Could it be Graves'?

[MoLLiy]

So I got my labs back today and I will be hearing from the Dr tomorrow but I was just wondering if anyone could gice me some insight based on the numbers.

Labs drawn 12/01/10
TSH <0.005 range 0.358 - 3.740
T3 201 range 70 -190
FT4 1.29 range 0.76 - 1.46

I also had a TSH drawn on 11/24/10 and it was 0.01 why did it change so much in just over a week? I was wondering if it could be Graves'. I have been having a lot of symptoms including some of the eye issues associated with it. Any advice would be appreicated. I hate waiting for the Dr to get back to me.

[armywife92]

Mo, not to diminish your feelings, but we are emotional and paranoid x10 when graves/hyper is active. As I look back over my life, the times I had flares (but didn't know it was graves) i would become the biggest hypochondriac. Panic and paranoi was my middle name. I have found this to be true with others who have graves. Glad you have your appointment set. I don't think anything else is wrong, it's just your thyroid is throwing everything off right now.

[MoLLiy]

We were not sucessful this month anyway so all that worry was for nothing. I'm just going to step back and let the doctors figure out what's going on. My RAIU is on the 20th & 21st then I have my follow up with the endo on Feb 2nd. So hopefully they can "fix" me soon and I can get on with my life. I can't help but worry that something is seriously wrong...

[MoLLiy]

Thank you.

[armywife92]

Because doctors usually always think the worst, and expect the patient to think the worst too. I do think you should get your labs in order first before trying to conceive. I'm not sure of the limitations surrounding the RAIU, but they will probably tell you it's safe to start immediately since they deem it a 'safe' procedure. What I am about to say may be highly disagreed with, but I think having a child w/ birth defects while being hypo or hyper probably doesn't happen as often as the doctors think, or tout. Why do I think that;

I've met several women online and in real life who went undiagnosed for years and had children in between this time, and their children were fine. I myself astounded my endo last month. I have 6 kids, I am a size 4, look like I'm in my early 20's(hey that's just what everyone tells me lol)...I'm ehem...30 something lol. On the outside I am the picture of health, but I've had graves/hashi for the past 18 yrs and have just recently gotten a diagnosis.I've only been on meds for it once in my life totalling less than a month. My endo was astounded that I never had any miscarriages and that all my children are healthy. Anyway, I share that b/c I know you will soon hear all the horror stories about possible birth defects blah blah blah. Having said that, I still stand by the fact that you should get your T3-T4 AND TSH in range.

[MoLLiy]

Also why would they ask me what was more important? I didn't think a thyroid disorder could kill you? I know that things like heart attacks and other complications of a thyroid disorder could but only if not kept in check...I'm even more worried now then I was when they order the test...

[MoLLiy]

The main reason I am worried about the RAIU is because my husband and I have been ttc and they told me that if I concevied this cycle I will have to terminate in order to have the test. When I asked about postponing the test I was rudly asked what's more important your life or a fetus's... this made me very upset but I can't change endos as this is the only one in my area who takes my insurance...

On the other hand I know that thyroid problems can make conceving and carring a baby to term difficult and that this test would help them "fix" me... I just can't justify the potential risks... I'm going to take an hpt when I get home from work since today is the day for me to test...

If I do go through with the RAIU does anyone know how long before we can start ttc again? Sorry about the rant I just had to get this off my chest. Thanks for reading...

[armywife92]

You can opt out of RAIU, I did. I know it's 'safe', but I still didn't like the idea. In actuality it really isn't needed if you have the TSI taken. This is a specific test for graves. They should have tested you for it!  You definitely have an autoimmune thyroid disease b/c your TPO AB's are high. With TSI ANY % equals graves, even if it's as low as 10%. If it's under 125% this just means it's not active, but you can still have symptoms.

Another possibility is hashimotos thyroiditis,which can sometimes make your labs appear hyper temporarily. However you don't have TPO AB's in the super high range, so if I had to guess, I'm guessing it's graves...but that's just my humble opinion. I have graves, and thought it was active again, only to find out that it was my hashimotos antibodies that was causing me to be hyper. I have all 3 AB's(graves and hashi)...but that's another story...

[MoLLiy]

I am scheduled for a RAIU*

[MoLLiy]

I just had new labs done.
Here are the results:
THYROPEROXIDASE AB 147.9 Reference range: <9.0
FREE THYROXINE 1.53 (0.76 - 1.46) ng/dL
TSH <0.005

I am radioactive iodine uptake scan on the 20th and 21st. I'm worried about the RAIU. Should I be?

[MoLLiy]

I have the irritated eyes and have also lost some vision my eye doc didn't know what was causing it and have even seen a specialist for it... they initaly thought it could be possible MS which was devistating to me... I'm glad to hear that many people reach remission with graves'. That does ease my fears a little bit.

[stella5349]

You need to find a specialist in thyroid eye disease to thoroughly check this out.

Yes - please get those tests indicated.

[MoLLiy]

I have the irritated eyes and have also lost some vision my eye doc didn't know what was causing it and have even seen a specialist for it... they initaly thought it could be possible MS which was devistating to me... I'm glad to hear that many people reach remission with graves'. That does ease my fears a little bit.

[armywife92]

I just wanted to add that if it is graves, it's not the end of the world. I have a very mild case and think I've had a mild case for over a decade. MANY do well on meds and reach remission. The good news is you will finally get an answer. Graves is treated the same way as hyper so it's really not a big deal to the endo what is causing it. 90-95% of hyperthyroidism is caused by graves disease. The Ab's supress the TSH,   even when the T3&4 are in the normal range the TSH can remain suppresed. While the TSH isn't an active thyroid measurement, a supressed TSH of less than 0.01 is ''usually'' a graves indicator.

Your labs read T3 Thyrotoxicosis b/c your T4 is in range. Have you seen an eye doc yet? I would see someone who is familiar in TED(THYROID eye disease). Most of us have minor eye involvment such as watering or irritated eye once in awhile. Not everyone will get the bulging eyes, and if they do, they usually go back to normal after a period of time... unless you get RAI, but that's another topic. Anyway I hope after reading this you feel a bit better, so if you do get the RX, it's not so overwhelming.

[MoLLiy]

My T3 was total not free. T4 was free. So I should ask for a free T3 and TSI? Is there any sort of diagnosis that can be gatherd from these numbers? We know I'm definatly Hyperthyroid but I was wondering if it could be something else too. I hate waiting.

[stella5349]

The TSH is a responder  and communitcator measurement of what thyroid is doing. It is not an accurrate tool to base what the thyroid is doing in the body.

I'm betting the farm your T3 test was a TOTAL T3 and not a FREE.

Here's the blood labs you need done to know for sure if you are having autoimmune Graves and/or hyperthyroid

TSI
Free T3
Free T4