Advice on blood work results

[alexandrakate]

Hello all,

Last week I had blood work done because I went into my doctor complaining of fatigue, extremely dry scaly skin, constipation, and terrible brain fog. These symptoms started about 2 years ago and have slowly gotten worse. I have Tricare and my doctor was only willing to run TSH and FT4. My TSH was 3.48 and FT4 was 0.86. I don't know if it makes a difference that I got my blood drawn at 4:30 pm because I have read that levels are higher in the morning. He refuses to do anything further, but I'm wondering if I should try and pursue this or let it go. My levels 2 years ago when I first complained of symptoms were TSH 2.29 and FT4 1.12. Sorry for the long post, but I am feeling lost as to what to do.

[gimel]

You cannot just assume that an Endocrinologist is a good thyroid doctor.  Many of them specialize in diabetes, not thyroid.  Also many of them have the "Immaculate TSH Belief" and also use "Reference Range Endocrinology", so there is no guarantee of a good thyroid doctor there.  I do have names of two doctors in your area that have been recommended by hypothyroid patients.  I am sending you a PM with names.  To access, just click on your name and then from your personal page, click on messages.  

[alexandrakate]

My doctor didn't seem to be concerned whatsoever, told me it was all in my head, gave me Miralax, and sent me on my way. I have since switched doctors, and hoping that the new doctor will listen to me and give me a referral to an endocrinologist. I am in San Diego, CA.

[gimel]

In the words of a good thyroid doctor, "The free T3 is not as helpful in untreated persons as the free T4 because in the light of a rather low FT4 the body will convert more T4 to T3 to maintain thyroid effect as well as is possible. So the person with a rather low FT4 and high-in-range FT3 may still be hypothyroid. However, if the FT4 is below 1.3 and the FT3 is also rather low, say below 3.4 (range 2 to 4.4 at LabCorp) then its likely that hypothyroidism is the cause of a person's symptoms."  The reason this is true is that the ranges are far too broad due to the erroneous assumptions used to establish ranges.  Many of our members say that symptom relief required Free T4 at the middle of its range, at minimum and Free T3 in the upper third of its range, as necessary to relieve symptoms, since Free T3 correlates best with hypo symptoms, while Free T4 and TSH do not.  

So with those symptoms and your limited lab results, I'd say that you are clearly hypothyroid.  A good thyroid doctor will treat a hypo patient clinically, by testing and adjusting Free T4 and Free T3 as necessary to relieve symptoms, without being constrained by resultant TSH levels.  Symptom relief should be all important, not just lab results.  You can get some good insight from this link written by a good thyroid doctor.

http://www.hormonerestoration.com/Thyroid.html

So unless you can re-train your doctor, and get him to do the necessary testing and clinical treatment, then you need to find a good thyroid doctor.  We may be able to give you a few names of doctors, if you want to tell us your location.