Blood test results

[OreGuy]

I am a nearly 32 year old male in good physical condition who exercises and walks 7 days a week.

For the past 1.5 years, a portion of my daily diet has consisted of what I now know as ‘Goitrogens’ raw: kale, spinach, almonds, and strawberries. I stopped eating these foods for about 14 days before my blood tests.

Symptoms listed below were recognized and/or increased since around 12/14/2013:

• Lightheadedness
• Brain fog
• Listlessness 
• Poor memory and concentration
• Fatigue or feeling slowed down
• Slowed speech

• Lowered body temperature
• Cold extremities / numb fingertips
• Thick tongue 
• Coarse / dry hair
• Some hair loss in outside eyebrows / hairline 
• Goiter (larger on left side of gland)
• Shallow breathing 


After some research, I had the following tests taken through LabCorp on 1/3/2013, and received the results on 1/7/2013:  

Iron, Serum: 158 [40-155 ug/dL]
(TIBC) Iron Bind Cap: 300 [250-450 ug/dL]
UIBC: 142 [150-375 ug/dL]
Iron Saturation: 53 [15-55%]
Ferritin, Serum: 244 [30-400 ng/mL]

Thyroid Peroxidase (TPO) Ab: 7 [0-34 IU/mL]
Thyroglobulin Ab: <1.0 [0.0-0.9 IU/mL]

Reverse T3, Serum: 19.3 [9.2-24.1 ng/dL]
TSH: 2.35 [0.450-4.500 uIU/mL]
T3, Free, Serum: 3.2 [2.0-4.4 pg/mL]
T4, Free (Direct): 1.46 [0.82-1.77 ng/dL]


I currently have no health insurance and I am waiting on my acceptance through the new health care reform act, estimated at 2 weeks to a month.  

I know B12, Vit D, and Adrenal levels would be useful. I’m still pursuing and researching these are other options. I’m also aware my iron and ferritin levels could represent hemachromatosis or a MTHFR defect.

Do my Thyroid levels seem mostly ‘normal’? What other tests and issues should I research and discuss with a doctor when I get the opportunity?

Thank you very much for your time, it is deeply appreciated.  

[OreGuy]

This makes sense, thanks for you help Goo and Tatt. :)

I'll update this post down the road if/when I get B-12 and Vit D.

[goolarra]

Reference ranges vary lab to lab, so you have to use the range that is printed on your lab report.

Target for FT4, because most people will still have hypo symptoms below that level, is 50% of range, and target for FT3 is upper half (50+%) of range.  Your FT4 is 67% of range, and your FT3 is 50% of range.  RT3 is only important in its ratio to FT3.  Your FT3/RT3 ratio is 16.6.  Range for this ratio varies by who you read, but generally speaking, it's somewhere between 10-20, the closer to the top of the range, the better.  So, your thyroid numbers look good.

I'd definitely pursue vitamins D and B-12.  Deficiency of either can mimic some of the symptoms of hypo.  Also, the final step in the metabolism of thyroid hormones, when they are transported into the nucleus of cells, is dependent on both D and iron levels.  In other words, you can feel hypo, even with perfectly adequate serum thyroid hormone levels, since you ARE hypo at the cellular level, but the cause is not a dysfunctional thyroid.  

[TattooGurl]

Yes your TSH is within normal anything between .5 and 5.0 is acceptable between 1 and 3 is optimal so 2.35 is perfect. T3 should be within 2.3 to 4.2 and the T4 should be between .8 and 1.8 so your serums seem very healthy the Reverse T3 I haven't a clue I don't think I have ever had that test done before and I've had severe hypothyroidism for more then a decade.