Hypothyroidism results "low normal" but I have all the symptoms?

[tessa16629]

This is going to be really long, so sorry in advance but I want to start from the beginning.

So I have been sick for a little over a year and every doctor I have been to can't find out what's wrong with me. First, they thought it was either an ulcer or my gallbladder. I had an ultrasound which showed I had no gallastones. Then I had an endoscopy which showed there was no ulcer. Then I had a HIDA scan which showed my gallbladder was functioning fine. Eventually, they narrowed it down to my gallbladder regardless of functioning fine and no gallstones so they removed it. In the process of those few months, I lost 30 pounds.

I thought I would feel better after surgery, but I'm still sick. I started getting these attack feelings where my stomach would bloat up and I would get this gnawing feeling. Sometimes it lasted a few minutes, sometimes it lasted several hours. Sometimes food would help, but I was still nauseous everyday so I couldn't eat much. I was slowly able to eat more as the months went by, but sometimes I would get nauseous or problems with my acid reflux. After the months of slowly eating more, I was able to maintain my weight after losing 30 pounds. My doctor scheduled a CT scan to see if it would show anything. Of course, there was nothing. We thought it could be my sphincter of oddi but they said it was fine. They thought maybe it was IBS so I was on several pills and tried the FODMAPS diet. Once again, nothing. Even tried going gluten free for awhile.

Well, the attacks randomly stopped except I still get them every now and then. Although the attacks stopped, I still have all these symptoms. My symptoms have always been chronic constipation, nausea, acid reflux, fatigue, and bloating. After the stomach attacks stopped, I developed new symptoms. Out of nowhere, I had rapid weight gain of 10-15 pounds, even though I still barely eat. I'm no longer living off of a piece of toast a day, but I am still eating way too little to gain nearly 15 pounds in a MONTH. Along with working out 5-6 days a week. I researched my symptoms and came across hypothyroidism. I didn't even know some of my issues could be related to hypo because I've only been worried about my stomach issues. I also found out that hypothyroidism can cause gallbladder problems. Along with my dry and brittle hair, brittle and rigid nails, cold sensitivity, and hair loss could tie back to this. I also have depression and anxiety, which I am on medication for.

The reason I believe I have hypothyroidism is because I have a family history of it, my gallbladder issues, chronic constipation, recent relapse of depression which resulted in my phyciatrist to double my dosage, hair loss so bad that I can pull out clumps just by running my fingers through my hair, persistant nausea and acid reflux (even though I have been on medication for over a year which helps a little but I still have problems with it), so fatigued that I can fall asleep just from sitting still for a few minutes no matter where I am, rapid weight gain, sensitivity to cold (I am always needing a blanket when everyone else thinks its hot in the room), joint pain, dry hair, brittle nails, depression, heavy periods (even though I'm on birth control, they're regulated now but they're still very heavy), and the list goes on. I understand that hypothyroidism symptom list is very broad, but I have all the main symptoms.

I went to my family doctor to get a blood test. My results came back "low normal". My doctor truly believed that hypo could be my issue, but since my results were "normal", she reffered me to an endocrynologist to get a full panel test.

Here are my results from my family doctor:

TSH- 1.52          (Range: 0.53-3.59)
Free T4- 0.90    (Range: 0.90-1.60)
Free T3- 2.5      (Range: 2.4-4.2)

At my endocrinologist appointment, I had the worst doctor. He did not listen to my symptoms, had no manners, and was just overall rude. But I had waited a month for this appointment so I was hoping the blood tests would show something.

Here are my results from the endocrinologist full panel test:

TSH- 1.61           (Range: 0.50-4.30)
Total T4- 8.1       (Range: 4.5-12.0)
Free T4 index (T7)- 1.9   (Range: 1.4-3.8)
Free T4- 0.90     (Range: 0.8-1.4)
Total T3- 122      (Range: 86-192)
T3 uptake- 24    (Range: 22-35)
TSI- <89             (Range: <140
Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies- 3 (range:<9)

Once again, I'm in the "low normal" range but I do not feel the slightest bit normal. A family member also had borderline results so she was put on medication and she said she immediately felt better. I argued with the PA that the results seem borderline but she argued back that they were normal.

Every doctor has tried blaming my problems on my birth control. There is no way all of this can be caused by my birth control because I've been on the same pill for 3 years and I actually had to stop taking it for 6 weeks and during those 6 weeks I still had all these symptoms.

