Confusing test results - please help!

[Guest guest]

I had an ultrasound which showed a goiter, so I had the Thyroid Scan.

The scan showed a multi-nodular goiter with no cold nodes. I'd been

previously diagnosed as hypo.

Soooo, since I had to be off my meds for a month for the scan we did

new bloodwork. Here are the results:

T3: 29 (nurse didn't mention if this was " free " )

free T4: 0.7

TSH: 8.43

Why is my T4 on the low end, but TSH high? I don't understand.

I FEEL hypo....tired, lack of mental clarity, forgetful, brain fog,

generally lethargic.

I don't know what to do. The doc (she's an Internist) called in a

higher dose of Levothyroid (or something along that name). I've

tried Synthroid in the past, but it gave me wicked migraine auras.

Any input would be greatly appreciated!

Amy

[Guest guest]

Hi Amy! The TSH being high and free T4 being low AND you still feeling

hypo indicates that You are most likely HYPO still----underdosed.......!!!!!

Hugs

Feisty

Confusing test results - please help!

> I had an ultrasound which showed a goiter, so I had the Thyroid Scan.

> The scan showed a multi-nodular goiter with no cold nodes. I'd been

> previously diagnosed as hypo.

>

> Soooo, since I had to be off my meds for a month for the scan we did

> new bloodwork. Here are the results:

>

> T3: 29 (nurse didn't mention if this was " free " )

> free T4: 0.7

> TSH: 8.43

>

>

> Why is my T4 on the low end, but TSH high? I don't understand.

>

> I FEEL hypo....tired, lack of mental clarity, forgetful, brain fog,

> generally lethargic.

>

> I don't know what to do. The doc (she's an Internist) called in a

> higher dose of Levothyroid (or something along that name). I've

> tried Synthroid in the past, but it gave me wicked migraine auras.

>

> Any input would be greatly appreciated!

>

> Amy

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

TSH is the Thyroid Stimulating Hormone, it's put out by the pituitary

gland to signal the thyroid to produce more... Free T4 is the Storage

Hormone, used in some body processes, its the major product of the

Thyroid. Free T3 is actually a T4 that has had an iodine molecule removed

from it through process done at the cellular level called conversion.

So.. what your labs are saying is that your pituitary gland is still

yelling pretty loud at your thyroid to produce more hormone and that you

blood is pretty dog gone low in free T4. If the other value is T3 that is

pretty low too.... Did they give you the labs ranges for each of the

values so that we can see where your numbers fall in those ranges?

'Good' labs are going to show the TSH low, around 1 or less... and the

Free T4 about mid range, and the Free T3 at the high end of the range, or

slightly over for some.... and more important you should not feel like

crap....

Topper ()

On Sat, 13 Mar 2004 03:46:04 -0000 " Amy " writes:

> I had an ultrasound which showed a goiter, so I had the Thyroid Scan.

> The scan showed a multi-nodular goiter with no cold nodes. I'd been

> previously diagnosed as hypo.

> Soooo, since I had to be off my meds for a month for the scan we did

> new bloodwork. Here are the results:

> T3: 29 (nurse didn't mention if this was " free " )

> free T4: 0.7

> TSH: 8.43

> Why is my T4 on the low end, but TSH high? I don't understand.

> I FEEL hypo....tired, lack of mental clarity, forgetful, brain fog,

> generally lethargic.

> I don't know what to do. The doc (she's an Internist) called in a

> higher dose of Levothyroid (or something along that name). I've

> tried Synthroid in the past, but it gave me wicked migraine auras.

> Any input would be greatly appreciated!

>

> Amy

[Guest guest]

Beyond the shadow of a doubt, you are very hypo, but you still don't have a

Free T3, and the T3 you DO have has nothing beside it to compare it with.

Your Free T4 should be anywhere from the mid to upper range of " normal " , in

order to feel anywhere near good. Your TSH is WAY too high, by any scale of

comparison. You definitely ARE hypo. You are on some kind of thyroid med?

Did you get the new higher script filled? The less T4 and T3 your thyroid

is making, the higher your TSH will go, if your primary problem is in the

thyroid, not with the pituitary. Thyroid Stimulating Hormone, i.e.,

stimulates the thyroid to make more T3 and T4. If the pituitary did have a

TSH " manufacturing " problem and couldn't create TSH to stimulate your

thyroid, then you can still have a manufacturing problem in the thyroid, but

would definitely not be able to make any if the pituitary can't make the TSH

to do this.

Tx

Confusing test results - please help!

> I had an ultrasound which showed a goiter, so I had the Thyroid Scan.

> The scan showed a multi-nodular goiter with no cold nodes. I'd been

> previously diagnosed as hypo.

>

> Soooo, since I had to be off my meds for a month for the scan we did

> new bloodwork. Here are the results:

>

> T3: 29 (nurse didn't mention if this was " free " )

> free T4: 0.7

> TSH: 8.43

>

>

> Why is my T4 on the low end, but TSH high? I don't understand.

>

> I FEEL hypo....tired, lack of mental clarity, forgetful, brain fog,

> generally lethargic.

>

> I don't know what to do. The doc (she's an Internist) called in a

> higher dose of Levothyroid (or something along that name). I've

> tried Synthroid in the past, but it gave me wicked migraine auras.

>

> Any input would be greatly appreciated!

>

> Amy