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Avatar universal

Help interpreting my results

I need help please, since my GP is useless.


My last lot of results are as follows:

Dec 2012
FT4 - 19.0 (12-22)
TSH - 0.81 (0.27-4.2)
FT3 - 6.2 (3.8-6.8)

March
TSH - 0.91 (0.27-4.2)
Nothing else tested!

May
TSH - 1.2 (027-4.2)
Again, nothing else tested

June
FT4 – 16.4 (12-22)
TSH – 2.24 (0.27-4.2)
FT3 – 5.0 (3.8-6.8)

August 2013
FT4 – 17.8 (12-22)
TSH – 2.15 (0.27-4.2)
FT3 – 5.6 (3.8-6.8)

Should I be concerned that my levels are changing?  I was diagnosed with Hashi's last year but haven't been on any medication since November 2012.  

I currently feel like crap!  so tired (to the point where my body aches), more aches and pains generally, sleeping more but not refreshed, hair loss, lack of energy and appetite but unable to lose weight, cold, irritable and irritable to noise.  I saw my doctor recently who just said that results were normal so no further action, am I just going mad or blaming everything on previous history?

Thanks for any help :-)
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Avatar universal
It's interesting that he's noticed a change in the last two months. even though both your FT3 and FT4 have gone up, which should be making you less hypo, yet your symptoms all point to more hypo.  Have your hypo symptoms gotten worse in the last two months?

The thyroid makes T4 and a very little bit of T3.  Most of T3 has to be converted from T4 (mostly by the liver).  T3 is the active form of the thyroid hormones and the only form cells can use.  There are only two ways for your body to get rid of T4...either convert it to T3 or convert it to RT3 (reverse T3).  RT3 is inert, and it's basically your body's way of protecting itself in tough times...like starvation, malnutrition, certain diseases, extreme dieting, trauma, stress, just to name a few.  It induces a kind of metabolic hibernation.  Sometimes and for some unknown reason, the overproduction of RT3 continues way past the original stimulus for it being removed.  This condition is called "RT3 dominance" (also sometimes Wilson's Syndrome or Wilson's Temperature Syndrome).  So when RT3 is high, you can feel hypo because RT3 is in competition with T3 to get into cells.  RT3 blocksd the T3 receptors, and T3 can't get in.

So, that's one thought on why you could feel hypo despite those pretty labs.  You're in U.K., correct?  I have to caution you that RT3 dominance is pooh-poohed by most of mainstream medicine, so it's often not easy to get it tested and even less easy to find a doctor who thinks it's relevant enough to treat.  I don't condone that, just want you to know what your up against.  So, that's the easy one to eliminate.  You test FT3 and RT3 at the same time and look at the ratio of FT3 to RT3.  I won't make your eyes glaze over with the interpretation of that ratio at the moment!  LOL

I think it would also be a good idea to test the D, B-12 and iron/ferritin since deficiencies of any one of those can mimic hypo symptoms.  They are also necessary for the proper metabolism of thyroid hormones.  

There is one other condition called thyroid hormone resistance (THR), which is quite rare and a genetic mutation.  People with THR have to have thyroid hormone levels extremely high (sometimes several times the upper limit of the range) before cells can use it.  They will have hypo symptoms when most people would be buzzing-off-the-planet hyper.  
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hello again, hope you are well.

Never thought of lab results being beautiful before :-)

In December I think I was just coming out of hypo (a result of being given too much carbimazole I think), but nothing really major.  My other half says he has noticed the change the last 2 months or so.

I noticed at the surgery on Monday that one of my last antibody test level was 439 (1-34) so it has dropped quite a bit.

Recent test was full blood count, u&e and another long term glucose test (I had mentioned my thirst increase) but apparently they're all "normal" too :-)

I'm unsure about RT3 though as I've never had it mentioned before.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Your labs are really quite beautiful.  FT4 is at 58% of range, which is actually a little on the high side, so you "shouldn't" be having hypo symptoms.  FT3 is at 60% of range.  FT3 rule of thumb is upper half to upper third of range.  Yours could be a little higher, but considering you aren't on meds, I don't see it as a problem.

So, serum levels are good, but are those hormones getting into cells?  Unfortunately, there's no direct measure of that.  

How were you feeling in December (I know you've posted that before, but my memory is only so good!).  Were you feeling a little hyper?

Have you had any other testing, like vitamins D and B-12 and a complete iron panel including ferritin?  Has RT3 ever been tested?
Helpful - 0
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