Thyroid Tested Normal?

Options
135

Replies

  • islamcneill
    islamcneill Posts: 1
    Options
    Hello!

    I have hyperthyroidism. Which is I guess the coveted (if there is one) of the thyroid diseases. But thats not so. I constantly battle with weight gain because my medicine likes to over kill. Which I kind of why I joined this site to maintain my weight level.

    But it sounds to me like it is definatly a thyroid related issue. If you are talking to a regular physician, beg and plead him to refer you to an endocrinologist. If it turns out we are right and you have hypothyroidism, then that is wonderful! Well not really of course, but on the bright side it is because the meds he will perscribe you will help soooo much with loosing weight. But if not, then maybe you do have a slow metabolism.

    If that is true and you are at a point in your life where you are just like willing to do whatever it takes to be back to your healthy weight, maybe surgery is an option? I have someone very close to me in my life who did the gastric bypass and it is amazing. You loose weight and the weight stays off!

    So please don't think of this as some impossible curse but more of another challenge that you WILL over come.:smile:
  • enchantedraisin
    enchantedraisin Posts: 15
    Options
    So please don't think of this as some impossible curse but more of another challenge that you WILL over come.:smile:

    :smile:
  • islandmonkey
    islandmonkey Posts: 546 Member
    Options
    Have you considered that it was your eating habits and lifestyle that has caused you to be "thick" you're whole life?

    ^ this is a serious question. Not trying to be snarky.

    Eta: if it tested normal, then why is there even any question that it is a glandular problem still. Additionally you said you tried to up your iodine levels with sea kelp. Have you considered it didn't have an effect because you have a normally functioning thyroid?

    "Normal" is something hotly debated within the thyroid community (medical professionals and patients). The levels posted are NOT normal.

    Also, there are MANY vitamins and minerals involved in creating thyroid hormones, converting them, and your body actually using them. Someone can be hypothyroid without being iodine deficient - in fact, it's incredibly rare to have iodine-deficiency-caused hypothyroidism in the developed world.

    If you don't actually know anything about a topic, please don't just spout off. You can do more harm than good.
  • islandmonkey
    islandmonkey Posts: 546 Member
    Options
    I see a reproductive endo for PCOS!!! poly cystic ovarium syndrom......its a *****. Can casue all the issues you have mentioned........I would get into an endo and get checked

    I would actually suggest that you also get your thyroid checked out. Autoimmune diseases love to travel in packs, and Hashimoto's (autoimmune thyroid disease) loves to travel with PCOS. Many people with PCOS find that getting their thyroid to optimal helps deal with the PCOS.
  • AZKristi
    AZKristi Posts: 1,801 Member
    Options
    x
  • islandmonkey
    islandmonkey Posts: 546 Member
    Options
    That being said, I went to my doctor about this. My other symptoms have been extreme fatigue, brain fog, muscle aches, dry brittle hair (although my nails are just fine), general unwell feeling. After a lot of research it just looks to me like hypothyroid.

    He tested me and my results were:
    TSH: 3.63
    Free T4: 1.7

    My Dr told me my thyroid is healthy because the ranges they were using were 0.30-4.7 for TSH, and 0.75-2.0 for Free T4.

    Your doctor is wrong. Wrong, and not at ALL knowledgeable enough about thyroids to be treating yours. I would suggest you start looking around NOW for a new doctor. Don't assume endos will be good with thyroids - they often just specialize in diabetes - but keep looking.

    In 2002 the "normal range" for TSH was changed to .3-3.0, and many educated thyroid doctors argue that the top should be 2.5, or even as low as 2.0. Personally, I don't feel well unless it's at least below 1.0.

    Here's the thing though, and why people get confused around "my TSH is high so my thyroid is low" -- TSH is NOT a thyroid hormone, it's a pituitary hormone. TSH stands for Thyroid Stimulating Hormone. So why is your doctor diagnosing your thyroid based on a pituitary hormone? Because he/she doesn't know enough about thyroids.

