Info needed, doc called and Thyroid is .02

ettaterrell

should I be worried? He wants to wait 2 months and check again is that normal? Anyway anyone that's had this if you can tell me your symptom and what caused it that will be great. Any info from personal experience is welcomed

Need2Exerc1se

Shouldn't you have asked these questions of the doc?

Duchy82

Need2Exerc1se wrote: »

Shouldn't you have asked these questions of the doc?

^this

But also, does this result refer to TSH, T4, T3? have you got any of that info? I'm going to assume its TSH then its quite low and indicative of hyperthyroidism. It is normal for a doctor to wait a month and repeat though. Have you got any symptoms with it i.e. Racing heart, rapid weight loss, anxiety? If so then it points to hyperthyroidism if not it may not be anything to worry about.

Are you hypothyroid and on medication? Then it would indicate you may be slightly overmedicated and after a repeated retest the doctor may choose to lower your medication (say if you're on levo/synthroid) if on naturethroid/armour this would be an absolutely normal result for TSH.

So really I'm back to, you really need to discuss this with your doctor. You should look at the thyroid UK website or the american equivalent (not sure what the US equivalent charity is called hopefully someone will come along that can tell you). to get somw

Duchy82

I don't know what is going on with my phone today cutting my posts off that is supposed to be finished with:

You can use those charities websites to get some info about the different thyroid disorders.

ettaterrell

Thanks for your reply, the nurse called and give me the results I can't speak to the doctor until another apt so I made one for next week then I'll find out more info. No I've never had hypothyroidism just very tired and in pain a lot, I thought was depression so he put me on Wellbutrin just got results all blood work was good bedsides thyirod

MorganMoreaux

Need2Exerc1se wrote: »

Shouldn't you have asked these questions of the doc?

Frequently, when doctor's offices call with test results, the person speaking isn't the doctor, and will deliver the results and set up a follow up appointment. The are usually not qualified to answer questions, and won't answer questions. It's in the title of the post that the OP received the results via a phone call and probably didn't speak with the doctor.

ettaterrell

MorganMoreaux wrote: »

Need2Exerc1se wrote: »

Shouldn't you have asked these questions of the doc?

Frequently, when doctor's offices call with test results, the person speaking isn't the doctor, and will deliver the results and set up a follow up appointment. The are usually not qualified to answer questions, and won't answer questions. It's in the title of the post that the OP received the results via a phone call and probably didn't speak with the doctor.

That would be correct.

choppie70

My Dr. left a message with my last test results and I did not understand them. I called the office and they put me through to a nurse who read his instructions and explained things to me.

The Dr. or the Dr. office is the place to ask these questions, not an internet forum.

I am not sure why the OP is all over the person who said to talk to the Dr. and offered a rude reply.

Duchy82

ettaterrell wrote: »

Thanks for your reply, the nurse called and give me the results I can't speak to the doctor until another apt so I made one for next week then I'll find out more info. No I've never had hypothyroidism just very tired and in pain a lot, I thought was depression so he put me on Wellbutrin just got results all blood work was good bedsides thyirod

depression, tiredness and pain such as muscular and joint pain can be an indication again of thyroid disease so its definitely worth discussing this at your appointment, but do educate yourself a bit beforehand. Knowledge is power.

neohdiver

ettaterrell wrote: »

should I be worried? He wants to wait 2 months and check again is that normal? Anyway anyone that's had this if you can tell me your symptom and what caused it that will be great. Any info from personal experience is welcomed

It really depends on what .02 is measuring. There are several markers for thyroid disorders, and each has a different range. Your doctor is seeing you within 2 months, which seems to me to be a reasonable period of time. (I'd push for an earlier appointment if it was 6 months, or a year, out.)

My thyroid issues are on the other side of the scale - so I don't have direct experience, but I know enough to know that .02 doesn't provide enough information to provide any useful guidance without knowing what marker the .02 is connected to.

firesweetheart

I don't currently have a thyroid issue (knocking on wood), but have had low levels in the past and my doctor has me on a low dose hormone and taking D3 in the morning.

