FINALLY Got FREE T3 Results..HELP!!

[froggy0936]

Please help me understand results! I still have been feeling like crap and here are the results of my bloodwork from 9/1/10. The results of the Free T4 did not come back from lab yet. Quick refresher of me..TT Dec 09. History of Renal cell carcinoma (kidney removed). Hashimoto's with nodules (TT), Psoriasis, Had Mono a few years ago (I'm almost 40 yrs old)...pretty crappy Autoimmune system, I guess. Tried Cytomel 2.5mg..had chest pain until I stopped it. Have been on 125mcg Synthroid for 3 to 4 months now.

Total T3 - 91 (Range 104-260)
T Uptake 0.87 (Range 0.66-1.27)
Total T4 - 9.1 (Range 4.5-12.0)
TSH - 0.470 (Range 0.400-4.000)
FREE T3 - 2.89 (Range 1.76-3.78)

Any advice you may have, I would appreciate it. I see a new Endo at the end of October. My current one dismisses me and my symptoms and I can't even get a return call out of them..well, barely. I feel tired, depressed, yet anxious. Terrible PMS, also.

Thank you!!!  

[euahome]

I said what I said based on TSH, T4 and the symptoms. froggy0936, Your symptoms are the symptoms of thyrotoxicosis=hyper=too much meds. The hypo and hyper symptoms do often overlap. But since you had cancer they probably want your TSH suppressed. That's something you need to ask your doctors. Try to read posts on hyperthyroidism and you will see that many people have exactly the same symptoms as you do. And I repeat, based on my own experience and that of many, many people that the symptoms of hyper and hypo can be exactly the same.

[gimel]

Euahome has apparently based her diagnosis of hyper on your TSH of .47.  This ignores the fact that TSH is frequently suppressed when taking thyroid meds.  Having a TSH of .47 doesn't automatically mean that you are hyper.  You are hyper only when excessive levels of FT3 and FT4 cause hyper symptoms.  Symptoms and the levels of FT3 and FT4 really should define your thyroid state, not TSH.   My TSH has been .05 for over 25 years with no hyper symptoms.  In fact I had lingering hypo symptoms until learning here about the importance FT3 and getting my meds changed to include a source of T3.  

My doctors kept wanting to reduce my medication also, but I never agreed, because I knew how I felt and it sure wasn't hyper.

[froggy0936]

Just thinking out loud here...if I'm HYPER..as euahome thinks...wouldn't I have trouble sleeping, shaking, etc? I mean I do get anxiety..but my symptoms sound mostly HYPO to me. Lethargy, tingling in hands, brain fog, etc. I'm just trying to learn as much as I can here. I also read up on things, but it's very confusing to me and this brain fog doesn't help. Sometimes, I try to educate myself a bit and what I find makes me more anxious! Ha! For instance, my GP tells me my potassium is at the far low end of the range..I look on the internet and see it can cause muscle aches, fatigue, memory problems, anxiety, etc...everything I am now...plus this thyroid mess. Ahhh....I just want to feel like a normal person again.

Euahome...I think I mentioned (not sure)..at the beginning of my post that they did detect a very small amount of cancer and that I already had kidney cancer. I now have one kidney.

Thanks for all replies!  

[euahome]

I agree with you that TSH is very sensitive and is affected by many factors. But I still find it quite reliable. For example, It should be done in the morning before breakfast otherwise it's irrelevant etc. I'd be happy to discuss it further once I get a new computer that doesn't turn off all the time..lol

[euahome]

I always said that TSH should be used together with FT3 and FT4.

[euahome]

It's perfectly clear to me why you're having symptoms (too much meds) BUT... Since you had cancer they would normally try to supress your TSH. Did your endo mention it to you?! Maybe that's where they want to keep you... It would make sense then.