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Thursday, April 12, 2012

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Welcome to The Q&A with Elaine Moore. Registered members are invited to ask any question of Elaine Moore on autoimmune diseases, Graves' disease, other thyroid diseases and subconditions, laboratory work, traditional and complementary medicine, triggers and environmental influences, thyroid and immune disorders in pets and animals, and other relevant areas of inquiry.

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Questions are answered solely by Elaine Moore, a medical writer and clinical laboratory scientist, MT, CLS, with more than 30 years of experience in immunology. Moore has also authored and edited over a dozen books in the area of health sciences and is an editor for McFarland Publisher's Health Topics Series.

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question regarding frequency of labs

2/29/2012 9:27 AM

lisa

Joined: 6/25/2011

Posts: 17

question regarding frequency of labs

Dear Elaine,

Hope you’re doing well.

Considering the fact that dosing and labs are so important in this journey, may I please ask you question with regard to frequency of labs.

Can labs give an accurate picture after f.e. 3 weeks or does this really need 6 weeks? And is that the case being for both adjustments with T4 medication as T3 medication?

For example: labs show FT4 67%) a dosage increase of 6.25 mcg T4 and 3 mcg T3 is made, retesting after 3 weeks shows FT4 decreased (57%) instead of increased, does one need to wait another 3 weeks before another adjustment or does FT4 already give an accurate picture or at least indication after 3 weeks?

Thank you in advance and wishing you a great day!

Lisa

Ranges

TSH 0.40-3.50

FT4 0.54-1.24

FT3 2.50-3.90

Jan 5 2012

TSH 0.24
FT4 1.14 (86%)
FT3 3.56 (76%)

Jan 26 2012

TSH 0.38

FT4 1.01 (67%)

FT3 2.57 (5%)

increase T4 with 6.25 mcg– resume 3mcg T3

3 weeks later Feb 16 2012

TSH 0.38

FT4 .94 (57%)

FT 3 3.08 (41%)

3/1/2012 5:54 PM

Elaine

Joined: 8/1/2008

Posts: 3396

Re: question regarding frequency of labs

Hi Lisa,

The FT4 should be stabilized after 3 weeks, and FT3 can take longer, more like 5 weeks. You've added a very, very tiny dose of T4 and if your FT4 is spontaneously falling, this tiny increase wouldn't be expected to do much. A 3 mcg T3 dose is ok for increasing since lower doses are used, but with T4, a 25 mcg dose is considered low and that's the increment doses are usually increased by.

Take care, elaine

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question regarding frequency of labs

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