Interpreting thyroid test results

[tbnmpl]

Hi. I'm a 27 year old stay at home mom to 3. I've had a problem with severe fatigue most of my life. After having my three children it has only gotten progressively worse. It was also discovered that I have a progesterone deficiency. My symptoms are: extreme fatigue, unable to lose weight even with diet and exercise, very low libido, and most recently I've had problems with early miscarriages.... 3 in the last 6 months to be exact. The doctor is supplementing my progesterone and suspected a thyroid issue. My thyroid was also slightly enlarged at the visit.

Here are my test results: TSH 2.18
                                      FT3 2.8
                                      FT4 1.1

She wants to put me on 15 mg/day of natural thyroid meds because I don't agree with synthetic meds. However the natural is made from pig and we keep kosher so that is bothering me as well. The nurse mentioned the results were borderline. My question is are the results borderline enough that I don't need to take a thyroid medication? Is there another way to remedy the problem without meds? Could the progesterone levels be mimicking a thyroid problem. Thanks.

[laura1967]

What were the lab ranges on your lab sheet for the free t3 and free t4......both seem on the low side.
As far as the medication is concerned check into Wes-Throid....I think that may be made out of beef not pork if that helps any. Still an natural thyroid med.
If you truly have a thyroid problem, there is no natural cure. If you need meds and you prolong it, it will only make things worse and take longer to over-come and heal. \
The thyroid helps to regulate our female hormones, so a malfunctioning thyroid will cause problems there with hormone levels, miscarriages, etc. It is very important to see a doctor who absolutely knows thyroid. Your dr ran the correct blood tests so that is a good sign! :)

[paulag]

Hi Laura,

You seem to know what you are talking about, and I'd love to ask a couple of questions.  From lab results my doc says I'm hypo, my TSH was 24.75, and my T4 was 4.55, everything else was within "normal" limits.  I just had an ultrasound done on my thyroid and the right measures 3.5 centimeters, and the left 4.2, and its noted that there is heterogeneous echotexture, the thyroid isthmus is normal measuring 0.35 centimeters.  

What is heterogeneous echotexture?  My doctors says its nothing to worry about, that one side is just a little larger than the other, and she'll check it again in a year. I explained to her, that I occassionaly feel like I'm choking on nothing but air if I talk to loudly, or if a piece of food get caught on this area of my throat, or just if I breath air in the wrong way I'm sent into a full 2 minute coughing fit.  My throat feels rough and I've developed a cough (without sputum).  I'm 44 years old and I"m scared.  What do you think.

[estrelinha]

If progesterone levels are low in the first several weeks of pregnancy, a miscarriage may occur, so you must  treat this hormone inbalance. Low progesterone or estrogen dominance can give you many symptoms, there are other autoimmune diseases or even anemia..... that can be responsible for part of those symptoms....., so it's important for you to check for thyroid antibodies (TPO and anti-Tg) to see if you have an autoimmune disease of your thyroid, also you should check for LH, FSH, ANA's, estradiol, ferritin, hemoglobin, tranferin, Vit B12, folic acid, full blood count (hematocrit, etc.) Your thyroid lab values look normal,  but I would check them again in 4 weeks to see if there are any changings and I woud ask for an ultrasound of the thyroid ( you complaining that it is enlarged), you may have a thyroiditis.


Paulag:
Yes you are hypo, your TSH is high and your T4 is border line low, you probably have a thyroiditis ( heterogeneous echotexture), but for a more complete diagnose you need to ask for TPO and anti-Tg antibodies and also ask for free T3 and free T4. With that TSH you should be medicated, you must go to an endocrinologyst.