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Does this seem normal?

3.0 Free T4
0.9 Free T3
TSH 1.28

I'm suffering from weight gain, fatigue, constipation, unable to concentrate sometimes, dry skin, ECT. My doctor just keeps telling me I'm in normal range.
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Avatar universal
Just to supplement the good info from Barb, the following was told to me by an excellent thyroid doctor.  Note that the range mentioned is slightly different from your lab, but the implication is the same.  Your are hypothyroid and need treatment.

"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."

A good thyroid doctor will treat a hypothyroid patient clinically by testing and adjusting Free T4 and Free T3 as needed to relieve symptoms, without being influenced by resultant TSH levels.  You can read and confirm all this in the following link.   I highly recommend reading at least the first two pages, and more if you want to get into the discussion and scientific evidence for all that is recommended.

http://www.thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/TUK_PDFs/diagnosis_and_treatment_of_hypothyroidism_issue_1.pdf
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Thank you.
Avatar universal
No she hasn't. My TSH level last yr was 0.96 that's all she checked last yr. This yr she did a little more but not muvh. I will ask her about it. Should I see a family medicine doctor or someone else?
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Avatar universal
No to replacement hormones.

Free T4 0.9 range 0.7-1.5

Free T3 3.0 range 1.7-3.7
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1 Comments
Your results are in the normal ranges, but that doesn't mean you can't have hypothyroidism.

Most of us feel better with Free T4 about mid range; yours is only at 25% of its range, which is quite low and  indicates that your thyroid is not producing an adequate amount of hormones.  It's definitely low enough to produce symptoms, even though many doctors would try to say otherwise.

Your Free T3 is good, but with FT4 so low in the range, it won't be long until FT3 is probably too low, as well.

Have you been tested for Hashimoto's? Hashimoto's is an autoimmune condition in which the body sees the thyroid as foreign and produces antibodies to destroy it.  With Hashimoto's, it's the thyroid that fails and causes TSH to rise in an attempt to stimulate the thyroid to produce more hormones.  Since your TSH is so low, I'm inclined to think this isn't the case with you.  

I'd think you probably have Secondary/Central hypothyroidism, which is a problem with the pituitary or hypothalamus glands in which there isn't enough TSH to stimulate the thyroid.  With secondary hypothyroidism, both TSH and thyroid hormones are low.

Doctors often miss Secondary hypothyroidism because they look mostly at TSH and if it's "normal" they consider everything "fine"...

I'd suggest you suggest the possibility of secondary hypothyroidism to your doctor and if s/he blows you off, it's time to find a different doctor.
649848 tn?1534633700
COMMUNITY LEADER
What are the reference ranges for the Free T4 and Free T3?  Ranges vary from lab to lab and have to come from your own report.  

Is it possible that you have the results swapped around?  Perhaps the results you have listed for Free T4 should be the Free T3 and visa versa?  

Are you currently taking a replacement thyroid hormone? If so, which one, what dosage and how long have you been on it?
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No replacement hormones.

Free T4- 0.9 range 0.7-1.5

Free T3- 3.0 range 1.7-3.7
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