Help Intrepreting Thyroid Results

[Guest adamssa]

Hi,

Was hoping someone could help me understand these. Was told that have problem converting T4 to T3, or something like that, which I've read provides inadequate Tsomething to the brain, so I am hopeful because that right there is my biggest problem. I was first told to try taking some herbs for a month, but those haven't helped enough, so my new dr. says he will most likely let me take actual hormone, once they finally figure out how to work their fax machine and look at he results which they are taking their time with, Anyways any insight you have would be greatly appreciated,

Sara

T4-7.1

TSH 2.050

Thyroid Antibody less than 25

T3 Free 3.4

Thyroglobulin less than 20

[2kids4me]

It would be helpful if there were normal values next to the numbers - each lab has different reference ranges.

At first glance - your T4 is definitely low (based on lab normal values that I am used to), the TSH is normal - TSH is produced by your pituitary gland to stimulate the thyroid gland. The T3 appears low as well.

I hope they can get it sorted out soonest so you can feel better.

Sandy

[Nancym]

Sometimes the pituitary gland can get out of whack and not properly signal the thyroid. Yeah, post the reference ranges, they're not something I have memorized.

[Guest adamssa]

these are the references ranges the lab says, can you be out of whack and still in the refernce ranges? I seem to be in the reference ranges.

T4-7.1 reference range 6.09 to 12.23 UG/DL

TSH 2.050 reference range .34 to 5.6 uIU/ML

Thyroid Antibody less than 25 "revised TPO method" less than 60/other reference range 0-60

T3 Free 3.4 reference range 2.3-4.2

Thyroglobulin less than 20 reference range 0-40

also, if these seem off to you guys, would it seem necessary to take actual thryroid for it, or do you think taking herbs "thyroid complex" should do it? I have been taking that for a month and it doesn't seem to be doing the trick. It has helped, feel less anxiety, skin has cleared up, not as severely depressed. but i still have terrible brain fog and memory issues.

Sara

[Ksmith]

these are the references ranges the lab says, can you be out of whack and still in the refernce ranges? I seem to be in the reference ranges.

T4-7.1 reference range 6.09 to 12.23 UG/DL

TSH 2.050 reference range .34 to 5.6 uIU/ML

Thyroid Antibody less than 25 "revised TPO method" less than 60/other reference range 0-60

T3 Free 3.4 reference range 2.3-4.2

Thyroglobulin less than 20 reference range 0-40

also, if these seem off to you guys, would it seem necessary to take actual thryroid for it, or do you think taking herbs "thyroid complex" should do it? I have been taking that for a month and it doesn't seem to be doing the trick. It has helped, feel less anxiety, skin has cleared up, not as severely depressed. but i still have terrible brain fog and memory issues.

Sara

Hi Sara,

You and I seem very similar in symptoms and such and low and behold, our labs appear similar as well...did you get Free T4 as well? I think that the Free T3 is the most important one besides the antibodies. Here are my results below. I feel like crap, too, but the docs don't seem to think that it's a thyroid issue even though I have all the symptoms. I hope you have better luck than I! Check out www.stopthethyroidmadness.com It's very helpful--and you can post your labs in the forums section and they will help you understand them. Good luck!

~K

TSH=2.53 (0.4-4.00)

Free T4=1.3 (0.8-1.9)

Free T3=3.4 (1.8-4.2)

Reverse T3=22.0 (9.0-35.0)

Anti TG <32 (<40)

Anti TPO <14 (<34)

[2kids4me]

There is a condition called euthyroid sick syndrome - the thryoid is normal but under stress due to illness - such as autoimmune disease and GI disorders to name only a few. The T 4 is low normal but other levels seems adequate. The patient exhibits signs and symptoms of low thryoid - medication is usaully not necessary. Continue with the supplements for thyroid support - it can often be 6 weeks before a difference is noted.

Talk again with your doctor for advice.

[euthyroid isa medical term for "normal thyroid"]

Open Original Shared Link

Euthyroid sick syndrome is low serum levels of thyroid hormones in clinically euthyroid patients with nonthyroidal systemic illness. Diagnosis is by excluding hypothyroidism. Treatment is of the underlying illness; thyroid hormone replacement is not indicated.