    So what next?
    Find a doctor who will retest your thyroid - TSH, free T3, and free T4. You want to make sure it's the "free" and not "total" for the T3/T4 tests. Honestly, your levels look odd to me. That's definitely a hypothyroid TSH result, but a pretty high free T4. I'm wondering if there was a lab error, or if there's something else going on.

    If your results come back again with higher TSH and higher free T4, then you need to get them to check your pituitary further, because you might have a pituitary gland issue. It's pretty rare, but that's how they find it.

    If you can, make sure to quantify your symptoms when you talk to a new doctor. Ex: instead of just saying you're tired all the time, say "I sleep 10-12 hours each night, and still don't feel refreshed".


    T4 is essentially the "storage" form of thyroid hormone. Your body then needs to convert it into T3, which is the "active" hormone that acts on all your cells, and is like the key in the ignition to make them "go". That's why it's so important to get your free T3 tested.

    I'd also suggest that you get your Vit D levels tested. T3 needs Vit D to do its job, and most N. Americans are very deficient. You want to aim for a test level of 60-80, and not just the 30+ to get you "within normal range". "Within normal range" and "optimal" are often 2 very different things -- especially when it comes to thyroids. (Primarily because when they set the normal ranges they included people who were undiagnosed hypothyroid, so it skewed the ranges).
  • islandmonkey
    islandmonkey Posts: 546 Member
    Options
    Thank you everyone! Has anyone had any success with natural supplements? Like Sea Kelp? I tried it...didn't seem to have any affect on me.

    Many people know that thyroid issues and iodine are linked in some way, but they aren't aware of how - so they generically say "take iodine to help your thyroid".

    Iodine is the building block for your thyroid hormones - T4 and T3 (in fact, the # represents the # of iodine molecules making up the hormone). While there are some cases of iodine deficiency causing hypothyroid, it is VERY rare in the developed world. Sea kelp would only help someone whose thyroid issues are due to iodine deficiency.

    In fact, taking TOO much iodine can actually impair thyroid function further.
  • sweetcurlz67
    sweetcurlz67 Posts: 1,168 Member
    Options

    it is possible to lose weight when you have hypo, but it's ridiculously hard. Especially when you don't have the energy there to begin with.

    I have NO thyroid ~ it was removed due to thyroid cancer (2005). I am hypothyroid. Struggle(d) with my levels. On top of that, I am VERY Anemic! Just this past week, my blood dr said one of my levels was so low it was practically at ZERO. So when you talk about no energy...


    However, I am here to tell you that (as this poster states)... It IS possible to lose weight WITH hypothyroidism AND Anemia! I've done it and am doing it! As I'm typing this, yes, I'm tired. However, I'm fighting through. I work out and push myself because I want to get healthy. To me, it's a mental game. I have a workout schedule. I go. If I'm tired, tough. I go anyway, and feel soooo good that I went! It may be difficult, but it's NOT impossible.

    I do agree with others that you should see an endocrinologist.

    Best of luck to you!!! :flowerforyou:
  • Kndra328
    Kndra328 Posts: 1 Member
    Options
    I was diagnosed with Hashimotos disease (aka Hypothyroid) in Oct 11. My TSH was 2.77. Even with an enlarged thyroid that was diagnosed on an MRI, the 1st endo I saw refused to treat me. I was at the upper end of the limit of 3.0.

    TSH is a very poor indicator of thyroid function. You need to have a complete panel done that includes your Thyroid anti-bodies. Mine were off the chart.

    I got a 2nd opinion from a recommended endo who was much more progressive in her treatment and started me on Levoxyl the day she saw me.

    I just had a follow up appointment a few weeks ago and my TSH is now .08 and I feel like myself again. I had so many Dr's tell me " Of course you are tired, you have to kids under 2."

    But I KNEW that I didn't feel right.

    Check out Mary Shoman on about.com. She is a GREAT resource.

    Good luck and DON'T take just one Drs opinion. Find an Endocrinologist who treats on how you feel and not lab values.

