Can I have bad hypo symptoms with normal labs?

[ando35]

Gimel and barb, hello!

I got a respiratory infection then I got the covid vaccine. I have hashimotos. Afterwards I got joint stiffness and forearm tendon pain and severe fatigue going on 6/weeks now.

I had a complete blood test done with complete blood and complete blood panel plus autoimmune tests.

The doc said I am negative on autoimmune tests but borderline on one (eta 14). My free t3 and free t4 is in the upper 75 percentile of range.

Doc says I don’t have arthritis and thyroid lab is normal.

Could the joint pain and fatigue be from a flare up of hashimotos antibodies? Could these symptoms happen even if free t3 and free t4 are within upper 75% of range?

I do not have vitamin d deficiency , b12 deficiency or anemia. I was tested for covid many times negative. A nurse practitioner said it could be.

[Barb135]

Ando - I think we've all been over this part before, but it's kind of confusing.  Free T4 is considered a "storage" hormone.  It's not "active" in the body and must be converted to Free T3 before the body can use it.   Free T3 is the active hormone, so if it's too low, your metabolism won't be what it should be.

[Barb135]

Hi Ando

What was your actual FT3 result and reference range?

Have you considered the possibility that your symptoms aren't thyroid related?

How much time passed between the respiratory infection and the COVID vaccine?   How long after the COVID vaccine did these symptoms show up?  I'm asking because 1) they shouldn't have given you the COVID vaccine if there was a chance the respiratory infection wasn't completely cleared  and 2)  you could be having a reaction to the COVID vaccine - depending on when symptoms appeared in relation to the vaccine.

[ando35]

My free t3 was 3.4 with a range of 2.3-4.2

I was over the worst of the cold but still had some residual sniffles.

[Barb135]

Your Free T4 is at 80% of range, which is higher than it needs to be, with Free T3 at 58% of range which is okay but gives you room to go up if you need to.

What thyroid med(s) and dosage(s) are you on now?  

I'm leaning toward your problem not being thyroid related if those are the only symptoms you have but of course, I'm not a doctor.   When I got my COVID shots, my arm got horribly sore and I was SO tired for several days.   I'm now dealing with severe itching in the arm I had my COVID vaccines in - I've read that can be a delayed reaction.    I had my COVID booster in the opposite arm and though it got really sore, angry red and swollen for over a week, it's mostly gone now, though I do still  have some fatigue.  That as a long way around saying that maybe your symptoms are related to, either, the respiratory infection you had or the COVID vaccination.  

Joint pain is also related to various forms of arthritis, which is very common as we get older.

[ando35]

Yes, I am so depressed and hopeless that I will feel this way for the rest of my life. But hopefully they will figure out what it is and be able to treat it.

[Barb135]

Do you get much exercise?  I find that movement, even light movement, like walking greatly helps relieve joint aches/pains.  Getting out in fresh air also makes me feel more “alive” and energetic.  Even when I don’t feel like it, I try to make sure to get outside for short periods through the day.  

[ando35]

I am on 100 mcg one day and 88 the next, alternating. Does free t4 raise your metabolism or only free t3? Just wonder if I will feel anxious if my free t4 is above 80%

[ando35]

Tsh 3.18 range .4-4.5

Free t4 1.5 range .8-1.8

Free t3 upper 75 percentile of test range