the doctor with a whole list of requests. She basically told me not to worry! She said cortisol came back great so that rules out anything adrenal. So no ACTH, no DHEA and no further blood tests even though potassium was low 3.3 (3.5-5.2). I also asked about the wide berth between the FT3/FT4. She said it is not an issue because the Cytomel raises the FT3 and that causes the production of FT4 to be suppressed. She said not so much FT4 is needed as it converts to FT3 and since that is good, there is no problem. She upped the Lexapro from 10mg to 20mg. I asked again about the calcium being 10.3 and she said a lot of people have calcium in the 10's and not to worry about that either.

It was only two weeks since my last visit and I gained another two pounds. Doesn't sound like much but it is two pounds EVERY visit....making 20 pounds so far! :(:( SO....I asked if maybe I am a hypochondriac. She said maybe I am dwelling on things???

I did manage to get a DEXA scan arranged and I did that today too as they had an opening. They only wanted to do the spine and hips but I mentioned to the tech that my Vitamin D has been lower than range and calcium is at the very top of range and "could it be hyperparathyroid"? She was great! She said she would do the radius scan as well and she would "figure out something" to tell the insurance. (I know they use that for hPTH). Now if that comes back normal....I will officially diagnose myself as crazy! :jester::jester: Hoppy