Need thoughts on results please

[carrie235]

Hello,

I've been experiencing some weird episodes of muscle/nerve pain that comes and goes.  When it comes, I'll have pain in my elbow one second, then in my scalp, then my toes....it just jumps around.  It seems to be getting worse and I am trying to figure out what to do.

I just had my thyroid numbers run and they are as follows:

TSH is 1.450                  (.450-4.506)
T4Free Direct is .92        (.82-1.77)
T3 Free Serum is 1.9       (2-4.4)

I am in menopause (I'm nearly 55 years old).  I'm fit and in otherwise good health except for these flares which are very painful and quite distressful.

I've done some Dr Google research on the thyroid but I've seen some verbage about estrogen and thyroid being connected.  I am on a Vivelle Patch (.3875) and progesterone so I'm wondering if that patch is affecting my thyroid numbers.

I've been diagnosed in the past with Lyme Disease (Igenix positive but not CDC Positive).  I did ABX treatment for several years but then my neurologist said to get off the ABX because they did a spinal tap and blood work and I do not have Lyme disease.  You probably all know the controversy.

I'm just really confused and really worried about what to do because I am very active and have so many hobbies that require physical work from my body.  These painful flares are really getting to me.

My question is COULD THIS BY THYROID related?  Do any of you experience the kind of pain that I talk about here with your thyroid issues?

Thanks so much.  I have an appointment with an Endo but not for a few weeks.

[Barb135]

Yes, this "could" be thyroid hormone related, though not necessarily thyroid related... Your Free T4 is only at 11% of its range; it's recommended that Free T4 be about mid range.  Your Free T3 is actually below range and most of us feel best with Free T3 in the upper half to upper third of its range.  Free T3 is the hormone that's used by all the individual cells in your body and most of the Free T3 we have comes from the conversion of Free T4...

With Free T4 and Free T3 as low in the ranges as yours are, we'd expect your TSH to be much higher, since TSH, typically, increases when thyroid hormones are low and decreases when thyroid hormones are high.  Because, both, your TSH and thyroid hormone levels are low, we'd expect you to have Secondary or Central hypothyroidism.  Central hypothyroidism is a pituitary malfunction, rather than an actual thyroid problem.  With Central hypothyroidism, the pituitary gland doesn't produce enough TSH to stimulate the thyroid so it will produce adequate thyroid hormones.

Many doctors miss Central hypothyroidism, because they focus, solely, on TSH, and when it's low or in range, they automatically, think everything is good.  

Do you have other symptoms besides the pain you mentioned?  

Have you had Vitamin D tested?  Vitamin D deficiency can cause odd symptoms, such as that, as well.  If you haven't had it tested, try to get it done.  Vitamin D levels should be 50-70 to be optimal.