Low FT3 and FT4 - normal TSH

[JoStafford]

Hello,

Can anyone please help me with my problem?  I have had an underactive thyroid for 3 years and have felt terrible nearly every day.  

My last blood test my results in Sept 09 were:

TSH - 1.5 (1-5.5)
FT4 - 10.1 (9.9-25)
FT3 - 4.4 (3.9-6.5)

As you can see, my FT3 and FT4 levels are at the low end whereby my TSH is within normal limits.  I guess this means I have have conversion problems.  I take 75mg of T4 and 5mg of T3.   My Endo suggested I increase the T4 to 100/75 on alternating days.  This gave me huge anxiety attacks and insomnia so I reduced it back down to 75mg.  

I am due a blood test in January.  The test is for TSH, FT4, FT3, Vit D (I was vit D deficient), Calcium and RT3.   Does anyone know what other tests I can ask for?  My DHEA was normal in my last test.

I've read a bit about conversion problems and know it could be due to adrenal, liver and digestive enzyme deficiencies.   Are there any blood tests I can do to find out whether these are the problem?

Thanks so much for any advice here.

Jo

[6hashi]

goolarra ,I am very very happy to have this dialogue with you,and I don't mind at all to call me your problem child .

What I described does not hold always ,there are such cases .
Regarding your numbers , there are people who don't feel that they are hypo at all !

How would you explain my numbers ?

By the way ,if I am allowed to ask ,do you have a computer science degree ??  

[goolarra]

You are quickly becoming my new problem child!  Happy New Year to you, too.  Perhaps it's time for a new year's resolution?

Here are my latest numbers:

FT3 2.5 (1.8-4.2)
FT4 1.17 (0.6-2.0)
TSH 17.9 (0.3-3.0)
no thyroid symptoms, either hypo or hyper

Please explain to me, using your logic and your beliefs about TSH, why I am not hopelessly hypo.

[gimel]

Don't know where you get those ideas, but you're wrong.  A body may be normally "programmed" to have TSH and the Frees at a certain level, but when that level results in being hypo or hyper and medication is subsequently prescribed, then the "programming" no longer applies.  If medication is given, the level of the Frees will change.  If the Frees are adjusted to where they need to be for you, then you will become Euthyroid, not hypo or hyper.

[6hashi]

First  I want to wish you happy new year .

The reason for that I give from my time to help others through this forum has  nothing to do with honour boards at all .

The piece of information I wanted to add is that ,some times one can be hypo with the frees exactly where they should be, with high TSH, or hyper with the frees where they should be and low TSH ,that because the body is programmed in certain way .

happy new year !

[Barb135]

*My* TSH runs about 0.01, but my FT's are < mid range and I'm still hypo........

If your TSH is going high -- that means your thyroid gland is not working -- because the pituitary is demanding that it put out more hormones and it can't.......meds can suppress the TSH, but it often takes a lot of time for the FT's to come up to where we feel comfortble.  There comes a time when we all have to stop looking at TSH and look at the FT's -- that's what I have been trying to get my docs to do, but because my TSH is low, they keep wanting to reduce my med --- sends to hypo he// every time.......

BTW -- I wasn't listed on the "honor board" either --- so don't sweat it........

[6hashi]

]]]You have to understand that the level of TSH in your blood causes NO hypo or hyper symptoms, no matter what level it is.  Changing your TSH level, per se, does nothing to alleviate symptoms[[[

]]] I don't think you really understand the role of TSH in the big picture.[[[

I do indeed !

My TSH when I was diagnosed was 12 ,FT4   14.5 (10-20) and I was dying .
after two years ,while on 700 mcg/week my TSH is 0.04 ,FT3 4.2 (3.5-6.5),FT4  14.4 ,and I was HYPER .
so TSH indeed have nothing to do with symptoms but if it is high that means that your gland works over time,and thus being symptomatic ,even though your body pushes the frees toward a certain valuse it's programmed to .

This is not the case always ,some times frees go below range,or low in the range .

Finally ,I am very happy to have the oportunity to have this conversation with you both .

all the best !