lab results

[taracarter42]

Ok, here are my recent lab results and you can see from my previous posts my levels are quite different.  What is going on?  I show all the signs (physical symptoms of hypo) but some levels say hyper.  Like being cold,menstrual problems.

Anti-Microsome (TPO) >10 range 0-34
Anti-Thyroglobulin       >52 range 0-40
Thyroglobulin             >0.2 range0-55

TSH (was 5.12 inSeptember when I started Levothyroxin) now is <.03 with a range of .47-4.80
T-3 Free  3.70range of 2.30-4.20
T-4 Free  1.50 range of .44-1.66


I had pneumonia at begining of March.  I have been sick 3 times since.  What is going on?  Is it the Lupus??

[goolarra]

Correction!  It's not RT3 dominance that's often misdiagnosed as fibro, it's peripheral resistance to thyroid hormone.  Both RT3 dominance and RTH are relatively rare conditions, so I hesitate to even mention either not knowing if your symptoms might be attributable to lupus or fibro.

BTW, how did they diagnose your fibro?  Is there a definitive test?

[Barb135]

My daughter has lupus also and for a long time, she had the same symptoms you have.  Frequent tests show that her thyroid is "normal" at this point, but I've never seen any of her lab reports either.

I agree with goolarra - your thyroid levels look good.  

[goolarra]

On your April, 2010 results above, TGab came back positive, which probably indicates autoimmune thyroid disease.  When you were tested in July for Hashi's, did they test both TPOab and TGab or just TPO?  TGab is very slightly elevated which might indicate a "new" but developing disease.

No, it was just the ranges in the July labs that I was questioning, not the results.  Your current labs don't look hypo at all.  Those are very unusual ranges for FT3 and FT4 back in July.  So, we currently have:

TSH < 0.03 (AACE range is now 0.3-3.0)
FT3  3.7 (2.30-4.20)
FT4  1.50 (0.44-1.66)

FT4 is a looks good, even maybe a tad high, but nothing to be worried about.  FT3 is in the upper third of the range, which is the recommended place for FT3.  TSH is low, but many of us have to have TSH suppressed to very low levels to feel well.  Basically, with the exception of TGab, your latest thyroid results look really good.  However, if you still have hypo symptoms, then the greatest labs in the world are not impressive, are they?

I'm afraid I'm not familiar enough with lupus anf fibro to know if those might be causing your symptoms rather than thyroid.  Your numbers look so good, that the symptoms shouldn't be thyroid related, but there might be something else going on that's not actually thyroid, per se, but the inability of the cells to use T3 (e.g. RT3 dominance, which I've heard is often misdiagnosed as fibro).

[taracarter42]

I tested neg. for I believe the TGab for Hashimoto's in July.  I could be wrong.  I'm gathering all my records from my 3 doctors and will post with more information.  The FT3 and the FT4 readings I posted above are correct.  I thought they looked strange because to me it looks like hypo but the TSH looks hyper.  (Is that what you thought?)

My last TSH test done on Friday would have been done around 11:30am and I took my thyroid medication about 7:30 am.

I will get the labs and post.  Thank you!

[goolarra]

I find it confusing that your doctor says he tested for Hashi's and it came back negative.  Your TGab is 52 in a range of 0-40, correct?  If so, that's a positive for antibodies...a very low positive, but positive nevertheless.  Some of us with Hashi's have TPOab positive, soe TGab positive, and some both.

Since you have lupus, you are more apt than the general population to develop a second autoimmune disease.  I think you might be developing autoimmune thyroid disaese rather than that your lupus is attacking your thyroid (two separate problems).

Would you check the ranges on your FT3 and FT4 two posts up?  Those are very unusual ranges for the frees.

Unfortunately, TSH is a very poor diagnostic of thyroid disease.  It can be affected by many factors, including the time of day the blood was drawn.  You should always insist on FT3 and FT4 every time you have labs.  

[taracarter42]

Summary of information to help.

April 2009
TSH  .85
Tested positive for Lupus and fibromyalgia in April also.  Started Plaquenil and cyclobenzaprine.

July 17 2009
TSH 3.97

July 30, 2009
TSH 5.12
T3F  3.84 (range of 1.0-40.0)
T4F .885  (rrange of .300-6.0)
Hoshimoto's test came back neg.
Started armour thyroid 90 mg for 1 month then switched to Levothyroxin 150mg per month due to difficulty filling prescription.


April 4 2010
TSH Sensitive 10 (range 0-34)
Anti-Thyroglobulin        >52 (range 0-40)
Thyroglobulin               >0.2 (range0-55)

TSH <.03    (range of .47-4.80)
T3F    3.7    (range of 2.30-4.20)
T4F   1.50   (range of .44-1.66)


All of my other organs have tested perfect.  
Haulting of weight loss
Menstrual abnormalities
Feeling cold
Exhausted
Mood swings

[taracarter42]

Oh and I am on Levothyroxin (generic Synthroid) of 150mg per day.  When I started the meds they did a follow up check and everything was in perfect normal range two weeks into the medication.  This is the first followup I've had since.

The endocrinologist checked my pituitary gland, but I was suppose to take 2 pills and only took 1 too see if my pituitary glad was messed up.  (the other one fell behind my dresser and I didn't realize it).  The tests on just the 1 came back ok, but I don't know if it skewed the results.  I definetly don't have acromegaly either.

[taracarter42]

Oops, it wasn't September it was the end of July.  Here is what I posted then.

In April in my quest to figure out why I felt crummy I had my thyroid checked and my TSH levels were .85; then again (by my Rheumatologist) on July 17 and they were 3.97 and then (by my OBGYN because I still felt crummy) on July 30 and they had risen to 5.12 (my T3F was 3.84 with a normal range of 1.0-40.0, and my T4F.885 with a normal range of .300-6.0)


What do you think is going on?  I have Lupus so do you think my thyroid is the organ my Lupus is attacking?  All of my other organs are fine.

[goolarra]

Copied from another thread to keep all information together:

hypothyroid to hyper?
by taracarter42, 2 hours ago
I have lupus and fibromyalgia and hypothyroidism (diagnosed in September). I was put on 150mg of levothyroxine and everything was going great.  Felt great, the uterine pains stopped.  My hair loss stopped and I started losing weight again.  My TSH was 5.12 at the time I started meds.  Before that back in March of last year they were at .84 and kept going up and up.

I've been exhausted,myperiod is late (not pregnant checked) andI plateaued in my weight loss recently and went to get my thyroid checked.  Now my levels make no sense.

TSH Sensitive is less than .03 range (.47-4.80) which we all know should be 3.0 instead of 4.80)
T3 Free 3.70 (range of 2.30-4.20)
T4 1.50 with range of (.44-1.66)

The doctor had me tested for hoshimoto's but it came back neg. for a certain something (I forget what they had been looking for specifically).

Could someone please tell me what to be looking for?  Am I looking at thyroid removal?

[goolarra]

Please post your FT3 ans FT4 levels from September (to go with your TSH of 5.12).  Which meds are you on and at what dose?