    If you have any questions you can send me a PM or reply.
  • azrrt76
    azrrt76 Posts: 59 Member
    Options
    That being said, I went to my doctor about this. My other symptoms have been extreme fatigue, brain fog, muscle aches, dry brittle hair (although my nails are just fine), general unwell feeling. After a lot of research it just looks to me like hypothyroid.

    He tested me and my results were:
    TSH: 3.63
    Free T4: 1.7

    My Dr told me my thyroid is healthy because the ranges they were using were 0.30-4.7 for TSH, and 0.75-2.0 for Free T4.

    Your doctor is wrong. Wrong, and not at ALL knowledgeable enough about thyroids to be treating yours. I would suggest you start looking around NOW for a new doctor. Don't assume endos will be good with thyroids - they often just specialize in diabetes - but keep looking.

    In 2002 the "normal range" for TSH was changed to .3-3.0, and many educated thyroid doctors argue that the top should be 2.5, or even as low as 2.0. Personally, I don't feel well unless it's at least below 1.0.

    Here's the thing though, and why people get confused around "my TSH is high so my thyroid is low" -- TSH is NOT a thyroid hormone, it's a pituitary hormone. TSH stands for Thyroid Stimulating Hormone. So why is your doctor diagnosing your thyroid based on a pituitary hormone? Because he/she doesn't know enough about thyroids.

    So what next?
    Find a doctor who will retest your thyroid - TSH, free T3, and free T4. You want to make sure it's the "free" and not "total" for the T3/T4 tests. Honestly, your levels look odd to me. That's definitely a hypothyroid TSH result, but a pretty high free T4. I'm wondering if there was a lab error, or if there's something else going on.

    If your results come back again with higher TSH and higher free T4, then you need to get them to check your pituitary further, because you might have a pituitary gland issue. It's pretty rare, but that's how they find it.

    If you can, make sure to quantify your symptoms when you talk to a new doctor. Ex: instead of just saying you're tired all the time, say "I sleep 10-12 hours each night, and still don't feel refreshed".


    T4 is essentially the "storage" form of thyroid hormone. Your body then needs to convert it into T3, which is the "active" hormone that acts on all your cells, and is like the key in the ignition to make them "go". That's why it's so important to get your free T3 tested.

    I'd also suggest that you get your Vit D levels tested. T3 needs Vit D to do its job, and most N. Americans are very deficient. You want to aim for a test level of 60-80, and not just the 30+ to get you "within normal range". "Within normal range" and "optimal" are often 2 very different things -- especially when it comes to thyroids. (Primarily because when they set the normal ranges they included people who were undiagnosed hypothyroid, so it skewed the ranges).

    All great advice!
  • islandmonkey
    islandmonkey Posts: 546 Member
    Options
    He tested me for a variety of things and found that I have low Iron and B12, and mentioned that these things may be impairing the way my mind is functioning. I have been taking supplements for a month and I have seen no improvement

    Sorry for all the responses, but I'm trying to wade through all the crap that's gotten posted here - please don't listen to most of it, your TSH results indicate that you ARE hypothyroid.

    Iron and B12 are critical for converting T4 (the "storage" thyroid hormone) into T3 (the "active" thyroid hormone). This makes a lot more sense in the context of your higher free T4 result. If you are deficient in these your body many be struggling to create T3, and it's the T3 deficiency that makes you have hypothyroid symptoms (cold, brain fog, etc).

    Did your doctor also test your ferritin - iron stores? I'd look at getting Blood Builder or another high quality iron supplement.

    I would also get your Vit D, selenium, and zinc levels tested. Selenium is also involved in converting thyroid hormones, and you can eat 1-2 brazil nuts daily to get what you need. Vit D is much more likely to be low and causing you further issues.
  • 2hobbit1
    2hobbit1 Posts: 820 Member
    Options
    Have you had a glucose tolerance test done as part of your workup - many of the symptoms you mention are present in pre-diabetes or diabetes. You can have a normal fasting blood sugar but if you are developing insulin resistance as in type 2 diabetes you will have an abnormal 2 hour post postprandial sugar.
    If you notice that you'r adding weight when your carbs are up - even if they are "good Carbs" then you may/probably have insulin resistance.
    You do not have to be obese to be a type 2, and you can have it with out realizing it.