I echo the earlier posts and would suggest asking your doctor at the visit (or calling the nurse tomorrow if you're truly concerned) what exactly they tested for (TSH, T3, T4), what normal levels are, and what it means for you specifically. If you are prescribed anything, ask if there are any drug interactions to be aware of. I also take iron supplements but towards bedtime because it blocks absorption of my thyroid medicine.

daniwilford

One of my best friends had to have her thyroid removed and takes medication to replace those hormones produced by the gland. Even when her numbers are in the "normal" range they still need to be adjusted for her to not experience sever depression. If you do have issues, see if you can be referred to an endocrinologist for treatment if the depression persists even when your tests are in the 'normal' range. If the medication works, alleluia, its an easy fix that can help with mood, weight loss, and pain management.

ettaterrell

choppie70 wrote: »

My Dr. left a message with my last test results and I did not understand them. I called the office and they put me through to a nurse who read his instructions and explained things to me.

The Dr. or the Dr. office is the place to ask these questions, not an internet forum.

I am not sure why the OP is all over the person who said to talk to the Dr. and offered a rude reply.

Because she didn't comment to answer the question she just made a statement like I was stupid for asking the question here, just like you did. And just like the other lady explained I had a reason, asking a question with a question is not answering if you don't have something to add about the Question don't comment!

To the people that are trying to give me help thank you for taking the time to heIp me I understand the best place is to ask my doctor and I will when I go in again.

ettaterrell

neohdiver wrote: »

ettaterrell wrote: »

should I be worried? He wants to wait 2 months and check again is that normal? Anyway anyone that's had this if you can tell me your symptom and what caused it that will be great. Any info from personal experience is welcomed

It really depends on what .02 is measuring. There are several markers for thyroid disorders, and each has a different range. Your doctor is seeing you within 2 months, which seems to me to be a reasonable period of time. (I'd push for an earlier appointment if it was 6 months, or a year, out.)

My thyroid issues are on the other side of the scale - so I don't have direct experience, but I know enough to know that .02 doesn't provide enough information to provide any useful guidance without knowing what marker the .02 is connected to.

I have no clue what the .02, I'm sorry I'm dumb when it comes to things like that, she just said my thyroid level was .02 and he wanted to retest in 2 months. I felt it was fine and got off phone then read up on it and got worried (the Internet is scary) so I thought talking to people that if dealt with it first hand would ease my mind. Thank you again for taking the time

elphie754

ettaterrell wrote: »

choppie70 wrote: »

My Dr. left a message with my last test results and I did not understand them. I called the office and they put me through to a nurse who read his instructions and explained things to me.

The Dr. or the Dr. office is the place to ask these questions, not an internet forum.

I am not sure why the OP is all over the person who said to talk to the Dr. and offered a rude reply.

Because she didn't comment to answer the question she just made a statement like I was stupid for asking the question here, just like you did. And just like the other lady explained I had a reason, asking a question with a question is not answering if you don't have something to add about the Question don't comment!

To the people that are trying to give me help thank you for taking the time to heIp me I understand the best place is to ask my doctor and I will when I go in again.

You can't really control what other people post. There was no reason to be rude to either of those people.

ettaterrell

firesweetheart wrote: »

I don't currently have a thyroid issue (knocking on wood), but have had low levels in the past and my doctor has me on a low dose hormone and taking D3 in the morning.

I echo the earlier posts and would suggest asking your doctor at the visit (or calling the nurse tomorrow if you're truly concerned) what exactly they tested for (TSH, T3, T4), what normal levels are, and what it means for you specifically. If you are prescribed anything, ask if there are any drug interactions to be aware of. I also take iron supplements but towards bedtime because it blocks absorption of my thyroid medicine.

Thanks for taking your time to help!

ettaterrell

daniwilford wrote: »

One of my best friends had to have her thyroid removed and takes medication to replace those hormones produced by the gland. Even when her numbers are in the "normal" range they still need to be adjusted for her to not experience sever depression. If you do have issues, see if you can be referred to an endocrinologist for treatment if the depression persists even when your tests are in the 'normal' range. If the medication works, alleluia, its an easy fix that can help with mood, weight loss, and pain management.

Thank you so much, my mom is having a fit and likes to think the worse... Thank you for taking the time to comment

choppie70

[/quote]

Because she didn't comment to answer the question she just made a statement like I was stupid for asking the question here, just like you did. And just like the other lady explained I had a reason, asking a question with a question is not answering if you don't have something to add about the Question don't comment!

To the people that are trying to give me help thank you for taking the time to heIp me I understand the best place is to ask my doctor and I will when I go in again.

[/quote]

I was in no way assuming or insinuating that you were stupid. I was just sharing my situation as an antecdotal reference. I know when I am in situations even if people can not help me with an answer, knowing that people understand helps me to feel better and less stressed about it.

