Normal thyroid blood test results with hypothyroidism symptoms

[mmdaniel]

I have been struggling to figure out what is wrong for about 5 years now! I live a healthy lifestyle, don't eat processed foods, drink water and green tea all day, exercise 3-4 times a week. I've gone through periods of more strict dieting and exercise. My main symptoms are extreme cold intolerance, hair loss and dry skin and drop in energy. When I first starting thinking my cold intolerance was bad- I saw a doctor and she said that I could correct it with diet and exercise even though my thyroid tests came back slightly indicating hypothyroidism. Well it has only gotten worse to the point that my feet go numb after about 30 min in the car and I have a heater at my desk that's on full blast at all times and my fingers go numb when talking on the phone and such. I have to clean my shower drain every other day because of build up of hair and i'm developing more and more dry patches on my arms. When I told my previous doctor about my energy slump in the afternoon she prescribed me more Adderall to take in the afternoon and it helps slightly. Every doctor has told me to just keep up good exercise and diet.

my thyroid results came back at:
free thyroxine- 1.14
TSH- 1.47
b12-281
free t3- 3.0
t3 serum- 152
thyroid peroxidase- <6

thyroid results in the past that I've gotten were more indicative of hypothyroidism however the doctors that tested me said it wasn't indicative enough for them to persue it any further.
my mom and aunt both have hypothyroidism as well and say they recognize the symptoms in me.

Not sure where to go from here!

[gimel]

Did the new doctor run tests?  If so, please post results and reference ranges shown on the lab report.  

[mmdaniel]

*mild hashimotos

[mmdaniel]

Very exciting news!! I had my results apt with the endocrinologist today and she said that while my blood tests still didn't show anything, the ultrasound of my thyroid showed milk hashimotos! So she has prescribed me 25 mcg of Synthroid to start out and said to start taking a vitamin D supplement and a vitamin B supplement.
She did say that shes unsure if the synthroid will help with my weight, but that I should start feeling better in a couple of weeks. Did anyone elses doctor tell them this and find it to not be true?? I'm really hoping this will help with my weight because I just keep gaining!!
I would love to get feedback on what all I can expect now that i'm on medication (obviously, I realize everyone is different and reacts differently and such, just want a broad idea to know if its working)
Thanks so much for all of y'alls help!

[gimel]

Think of it this way.  Low Free T3 slows metabolism.  To whatever degree your metabolism is reduced, you will gain weight as a result.  When you take thyroid med and raise your serum levels toward your optimal level, your metabolism will rise and you will lose weight.  As an example, several years ago when Armour Thyroid was taken off the market for a while my doctor would only prescribe T4 as a replacement.  I became hypo again and over about 8 months, I gained 18 pounds.  As soon as Armour was available again, I went back on it and got my Free T3 and Free T4 back to optimal, and over the next 8-9 months I lost the 18 pounds.  From that point, any gain or loss became dependent on my diet and exercise regimen.  

After starting on thyroid med, you may feel some short term improvement, but it takes a while to build up to optimal levels, and for your body to gradually heal from the years of being hypothyroid.  With optimal levels of thyroid hormone, and adequate levels of Vitamin D, B12 and ferritin especially, you will have more energy and won't be cold like you are now.

[mmdaniel]

I have made an appointment with the endocrinologist that y'all suggested but its not till Jan 19th. I'm on the waiting list in case something opens up sooner. I have a few questions though about what kind of results I should expect/what is typical when first starting on thyroid medication. I know when my mom started she said after about 2 weeks it felt like the skies had parted and everything was better but she never really struggled with the weight aspect of hypo. I realize its probably too soon to get my hopes up about starting any sort of medication but I am just curious as to what typical results are from medication. Do you typical lose weight or is it just easier to lose? Will I be significantly less cold all the time? Will I have a noticeable amount more of energy throughout the day?

[Super_sally888]

Can you ask your Dr to let you trial low dose thyroid meds to see if it helps how you feel (and with the agreement to monitor Ft3 and FT4 to keep them in range).

Once you are on meds, it may be easier to stay on them and adjust them.

I agree that your B12 is very low and should be supplemented (either injection or sublingual).

Would also recommend you test your Vitamin D levels.  If they are low, either get more sun or supplement with D3/K2.

[gimel]

Just sent PM with info.  

[mmdaniel]

I'm in the triangle area in NC

[gimel]

If you haven't already done so, in advance of your next appointment, I would give the doctor a copy of the link in the PM I previously sent, and ask again to be treated clinically, by testing and adjusting Free T3 and Free T4, as necessary to relieve symptoms, without being constrained by resultant TSH levels.  If that doesn't sway your doctor, then don't waste any more time there.  

If you will give us your location, perhaps we can suggest a doctor that has been recommended by thyroid patients.  Then you could go ahead and make an appointment and not have to wait around if your current doctor doesn't come through for you.  

[mmdaniel]

I will probably push my doctor one more time and if he still doesn't budge, will start looking for a new one.