    Case in point I was just diagnosed last week - BMI 24 - active with "good diet" add vision changes and dry mouth to your symptoms and that was me at presentation!

    Wow that is really interesting to know!
    He did check everything as far as diabetes goes (because of family history) and thankfully I do not have it!

    He did however say I have low blood sugar at some point (I am not sure if this is the same test...I am terrible at remembering which is which) but he said I need to watch what I eat (which I already do!) and he gave me a Low GI foodlist to follow...Which I already do...

    Do you know what I should do about this? Do I need to cut out these healthy carbs as well?

    If your doc only used a fasting glucose as your screening test then it may be missed. The GTT is the test required since fasting sugar levels maybe normal in early stages of type 2 DM especially in women. How high you spike in relation to the glucose dose is what makes the diabetes. If you did not have to chug that nasty cola/sugar drink and get blood drawn every hour for 4 hours than you probably did not get the full workup.
    If he gave you a GI food list - then you may indeed be pre-diabetic/diabetic - you might want to follow up. A trial of dropping your total carbs per meal to around 30gm and 15 for snacks might be interesting.

    couple of good sites:
    http://lizzysdlounge.com/

    http://community.diabetes.org/

    Meters are inexpensive - and testing can give you a lot of info - especially if it runs in your family.
  • islandmonkey
    islandmonkey Posts: 546 Member
    Options
    I don't mean to hijack this thread but you all seem so knowledgable about this.

    Can stress of a blood test cause a high reading? I am having surgery soon and had to get all kinds of blood work done (and totally freaking out). Everything came back fine except for thyroid (came in at 5.30). Doctor called, sent me for another test called TSH with reflex to free T4. New results were 3.80, so significantly less than the original.

    I have no symptoms of a thyroid problem and have lost over 90lbs since last summer on a LCD (medically monitored).

    My doctor doesn't seem concerned but I will ask about it at my next visit.

    No, TSH should not be impacted by stress. However, TSH can be change by a number of factors and doesn't stay constant even on a single day.

    "TSH w/ reflex free T4" test: this test is unfortunately really terrible. What this means is that they'll use the blood sample to test your TSH, and will ONLY test your free T4 if the TSH comes back "abnormal". However, this doesn't mean they are testing for an OPTIMAL TSH, plus the "normal" range for TSH is hotly debated.

    Both of your TSH results are higher than optimal, and indicate hypothyroid. Please ask to get your free T3 and free T4 tested as well. These should NOT be just "within range", but should be at least mid-range. This is actually quite important for surgery, because thyroid function can impact your body's reaction to the anesthetic. PLEASE mention these test results to the anesthesiologist, and let them know that your are probably mildly (or even moderately) hypothyroid!!
  • islandmonkey
    islandmonkey Posts: 546 Member
    Options
    You're struggling to lose weight because you're eating more calories than you burn or eating to little.

    Stop looking for the answer in the wrong place.


    Ah, I see you've gotten your degree in online medical diagnosis! What university was that through? /sarcasm.

    Please don't make flippant comments like this what you know NOTHING about the individual. Especially since they ARE looking in the right place!!!
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
    Options
    You're struggling to lose weight because you're eating more calories than you burn or eating to little.

    Stop looking for the answer in the wrong place.


    Ah, I see you've gotten your degree in online medical diagnosis! What university was that through? /sarcasm.

    Please don't make flippant comments like this what you know NOTHING about the individual. Especially since they ARE looking in the right place!!!

    I know that everyone with thyroid issues is obese.

    I hope you're kidding.
  • azrrt76
    azrrt76 Posts: 59 Member
    Options
    You're struggling to lose weight because you're eating more calories than you burn or eating to little.

    Stop looking for the answer in the wrong place.


    Ah, I see you've gotten your degree in online medical diagnosis! What university was that through? /sarcasm.

