Hi,
I am a 33 year old female with a strong family history of secondary hypothyroidism. My mother, grandmother, maternal uncle, and twin sister have all been diagnosed specifically with the pituitary-related form of the disease. I have been experiencing several symptoms of hypothyroidism for the last 11 years and doctors have ordered thyroid function tests 3 times in the last decade. None of those tests have resulted in a diagnosis.
Every few years I seek out a doctor to investigate why I am cold intolerant, unable to sleep, unable to lose weight, fuzzy-brained, itchy, have zero libido, and am not menstruating normally. In each case I am told that, in addition to symptoms that I verbalize, I exhibit physical characteristics of someone with hypothyroidism and/or PCOS. Then then the blood work comes back "normal" and the diagnosis quickly changes to "mild depression" or "lack of sufficient exercise". This has been very frustrating for me, so this year I requested a copy of the results so I could see what my levels were. The blood work showed the following:
T4 5.2 (5.3-11.5 mcg/dL)
T-UPTAKE 37 (32-48 %)
TSH 2.10 (0.34-5.60 mcIU/mL)
I realize the T4 is just below the normal cutoff, but do you think these results warrant me seeking out an endocrinologist for further testing? I asked my current doctor if she would refer me and she seemed a little hesitant. I am not usually pushy, especially with doctors, but I really just want to feel better.
I would appreciate any advice/opinions.