Tested........ Help

[PamPGA]

TSH = 0.96 (0.4 - 4.50)
T3 Free = 300  (230-420 pg/dL)
T4 Free = 1.0  (0.8 - 1.8 ng/dL)
Thyroglobulin Antibodies = 97  (<20 IU/mL)
Thyroid Peroxidase Ant = 346  (<35 IU/mL)

BP stays 80/60 range   temp stays @ 98.5

[goolarra]

It could be trouble if this is mainly a diabetes clinic.  Many endos are only interested in diabetes.  It's best to try to find a thyroid specialist, or at least a "generalist".  I'm in a small town, and my endo is a generalist and quite good.  I'll try to come up with some questions for your endo tomorrow...fading now!

[PamPGA]

I agree.  I will get her on the site.  She is a beautiful 61yr old single woman who wont date because she feels overweight.  She is really smokin hot!  I would LOVE to see her feel better and get a few pounds off as she has 2 knee - 1 shoulder and 3 disk replacements because of weight and her work.  I would be so happy for her!  

She would totally rock the dating scene if she felt better!  Thanks for your support!  I need to jot down what important things to tell the Endo - and what to insist on......
I think he this is a diabetes clinic primarily so I hope I am not in trouble there.  I am new to this state.  

[goolarra]

Good for you!  There is absolutely no harm in a trial dose to see if it relieves your symptoms.

Choice of meds is a very individual decision and one in which other medical conditions have to be taken into account.  I'm on a T4-only med, but I have a heart arrhythmia, and T3 meds and arrhythmias do not mix.  Usually, the first line of attack for hypo is a T4-only med.  Once T4 is stabilized, then T3 can be added if symptoms are not relieved and/or there is a "conversion" problem.  We all have to experiment with what works best for us.  One hypo's heaven...

Your mom should post her labs.  If her meds were adjusted properly, she would not still be symptomatic.  Just because she is "in range" does not mean that her meds are properly adjusted.  The reason she is over 200 lbs. may have to do with still being hypo.  She shouldn't "just live with it".  

[PamPGA]

I honestly believe you are right.  And yes, when I sit - I sleep.  Once I get warm that is....  I am cold all the time.  I would so love to be pain free!  I am going to demand that he try it.  I have nothing to lose and a great life to gain!  What meds do you recommend?  My mom takes thyrolar but complains she still feels awful - and well, she is over 200 lbs.  I have been told that a t3 and t4 treatment is best.

[goolarra]

Do you think your doctor is going to be willing to treat you based onf FT3 and FT4?  Many doctors think TSH is the "gold standard" and ignore symptoms and lower "in range" FT3 and FT4 values.

You might be surprised once you get on thyroid meds how many of your other ailments will go away.  Thyroid affects the entire body.  When I was hypo, it was like I had narcolepsy.  I was fine as long as I stayed upright, but the minute I sat down for more than about five minutes, I was asleep.  Your fibro, depression, migraines could all "really" be thyroid.

[PamPGA]

I think I have been Hypo for many years!  I have been diagnosed as Fibromyalgia and Bipolar. Although the bipolar has been changed to Major Depressive Disorder with GAD depending on which doc you ask.  No treatments have helped and I have been in pain for over 9 years.  Now it is so bad I take narcolepsy meds to stay awake during the day - sleeping pills at night - anti depressants - Irritable bowel meds - overactive bladder and migraine meds - and asthma meds.  I still feel like total **** - so tired and in pain all the time - my ears and throat kill me most days - and my hair is falling out.  I recently gained 10 lbs quickly.

Hypo and Hashimoto run in my family (I diid not know until I made some calls) but my TSH was always low so the other tests were never ran.  I have always been skinny - but was a smoker for 22 years on bipolar meds so I dont know....  bipolar or fibro is NOT in my family history.........  My cholesterol has always been in the 70s but is now 141.  My A1C glucose is 75 - i also have reactive hypoglycemia.....  I have also been told i have a glutent problem...  you see I have been told so many things - but thyroid panel - never.  ????

[goolarra]

You are hypothyroid, and it looks like the cause of the hypo is Hashimoto's thyroiditis (the elevated antibodies indicate Hashi's).  Hashi's is an autoimmune disease and the most prevalent cause of hypo in the U.S.

Your FT3 is below midpoint in its range, and your FT4 is very low in the range.  T3 and T4 are the actual thyroid hormones and much more important than TSH in determining thyroid status. TSH, on the other hand, is a pituitary hormone and can be affected by many things besides thyroid function.  Your TSH is within range (currently 0.3-3.0 - your lab is using an old range as most do) and actually fairly low in the range.  This does not indicate hypothyroidism.  However, it is the least important of the tests.  It's also possible that your FT3 and FT4 have been falling for a while, and TSH has yet to keep up.

Do you have hypo symptoms?