    Please don't make flippant comments like this what you know NOTHING about the individual. Especially since they ARE looking in the right place!!!

    I know that everyone with thyroid issues is obese.

    I hope you're kidding.

    Wow, maybe he can post some more ignorant replies. smh
  • azrrt76
    azrrt76 Posts: 59 Member
    Options
    You're struggling to lose weight because you're eating more calories than you burn or eating to little.

    Stop looking for the answer in the wrong place.


    Ah, I see you've gotten your degree in online medical diagnosis! What university was that through? /sarcasm.

    Please don't make flippant comments like this what you know NOTHING about the individual. Especially since they ARE looking in the right place!!!

    I know that everyone with thyroid issues is obese.

    I hope you're kidding.

    yes i was being sarcastic. Assuming she does have a thyroid condition(which it looks like she doesn't), it shouldn't stop her as the other poster suggested.

    And there it is.... Come on...do you have any REAL knowledge on the subject, sir?
  • azrrt76
    azrrt76 Posts: 59 Member
    Options
    You're struggling to lose weight because you're eating more calories than you burn or eating to little.

    Stop looking for the answer in the wrong place.


    Ah, I see you've gotten your degree in online medical diagnosis! What university was that through? /sarcasm.

    Please don't make flippant comments like this what you know NOTHING about the individual. Especially since they ARE looking in the right place!!!

    I know that everyone with thyroid issues is obese.

    I hope you're kidding.

    yes i was being sarcastic. Assuming she does have a thyroid condition(which it looks like she doesn't), it shouldn't stop her as the other poster suggested.

    And there it is.... Come on...do you have any REAL knowledge on the subject, sir?

    Yes, do you?

    Actually yes, I do.... I have thyroid disease myself...imagine that. I had no choice but to get informed.
  • azrrt76
    azrrt76 Posts: 59 Member
    Options
    You're struggling to lose weight because you're eating more calories than you burn or eating to little.

    Stop looking for the answer in the wrong place.


    Ah, I see you've gotten your degree in online medical diagnosis! What university was that through? /sarcasm.

    Please don't make flippant comments like this what you know NOTHING about the individual. Especially since they ARE looking in the right place!!!

    I know that everyone with thyroid issues is obese.

    I hope you're kidding.

    yes i was being sarcastic. Assuming she does have a thyroid condition(which it looks like she doesn't), it shouldn't stop her as the other poster suggested.

    And there it is.... Come on...do you have any REAL knowledge on the subject, sir?

    Yes, do you?

    Actually yes, I do.... I have thyroid disease myself...imagine that. I had no choice but to get informed.

    That's to bad, but looks like you're losing weight... so what's the problem?

    Where did I say I had a problem?

    The point is that regardless of whether or not she is losing weight having an undiagnosed thyroid disease is not healthy and it effects way more than just metabolism. One Dr's opinion is not the end of her quest in a diagnosis and if there is treatment necessary then she deserves that treatment.
  • camo362
    camo362 Posts: 15
    Options
    I had over 20 (and not even exagerating thyroid tests done a few years ago because my body was acting crazy in spurts.They all were normL RANGHE. When I was younger they said I was borderline hyperthyroid abd as I got older - just in normal range. But my thyroid would sporatically cause major problems with my health (there are just too many to list) but I was in and out of the hospital or doctor for 3 years. Finally after an episode an intern said you are not leaving this hospital until we figure this out. She almost had to release me - but after a last test on something totally unrelated - they found noguals on my thyroid that was the cause of it all. They took my thyroid out and now I just take medication for replacement and I feel like normal again. All the depression, fatrigue, on edge-ness, etc. totally went away. Now it I am in my 40's and just had a baby 19 months ago (a side effect from the surgery - but a good one) so it is just hard for me to see fast results. Bottom line what I am telling you - do not give up - make them keep testing until they find the cause. Go to an endochronologist that is a specialist in just this thing and they will get you the help you need. If you feel something is not right - usually your gut feeling is right.

Categories