TSH - 2.59 (Kaiser range .35-4.00)
T3 - 67 (range 58-159)
T4 - 1.00 (range 0.8 -1.5)
No thyroid issues so far.
Any thoughts? Deb? Tex?
Thyroid results
Moderators: Rosie, Stanz, Jean, CAMary, moremuscle, JFR, Dee, xet, Peggy, Matthew, Gabes-Apg, grannyh, Gloria, Mars, starfire, Polly, Joefnh
Lesley wrote:Any thoughts? Deb? Tex?
When TSH is normal, the important markers are Free T4 and Free T3. As far as I can tell, total T3 and Total T4 (which are what your results show) are virtually always normal, so I'm not sure why doctors even bother to test for them. If you have a hypothyroid problem, and your TSH is in the normal range, your Free T4 will usually be low, or below range.
What's your mid-afternoon oral temperature?
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
I just got done hashing this out with my Endo. He said that most thyroid specialists don't believe in treating with T3 nor do they believe that there can be a problem converting T3 to T4. He won't even order a free T3 test for me ( eye roll). I am always cold and my mid day temp rarely goes above 97.5. My hair still comes out at an alarming rate ( good thing I started with a lot). I think I am gaining weight for no apparent reason, but i am still considered thin, so the doctors don't think it's a big deal. It's ALL ABOUT THE TSH NUMBER.
Leah
Leah
-
MBombardier
- Rockhopper Penguin
- Posts: 1523
- Joined: Thu Oct 14, 2010 10:44 am
- Location: Vancouver, WA
I fired my endo, too. I am getting ready to educate my GP, who should know better since she had thyroid cancer and had her thyroid out.
I read recently that when your thyroid is "over-medicated" that is not kicking you into hyperthyroidism, though the lab results look like it, so you don't have to worry about the health consequences of hyper. The question was raised: Why are those labs considered over-medicating when they are considered normal for someone without a thyroid? I am going to do some more research on this.
My thyroid antibodies are off the charts, so I should have more of a sense of urgency about getting someone who can prescribe Armour for me on my side. I hope my GP is the one. She seems teachable, and since her whole family has thyroid issues, maybe she will actually listen. I'm just tired of fighting, especially with all the other crap going on in my life.
I read recently that when your thyroid is "over-medicated" that is not kicking you into hyperthyroidism, though the lab results look like it, so you don't have to worry about the health consequences of hyper. The question was raised: Why are those labs considered over-medicating when they are considered normal for someone without a thyroid? I am going to do some more research on this.
My thyroid antibodies are off the charts, so I should have more of a sense of urgency about getting someone who can prescribe Armour for me on my side. I hope my GP is the one. She seems teachable, and since her whole family has thyroid issues, maybe she will actually listen. I'm just tired of fighting, especially with all the other crap going on in my life.
Marliss Bombardier
Dum spiro, spero -- While I breathe, I hope
Psoriasis - the dark ages
Hashimoto's Thyroiditis - Dec 2001
Collagenous Colitis - Sept 2010
Granuloma Annulare - June 2011
Dum spiro, spero -- While I breathe, I hope
Psoriasis - the dark ages
Hashimoto's Thyroiditis - Dec 2001
Collagenous Colitis - Sept 2010
Granuloma Annulare - June 2011
Leah, you may want to scout out an independent lab where you can order your own tests. We have one here in my town of 20,000, called Affordalab. I find their prices to be reasonable. I had decided if my PCP didn't order some tests I wanted I would do it myself. Then she did order them so it was all good.
It was our independent lab that drew the blood for my MRT tests. They told me they do a fair number of allergy/ MRT tests so they were familiar with what the kit required. They charged me $15 to draw the 4 tubes of blood then put my kits in with their Fed Ex stack so I didn't have to run around town figuring out where a drop off point for Fed Ex was. When I called them about tests to check for Grave's disease, I believe they told me their cost was either $35 or $40. A good deal I thought.
