Hypothyroid Blood Test Help

First, let me wave a big "I'm Not a Doctor" flag here - I definitely don't want to give you medical advice. I'm a second year medical student so I know like... a teensy tiny little sliver of medicine. The BEST thing for you to do would be to ask your doctor if there's anything other tests that should be run. Whether or not it's your thyroid, extreme fatigue is not normal, and just because your TSH was okay doesn't mean you should just stop looking for stuff.

As for whether you would need another test to check for hypothyroidism... there's basically three kinds of hypothyroidism you can have - primary, secondary and tertiary. If you have primary hypothyroidism, there's actually a problem in your thyroid with the production of T3 and T4 so your TSH would have shown up sky high as it attempts to stimulate a thyroid that isn't working properly. Secondary hypothyroidism is when your pituitary gland is failing to produce TSH at all which would mean that your TSH would have shown up crazy low. Tertiary hypothyroidism is when your hypothalamus never releases thyrotropin-releasing hormone which is the hormone that stimulates TSH. Tertiary hypothyroidism could potentially give a normal read on TSH. However, 95% of cases of hypothyroidism are primary so it would be pretty unusual to have one of the other kinds - but again, not impossible!!

Like I said - keep talking with your doctor. There's obviously something up - no one is supposed to feel sick or weak all the time! Whether it's your thyroid or something else, work with her to get it fixed! Hope that helped, and hope you get to feeling better!

I second seeing the endocrinologist if you're not a fan of your GP. They're the specialists, so they would know better. Has your doc noticed an enlarged thyroid at all? Both my endo and my GP are always feeling my throat.

I've been hypo for about 10 years now, but I haven't needed other tests. I have heard of people saying they're fatigued and have the symptoms but their tests come back fine, so maybe something else is up. Good luck, and hope they figure it out!

I have hypothyroidism, too. Something to keep in mind is that just because your numbers are in the right range doesn't mean that range works for you. My TSH has to be at most 2.3 for me to feel good, but twice that is still considered in the acceptable range. The numbers are helpful, but that shouldn't be the be all end all.

Well I've heard from others that you need to get a full thyroid panel, not just TSH. T3, T4, reverse T3, and thyroid antibodies, or something like that? auto something? I dont really know... I just, I've been so weak, and have had awful digestive problems. I get really lightheaded a lot, and have trouble swallowing normally. I'm always cold, and my hair is thinning out really badly. I just... I don't know. Been getting really depressed. I just wish I knew what to do.

Again - have you tried reaching out to your physician and saying you still don't feel well? Maybe I'm still steeped in med school optimism, but it seems like since you're feeling that terrible, you're doctor would want run some additional tests, whether thyroid related or otherwise.

I've run the gamut from hyperthyroidism (which was initially diagnosed as anemia) all the way to no thyroid function at all. You really do need a complete panel to diagnose any thyroid issues. My initial TSH was the signal to go down this road further, but nothing was definitive until I found a doctor willing to run a full panel.

When I was first tested for hypothyroidism I was "normal" too. I struggled with symptoms for a few years after that until finally my thyroid gave up and my TSH shot up over 100! Then they started me on medication. Now, if my TSH is over about 1.8 I have symptoms. Normal varies by lab from 3 to 5.9, if your number is above 3 then getting the other tests run could help pinpoint if that TSH level is too high for you. My T4 is low when my TSH is above 2, but that would seem "normal" and be acceptable if all they tested was TSH.

I had been dealing with my hypothyroidism for about 5 years when eventually I switched to a mostly grain free diet. We did it for a few reasons, one being my husband and my son, they have a lot of gastro issues. They have since been diagnosed as having a non-celiac gluten intolerance. After we stopped having a lot of grains at home I was able to really lose a lot of weight and start to feel so much better. It reduced my hypothyroid symptoms. Eventually I did some reading and learned that there is a potential link to food intolerance and hypothyroid. People that have hypothyroidism can have digestive issues too. So, the gastro may be on to something that they are linked.

Well I've heard from others that you need to get a full thyroid panel, not just TSH. T3, T4, reverse T3, and thyroid antibodies, or something like that? auto something? I dont really know... I just, I've been so weak, and have had awful digestive problems. I get really lightheaded a lot, and have trouble swallowing normally. I'm always cold, and my hair is thinning out really badly. I just... I don't know. Been getting really depressed. I just wish I knew what to do.

Again - have you tried reaching out to your physician and saying you still don't feel well? Maybe I'm still steeped in med school optimism, but it seems like since you're feeling that terrible, you're doctor would want run some additional tests, whether thyroid related or otherwise.

I really want to, but I'm kind of scared of my doctor. She will not listen to anything I say. I gave her all of the symptoms from the beginning, and she told me, it's just how your body is. You're always going to be like this. I don't agree with that, since a little over a year ago I felt amazing.

Definitely find a new physician, pronto.