RECENT labs

[kristi75149]

just had labs and my TSH 3rd generation level was 60.43.. what does this mean and what other test should be done?

[goolarra]

So glad to hear you found a doctor who did all the appropriate tests.  An US is always anxiety provoking, but try to relax.  Most enlargements (goiters) and nodules are benign.  It comes with thyroid disease.

[kristi75149]

thanks for all the info. i had a full work up today. my doc. ordered a ultrasound to be done this fri. on my thyroid. she said it felt enlarged and now i am sooo nervous about what they may find. wish me luck!

[mtkst13]

you must feel pretty lousy.  you definitely need meds.  i agree with goolarra that you need a full work up to figure out what's going on.  you probably have hashi's, but it could be a temporary issue as well.  how old is your youngest child?  some women develop postpartum thyroiditis in the year or so postpartum.

you need to see an endo or a good primary care doc that knows what they're doing.  an endo is preferred at this stage.

[goolarra]

Hashimoto's thyroiditis is an autoimmune thyroid condition that causes you to become hypo.  Basically, the immune system starts seeing the thyroid as a foreign body and attacks it.  It eventually completely destroys the thyroid.  It is the most prevalent cause of hypo in the U.S.  Although the treatment for Hashi's is exactly the same as for any other hypo, Hashi's does have its idiosyncracies.  So, it helps explain what's going on at times.  

If you keep reading threads here on the forum, you will pick up a lot of information.

T3 and T4 are the actual thyroid hormones.  TSH is a pituitary hormone; it's the "messenger" your pituitary puts out to tell your thyroid to produce more T3 and T4.  Make sure your doctor tests the FT3 and FT4 (not TT3 and TT4 - antiquated tests, pretty much considered a waste of money).  These are what he should be basing his treatment on, not just TSH.  

My TSH was somewhere in the 60s when i was diagnosed, so I can appreciate how you feel...I just couldn't stay awake once I sat down.  

[kristi75149]

thanks for the advice.. and yea I have been feeling "just not right"  I have 3 kids, a full time job so I thought being tired was normal.. what is Hashi's?  This is all new to me so Im not up to speed on what I need to know or do.

[goolarra]

Your TSH indicates that you are extremely hypo.  You should have free T3 and free T4 tests run.  In addition, it might be a good idea to have thyroid antibodies tested (TPOab and TGab) to see if you have Hashi's.  You must feel terrible.