This is the internet and people will say what they want to say. Jumping at them because they do not say exactly what you want to say does not mean they were not trying to be helpful. People are going to post when they want. Getting angry at them does not solve anything. Conversations are more than just question and answer.

PeachyCarol

I'm going to assume that's your TSH. It's low.

It's not out of the ordinary for a doctor to want to recheck before testing again, so don't worry.

If you were having troublesome symptoms like a racing heartbeat, more frequent bowel movements, sleep trouble, increased sensitivity to heat or feeling warmer than usual -- it might be cause to see him sooner.

It's funny you mentioned this. My thyroid test just came back with the same number. I don't have any symptoms, but we had to adjust my current thyroid medication to a lower dose. It sounds like you might be presenting with a new case of hyperthyroidism (I have hypothyroidism), or it could be a one time aberrant reading. Hormone levels fluctuate.

Kalikel

People who have thyroid problems can have numbers all over the place, especially if they aren't medicated. That's one reason that good doctors run a thyroid panel instead of just TSH. There isn't much way to make sense of any of it without a panel and preferably more than one panel.

TSH is cheaper to run, but if there is an issue, you need the panel.

Call the office. Ask them what they tested. Do you have access to your tests online? Many hospitals are doing that now. Ask if you have access.

rankinsect

Does your clinic have a web portal? Most do these days with the recent CMS (Medicare/Medicaid) financial incentives to implement electronic health records and offer various features.

When I have questions like that I can securely message my physician, who can read it and reply to it when he has time (or often, he'll read it and dictate a reply via his support staff).

ettaterrell

Thanks so much, I will call and ask the lab what test was run thank you both for helpful advise. I'm so stressed over this!

ettaterrell

rankinsect wrote: »

Does your clinic have a web portal? Most do these days with the recent CMS (Medicare/Medicaid) financial incentives to implement electronic health records and offer various features.

When I have questions like that I can securely message my physician, who can read it and reply to it when he has time (or often, he'll read it and dictate a reply via his support staff).

Oh my we live in a very small town where we don't even have wireless! So I doubt I can do that she said if I wanted a copy she could mail it (snail mail) or I could come get (25 miles one way) lol. I love small town living but miss the convenience of big city life!

Pawsforme

If that number is your TSH, then it's a bit low. A low TSH can indicate an overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism). You can look up the symptoms for that, but some of the more common ones are unexplained weight loss, a racing heart or heart palpitations, feeling hot. It's also possible that you have Hashimoto's thyroiditis, which is very common and can cause your thyroid to cycle through periods of being under- and over-active before it conks out entirely. I think waiting to re-test is fine unless you're having bothersome symptoms.

ettaterrell

Thanks!!!

rankinsect

ettaterrell wrote: »

rankinsect wrote: »

Does your clinic have a web portal? Most do these days with the recent CMS (Medicare/Medicaid) financial incentives to implement electronic health records and offer various features.

When I have questions like that I can securely message my physician, who can read it and reply to it when he has time (or often, he'll read it and dictate a reply via his support staff).

Oh my we live in a very small town where we don't even have wireless! So I doubt I can do that she said if I wanted a copy she could mail it (snail mail) or I could come get (25 miles one way) lol. I love small town living but miss the convenience of big city life!

Does the doctor use a computer to record your health information, or a paper chart?

Basically any electronic medical record (EMR) software is going to have a patient portal available these days, even the budget ones, and physician practices often team up with hospitals in the region or state to extend the hospital's EHR to the docs. Of course they might not be using that part of the software, but right now there's good financial incentives for them to do so.

If your records are on paper then I can't help you

brownels

I can see why the OP felt slapped down by the tone of the first response, personally. I would have felt exactly the same. Might not have been intentionally condescending, but reading it this way seems valid to me. Just saying.

steve85helsel

ettaterrell wrote: »

Thanks for your reply, the nurse called and give me the results I can't speak to the doctor until another apt so I made one for next week then I'll find out more info. No I've never had hypothyroidism just very tired and in pain a lot, I thought was depression so he put me on Wellbutrin just got results all blood work was good bedsides thyirod

My wife has that. Shes goes for blood work like every 6 months or so and has a medication she takes. She can tell when it needs adjusted cause she gets tired alot. She lives another wise normal life.

SLLRunner

.

tomatoey

There's good information to read around here:
http://www.hormone.org/diseases-and-conditions/thyroid

blkandwhite77

No advice but prayers sent your way