Hypothyroidism

[DrDoug999]

My wife has Hypothyroidism and for 2 years she has been taking medication Levothyroxine, and Doctor keeps saying that results are good ,but she still doesn't feel much better then before she started medicine, ... [More]
She eats very little, lots of fruit and Veg, but many symptoms are still there, Insomnia, feeling Cold and Hot,tiredness.
Her latest blood test is as follows: TSH (0.27 -4.2) limit range    Result : 0.477
                                          TOTAL T4 (5.1-14.1)                    Result  :14.03
                                          FREE T4  (0.93-1.7)                    Result  :  2.08

Can anyone have a look at these and suggest how to improve these .
Thank you very much [Less]

[Barb135]

To check for autoimmune disease (Hashimoto's Thyroiditis), ask for Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies (TPOab) and Thyroglobulin Antibodies (TGab).  Make sure both of these tests are run because some of us have TPOab, some have TGab, and some have both, so testing for just one doesn't answer the questions.  These are simple blood tests.  A thyroid ultra sound would also be helpful, because that would tell if she has nodules on her thyroid - another indication of Hashimoto's......

Hashimoto's Thyroiditis is an autoimmune disease, in which, for some reason, the body sees the thyroid as "foreign", so produces antibodies to destroy it.  As the destruction becomes worse the thyroid will produce less and less hormones, which causes the patient to be hypothyroid.  Hashimoto's is the most common cause of hypothyroidism in developed nations.  

Hashi's is treated pretty much the same as other types of hypothyroidism, but the inflammation it causes can make hypothyroidism much harder to control.  There is no cure for Hashi's, but there are ways to control it.  

I'd really like to see an FT3, FT4 and TSH all run at the same time...... this will be the best way for us to see if she is converting the T4, which is what levothyroxine is, to the usable FT3....  Insist on these tests and if her doctor refuses, it might be time to look around for another.

[DrDoug999]

Thanks for your reply, I dont  know if she has autoimmune disease?? How do you check that >?
We are planning to go see doctor and I need as much info before we go,
Thank you very much for your advice.Much appreciated

[Barb135]

At 2.08, her free T4 indicates that she might be over medicated, but she might also not be converting Free T4 to T3.  Some symptoms can be the same for either hypo and hyper.  Total T4 is pretty much considered obsolete and of little value.  

Can you get your doctor to order a Free T3?  Free T3 is the biologically active thyroid hormone; Free T4 must be converted to Free T3 in order for the body to use it.  Some of us don't convert well, and have to add a source of T3 (cytomel or generic liiothyronine) to our medication.  A free T3 test is the only way to know if this could be happening.

In addition, do you know if she has an autoimmune thyroid disease?  That would most likely be Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, in which the body sees the thyroid as foreign, and produces antibodies to destroy the thyroid.