Thyroid Disorder

[Ashley4761]

I just got test results from my doctor. She said my TSH level was NORMAL but my T3 and T4 were very low which means there is something going on in my brain with my Pituitary Gland or my Hypothalamus. Usually it's the other way around with the TSH being low and the T3 and T4 being normal. Can you please explain what's going on with me in a way that I can understand it better?

[rumpled]

You are posting to old posts... so these people may or may not come back... but hang around as these questions do come up frequently.

[jenniferk86]

I believe I am in the same boat.you are lucky you found a doc that actually noticed that it puzzles most doctors even mine.  I am doing my own  research I have found that a tsh of 1.0 or lower and a free t4 of.9 or lower that indicates a pituitary issue. When your free t4 is low, your pituitary is supposed to make more tsh in response to tell the thyroid to produce more  free t4 and when t4 is too high your pituitary puts out less tsh to signal your thyroid to stop making free t4. So if both are low or even low normal but don't have the correct or expected relationship , it is likely due to the fact that your pituitary is failing to secrete tsh to stimulate the thyroid and the result is that the thyroid levels and tsh levels just continue to drop. Please post your results with reference ranges so we can comment more specifically.  Plus I am curious and want to see if your levels are close to mine.

[rumpled]

I found this:
"The cause of secondary hypothyroidism is failure of the pituitary gland to secrete thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH). This is usually caused by a tumor in the region of the pituitary. Rarely the cause is an infiltration of the pituitary by inflammatory cells from the immune system or foreign substances."

If her TSH is normal, then I fail to see why her doc is calling it secondary... I would think it is primary...

I am primary and secondary (my pit does not work and my thyroid is gone).

But I agree, you can ask over at the thyroid forum - they are friendly there too.

[Super_sally888]

Hi,

this means that your pituitary is not stimulating your thyroid.  It is called secondary hypothyroid.  The treatment is still the same as for regular hypothyroid (ie. thyroid meds), but all you doctors need to know that they have to adjust your meds based on FT3 and FT4 (Not TSH, which is a pituitary hormone).

You can also go across to the thyroid forum and ask questions.  They are pretty friendly over there too.

[rumpled]

Er, I cannot.

I have the pit issue and my TSH is low - like .04. Sometimes .004.

The TSH is the pituitary test - not the other tests - the other tests actually test what the thyroid is doing.
I have not heard of her explanation with the hypothalmus - as that would have to go via the pit, then to the thyroid.

Did you get a copy of your tests?