TSH In Range 3.26

[Catsplay68]

What does In Range 3.26 mean for the TSH Test?  One doctor tells me its perfectly normal, another says Hashimotos Disease?

[Barb135]

Unfortunately, too many doctors refuse to order anything but TSH.  Even more unfortunately, too many of them peg us as hypochondriacs, without even getting a full picture of what's going on.  Don't feel bad - I had symptoms for years and had, at least, 3 doctors that pegged me as hypochondriac, including the one who, ultimately, diagnosed me, after I begged for thyroid tests and my TSH came back at 55, with below range FT4... no doubt then.  

What about the other doctor?  You said one says you have Hashimoto's... is s/he willing to do further testing?   If not, you can order them online, yourself.  It's not covered by insurance, but it's not that expensive, either.  For $105, you can get FT3, FT4 and TSH.  We can give you the web site from which to order them, if you decide you're interested.  

Right now, I'd say go to the doctor who says you have Hashimoto's, because that one is most likely to offer treatment to try to alleviate hypo symptoms.  Try to get the antibody tests, I mentioned above and if they come back positive, you'll most likely get treatment, because it's not unusual for symptoms to appear long before enough damage has been done to show up on a single TSH test.  

Try to get the FT3 and FT4, as well, since those are actual thyroid hormones and if they are low in the ranges, that could very well be what's causing symptoms.

[Red_Star]

I've had numerous TSH tests done over the years (have hypothyroid symptoms hence why so many tests but at the time didn't know I had cellular resistance issues and labs don't show this) and my TSH was 1.4 to 1.6mU/L.

When Hashimoto's thyroiditis showed up (I knew all about that from existing symptoms worsening) I went in and had all my labs done - TSH, free T4, free T3, Thyroid Peroxidase antibodies (TPOAb), Thyroglobulin antibodies (TgAb). My TSH was in the mid 2's and both thyroid antibodies were higher than normal. All my doctors were frankly useless in regards to thyroid disease.  The only decent doctor I saw was an endocrinologist and I had to travel 16 hours round trip to see him~!

[Catsplay68]

No.  This a new doctor and he sent me for just the TSH test.  When these results came in, he said that there was nothing wrong with me and he could refer me to an allergist or a dermatologist for my other problems (dry itchy skin, hives/red welt marks appearing at random times, shortness in breath/not being able to swallow sometimes). I have insomnia most nights, but he thinks it because I'm stressing myself out.  I've only seen this doctor 3 times and I feel he thinks its all in my head.  

[Barb135]

Some doctors think that any TSH that falls within the reference range is "normal".  Others think anything above 3.0 is hypo, but being hypo doesn't necessarily mean Hashimoto's.  You only have Hashimoto's, if you  have thyroid antibodies - either TPOab or TGab.  

TSH is a pituitary hormone and doesn't necessarily correlate with actual thyroid levels and it should not be used as the sole basis for diagnosing or treating a thyroid condition.

Did you also have Free T3 and Free T4 tested?  If so, what were the results and the reference ranges?  Ranges vary lab to lab so have to come from your own report.

FT3 and FT4 are the actual thyroid hormones and monitoring those is much more important than TSH.