Patients with various acute or chronic nonthyroidal disorders may have abnormal thyroid function tests. Such disorders include acute and chronic illness, particularly fasting, starvation, protein-calorie malnutrition, major trauma, MI, chronic renal failure, diabetic ketoacidosis, anorexia nervosa, cirrhosis, thermal injury, and sepsis.

Decreased T3 levels are most common. Patients with more severe or prolonged illness also have decreased T4 levels. Serum reverse T3 (rT3) is increased. Patients are clinically euthyroid and do not have TSH elevations.

[georgie]

TSH=2.53 (0.4-4.00)

Free T4=1.3 (0.8-1.9)

Free T3=3.4 (1.8-4.2)

Reverse T3=22.0 (9.0-35.0)

Anti TG <32 (<40)

Anti TPO <14 (<34)

K, You need to get to a Dr that understands Thyroid. TSH is too high.It should be about 1.0. Most new good Thyroid Drs treat TSH> 2 as Hypo Thyroid.

And you are showing Thyroid Antibodies. ANY Thyroid Antibodies is not good. I have been told that 10% of people with Thyroid Antibodies never show them ona test.

T4-7.1

TSH 2.050

Thyroid Antibody less than 25

T3 Free 3.4

Thyroglobulin less than 20

Sara, Much the same story except do you realise your lab is using the old lab range for TSH ? Its 0.5 - 3.0 now. And ....good Thyroid Drs are saying it should be 0.5 - 2.0 - therefore they start treatment then.

I don't know much about herbals except they never worked for me. My Antibodies were only 35, and I am taking 4 grains of Armour now - and I don't call that borderline low thyroid My Thyroid was barely working and yet my TSH was 1.1, and I only had Antibodies of 35. Late stage Thyroid can look like that.

What everyone needs to understand is the Thyroid labs are flawed. Its been the only way to dx thyroid for last 30 years and its FLAWED. Before these tests were invented Dr used their EYES to dx Thyroid !! They dispensed Thyroid meds like Armour using their COMMON SENSE ! And overall - that system worked. If you have Hypo symptoms - get a Dr that listens and uses his eyes to look at YOU not just pieces of ink on a page.

The Celiac test is inaccurate and so is the Thyroid test. You need to go by symptoms - just like you do with Celiac.

[Ksmith]

THanks Georgie! Georgie, do you also take HC for adrenals or no? I'm going to get those checked with canary club soon and I'm working on convincing my ND for perhaps a trial of Armour, but we'll see--I'm not sure what she's thinking in terms of my symptoms, but she doesn't seem to think thyroid or adrenals are the issue--but I disagree!

[georgie]

Yes, I take HC for adrenals. My adrenals are trashed. I was HypoThyroid for 30 years without meds. Working fulltime. I ran on adrenalin to survive. Its been 6 months so far and hope to heal my adrenals but there is a real possibility that they are permanently damaged. My major symptom of low adrenals came a week or so after starting Armour. I came over with incred Fibro pain that I hadn't had in 9 years. I did the saliva testing then, and sure enough - that was it.

[Ksmith]

Interesting...I feel like sometimes I starting to get fibro symptoms--my back is always sore and very tight...achey knees, chronic headaches...and of course, fatigue! I'm only 25, so I feel like everyone just think I'm a hypochondriac! I wish they'd listen to me :-(

[Guest adamssa]

hey Ksmith, I understand feeling like are thought of as a hypochondriac..I feel the same way often,. . i am only 20, so young for all this too, and it is strange, isn't it? i don't know anyone else close to me and my age with anything similar. and chronic headaches are the worst,. yeah, maybe you should get a second opinion. i had a decent other dr, but swithched just because they kept wanting me to do try the same things over and over, sometimes you just need another person.

georgie, so you are you saying that if someone has all the symptoms of hypo they might be it, even if, with the new tests, they are in the normal range? i think that my nd was saying the same thing, he just wanted to look at my tests to make sure that they weren't hyper or something before letting me try thyroid. still, as i ranted before i just wish i would have to stop waiting, i feel like my life is largely on hold w/such bad fog. how long does it take for thyroid to help with your fog? i am pretty sure that i am hypo whether tests say so or not, because i have SO MANY of the symptoms, and the supplement has helped, i just know it's not enough. have been miserable for such a long time and so badly that i really doubt that something mild is going to address it the way it needs to be addressed.

[Nancym]

these are the references ranges the lab says, can you be out of whack and still in the refernce ranges? I seem to be in the reference ranges.

T4-7.1 reference range 6.09 to 12.23 UG/DL

TSH 2.050 reference range .34 to 5.6 uIU/ML

Thyroid Antibody less than 25 "revised TPO method" less than 60/other reference range 0-60

T3 Free 3.4 reference range 2.3-4.2

Thyroglobulin less than 20 reference range 0-40

also, if these seem off to you guys, would it seem necessary to take actual thryroid for it, or do you think taking herbs "thyroid complex" should do it? I have been taking that for a month and it doesn't seem to be doing the trick. It has helped, feel less anxiety, skin has cleared up, not as severely depressed. but i still have terrible brain fog and memory issues.

Sara

Sara, how long have you been gluten-free? My brain fog cleared up over a few months but I think some of it was due to dairy products (casein), not just gluten. Your thyroid disease, if you have it, might go into remission if you're very, very good about staying away from the gluten (and the casein if that's an issue for you).

Having a TSH over 1 doesn't mean you necessarily need more thyroid. All the symptoms I thought were due to thyroid were actually due to my food intolerances. I tried taking more thyroid and tried using natural thyroid but they all made me feel hyper. But once I got off the gluten and casein that brain fog cleared right up.

[Guest adamssa]

Sara, how long have you been gluten-free? My brain fog cleared up over a few months but I think some of it was due to dairy products (casein), not just gluten. Your thyroid disease, if you have it, might go into remission if you're very, very good about staying away from the gluten (and the casein if that's an issue for you).

have been gluten-free since the middle of last March. my fog went away for a little while in july, but came back and now it's different. more memory issues, feel like brain has just shut down, like i barely think at all. and all of this has been depressing, but this is a different kind of depressed feeling. i am very religous about avoiding gluten, so i don't think that's it. i did try elimating dairy for quite awhile, and casein, but that didn't do it either so i started eating yogurt again since it's good for stabilizing your blood sugar. once in awhile it gets better when i exercise but not always. niacin used to help, but not consistently and not really anymore.

[Jestgar]

georgie, so you are you saying that if someone has all the symptoms of hypo they might be it, even if, with the new tests, they are in the normal range? i think that my nd was saying the same thing, he just wanted to look at my tests to make sure that they weren't hyper or something before letting me try thyroid. still, as i ranted before i just wish i would have to stop waiting, i feel like my life is largely on hold w/such bad fog. how long does it take for thyroid to help with your fog? i am pretty sure that i am hypo whether tests say so or not, because i have SO MANY of the symptoms, and the supplement has helped, i just know it's not enough. have been miserable for such a long time and so badly that i really doubt that something mild is going to address it the way it needs to be addressed.

I think what she's saying is that the reference range is no longer accurate, and not all doctors know that. Mine keeps my TSH at 0.7

[rez]

My daughter's (10) TSH is 7.5. Is this really bad? What are the risk factors of this? Is it safe to try to medicate a 10 year old? Is hypothyroid common in kids?

[Jestgar]

My daughter's (10) TSH is 7.5. Is this really bad? What are the risk factors of this? Is it safe to try to medicate a 10 year old? Is hypothyroid common in kids?

You have to look at the reference range given by the lab. they might be using a different notation.

[Ksmith]

Jestgar...go to www.stopthethyroidmadness.com and go to the forum...there is a children's section. YOu should definately check it out.

[georgie]

My daughter's (10) TSH is 7.5. Is this really bad? What are the risk factors of this? Is it safe to try to medicate a 10 year old? Is hypothyroid common in kids?

Much safer than letting her suffer HypoThyroid. Yes - Hypo affects kids. They need treatment just like us. How are her temps ?

Sara, If you came to see my Dr you would be put onto Armour immediately ! A friend had a TSH of 2.2 WITH symptoms and started on Armour and is up to 4 3/4 grains. The blood tests are not accurate. You can have ahuge problem with Hypo and still not show a hugely bad lab. Also - you can be on Armour meds and show hyper blood tests, and still be Hypo and need more Armour. Labs are only part of the way that Thyroid should be dx and treated.

My brain fog went almost the first day. Then returned a week later and then I had to increase 30mg, and then I felt better, and then it returned and I increased etc. Its been 6 months now and may even have to still increase. Waiting on some labs next week and then will discuss this with my Dr.

There is a way to do this that stopthethyroidmadness explains which is helpful if your Dr doesn't understand. Its the old traditional way.

Have you read how to chart your temps to see how your Thyroid and Adrenals are ? www.drrind.com Its a good way to gather info for your next Drs appt. Low temps = Hypo. Low and erratic temps = adrenal + hypo

[georgie]

Interesting...I feel like sometimes I starting to get fibro symptoms--my back is always sore and very tight...achey knees, chronic headaches...and of course, fatigue! I'm only 25, so I feel like everyone just think I'm a hypochondriac! I wish they'd listen to me :-(

Lower back pain can be a few things but low adrenals can do that. They sit on the kidneys and complain when they are tired. You need saliva tests and a Dr that can interpret them. stopthethyroidmadness have an adrenal forum too.

[2kids4me]

My daughter's (10) TSH is 7.5. Is this really bad? What are the risk factors of this? Is it safe to try to medicate a 10 year old? Is hypothyroid common in kids?

My daughter is hypothyroid - been treated since she was 4 yrs old, if your daughter has a high TSH then she may need treatment.

EVERY lab has different reference ranges because they do various testing methods, you can never say a specific number is too high unless oyu know normal for the particular test.

I had trouble convincing the doctors my daugher was in trouble...Until they tested her thyroid, they called me within an hour of her blood being drawn to get her on meds..if you want to know how hypothyroid she was......

Her TSH was 960.9 - totally off scale for ANY lab and her T4 was 5.2. Endocrinologist said the only time she saw a TSH that was higher was a baby born without a thyroid gland.

I would ask about normal ranges for your daughter's results. If she is hypothyroid and does not receive treatment - it will impact her growth and development. Growth hormone and thyroid hormone work togther - if thyroid levels are low, growth slows

[georgie]

EVERY lab has different reference ranges because they do various testing methods, you can never say a specific number is too high unless oyu know normal for the particular test.

The TSH is standard throughout the world I believe. The different lab ranges you see are the different interpretations they use on it. ie - whether 2% of the population is out of range or 4% or 6% etc. The ranges have been lowered at least 2x in the last 30 years that I know of - and are still under review. Many people feel that by only treating 4% of people as out of range - that too many are missing out on a Thyroid dx. Its all about numbers and patient care should be with the individual.

Mary Shoman has written quite a bit about the new ranges and discussion if you do a Google search. The real shame is that most people are not even aware of this discussion,as their Dr just tells them their Thyroid is 'normal' .

[Jestgar]

The TSH is standard throughout the world I believe.

Probably, but you still have to check before making assumptions.

[Nancym]

Just to throw this out there, almost all autoimmune diseases have fatigue and brain fog as symptoms. So if it isn't thyroid, get to a rhuematologist, there might be something else going on.

[Guest adamssa]

My brain fog went almost the first day

You can have ahuge problem with Hypo and still not show a hugely bad lab

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Those are some of the most postive things I have heard in a long time! thanks a lot for taking the time to post.

I know my adrenals are bad to some extent, I forget how he said he knew, I think it was because I had low body temp and low blood pressure. I guess now I just have to wait and see if they'll let me try taking thyroid. Have many other symptoms beside the fog that i think may be related. GI, blood sugar, C, I am always so cold, random aches, uncoordinated, leg twitching, dizzy, fatigue....and more

thanks again,

Sara