Aa
Lab results
Quick Curiosity Question: I just read a post from someone about lab result ranges for those with a thyroid and those without a thyroid and why would the medical field use the same lab ranges for 2 people with 2 very different reasons for thyroid disease. It does make me wonder why ?
The way you were told to take the saliva cortisol tests makes no sense. Why test at that time of night, when cortisol is low, and then do it 3 times. The most important time to test for saliva cortisol is early morning, when it is supposed to be at highest level.
I really want to see your lab test results. Do you know what tests were being done?
I really want to see your lab test results. Do you know what tests were being done?
your original question is why would you have the same "normal" range whether or not you have a thyroid gland.
Well the level of thyroid hormone must be at sufficient level. Whether you obtain those levels in the blood by your thyroid gland production, Thyroid medication supplementation, or complete thyroid hormone replacement because your thyroid is removed or is no longer functioning does not matter!
The point is, your body to function properly needs the unique optimum dose of hormone for the individual, regardless of how it gets there!
I personally believe that there should be thyroid ranges based upon gender. I personally believe a female might need different range to feel well than a man.
I am still unsure how they select the candidate pool for the "population" of blood to be examined in order to create the statistical model and bell curve, in order to obtain the 90% "normal" distribution.
If they take the "pool" simply out of say the next 5,000 people who are being tested for FT3 for example. That would be flawed. Because people who are being sent to get tested are most likely having some sort of symptoms that might suggest a messed up thyroid. SO the population would be heavily weighted towards "sick" people. Also there is no control of how many males versus females there are.
The "normal" range would only seem to be reasonably viable if the population used to be tested are reporting no signs of thyroid conditions (low or high). at which point it would be reasonably assumed that these are in fact people feeling well and NOT sick and specifically NOT low, or high thyroid. The curve developed from this sample population would better realistically reflect a "well range" and be what all people ought to be shooting for.
Suspected sick people lab results should be compared to this "well person" range. Not simply a range of random people who simply happened to get tested over a period of time.
Well the level of thyroid hormone must be at sufficient level. Whether you obtain those levels in the blood by your thyroid gland production, Thyroid medication supplementation, or complete thyroid hormone replacement because your thyroid is removed or is no longer functioning does not matter!
The point is, your body to function properly needs the unique optimum dose of hormone for the individual, regardless of how it gets there!
I personally believe that there should be thyroid ranges based upon gender. I personally believe a female might need different range to feel well than a man.
I am still unsure how they select the candidate pool for the "population" of blood to be examined in order to create the statistical model and bell curve, in order to obtain the 90% "normal" distribution.
If they take the "pool" simply out of say the next 5,000 people who are being tested for FT3 for example. That would be flawed. Because people who are being sent to get tested are most likely having some sort of symptoms that might suggest a messed up thyroid. SO the population would be heavily weighted towards "sick" people. Also there is no control of how many males versus females there are.
The "normal" range would only seem to be reasonably viable if the population used to be tested are reporting no signs of thyroid conditions (low or high). at which point it would be reasonably assumed that these are in fact people feeling well and NOT sick and specifically NOT low, or high thyroid. The curve developed from this sample population would better realistically reflect a "well range" and be what all people ought to be shooting for.
Suspected sick people lab results should be compared to this "well person" range. Not simply a range of random people who simply happened to get tested over a period of time.
1 Comments
I wonder this too. Like I said earlier I feel fine but I dont feel great and I think that boat sailed 2yrs ago . I'm currently struggle with my weight thyroid induced and self induced and its only been these past 3 weeks that Ive been able to walk without crying...
Just because a morning serum cortisol test is within the so-called "normal" range does not mean it is optimal for you. What was the actual result and reference range shown on the lab report, if you still have it?
1 Comments
Hi Gimel
Cort Salivary test Ranges below and (I was instructed to do one test each night @ 11pm as instructed) MY number for all 3 nights was 1.590
Lab Ranges
8am (0.025 - 0.600)
Noon(0<.010- 0.333)
4pm(0.010-0.200)
Midnight(0<.010- 0.090)
Cort Salivary test Ranges below and (I was instructed to do one test each night @ 11pm as instructed) MY number for all 3 nights was 1.590
Lab Ranges
8am (0.025 - 0.600)
Noon(0<.010- 0.333)
4pm(0.010-0.200)
Midnight(0<.010- 0.090)
I will be interested to see your lab results. What tests are being done?
Just curious. How was the Psoriatic Arthritis diagnosed? The reason I asked is that while hypothyroid I have had joint pain so bad I could not get off the couch without using my arms to push up. After I increased my T3 dosage, the pain went away.
Also, low cortisol can cause muscle aches and pain. Have you ever been tested for cortisol?
Just curious. How was the Psoriatic Arthritis diagnosed? The reason I asked is that while hypothyroid I have had joint pain so bad I could not get off the couch without using my arms to push up. After I increased my T3 dosage, the pain went away.
Also, low cortisol can cause muscle aches and pain. Have you ever been tested for cortisol?
