Very Low T4 level, should I really be concerned

[CHADDY]

I've never had anything wrong with my thyroid before so I don't know anything about it really.  I don't know the exact #s related to the T4 level, but the nurse at the sleep clinic said "very low" and I didn't need to put it off.  Some dr.s/nurses I've been to before would act like I was in the throws of death and I go to my doc. and it turns out to be nothing.  Is it likely that low T4 is one of these kinds of cases?
I've had this symptom that started in January:
*  elevated temperature 99.4-100.5 (normal used to be 97's)
   everyday.
The rest of these symptoms have started over the past few months:
*  lethargy
*  scratchy throat for a long while now, I notice it when I sing
*  great difficulty losing weight, or when I do it comes back
   very rapidly if I break the diet for a few days
*  my neck is stiff I've been noticing (don't know if related)
*  facial swelling
*  great weakness

Normally I don't organize things like this in a post but I wanted to be clear b/c I really don't know a thing about this.  I know that some of this stuff can be related to thyroid, but it can be related to a hundred other things that are benign also, I'm sure.  I do have Epilepsy, gall bladder resected in 2000, asthma, sleep apnea, fatty liver.  Any advice or info would be appreciated.  I know you can't give a dx and that's not what I'm wanting, just some non-confusing info about T4 and how it is really related to me and the way I feel, if at all.
Thank you so much for your time!
God bless...Chaddy
Any and all comments are appreciated as well!

[nouseforaname]

A related discussion, Hormone trouble and hair loss was started.

[hugmonky]

"a low T4 level could mean a diseased thyroid gland ~ OR ~ a non-functioning pituitary gland which is not stimulating the thyroid to produce T4. Since the pituitary gland would normally release TSH if the T4 is low, a high TSH level would confirm that the thyroid gland (not the pituitary gland) is responsible for the hypothyroidism." (wwwendocrineweb.com/tests.html) so get your TSH testing done as well, if in doubt, ultrasound is the next step, usually. Free T3 tests usually show "normal" or borderline "normal" for a long time, so i dont know if you can rely just on T3.

[Mark Lupo, M.D.]

T4 is the primary thyroid hormone made by your thyroid.  If it is low, this means the thyroid is underactive (in most cases).  Would repeat lab as free T4 (to confirm) before considering treatment and the lab must be interpreted along with the TSH & free T3.  Your symptoms suggest thyroid disease, but are not specific to thyroid problems (ie, there may be other causes).