Need Help With Lab Results

[tiredfedup]

Okay, so I got my blood work back from the Nurse Practicioner.  I feel comfortable for the most part with his suggestions, but am still wondering a bit about what to do, so I will follow up with the endocrinologist.  I went with the NP first b/c he seemed to really understand what was going on and might put me on medication, but not yet.

Keep in mind that I tested positive for Epstein Barr and it looked like I was actually having an exacerbation.

TSH 2.92 (.27 - 4.2)
T3 108 (80 - 200)
Free T4 1 (.9 - 1.8)
Total T4 8.3 (4.6 - 12)
T uptake 1.22 (.80 - 1.3)
T% 26 (24 - 39)
Antibodies 207 (0 - 35)


I am picking up my results this week to see for myself, but he said that it looks like my thyroid might be starting to burn out b/c it went from 2.3 - 2.92.  Unfortunately, the lab range is a bit higher than what it should be.  He doesn't want to start me on medication yet because he is concerned that my symptoms may be from the Epstein Barr.  He suggested I take an immune booster and get rechecked in one month.  Does this sound sufficient or should I be started on medication.  He is worried about me going into a hyper state.  My liver enzyme was slightly elevated, but looked fine on the cat scan.  He didn't mention free T3 though...have to look at results and double check.  Thyroid scan was slightly swollen left side, but otherwise normal.  What would you do?????

thank you everyone!

still hanging in there,
Traci

[tiredfedup]

I was actually diagnosed in High School with Epstein Barr, so I am really confused at this point.  I really want to try thyroid meds and hope I can soon.  I think maybe I have a combination of Epstein Barr and Thyroid symptoms at this point, but to ignore my thyroid and not treat it, is just making things worse.

[laura1967]

The EBV takes a long time to burn itself out, sometimes years. I took a lot of natural anti-virals to shorten the process. I just learned through symptom lists which was which. How long have you been active with EBV?
I waited a full year from when I should have started thyroid meds....shouldn't have done that as I got worse.
See what the endo says....if he is well versed with Hashi's that is.

[tiredfedup]

How were you treated for your Epstein Barr?  How do you know the difference between symptoms from Epstein Barr vs. symptoms from your thyroid?  

Thanks,
Traci

[laura1967]

Swinging up and down a little bit is expected with Hashi's.....most important is to get levels optimum to help control antibody activity. I don't fear the swings of going a little hyper for 1/2 a day or so.....but I greatly fear being hypo which crashes my body.

[tiredfedup]

Thank you....I am kinding leaning toward that too, but what about the doctor's fear of me going into a hyperstate??

[laura1967]

My endo says that anyone with Hashimoto's should work to supress their TSH to between a .50-1.0 in order to be symptom free, and for their bodies to be able to heal.
Your free's should normalize as your tsh comes down, unless you have a conversion issue. In all actuality you will need to be treated by symptoms more so than numbers, because the antibodies change the whole "normal" thing. Normal no longer means normal with Hashimoto's.
I started out with activated EBV as well.......did you know that they have proven that EBV is one of the causitive factors in developing Hashimoto antibodies, thus inducing hypothyroidism? It is published in the New England Journal of Medicine, is where I believe I read it.
I waited to get treated at the beginning and only got much worse.....I wouldn't wait and would push for low dosage trial of meds.