1 Comments
Hi Gimel,
I was tested for cortisol about a year ago and everything was normal and I'm sadly :( a 44yr psoriasis victim and I had issues with pains for as long as I can remember just no one doctor smart enough to figure it out until I went to John Hopkins and saw Dr. Ana Orbai (psoriatic arthritis specialist) she told me most likely my uptick in pain comes from stopping Stelara before Thyroidectomy and hormones going nutz. I will probably get my lab results tomorrow maybe and I will post them ...but Endo only ordered TSH,T3 and Ft4 NO FT3 again I'm just done dealing with these military idiots that treat me like a triage patient it's frustrating because I'm the one who has to cope with everything when it goes wrong.
I was tested for cortisol about a year ago and everything was normal and I'm sadly :( a 44yr psoriasis victim and I had issues with pains for as long as I can remember just no one doctor smart enough to figure it out until I went to John Hopkins and saw Dr. Ana Orbai (psoriatic arthritis specialist) she told me most likely my uptick in pain comes from stopping Stelara before Thyroidectomy and hormones going nutz. I will probably get my lab results tomorrow maybe and I will post them ...but Endo only ordered TSH,T3 and Ft4 NO FT3 again I'm just done dealing with these military idiots that treat me like a triage patient it's frustrating because I'm the one who has to cope with everything when it goes wrong.
Please click on my name and then scroll down to my Journal and read the one page Overview of a full paper on Diagnosis and Treatment of Hypothyroidism: A Patient's Perspective. From that I think you will better understand why only an estimated 10-20 % of hypothyroid patients are satisfied with their diagnosis and treatment.
And if you want to have an even greater disdain for FT4 and FT3 reference ranges, note this on page 4 of the link;
"Unfortunately the ranges for FT4 (and also FT3) are not well standardised among
different test machine manufacturers, generally validated, or based on large databases
of healthy adults with no thyroid pathology 32-34 . Instead those ranges are locally
established from test data available at any given laboratory, excluding only data from
patients assumed to have thyroid issues based on the flawed TSH range. Clinically
hypothyroid patients with TSH within the reference range, people with hidden
pathologies such as undiagnosed central hypothyroidism or autoimmune disease, and
patients taking thyroid medication can all be included in the database."
That is why the ranges for FT4/FT3 are skewed to the low end and patients with symptoms typical of hypothyroidism, and FT4 and FT3 in the lower half of the range, should be suspect for hypothyroidism instead of being told that their test results are in the "normal" range, so it could not be thyroid related.
And if you want to have an even greater disdain for FT4 and FT3 reference ranges, note this on page 4 of the link;
"Unfortunately the ranges for FT4 (and also FT3) are not well standardised among
different test machine manufacturers, generally validated, or based on large databases
of healthy adults with no thyroid pathology 32-34 . Instead those ranges are locally
established from test data available at any given laboratory, excluding only data from
patients assumed to have thyroid issues based on the flawed TSH range. Clinically
hypothyroid patients with TSH within the reference range, people with hidden
pathologies such as undiagnosed central hypothyroidism or autoimmune disease, and
patients taking thyroid medication can all be included in the database."
That is why the ranges for FT4/FT3 are skewed to the low end and patients with symptoms typical of hypothyroidism, and FT4 and FT3 in the lower half of the range, should be suspect for hypothyroidism instead of being told that their test results are in the "normal" range, so it could not be thyroid related.
1 Comments
Gimel
Your lucky to have a doctor that will listen and read your information. I'm going on 24 months without a thyroid and if I didn't throw a fit like a two year old my endo would forget I exist and nothing for me would change health wise. I'm one of those unlucky people whose immune system makes me sick and after I lost my thyroid I developed Psoriatic Arthritis Flare that has almost crippled me over the past 24 months and add immune suppressing medication to this and I does make me wonder if my Armour Thyroid at 2 grains is too low based on my medication and disease. I will post my lab numbers here sometime this week.
Standard anything doesn't fit everyone and Endos really dont care.
Your lucky to have a doctor that will listen and read your information. I'm going on 24 months without a thyroid and if I didn't throw a fit like a two year old my endo would forget I exist and nothing for me would change health wise. I'm one of those unlucky people whose immune system makes me sick and after I lost my thyroid I developed Psoriatic Arthritis Flare that has almost crippled me over the past 24 months and add immune suppressing medication to this and I does make me wonder if my Armour Thyroid at 2 grains is too low based on my medication and disease. I will post my lab numbers here sometime this week.
Standard anything doesn't fit everyone and Endos really dont care.
Have an Answer?
You are reading content posted in the Thyroid Disorders Community
We tapped the CDC for information on what you need to know about radiation exposure
Endocrinologist Mark Lupo, MD, answers 10 questions about thyroid disorders and how to treat them
A list of national and international resources and hotlines to help connect you to needed health and medical services.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
Herpes spreads by oral, vaginal and anal sex.
STIs are the most common cause of genital sores.
