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Lab work questions

have been feeling bad for over a year.  My symptoms are depression, fatigue, weight gain, dry skin, memory problems and a lot of difficulty concentrating.  I also have high triglycerides, high platelet count and high blood calcium, and high blood pressure. My doctor's answer was to put me on Wellbutrin XL for the depression. The inital does was 150mg. a day.  When I didn't feel better, he upped it to 300mg. a day.  I am taking medicine for the blood pressure also.  I also take estrogen due to total hysterectomy in 1992.  I also have problems sleeping so he put me on Lunesta.  I am tired of taking so many medications just to feel better.  They don't help and I am spending so much money on them.  I take pills to feel better, pills to make me sleep all without really getting to the reason I feel this way.  I know that it is NOT depression making me feel so horrible.

I was taking synthoid until 5 years ago.  My doctor at the time said I was borderline and didn't need it, so he took me off of it.  My TSH has always fluctuated from one end of the range to another. Last month I had my blood work done and it showed my T-3 uptake as low. I called his office to discuss it and he said no treatment was needed.  I feel like his answer to all my problems was to just give me a prescription for anti-depressants.  From all the research I've done my symptoms point to hypothyroidism.  Here are the results of my blood work:

T-3 Uptake - 21 L (don't really know what this means since there was no range listed.)

T-4, Total - 12.4, normal it said between 4.5-12.5 mcg/dl (getting different ranges from different sources)

Free T-4 Index - 2.6, normal is 1.4-3.8

TSH, 3rd Generation - 1.23, no ranges listed

Calcium - 10.4, normal in 8.6-10.2 mg/dL

platelet count - 457, normal 140-400

All my other lab work was normal. Today I went to a different doctor who ran the thyroid panel again, plus my cholesterol lab work.  I will have the results on Tuesday. Can anyone please let me know if they have had the same experience with labs being normal but was actually hypothyroid?

Thanks
2 Responses
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267147 tn?1189755836
Hi,

I agree that you should be tested for antibodies and that everyone has a different "normal" that feels best for them.  The T3 uptake is a percentage and my lab lists the normal values as 24-39, so you're low there.

The thing that I would be watching and asking about is the elevated blood calcium level.  That is controlled by the parathyroid glands (there are four, located near the thyroid) and even small irregularities in your calcium level can be devastating to your health.

I've read here of many people who have hypothyroid symptoms but their doctors say no treatment is necessary - but when these folks try a low-dose thyroid supplement, they feel much better.  I think you should discuss it with your doctor and discover what is causing your symptoms.   Many of us here know how you feel and believe me, you will be in my thoughts and prayers - to find some relief!!

Keep us posted of your progress.

mary
Helpful - 0
97628 tn?1204462033
Normal is a relative term. The AACE says normal is .30-3.0.  Some labs go up to 6.0, so people who score a 4 or a 5 are normal by the lab's range, but are elevated from the endocrinologist's perspective. Your TSH is normal by both the high and lower standards.

Have them test you for antibodies, if positive, they may try you on a small dose of levo . Still,  even then it's not necessarily your thyroid that is causing the symptoms.

You may also want to look for some of the other conditions that can cause many of your symptoms, including depression itself.

Quote from Dr. Lupo may be helpful (her TSH is higher than yours):  http://www.medhelp.org/forums/Thyroid/messages/1383.html

Helpful - 0
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