Carol
It was our independent lab that drew the blood for my MRT tests. They told me they do a fair number of allergy/ MRT tests so they were familiar with what the kit required. They charged me $15 to draw the 4 tubes of blood then put my kits in with their Fed Ex stack so I didn't have to run around town figuring out where a drop off point for Fed Ex was. When I called them about tests to check for Grave's disease, I believe they told me their cost was either $35 or $40. A good deal I thought.
Carol
“.... people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Maya Angelou
You might wanto also have a reverse T3 and TPO ( thyroid perixodase) tests done. Since most people with one auto immune condition usually has more. These tests are for the diagnosis of Hashimoto's Thyroditis an autoimmune disorder. I have been diagnosed for many years. I used to take both synthroid and cytomel (T3). But had very abnormal test results my TSH was almost undectible. Good thing I have an Endo who treats symptoms not blood tests. About 5 yrs ago I changed to Naturthroid and I feel better and my pituitary gland is finally beginning to secrete TSH more normally. You might want to watch this video by Dr. David Brownstein http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cp7MWwh1Vt ... re=related, or read his book "Overcomming Thyroid Disorders". I have found that few primary care physicians have very little knowledge about thyroid issues and are jeopardizing many people's health. For instance the most common cause of high cholesterol is actually thyroid disease. Keep searching for that doctor that will treat your symptoms and not your blood test. Often the only ones who listen are homeopathic physicians
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I took the one less traveled by and that has made all the difference.
Robert Frost
Robert Frost
Lesley, I ordered my own free t4, free t3, reverse t3, TPO and TgAb (both antibodies) from MyMedLabs. I used the STTM link which gave me a discount.
http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/re ... d-labwork/ They use a local lab like LabCorp and the cost of drawing blood is included in their fee. This is the test I did https://sttm.mymedlab.com/sttm-profiles ... d-complete
KD - from what I've read it is pretty normal for the TSH to be suppressed when using T3. Many using T3 or NDT (natural desiccated thyroid) feel best
when their TSH is <1. I agree with you about cholesterol. My cholesterol was 240 before starting on NDT. 8 months later it was 180. I am still
working on high blood pressure issues. It gets better for a while and then gets wonky again. I'm hoping as my thyroid gets optimized so will that.
http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/re ... d-labwork/ They use a local lab like LabCorp and the cost of drawing blood is included in their fee. This is the test I did https://sttm.mymedlab.com/sttm-profiles ... d-complete
KD - from what I've read it is pretty normal for the TSH to be suppressed when using T3. Many using T3 or NDT (natural desiccated thyroid) feel best
when their TSH is <1. I agree with you about cholesterol. My cholesterol was 240 before starting on NDT. 8 months later it was 180. I am still
working on high blood pressure issues. It gets better for a while and then gets wonky again. I'm hoping as my thyroid gets optimized so will that.
Deb
I am glad you are happy with your results with NDT the Naturthroid that I take is also NDT. When I was on Cytomes and Synthroid my PCP used to always tell me we needed to reduce my thyroid meds since my TSH was so severly depressed (my lab results put my TSH in the panic values). I once tried to reduce my meds and I litterally thought I was going to die. I am much more stable with NDT. As far as your blood pressure have you ever tried Hawthorne extract. I have a number of patients that have successfully weaned off of their BP meds and a few others that have been able to avoid meds all together. If you try it make sure it is from a reputable source. The product I sell is only available from physicans office from a lav MPI (Marco Pharma). It is really amazing how many symptoms can be managed with natural products rather than expensive dangerous pharmaceuticals. Did you know that 100,000 people die each year from taking pharmaceuticals in the prescribed doses. That does not include all of those who die from prescription drug abuse or those who take their drugs incorrectly!! Amazing statistics!!
Recently I began to trace all of my autoimmune problems back to an immunization for Thyphoid that I had that was required by my nursing school 31 years ago!!!
