Thryoid Question

I don't know very much about Thryoid disorders but I have been gaining weight for the last couple of years and have low energy with hair loss.  A year ago, my labs came back with low vitamin D so my MD put me on supplements and it helped some with the hair loss but not with the weight gain.  The fatique got worse so they ran more blood tests.  It came back low on vitamin D again and the TSH with Relex to Free T4 came back .88,  which was within the normal ranges of .34 - 5.60 uIU/ml,  a year ago it was also in the normal range at 1.01.  Can you have thryoid symptons and it still be in the normal range?  

[chel 81]

Yep you sure can. TSH is Thyroid Stimulating Hormone- a pituitary hormone that tells your thyroid to produce more or less thyroid depending on whether your body is low or has enough. Sometimes though it is not accurate for what the body actually needs and those people are left untreated if their doctor doesn't consider the actual levels of thyroid hormone. Make sure your doctor tests the free thyroid levels not just the total or bound up thyroid levels. Have them check your Free T3 especially and not just the free T4. T4 is the storage hormone and T3 is the hormone the body uses. If this level is low that could for sure be the reason you are experiencing hypo symptoms.

Chel

[stella5349]

Yes agreed above.

TSH reflex is not a great source of testing.

Individual testing should be FT3 - FT4 - TSH -cortisol - B's testing

[vivfla]

You say in the note above (referring to the Free T4) "If this level is low that could for sure be the reason you are experiencing hypo symptoms."  Mine is .8 and that is my labs low limit.  I have normal TSH though 1.78 -the highest so the dr's don't want to treat me.  BUT I am and have been for yrs EXTREME fatigue, hair loss, dry skin, difficulty lossing and keeping weight off etc, etc basically all the HYPO symtpoms.  SO do you think b/c my free T4 is low would this be indicative of hypothyroid?

[stella5349]

Free T4 IS important - but symptomatically FREE T3 is what you should be looking at close. and where it is -

Depending on that lab - symptoms come and go and are felt more depending on that test.

[vivfla]

So if my Free t3 is low, than most likely that is where my symptoms are coming from?

[chel 81]

I completely agree with stella. Free t3 is what is most important. T4 is kind of tricky b/c a high T4 can sometimes make people feel worse if they are a low converter to t3 but a high converter to reverse t3. Make sure your doc checks everything.

[Lynn116]

Thanks for the information.  I wasn't sure if I should pursue asking for more lab work,  they only tested the TSH with Relex to Free T4 and didn't run any other lab work concerning the Thyroid.  My Doc sent me a note back that the test was in the normal range .88 so I feel somewhat akward asking him.  Have a good week!

[AR-10]

TSH with reflex to Free T4 means that when the lab runs your TSH, if it is not within range, then they also run a Free T4.

It is istructions to the lab, not a different way to measure TSH.

So if you ask for more tests, ask for a Free T4 and a Free T3, because the T4 was not run the last time. You might as well ask for another TSH, as it will be slightly different the next time.

[chel 81]

Don't ever feel weird about asking your doctor to run more tests. Remember that it is your life and you shouldn't settle for less than par treatment. If your doctor refuses to run the tests seek a second (or third) opinion. Good luck!

chel :-)

[stella5349]

agreed with chel -

Ask way - demand proper treatment - he works for you.

Your not asking him for brain surgery --LOL

Just specific tests to see if something may be off.

[Smilerdeb]

My FT3 is currently 'borderline ' toxycosis and always is that way with the hyperthyroidism.
The FT3 symptoms in my case are shocking.....the accellerated hyper symptoms caused by FT3.
My FT4 is within range 14.8 (10.0-19.0) but my FT3 is 6.3 (3.5-6.5) though when first diagnosed my FT3 was double that.

So get ALL levels checked as AR-10 says ...Ft3, Ft4 and TSH.