Slept well but still tired!!

So, all the time you are taking the carnitine, your Tapazole dose remains the same? I took the generic methimazole until a little over a year ago. Hated it. It seems to me that my TSH is consistently too low compared with my thyroid hormones. I am currently on Levothyroxine 25 mcg, and 2.5 mcg Cytomel (L-T3) with breakfast, + 1.25 mcg around 2 pm, but my current Endo (#4) wants me to decrease the Cytomel and possibly go off it if my TSH doesn't rise into the normal range.

Also of interest to me was that my TSH would tend to rise when I would DECREASE the MMI, and again when I INCREASED the Cytomel after going off the MMI. Endo #4 also noticed this fact in my labs and raised his eyebrows about it.

So, I suppose I should ask my PHP if he can test my carnitine levels and whether he would recommend my taking it. As it is, I might be able to expect thyroid testing every month or so for a while until I become stable.

I didn't mean "PHP" but PCP, primary care physician.

As you guys are up don't know if u can shed any light. I've been up all night with pins and needles type pain in left arm. Obviously not heart attack. Wondered if it was to do with graves. Have any of u had this.

Hi Fern. During this period, I had tried altering my Tapazole dose by half and altering the acetyl but did not feel as stable as if I took the same dose every day. I have also altered the dose of carnitine but I get the highest TSH results when I take them both together. I was told by a psychopharmacologist that Cytomel (T3) converts to T4 in the body but not the other way around, i.e. Levothyroxine (T4) will not convert to T3 in the body. I do not like Levothyroxine at all. I was on it briefly before I had Graves.

As I said, I am not familiar with someone who has both Hashimoto's and Graves. Certainly it would not hurt to test your Carnitine levels. Always good to have information like this. I don't know how carnitine would affect someone who has both. If you are going to try it, take the lowest dose possible.

Ladykinkavel the only pins and needles I have ever had was in my hands due to Carpel Tunnel in my wrists and abated when I had carpal tunnel surgery by an excellent hand plastic surgeon.

Fern, your doctor would not recommend taking the carnitine as he will not know about it. My doctor and my specialist both didn't know about it. Sorry, I could not give you more information. Perhaps it is best to post to the board and ask for information from people who do have both Hashimoto's and Graves?

Ladyk...

I have had trouble with pins and needles in one arm and a few fingers in the past. I doubt it is Graves' related, though. My doctor was able to tell me which disc in my spine was affected by knowing which arm and fingers were numb, and whether they went numb by tilting my head up or down. I had two treatments with a cortisone shot in the disc area, the first one didn't work, but the second one, which they did under an Xray scope of some kind, did.

Linda,

Actually, I was specifically told at this last visit to the endocrinologist that they only treat with Cytomel when treating with Levothyroxine doesn't seem to result in the proper conversion from the T4 to the T3. That is also consistent with everything I have read on the internet. This is why the free T4 occurs in a far greater amount than the free T3. As I understand it, T4, which is a thyroid hormone with 4 iodine molecules attached, is changed by a deiodinase enzyme in the liver to T3 (having removed one iodine molecule) and the free T3 is the active form used by the body.

Thanks Fern. Doctor just said it was to do with anxiety pain. As my graves kicked off anxiety attacks and depression pretty bad. Are you in uk. The L-carnitine isn't licensed in uk so doctors won't prescribe it. But u can order from health food shops. My doctor just basically said I try at my own risk. So that was that.

I'm in the US. Thanks for the info. I'll see what my doctor says.