hi
the surgery I had was for a bladder repair, so nothing related. Once I see the doctor on Friday , and get on some medicine, I will take the advice and try the D and B, anything is better thank feeling like this, thanks everyone, I can see i will be visiting this board alot as there is sure a lot of information to be found here
Your Free's are pretty low, which is why you feel the way you do, What surgery did you have? Thyroid and Auto-immune disorders like Graves and Hashimoto's are hereditary.
Your report states it strongly suggests Hashimoto's Thyroiditus, what happens with Hashimoto's is that your immune system does not recognize your thyroid and attacks it, this causes a reduction in the production of Thyroid hormone, this is called Hypothyroid,
Graves Disease is when your immune system attacks your Thyroid and causes an over production of the thyroid, and is Hyperactive. Doctors prescribe a T4 Hormone medication for Hypoactve and Hashimoto's, and do blood work every six weeks, the good thyroid MD's will treat you by your symtoms and not just lab results. It does take some time to find an optimal level where you are less symptomatic, ask your MD to do a Vitamin D and B tests, many Thyroid sufferers also have an absorption issue with D and B, and a lack of these can make symptoms worse, also try taking Magnesium Glycinate 400mg per day, but take it at least four hours after your thyroid medication. The fact that your MD added the Free T3 and Free T4 shows he is a little sharper than most who only test and treat by TSH levels. Welcome to the forum and Best Regards FTB4
Hi
thanks for the response
I am not on any medicine, I have been feeling like this for well over a year and finally a doctor that was filling in for my GP took one look at me and sent me for the thyroid test. I am seeing my GP on friday so I hope that he will give me something as each day I am feeling worse. I had those test done two weeks ago, and since then it seems like every day its getting worse, I guess all I can do it wait untill friday and hope my GP sends me to see a specialist or gives me some medicine. I have had every sypmtom of this disease for over 3 years and have gone to my doctor many times complaining of them, but it was replacement doctor that ordered the the test, kind of makes me worry.
From those test results it appears that you have Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, which is the most common cause of hypothyroidism. With Hashi's your autoimmune system somehow sees your thyroid glands as foreign and produces antibodies to attack the glands, until they are ultimately destroyed over some period of time, thus requiring regular testing and adjustment of meds as necessary..
Your FT4 result is right in the middle of the range, which is fine. Your FT3 result is in the low end of the range, which is consistent with being hypo. FT3 is the thyroid hormone that largely regulates metabolism and many other body functions. The range is so broad that just being in the lower end is frequently not adequate to relieve symptoms for many patients. The range should be used as guidelines within which to adjust levels as necessary to relieve symptoms. Symptom relief should be all important, not test results. Test results are valuable mainly as indicators during diagnosis, and afterward to monitor FT3 and FT4 levels as meds are increased toward symptom relief.
It wasn't clear, but I expect that you are on thyroid meds already. I would also expect that your medication is a T4 type only. Frequently when taking T4 type thyroid meds, the T4 is not being converted adequately to T3 and the FT3 levels is out of balance with the FT4. If this is the case then it is most likely that you need to add a source of T3 to your meds, in order to increase your FT3 level.
A good thyroid doctor will test and adjust your FT3 and FT4 levels as necessary to relieve symptoms without being constrained by resultant TSH levels. Again, symptom relief should be all important. This is a link to a letter written by a good thyroid doctor for patients that he is consulting with from a distance. The letter is sent to the patient's PCP to help guide treatment. Note the clinical approach to treatment.
http://hormonerestoration.com/files/ThyroidPMD.pdf