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False-negative thryroid test

I have been experiencing a range of symptoms for over a year now that all point to hypothyroidism (fatigue, weight gain and the inability to lose weight) and now have added swelling to eyelids, face, hands, and legs.  I have also for years now experienced inability to tolerate cold, constipation and IBS, menstrual irregularities, and more.  I have had my blood taken twice by my PCP and once by my OBGYN (both suspecting a thyroid problem) with the results to come back normal.  They cannot find anything wrong with me and want to continue to declare me depressed despite the ease of any of my symptoms with the use of antidepressants and my last effort to convince them I am not depressed.  I even had a sleep study come back to show no problems.  My aunt went through the same problems for years and finally ended up having 1/2 of her thyroid removed.  Is it possible I am getting a false negative on my thryoid tests and if so, how can find out if I really do have something wrong with my thyroid?
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Avatar universal
I had hypothyroid for several years and was taking thynthroid, then I was critically injured in a house fire, lots of hospitalizations....and now told my thyroid is normal. Yet I have same symptoms as I did when I had hypothyroid, tired, sleepy, no energy... it could be from brain injury as well but can not help thinking that it is my thyroid, but levels come back normal. Can the results be effected by meds or..?  Thank you
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Avatar universal
I'd also suggest that you start your own thread by going to the top of the page and clicking the orange "Post a Question" button.  The original poster, Tori0425, still has many questions to be answered in this thread, and it will be less confusing for everyone if you start your own thread with the information gimal has requested.
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Avatar universal
Please post the reference ranges for the T4 and T3 tests.  It is always important to evaluate results against their reference ranges.  Also, you mention symptoms of both hyper and hypo.  What are the hyper symptoms you mention.  Also, please tell us about the hypo symptoms.
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Avatar universal
I also have high cholesterol again which went away with the thyroid med. Now its super high. Can anyone help me please? I feel so lost.
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Avatar universal
Also, my gallbladder has been removed so we know thats not causing the pain & ive been scoped & had a colonoscopy twice. Ive had MRIs & scans for my abdominal pain and the neck pain.
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Avatar universal
I was diagnosed by my gyno a few years after my having my son with hypo. My reg physician did test 2 yrs later that showed hyper. He lowered my dose of Synthroid to 50mg instead of 100mg. Stayed like that for a while & then ended up goin off all meds for about a year.  Now my tests show normal.
My results are
THS- 1.120
Free Thyroxine Index- 2.2
Thyroxine (T4)- 7.0
Tri-iodotyronine (T3)- 31

I'm very confused as I still have symptoms of both the hypo & hyper. It goes back & forth. Theyve never tried to figure out what caused the hypo to begin with & have never even suggested my seeing a Endo. I dont know what to think anymore but I have other chronic issues that still haven't been diagnosed like severe abdominal pain that comes & goes like gallbladder but sort of a diff feel & symptoms & moderate to severe chronic upper neck pain  that also comes & goes.
Now are circular in appearance & all ove. They dont Iitch but Iiitch everywhere else. Just occasional itching on spots. The rest of me feels like microscopic bugs are crawling on me. My Dr says its unrelated & is Pityriasis Rosea which is similar to psoriasis except you only get it once but there's no known cause & goes away on its own any where between 6 -8 weeks or up to several months.
Before with the positive thyroid result I felt it was an answer to some of my symptoms. But now I feel back at square one.
Have almost all of the lupus symptoms. Negative result. Neg on everything. Only blood work has been done for all my test.
I dont know what to do now. I feel like no one believes me. Especially now that the results came back neg for everything. I just dont know anymore. ...
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314892 tn?1264623903
Did the doctor today order a FREE t4/t3?

T3 and T4 are totals and not as accurate.

Rarely, the free t4 or free t3 could be low and the TSH nornal, siganaling a rare Central Hypothyroidism.

The TSH is very normal, but you need to know the free t3 and free t4 to be sure.
Helpful - 0
488668 tn?1215629371
looks pretty normal but everyone is different and you need the antibody test to really reveal any underline problems.
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Avatar universal
I POSTED A QUESTION EARLIER (SEE FALSE NEGATIVE THYROID TESTING) ABOUT HOW I HAVE ALL THE SYMPTOMS OF HYPOTHYROIDISM BUT STILL COME BACK WITH A NEGATIVE TSH TEST.  I WENT TO THE DOCTOR TODAY AND THEY DID A T3, T4, AND ANTIBODY TEST AND AM WAITING FOR THOSE TO COME BACK.  IN THE MEANTIME, I REQUESTED MY PREVIOUS TEST RESULTS AND HERE THEY ARE:

1ST TEST- TSH WAS 1.349
2ND TEST- TSH WAS 1.06

THIS SEEMS TO BE PRETTY NORMAL.  WHAT DO YOU THINK?
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314892 tn?1264623903
Make sure you have had  free t4 as well as a TSH.

The TSH alone can miss cases of rare central hypothyroidism- where the TSH looks ok, but the free t4 is low.
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Avatar universal
I am going back tomorrow and will request the numbers and post when I get them.  I have printed off a lot of material regarding false negative thyroid testing and am taking them and request the additional testing.  If they will not do it, I am going to make an appointment with an endo.  Thanks for all the help so far
Helpful - 0
440728 tn?1234645302
Please keep pushing for more tests and see an endo like MKlacza says. I have had awful thyroid symptoms for a year, but it has taken now for it to show up in my blood tests. It can do that. Until now, they kept fobbing me off too with depression etc., when I have never felt depressed, just anxious, and more anxious when they wouldn't take me seriously. It was a good endo I finally saw last week, that diagnosed me and even now my results are still borderline. But you know yourself like I do, and we know we are not imagining our symptoms. It took all my new friends on here to get me to fight back, to stand up for myself and make the docs listen. It has been a very hard road and I'm still struggling at times but I'm getting there, coz they are finally listening. Also, I like you have a strong family history of thyroid disease. So go back to your doc and say you want more tests, and make them listen. I wish you the best of luck!
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314892 tn?1264623903
Do you have results you can post? It is good to know the actual numbers.
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87651 tn?1259602403
Can I suggest that you see an Endocrinologist? I am not sure what type of testing they are doing for your thyroid. Certain tests can come back "normal" when in fact you might have a problem...

MK
Helpful - 0
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