Weird lab results

Options
Is anyone still around?

I had some weird lab results. I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism (suspected Hashimoto's, but haven't actually been tested) about 4 years ago, I think. I started out on Synthroid 50, and after gaining a bit of weight (due to poor self-care mostly) I had it upped to 75. I have now gained more weight (about 40 pounds in the last year. This time due to Abilify usage) and when we tested my TSH I expected to have to go up to 100. Instead, my levels were showing me as possibly needing to have my meds DECREASED! I was kind of shocked. We're testing again in January before we make any changes, but I am at a loss. Has this happened to anyone else? I'm hoping he'll do a full thyroid panel in Jan, and not just TSH, so he can see the whole picture.

As an aside, I switched from Abilify to Latuda about 3 months ago, and my weight gain tapered off. Now, to get the scale to move in the other direction...lol

Replies

  • ActiveApril
    ActiveApril Posts: 73 Member
    Options
    If he doesn't order the full thyroid panel, consider getting it yourself. The place I usually order is healthcheckusa.com. It's like pulling teeth to get my doctor to also order free t4 and free t3, which is way more useful than the TSH test, imo.
  • allergictodiets
    allergictodiets Posts: 233 Member
    Options
    Are your non-thyroid drugs known to interact with thyroid medication? Maybe it would be worth checking, it could be a good argument for getting a dosage increase. And what was your TSH level? Different doctors use different reference ranges.
  • RedBec7
    RedBec7 Posts: 42 Member
    Options
    I have a similar issue. I have Hashimoto's. My thyroid levels (free T3 and free T4) are always in the low to low normal range and I seem to have mostly hypothyroid symptoms and never feel right anymore. But my TSH for the last couple of years has been close to zero which makes zero sense. My doctor and her PA will test for T3 and T4 because I ask them to but they really only seem to look at the TSH and want to lower my meds all the time because the TSH is so low. They just assume I'm hyperthyroid without paying attention to the thyroid hormones. They just won't look at the full picture.
    I think there must be another issue, maybe pituitary, because my TSH, T4 and T3 shouldn't all be low at the same time. It's on the top of my list of things to address in 2016 but I'm honestly just so tired of dealing with doctors at this point that I'm almost ready to just accept being a mess.
    Weight loss is all but impossible right now unless I starve myself.
  • AlyssaDarby13
    AlyssaDarby13 Posts: 158 Member
    edited December 2015
    Options
    It was 0.488, the last time he had checked them (before the most recent time) he did the full panel and t3 and t4 were normal. That was a year ago at this point.

    When I go in next month I will insist on a full panel.

    As far as I know none of my other medications or supplements mess with thyroid levels. And I try to stay pretty on top of stuff like that.
  • AlyssaDarby13
    AlyssaDarby13 Posts: 158 Member
    Options
    In case anyone was wondering, he did a full panel and it came back perfect on all accounts. Still no idea what happened there, but I'm glad it seems to have sorted itself out.