Lesley,
How is your weaning from your PPI's going? In the shower this morning I was thinking about you and I do not know why I did not mention to you DGL (de-glycyrrhizinated licorice) for temporary relief of acid reflux while you wean. I used a product called Cease Fire from Vitamin Research Products when I was trying to get off of PPI's that I took short tearm last year when I was on high dose NSAID's & predinisone for treatment of Pericarditis. I know, I know I should not have taken NSAIDs because of MC but I did not have any choice, I was so very sick from pericarditis (inflamation of the sack around my heart) my GI also said I had no choice. BTW my MC got so much worse and I have continued to be worse even tho I have not taken any NSAIDs in about 9 mos. Anyway the DGL works well but tastes horrible but as most of us know we will do just about anything that works. I got used to the taste but I still do not like it much.
I am glad you are happy with your results with NDT the Naturthroid that I take is also NDT. When I was on Cytomes and Synthroid my PCP used to always tell me we needed to reduce my thyroid meds since my TSH was so severly depressed (my lab results put my TSH in the panic values). I once tried to reduce my meds and I litterally thought I was going to die. I am much more stable with NDT. As far as your blood pressure have you ever tried Hawthorne extract. I have a number of patients that have successfully weaned off of their BP meds and a few others that have been able to avoid meds all together. If you try it make sure it is from a reputable source. The product I sell is only available from physicans office from a lav MPI (Marco Pharma). It is really amazing how many symptoms can be managed with natural products rather than expensive dangerous pharmaceuticals. Did you know that 100,000 people die each year from taking pharmaceuticals in the prescribed doses. That does not include all of those who die from prescription drug abuse or those who take their drugs incorrectly!! Amazing statistics!!
Recently I began to trace all of my autoimmune problems back to an immunization for Thyphoid that I had that was required by my nursing school 31 years ago!!!
Lesley,
How is your weaning from your PPI's going? In the shower this morning I was thinking about you and I do not know why I did not mention to you DGL (de-glycyrrhizinated licorice) for temporary relief of acid reflux while you wean. I used a product called Cease Fire from Vitamin Research Products when I was trying to get off of PPI's that I took short tearm last year when I was on high dose NSAID's & predinisone for treatment of Pericarditis. I know, I know I should not have taken NSAIDs because of MC but I did not have any choice, I was so very sick from pericarditis (inflamation of the sack around my heart) my GI also said I had no choice. BTW my MC got so much worse and I have continued to be worse even tho I have not taken any NSAIDs in about 9 mos. Anyway the DGL works well but tastes horrible but as most of us know we will do just about anything that works. I got used to the taste but I still do not like it much.
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I took the one less traveled by and that has made all the difference.
Robert Frost
Robert Frost
I haven't really started yet. I have the H2 blocker now, and I have to find your last post, see what else I have to get and start trying to wean.How is your weaning from your PPI's going? In the shower this morning I was thinking about you and I do not know why I did not mention to you DGL (de-glycyrrhizinated licorice) for temporary relief of acid reflux while you wean. I used a product called Cease Fire from Vitamin Research Products when I was trying to get off of PPI's that I took short tearm last year when I was on high dose NSAID's & predinisone for treatment of Pericarditis. I know, I know I should not have taken NSAIDs because of MC but I did not have any choice, I was so very sick from pericarditis (inflamation of the sack around my heart) my GI also said I had no choice. BTW my MC got so much worse and I have continued to be worse even tho I have not taken any NSAIDs in about 9 mos. Anyway the DGL works well but tastes horrible but as most of us know we will do just about anything that works. I got used to the taste but I still do not like it much.
I have DGL, but it didn't help at all. So many things taste terrible. I close my eyes and swallow. DGL requires chewing, and that's the worst. But, as you say, I will do anything that will help this thing.
Sorry about your pericarditis. How on earth did you get that? I can understand your MC getting worse from the stress, let alone the meds.
BTW - I see you are a nurse. I am an OT. I got injured on the job in a hospital where I was working.
