Aa
High TSH
I recently had blood tests performed for screening for a study testing the diet drug Remonabant (sp?).I was disqualified due to my High TSH results. My blood test came back with a reading of 13.8 for my TSH and 1.3 for my free T4. I do take 100 mcg of Levothroid, but I can't see that it does anything for me. I have been back to my doctor twice since I started taking the Levothroid about 18 months ago and he said nothing needed to be adjusted. I belong to a health plan that offers only Kaiser (California resident) and it seems to be the pits as far as health insurance. I am grossly overweight, I feel horrible. I last lost weight by walking two hours a day everyday and staying on the Atkins induction diet for about two years. (seriously). However, I hurt my knees and had to stop walking for about a year. Then I gained back the weight. I have fasted for two weeks straight (drinking water and broth and V8 juice) and I lost absolutely no weight...not even water weight. I have eaten under 900 calories regularly since I gain rapidly on a higher intake. I walk everyday- about an hour, I do step aerobics daily. I cannot budge the weight. My hair is very thin, I take 4 tablets of Vitamin A daily and that has stopped my hair loss. I have no nails to speak of, they just flake off. My skin is dry and rough. Any ideas, anyone?
My endo thinks that stress is THE biggest factor in triggering autoimmune disease...I know your antibody tests haven't come back yet, but I'm betting you have Hashi's.
With those labs, there is definitely no slow conversion issue. The FT3, at 5.3 (2.3-4.2), is correct?
Are you on meds with T3 in them? Have you changed meds at all since those labs?
Do you have either hypo or hyper symptoms?
Are you on meds with T3 in them? Have you changed meds at all since those labs?
Do you have either hypo or hyper symptoms?
that was wonderful i think i will have to learn that one off by heart!!! i am going to phone them in the morning and hopefully get an appointment, i have suffered bad back pain but again i took that as my period being due, my poor mum has been over all day helping me with the baby and house work! my dad found it highly amusing i talk to someone on a thyroid community! i have been really stressed as going through a divorce so i am wondering if that is what has bought it on! thank goodness for you husband and oprah!!
Excellent analogy!
I've been battling Hashi myself for several years. Finally took over my care with my PCP & Endo and luckily they have allowed it with their guidance. I was getting no where with what they were trying.
I feel like I'm now starting to get my old life back.
My last tests done in Oct 09 shows the following:
FT3 - 5.3 (2.3 -4.2)
FT4 - 0.73 (0.6 - 1.6)
TSH 3.14 (0.34 - 4.82)
do you think I'm not converting well enough?
I've been battling Hashi myself for several years. Finally took over my care with my PCP & Endo and luckily they have allowed it with their guidance. I was getting no where with what they were trying.
I feel like I'm now starting to get my old life back.
My last tests done in Oct 09 shows the following:
FT3 - 5.3 (2.3 -4.2)
FT4 - 0.73 (0.6 - 1.6)
TSH 3.14 (0.34 - 4.82)
do you think I'm not converting well enough?
My main complaint during that time was my lower back, which at times I didn't think was going to hold me up any longer. I went to PCP, specialists, chiropractors, physical therapists, "pain management specialists" (took me off my Celebrex due to liver function test and refused to give me anything else!!!), etc. NO ONE ever suggested thyroid. My health insurance isn't the greatest, since we're both self-employed and have to pay every nickel ourselves, so I couldn't go running to the doctor every week. Finally, my husband was watching Oprah, who was doing a segment on thyroid, and he diagnosed me! He was right, and he's a cabinetmaker!!!
Sometimes thyroid disease moves like the turtle and sometimes like the hare. Also, stress and other illnesses can speed the progress of the disease up. Your recent flu might just have nudged you over the edge to where you're now getting hypo symptoms. Also, some of the symptoms are pretty subtle, and you don't think about them because they sneak up on you. Then, you see the lab numbers and start paying a lot more attention.
Well, yes, T4 is SUPPOSED to convert to T3, and in an ideal world you'd only have to test FT4 to know what was going on. However, we being humans, and not ideals, many people have conversion problems (their bodies don't convert the T4 to T3 or do it way too slowly). Their FT4 levels can be "perfect", and they still feel hypo because their FT3 is too low. T3 is the most biologically active of the thyroid hormones. T4 cannot be used by your body until it is converted to T3. Why just test FT4 and "assume" the conversion is fine? FT3 is a cheap test and really fills out the thyroid picture. It's important to start testing FT3 as soon as possible to establish a personal history. If there are problems down the road, you can refer to previous levels and sort out what's going on.
Lots of doctors object to FT3...it's just plain stupid. Testing FT4 and ignoring FT3 is a little like checking the oil in your car by counting the cans of oil you have in storage in the trunk. They're not doing your engine any good. Why not look at the oil level in the crankcase, which is the only oil your car has available to it? Throw that analogy at him!!! LOL
Sometimes thyroid disease moves like the turtle and sometimes like the hare. Also, stress and other illnesses can speed the progress of the disease up. Your recent flu might just have nudged you over the edge to where you're now getting hypo symptoms. Also, some of the symptoms are pretty subtle, and you don't think about them because they sneak up on you. Then, you see the lab numbers and start paying a lot more attention.
Well, yes, T4 is SUPPOSED to convert to T3, and in an ideal world you'd only have to test FT4 to know what was going on. However, we being humans, and not ideals, many people have conversion problems (their bodies don't convert the T4 to T3 or do it way too slowly). Their FT4 levels can be "perfect", and they still feel hypo because their FT3 is too low. T3 is the most biologically active of the thyroid hormones. T4 cannot be used by your body until it is converted to T3. Why just test FT4 and "assume" the conversion is fine? FT3 is a cheap test and really fills out the thyroid picture. It's important to start testing FT3 as soon as possible to establish a personal history. If there are problems down the road, you can refer to previous levels and sort out what's going on.
Lots of doctors object to FT3...it's just plain stupid. Testing FT4 and ignoring FT3 is a little like checking the oil in your car by counting the cans of oil you have in storage in the trunk. They're not doing your engine any good. Why not look at the oil level in the crankcase, which is the only oil your car has available to it? Throw that analogy at him!!! LOL
wow, i can't believe you had it for two years you must have been feeling ill, how come it took them so long to diagnose you? i don't understand why these symptoms have suddenly hit me i have no get up and go, feel so weak and crappy but there are so many viruses going around at the moment you never know what it is, i just know i can't be bothered to do anything!! My doctor won't test T3 cause he said what is the point when the T4 converts to T3 so i didn't really have an answer to that!
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