1st thyroid test low, wating on 2nd test , could symptoms be low thyroid?

[tantekay]

HI!  I am an almost 36 year old female (only 4 days til b-day.) and I just saw someone I'm establishing as a regular physician.  I receive a call today that my Thyroid levels are low.  I've been looking at some of the symptoms and several apply.  First of all I seem to be constantly gaining a few pounds everytime I get weighed.  I'm not the healthiest eater, but have always maintained weight around 135 or lower, I'm now up to 148.  I don't always do a good cardio. work out, but I'm very active and up on my feet most of the day and night (work a night job where I'm constantly on my feet 5 - 6 hours avg. 4 days a week.)  I often feel sluggish and have a hard time getting going.  I feel that here lately I'm very moody and irritable, and was qestioning depression. (I should also say that I was considering depression since I've been through a lot with my 2 year old who has a CHD and 2 open heart surgeries and 1 more to go plans are to do this one sometime next year.) I also seem a little more clumsy than usual -- running into walls and bumping into things etc.,  I've always had thin nails.  I also have a history of pac's and atrial fibs.  My father and sister are also on thyroid meds for low thyroid.  So, after all that,  I guess my question is - what would be normal thyroid levels, when should I seek meds, and how much of this could be actual thyroid or just is it just life and aging??  I do go back for a repeat thyroid test next month.  Thanks for reading all my rambling to get to the questions!!!!!

[Mark Lupo, M.D.]

"low levels" are often misleading -- if the TSH is low (<.3 or the lower limit of the lab) it means hyperthyroidism in most cases --- "low thyroid" gives a high TSH (>3) in most cases.

That being said you have many symptoms of hypo except the PAC/a-fib -- the family history suggests that you have a thyroid problem -- would repeat the labs as planned and if you would like additional input - please relay the results of the labs.

[LowMac]

Sorry to hear you are not feeling well. The Dr. will be answering you but I wanted to offer a little if I may. Your thyroid can cause all those symptoms you detailed and when you go through a great deal of stress, it can cause a thyroid problem to surface. Mine surfaced after a serious period of stress. It does run strongly in families as well.
A lot of people on here, list their test results. Your Dr. or testing lab will give you copies of them if you request. I think all patients should get them, to moniter their own health progress and problems. We trust our Dr. but should be able to see this for ourselves, being the bill payer. Occassionally a patient will have a less knowlegable Dr. in the thyroid area and is another good reason to see how he is interpreting your tests. You can compare results with charts you can find on the web, to see where you really are at. The Dr. on this forum is a board certified endocrinologist, the best Dr. you can get for thyroid problems in my opinion.
Best Luck To You.

[doodlebug1]

Hi tantekay. Sorry to read about what you have had to go through with your dear 2 year old. That must be very hard.

I so identify with the weight issues, the sluggishness, the low grade epression, etc. I had the exact same thing, and mine all started after the birth of my second child. I was later tested and put on Synthroid. The really sad thing is that though Synthroid, and later Levoxyl, made my TSH look ideal, I never stopped having the issues mentioned.  Since most docs try to put thyroid patients on T4-only meds, I hope you will tuck that information away in the back of your mind. Because it's only when I switched to dessicated pig thyroid (also called natural thyroid hormones) that my treatment got 100% better. I also found a doc who stopped dosing me by the TSH, and instead, worked to get my free T3 at the top of the range. HUGE difference.

You asked when should you seek meds...did you know that there were many decades, before the TSH came into existence, that patients were dosed by symptoms alone, and successfully?? I read this about 4 years ago, and it completely changed my outlook on how I wish docs would treat their patients! The TSH labs came out around 1975, and since then, I've watched folks being held hostage to that lab, even when their symptoms SCREAMED hypo. Mary Shoman has a great line, that goes something like this: "Treat the patient, not the numbers". I personally don't knock labs--they are interesting and can be helpful. But what I am saying is this--if my symptoms are screaming something, I'd like to see my symptoms treated, NOT just labs, and especially the TSH and T4, which do NOT tell the whole story with sluggish thyroids.

[doll face]

Very good advice. I too anm having major issues right now trying to get my doctor to belive that these symptoms are real. I just went out and bought Mary Shomons book today. "Living well with hypothyroidism" I hope that when I am done  reading it,that I will be able to get my doctor to do something.

[tantekay]

Thank you everyone for your advice!!  This has been very helpful!!!  And now knowing a little more about what to look for and look at, will help in the coming months as I wait for the next test and take very close note over the next month at my symptoms and making the best decisions I can.  Thanks again and God bless.

