hypothyroid..still feeling terrible

[dipdip]

I have been diagnosed hypothyroid for around a year and a half.  My dosage has varied from 77 mcg to my current dosage of 112 mcg.  I haven't really felt good for quite some time, but I have been up and down throughout.  I still feel pretty terrible most of the time with depression, no energy, lethergy, constipation, etc. Here are my latest lab results.

TSH:       0.23 mU/L (reference range 0.30 - 5.50)
T4 Free:  20 pmol/L (reference range 11 - 22)
T3 Free:  4.8 pmol/L (reference range 4.0 - 7.8)

Can the free t3 being on the low end indicate anything?

[gimel]

Oops forgot the link.

http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/routledg/cjne/2000/00000010/00000002/art00002

[gimel]

Give your doctor a copy of this link to a study that shows statistical evidence that Free T3 correlated best with 8 typical hypo symptoms, while Free T4 and TSH did not correlate at all.  Which is only logical since Free T3 largely regulates metabolism and many other body functions.  

If the doctor then falls back on  "Reference Range Endocrinology"  and says that any thyroid test result that falls within the reference range is adequate, tell him that the ranges for Free T3 and Free T4 are far too broad, because they have never been corrected like done for TSH about 10 years ago.  If those ranges were similarly corrected, they would be essentially the upper half of the current ranges.

If logic and facts don't convince him, then you should not waste any more time with that doctor.  If you will tell us where you are located, perhaps a member could recommend a good thyroid doctor for you.

[dipdip]

Thanks. Unfortunately my GP doesn't seem to agree, and doesn't want to refer me to an endo.  I'm really going to need to find another doctor.

[Barb135]

Yes, the low FT3 can indicate something....... it indicates that you aren't converting the FT4, which is a "storage hormone" and must be converted to FT3, which is the hormone that's used by the individual cells.  

With your FT3 as low as it is, you are still hypo, in spite of the fact that your TSH is low and your FT4 is near the top of the range.  

Looks like you could certainly benefit from a separate source of T3.  You might also want to have Reverse T3 tested, because FT4 converts to both FT3 and RT3......... RT3 is inert and if too much of the FT4 is converted to RT3, you won't have enough converting to FT3.