Thyroid? Tests neg

[Garnet_Jule]

Just received my PTH panel lab tests back today, and the nurse said they were "normal." Well, normal sure isn't "optimal," because I feel worse now than I did at the beginning of the year. I was really hoping this panel would show something amiss, so I could follow up on a lead, but now I'm stuck again, trying to figure out what's wrong with me. I asked the nurse to not only send those lab results to me, but also the results from the lab work I had done in April.  

The only labs I had taken that had thyroid included were done in April 2008.
My results:
TSH = 1.20
FT4 = 0.9

For some reason, my doctor said she didn't do a FT3? Isn't that normally part of a thyroid panel?

Anyway, from" various readings I've been doing, my TSH falls just shy of "optimal" (1.3-1.80) and is quite a bit lower than "optimal for FT4 (1.20-1.3). And the doctor is calling this normal, even though it's "just" on this side of being under normal.

How can I be normal if my values aren't at optimal levels? Would this be considered hypothyroidism? What about adrenal failure and/or parahyper? Or is it impossible to tell without the FT3 value?

Any help or insight would be greatly appreciated. I have symptoms that fall in both the hypo and hyper areas, so am very confused. I also think the pain I experienced in March that sent me to the ER with pain of #10 that only morphine could get rid of was a kidney stone, but no one thought to check for one. I've heard kidney stones can be a byproduct of problems with the thryoid/adrenal/para.

Thanks so much! Looking forward to hearing from those of you who have "been there."

Garnet

[Garnet_Jule]

Thank you for your response.

I started doing a Metabolic Temperature Charting today, in hopes of seeing if there's any adrenal-related problem, and I noticed this morning that I have a big cyst on the back of my right wrist. I had a small one on the inside of my rt wrist back in the early '90s, which exploded itself when I bumped a volleyball. (Ouch!) I've been looking at arthritis websites (wow, just what I need, another medical problem), and if it happens to be calcium, it can be caused by underactive thyroid, Osteoarthritis, Gout, or Pseudogout -- and Pseudogout can be caused by Thryoid disease or Parathryoid disease.

Isn't it funny how so many of the "underlying problems" seem to always come back to the thyroid or the adrenals?

Looks like I'll have to be more strict with my new Internist and demand that I be allowed to see an Endocrinologist for further lab work up. Thankfully, I live in Madison, WI, and am by the UW University Hospital, where I've heard Dr. Chen is the leading Thryoid/Parathyroid doctor.

There's also a possiblity that all the meds I'm on could be further screwing up (an existing) condition even worse--or they might be making my condition(s).

I am so confused...doesn't help that I feel like I have brain fog all the time! LOL

The arthritis sites say to take NSAIDs for the pain, but I have to watch how much I take because I take 3 high blood pressure meds; I can take Tylenol, but I have to watch how much of that, too. I also have daily tension headaches that border on migraines, so I try not to take pain relievers unless absolutely necessary.

Gar

[AR-10]

The doctor didn't order a Free T3 because the TSH and the Free T4 can be done "in house", but the Free T3 has to be sent out.

Sounds ridiculous, but that's why.

Your numbers look good. A Free T3 is actually the one that counts the most, but I'd be perfectly happy to have those numbers if the T3 was where it needs to be.

Adrenal testing may show something, or testing for thyroid antibodies, or you could ask for a Free T3 test.