He tested my ferritin back in june and it was 70 (range 6-159)

[gimel]

I disagree with your doctor that your blood tests don't show it.  He is just following the usual "Reference Range Endocrinology" and accepting that any test that falls within the range is adequate.  That is very wrong.  Due to the erroneous method by which they are established, the ranges are far too broad to be functional across their entire breadth for every person.  That is why I gave you the quote above, by which you would be judged hypothyroid and in need of a therapeutic trial of thyroid med.  

I don't recall any info on Vitamin D.  Hypo patients are frequently too low in Vitamin D.  It needs to be around the middle of its range.  I also agree with Barb and Red star about B12.  Your level is much too low.  Another test I recommend for you is ferritin.  Low ferritin can cause symptoms that sometimes mimic hypothyroidism, and also can affect how thyroid hormone is metabolized.  

So which approach are you going to take, of the two I suggested?  Get really aggressive with your doctor and push for thyroid med and the additional tests recommended, or find a good thyroid doctor who will treat clinically by testing and adjusting Free T3 and Free T4 as necessary to relieve symptoms, without being constrained by resultant TSH levels.  

[Red_Star]

At a level of 293, it's very possible to be experiencing B12 deficiency symptoms.  Dr Chandy developed a B12 deficiency checklist and it's stated to be extremely reliable.  Google: B12d - B12 Signs & Symptoms Assessment.

[mmdaniel]

Alright so I just got the new blood results back and they were as follows:

TSH- 1.53 (range 0.4-4.0)
Free T4- 1.01 (range 0.8-1.9)
B12- 293 (range 193-982)

he said my c reactive protein was low... thats the only comment he made. He said everything else looks fine. This is incredibly frustrating!!

[mmdaniel]

I went and saw my doctor and he gave me medicine for vertigo - havent had to take it though. He also is doing another blood test. he kept saying that it sounds like hypothyroidism and he wishes it was because he can treat that but since my blood tests aren't showing it... he doesnt know. Will be sure to post when i get those blood test results back!

[mmdaniel]

I did. Thank you!

[gimel]

Did you find the PM I sent?  You can make use of that to help persuade your doctor.  

[mmdaniel]

Thanks so much! I've made an appointment with my doctor for next week so hopefully he will do something

[gimel]

The following is taken from a very long list of symptoms that can be related to hypothyroidism.

Other Related Conditions:

    Adrenal Fatigue
    Anemia
    Hyponatremia (low blood sodium)
    Lack of coordination
    Clumsiness
    Tendency to fall
    Dizziness
    Fainting episodes
    Vertigo
    Tremor
    Growth disturbances in children
    Chronic allergies
    Chemical sensitivities
    Restless Leg Syndrome
    Rhabdomyolysis (destruction of skeletal muscle)
    Scoliosis
    Osteoporosis
    Hernia

[mmdaniel]

Does anyone know if lightheadedness/vertigo can be caused by thyroid issue? The past two nights I haven't been able to lay down flat without feeling car sick and dizzy and I woke up and was leaning heavily and then today at work I got really lightheaded and weak in my legs and slightly nauseous, wondering if it could be related

[gimel]

I'm sure we can help.  Please post your thyroid related test results and reference ranges shown on the lab report.  When you were first diagnosed as hypothyroid, what was the diagnosed cause?  What med are you taking and what daily dosage?  

[cp50402]

Not to jump on someone else's question and present my own, but I am new to this forum and wanted to ask another thyroid question. You seem to be very knowledgeable :) I have been on thyroid medicine for 9 yrs. I seem to have symptoms like brain fogginess and dizzy spells. Enough where it really worries me and disrupts my life. I have been back to my endo and they thought I was prediabetic, which makes no sense. I saw another endo who ran the glucose test and my results were completely opposite. He said I am fine. But they can't find anything else to explain my symptoms. I am worried that my hypothyrodism isn't being treated properly. Should I be asking for T3 treatment as well? My B12 numbers show ok, but I have read a lot of info that says people with hypthyrodism should have a higher B12 number than the average person, so the range usually isn't the same. I am taking the B12 that is absorbed under the tongue for now. Doesn't seem to be doing much?!?! My brain fogginess is so bad that I can't remember simple things, like the name of people that are close to me!?! Really freaks me out! Thanks!

[gimel]

There are two approaches.  First is to become REALLY aggressive with your doctor and present him with info that concludes that test results like yours indicate likely hypothyroidism and the need for thyroid medication.  I'll send you a PM with some info you might find useful for that.  The second approach is just forget your current doctor and locate a good thyroid doctor.  If you will tell us your location perhaps we can help with that.  

To access the PM just click on your name and that takes you to your personal page.  Then click on messages.  

[mmdaniel]

Thank ya'll so much! So what do i do to convince my doctor to try me on medication? i've been to 3 different doctors about this and got the same response from all of them

[gimel]

Thought you might like to see this.  

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."