WHAT IS GOING ON WITH ME???

[sringle]

I am a 27 year old female who just gave birth to my 3rd son 5 months ago.  I have been having trouble with my thyroid so i went to my GP to have it cheked.  I was having basically every symptom of HYPOthyroidism.  Excessive weight gain, fatigue, constipation, dry skin and hair, etc.  When my GP did blood work he said the results were HYPERthyroid.  Each time I go back I have gained more weight.  Even after upping my excercise and changing my diet.  And everytime he does more blood work and it shows HYPERthyroid.  He sent me to an endocrinologist (who I didnt like very much) and he said maybe it was postpartum thyroiditis, and it would cause thyroid levels to fluctuate.  However that doesnt explain why my blood levels would show HYPER thyroid and all my symptoms are HYPOthyroid.  So he did more blood work and sent me a letter saying that my thyroid levels had declined.  My TSH is 0.02, Free T3 is 2.97, and Free T4 is 0.74, and said that my thyroid activity level is just fine.  I disagree!  Why am I getting conflicting answers and has anyone else had to deal with this and maybe know what is going on with me?  I am getting really upset with this.  

[Smilerdeb]

If its any consolation....I was HYPER and got fat too!
I went from 55kgs to 71kgs in weight.
Its a well known fallacy that with Hyperthyroidism, you DONT always lose weight.
A lot gain.

[TamraW]

Get a thyroid ultrasound to determine if you have Hashimoto's and/or nodules causing these levels.

TSH is a pituitary hormone and your frees (FT3, FT4) clearly indicate you are HYPO, not HYPER. This doc is relying on a pituitary hormone to determine what's wrong with your thyroid. Measuring the frees tells us directly what the thyroid is producing. In your case, not enough hormone, which is causing you to put on weight.

Time for a new doctor who knows how to diagnose and treat you!!!

Gimel is right. Get that pituitary checked, too.

Below is a website that lists recommended endos. The problem is that too many endos specialize only in Diabetes. Call the office and ask the staff how many thyroid patients this doctor sees. My endo sees 75 percent thyroid. He knows how to treat my disease.

http://www.thyroid-info.com/topdrs/

In the meantime...

A Magnesium pill (sold at Walmart) three times a day with meals helps with constipation. Also, the doctor prescribed Lactulose to me. It has helped tremendously. Otherwise, I take Citrucel every night. Also, some of us do better with the constipation by eliminating gluten from our diet.

:) Tamra

[gimel]

As a start, have a look at the post from sgchaps44 and my responses.  Your symptoms are consistent with having FT3 and FT4 in the lower end of reference ranges that I am familiar with.  The low TSH result is inconsistent with those FT3 and FT4 results and may be indicative of a pituitary issue that should also be checked out.