Lesley,
Wish I knew how I got pericarditis, all of my docs decided it was autoimmune. Since I have Hashiomotos, MC and the pericarditis that was the decision. Usually it is viral so they did numerous viral panels but it was after the fact so even though I was Positive to 8 different strains of cocksacie virus, CMV, EBV etc. it was too long after the initial onset they could not be sure. I had not had any symptoms of a virus, as a matter of fact 2 weeks before onset of symptoms I rode my bicycle 100 Miles in a day and was feeling great!! Unfortunatly I did not follow the same course as most with pericarditis, it became chronic and recurrent. 1% of people get pericarditis and only 1% of those cases become chronic and recurrent (figures with me I can never get anything normal). I was hospitalized 3 times for IV steroids, that was really hard being on the other side of the bed LOL. I still suffer with recurrence from time to time and am in a flair as we speak. I just go on low dose prednisone for a couple of weeks then I am back to myself for 3-4 months. One of my cardiologists told me this would happen for about 1 1/5-2 years then it will disappear. I can't wait for that to happen cuz it really bums me out and I cant be as active as I want to be. I know I will get through all of this and some day get my MC under control. I am currently on a strict elimination diet to see if that might help with both.
8 weeks minimum them I get retested for my "allergies" and we will go from there.
Wish I knew how I got pericarditis, all of my docs decided it was autoimmune. Since I have Hashiomotos, MC and the pericarditis that was the decision. Usually it is viral so they did numerous viral panels but it was after the fact so even though I was Positive to 8 different strains of cocksacie virus, CMV, EBV etc. it was too long after the initial onset they could not be sure. I had not had any symptoms of a virus, as a matter of fact 2 weeks before onset of symptoms I rode my bicycle 100 Miles in a day and was feeling great!! Unfortunatly I did not follow the same course as most with pericarditis, it became chronic and recurrent. 1% of people get pericarditis and only 1% of those cases become chronic and recurrent (figures with me I can never get anything normal). I was hospitalized 3 times for IV steroids, that was really hard being on the other side of the bed LOL. I still suffer with recurrence from time to time and am in a flair as we speak. I just go on low dose prednisone for a couple of weeks then I am back to myself for 3-4 months. One of my cardiologists told me this would happen for about 1 1/5-2 years then it will disappear. I can't wait for that to happen cuz it really bums me out and I cant be as active as I want to be. I know I will get through all of this and some day get my MC under control. I am currently on a strict elimination diet to see if that might help with both.
8 weeks minimum them I get retested for my "allergies" and we will go from there.
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I took the one less traveled by and that has made all the difference.
Robert Frost
Robert Frost
Lesley, I was feeling so rotten and could hardly get out of my chair. I went to my PCP. I had vertigo, tingling in my hands, NO energy, high blood pressure, very shaky, skin and hair issues, weight gain, and more. She tested me for lyme and gave me blood pressure meds which I used for about a week before I had a flare so I quit it.Given my test results, Deb, do you think I should go on pursuing it?
I knew that there was something at a very basic level wrong with me. My TSH was within normal ranges for Mayo (4.76) but not for a lot of others. Interestingly, I looked back at my 2010 levels and it was about where yours is. I've suspected thyroid/hormone issues for a long time. I gained 25 lbs
in one year after a hysterectomy. I was 32. I really think I've had issues since them. I have since learned that there are thyroid issues with my mother, aunts, sister, niece and probably my daughter. A lot of people believe that the tests you had don't really reveal if there is a problem. You will discover though that other things, like your cortisol and iron levels need to be in good order too. I'm taking supplements to address them. Another supplement that is supposed to help your body convert T4 to T3 is selenium in this form http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000GF ... UTF8&psc=1 which I am also taking as it is supposed to help auto-immune Hashimotos. Mayo only does the TPO for that but STTM recommends the TgAb as well. My TPO was normal but my TgAb was 61 with a normal range of 0-40 so I think it's likely I have Hashimotos. I will discuss with my PCP at my next visit
My daughter is currently feeling crappy 1 year after the birth of her last child. Her energy levels are poor and she all of a sudden started gaining weight.
Her skin and hair are dry, etc. Sounds pretty suspicious to me. Her just tested TSH is 2.50's. Her iron was low and she's going to try the selenium. If that doesn't help we'll probably look at further testing for her. I hope that helps.
KD I have never tried Hawthorne extract but will certainly look into it. Thanks, Deb
Lesley, here is a video I thought you might like about thyroid and adrenals.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TyDi31TTABs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TyDi31TTABs