[doll face]

Thanks for the well wishes. I definatly believe that my TSH is too high, and that I need to add T3, perferably to go on natural thyroid replacements.I am just going to have to keep on my doctor till I get him to do something.

[JamesPaul]

Hi, I am a 20 year old male from albany. I've always had symptoms of anxiety, nervousness, irrability,weakness is legs, trouble sleeping excess sweating and usualy feel warm most of the time. Over the past few years in college these symptoms have worresned and I have trouble concentrating, and feel fatigued and depressed alot. I told my doctor about these symptoms 3 years ago, and he had me put on the Anti Depressant Lexapro. Being on Lexapro did nothing for my anxiety, and nervousness so I stoped using it after a years time. I have continually gone back to my doctor to tell him about my symptoms and he just suggests different anti depressants and seeing a psyschologist, which I did over the summer but was not usefull because it didnt help with my physical symptoms. My life is good, and I have so much going for me, but because of my physical symptoms I dont enjoy my life how i know i should. I had a meeting with an Endocronolgist last week after reading about Thyroid disorders which I think I have one. My doctor sent me the results back and said everything is normal. My FT4 level was 1.3, T3 was 76.9, TSH was 2.18 and my Calcium level was 9.46.  Is t3 the same as Free T3? because my t3 level of 76.9 was 5 points below the minimum range of 82. Also my doctor didnt test my testosterone and estrogen levels like I asked because I have had related issues of Gynecomastia in the past, so i thought my estrongen levels could be low or high because of that. Im not sure what to do from here. My doctor said everything is fine and well when he sent my the results, but I dont feel weel. I thought I might have had hyperthyroidism, or hyperparathyroidism. What tests should I have my doctor check for? Can estrogen levels after t3 or t4?. I also read that it is helpful to test for Ionized Calcium? any feedback with that I should do, or blood tests to have checked would be greatly appreciated, is there a difference between Ft3 and t3?
Thanks for your help
James

[doodlebug1]

James, who don't you post this as a main question so it will be at the top of this list, and Dr. Mark will see it? I just happened to scroll down and caught this, but others are going to miss it.

And by the way, T3 represents the "total" amount of T3 in your body. Free T3 (fT3) represents the amount that is 'available' and 'unbound'. I have noted that the latter is FAR more informative than a total T3 in diagnosing a thyroid problem. And yes, estrogen is one of those substances that can 'bind' T3--thus the importance of getting a FREE T3.

You also need to include the ranges with your lab results, as labs can have different ranges from each other.

[ancientmariner]

A lot of your symptoms sound as if they could be adrenal, as well as thyroid-related. I have adrenal fatigue, and "anxiety, nervousness, irrability,weakness in legs, trouble sleeping excess sweating" are all problems for me, too. Many doctors think either the adrenals work or they don't, nothing in between, but in the past few years, some doctors will order a saliva test that takes samples 4 times in one day, to see how your cortisol levels are doing. This might be something to look into, too.

[normal test results]

I am a 34 year old female. I am very frustrated right now. For 8 months I have been feeling tired, very irritable, moody, and have had severe night sweats every night. I wake up 2-3 times a night drenched in sweat and have to change my clothes. I am not sleeping well and it is getting worse. I feel like cryng at a drop of a hat and am feeling depressed. I told my doctor 3 months ago that I was having these issues and she did not take my symptoms seriously. I finally went in yesterday and told her I can barely get up in the morning I'm so tired and it is hurting my job performance and my quality of life and I need to find out what's wrong. She then tested me for a series of things such as liver, gallbladder, and kidney functions as well as menopaus and diabetes(runs in family). Everything was normal except for the thyroid test. It was low. She said that it wasn't low enough to warrent treatment but wants me to be tested again in 6 weeks. I need relief from my symptoms now and even though she said it was barely below normal I feel strongly that something is definitely wrong! Any website I go to says if you are having night sweats nightly that it is not normal! I didn't go into work today because I feel so bad. What would it hurt to treat me for it and see if it helps relieve my symptoms and feel better? Maybe I should go see a specialist? Is anyone else having sweats of this magnitude? I also have nausea , pain on my right side, I feel hungry all the time and thirsty. I am curious if other people are having any symptoms that aren't the norm. Also, I gained 10 lbs in two weeks for no reason. It was alarming! I haven't changed my lifestyle at all to have gained that much weight in that period of time. Anyone using any herbal supplements or have suggestions on what I can do to feel better would be greatly appeciated!  Thanks for your time!