My question for anyone that might be able to help is what's your opinion? I may have "normal" results, but they aren't in the optimal range. After testing everything else possible, I'm so confident that hypo is my issue. Especially since the results showed how low in the range I am. I'm about to go to another doctor for a second opinion in hope that he will listen to me and help me. I just need a doctor to look at my symptoms and family history and see that my results are "normal" but not optimal.

Has anyone else had an issue similar to this? What did you do about it? I just need other opinions and stories so I know I'm not crazy lol.

Sorry it was so long, but thanks in advance to anyone that can help!

[Red_Star]

Excerpt from Gallbladder Attack - Chronic Heartburn...

"Signs of Deficient Stomach Acid

Gas, bloating and burping shortly after a meal could be lack of HCl
Constipation
Diarrhea
Feeling of fullness or food not digesting
Heartburn and/or gastric reflux (sometimes too much HCl but most often not enough)
Bad breath
Foul smelling stools
Loose stools in the early morning
Food allergies
Dialated blood vessels on the cheeks and nose - Rosacea
Pernicious anemia or iron deficiency
Anal Itching
Nausea especially after taking vitamins and minerals
Weak or cracked nails
Parasites - or at least increased susceptibility to parasitic infections
Chronic yeast infections
Acne in adults - especially if you have other symptoms from the list
Asthma

Since low levels of stomach acid results in poor absorption of nutrients, many symptoms that accompany a deficiency of that vitamin or mineral makes this list much longer. The nutrients most affected are calcium, iron, folic acid, vitamin K and many B vitamins."

"Risk Factors and Causes of Low Stomach Acid

Allergies
Anemia
Adrenal fatigue
Alcohol
Atrophic gastritis
Heartburn
Gerd
IBS
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Hives
Candida and other Yeast
Bacterial Dysbiosis or infections in the Gut
Adult acne
Eczema
Alcohol consumption
H. pylori infection
Stress even in children
Age. HCl production decreases with age

Diseases Associated with Low HCl
Asthma
Diabetes
Osteoporosis
Arthritis
Hepatitis
Eczema
Acne rosacea
Dry Skin
Psoriasis
Parasites
Gallbladder disease
Herpes
Hives
Hypothyroid
Hyperthyroid
Thyrotoxicosis
Autoimmune disorders
Lupus erythematosus
Myasthenia gravis
Pernicious anemia
Celiac disease
Sjogren 's Syndrome"

[Barb135]

Find another doctor as soon as possible... You're right that "normal" is not good for everyone.  Your Free T4 and Free T3 are both way too low in the ranges and it's no wonder you don't feel well.  

The endo you saw was, apparently, not very good with thyroid, because some of the tests he ordered (Total T4, Total T3, FTI and T3 Uptake) are actually outdated and of very little use...In addition, he neglected to order Free T3, which is the most important hormone test.  

Typically, with Free T3 and Free T4 as low as yours, we'd expect TSH to be much higher than it is.  If TSH were higher, that would definitely indicate a thyroid problem.  There's a good chance that all your doctor really looked at was the TSH and since it's what's normally considered "pristine", they really didn't look much further...

Since thyroid hormones are low and TSH is low, plus your antibody test is negative, there's reason to believe that your thyroid is actually working fine, but you most likely have a pituitary/hypothalamus issue that's preventing enough TSH from being produced to stimulate the thyroid.  Without adequate TSH, the thyroid won't produce adequate hormones to supply the body. This is called Secondary or Central hypothyroidism.  Many doctors miss it, because the TSH is normal and that's mostly what they look at.

Hypothyroidism is hypothyroidism, so it has to be treated no matter what causes it, so find a doctor that doesn't just look at TSH or who goes by symptoms as much/more than labs.
If you tell us where you're located, we might be able to help you find a good doctor.

[tessa16629]

Thank you

[tessa16629]

Thank you so much for responding!

My GP actually told me to ask the endo to look into my pituitary gland. when I brought it up, he immediately shot it down and said "what makes you think something's wrong with your pituitary? That usually happens in 30-40 year old women." I respond pretty firmly and said "so does gallbladder issues but I still had mine removed at a young age." (I'm 18)

I will certainly bring up ny pituitary to the next doctor I find! I'm located in the DFW area. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated!