Re: Re: Confusing test results - please help!/Must be missing something

[Guest guest]

Debbie

The tests that represent what is actually available for use by your body

are:

(1)Free T3

(2)Free T4

Not Totals or estimates of these

..

(3)TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone). This one is so iffy, despite what

some professionals say, because of the special cases, like many of ours.

Other tests that are needed to determine the cause and more precise

treatment are:

(4)TPO antibodies (Thyroid Peroxidase)

(5)Thyroglobulin Antibodies

The antibodies testing is absolutely crucial to determining the cause of

thyroid difficulties because of the confusing ups and downs with Hashimoto's

Thyroiditis, before the gland actually burns out, which may be very quickly,

but then again, could be many many yrs. While this is going on, the thyroid

can change production mode, back and forth, from hyper to hypo and back to

normal, for different periods of time. This makes monitoring and treatment

very important and confusing at the same time. In this case, monitoring

every 3 months or so is not too often. This is why diagnosis is SOOO

important.

Another useful test, since the testing doesn't always reflect what is

actually a hypothyroid person is:

(6)TRH test (Thyroid-Releasing Hormone)---This determines problems sometimes

that are between the hypothalamus and the pituitary. Most people don't seem

to get this test, when there are problems in out-and-out diagnosis, but it

is a very important one.

TSH should be included, just to make sure your thyroid is not being overly

stimulated.

The new guidelines set by the AACE (American Association of Clinical

Endocrinologists) for TSH is .3-3.0. Rarely do doctors or labs know this

already. These new guidelines were set back in the late winter to early

spring of 2002-2003.

Since the inner workings of each human brain is so different from person to

person, concerning the roadways from the hypothalamus, to the pituitary, to

the thyroid, and also concerning the adrenal axis, all these things are very

intricately individual from person to person. It is how a person feels that

counts more than exactly what their bloodtests say. Those were just set up

as a general standard to look at and don't have the exactness of say, a CBC.

There are so many scientific studies to prove this, that it is absolutely

right at the medical community's fingertips to discover this, if the time is

taken to do it.

Thyroid Patient Advocate

Co-owner, Texas Thyroid Group

Co-owner, Tennessee Thyroid Group

[Guest guest]

BTW, it is the cold nodules that are the more dangerous.

Tx

Re: Confusing test results - please

help!/Must be missing something

> In Amy's first post she said she had the thyroid scan and it showed

> no cold nodes....since i am going in for the scan on Tuesday i have

> been hoping for cold nodes....are all nodes either hot or cold??? Or

> can they be neither??? Aren't cold the ones i want??? Oh the more i

> try to learn the more confused i get.....also....i will be going back

> to doc Friday for the results of the scan...i know you have said that

> specific types of blood tests should be done....since from what you

> were reading from my bloodwork when i posted them, these were the

> wrong ones...so when i go to doc i am going to request specific

> bloodwork be done....what EXACTLY should i ask for??? Now i need this

> in list form....cause i am going to hand it to him and say do

> these....maybe he'll get the idea i know what i am talking

> about...lol.....thanks again.....Debbie...preparing to go in there

> armed and dangerous.....lol....

[Guest guest]

The things you need to know is how much T4 and T3 is available for your

body to use.. that is the Frees... Total T4 and Total T3 would also

include that which is bound... and that isnt' usable by your body.

I'd want TSH, Free T4 and Free T3 run every time, at the very least.....

Remind us what your diagnosis is.....

Topper ()

On Mon, 15 Mar 2004 17:51:59 -0000 " jookeefe_1960 "

writes:

> I'm pretty sure my doctor only ordered a regular T3 and T4 and a

> TSH. Back in the beginning, I had the thyroid peroxidase and

> thyroglobulin tests. Normals are 0-2 and mine were 198 and 202. I

> have never had them tested again. Is that something they should

> check periodically, or is knowing that I have the antibodies all

> that is necessary? If the latest TSH, T3 and T4 come back okay, I

> should insist that they run a free T3 and free T4? Do I also need

> the TRH?

[Guest guest]

Again, the old Totals testing is almost obsolete, except for intial

diagnosis. Once we begin taking thyroid hormone from the outside, the Free

T3 and Free T4 tests are the only ones that show what is actually available

for use by the body. If it's been that long since you had the antibodies

testing and it was in the initial stages of diagnosis, then, yes, you need

to know what those antibodies are doing because their high presence

represents something going on with your body at the moment. When they

attack at the site of TSH receptors, the TSH is skewed, and then again, they

can attack other places on the axis, which can skew other tests. The TRH is

the one that none of them want to run because it is more expensive, and

takes up more time, etc....but for someone who is obviously hypo, but tests

are puzzling, this one will determine things going on with/between the

hypothalamus to the pituitary. I know these things seem so technical,

nagging, and give us (me too!) further brain fog development, lol! but they

can be very important for some/most people who have the types of problems

that we all have.

Tx

Re: Confusing test results - please

help!/Must be missing something

> I'm pretty sure my doctor only ordered a regular T3 and T4 and a

> TSH. Back in the beginning, I had the thyroid peroxidase and

> thyroglobulin tests. Normals are 0-2 and mine were 198 and 202. I

> have never had them tested again. Is that something they should

> check periodically, or is knowing that I have the antibodies all

> that is necessary? If the latest TSH, T3 and T4 come back okay, I

> should insist that they run a free T3 and free T4? Do I also need

> the TRH?