to be disappointed with normal blood test results?

[Cambam2010]

Underactive thyroid runs in my family. I show many of the symptoms of having an underactive thyroid - always cold, always tired, foggy head, carpal tunnel, weight gain, constipation, aches and pains throughout my body.

Whenever I have a thyroid function test the results come back normal and my GP will not carry out a thyroid antibody test because everything else is normal (despite a previous test many years ago showing I had thyroid antibodies). I feel so down about this so I paid for a private blood test that included antibody testing. The results have all come back within the 'normal' range.

I'm now disappointed because although I don't want to be ill, I was hoping for a diagnosis and treatment to make me feel human again and now I have no more ideas as to why I feel so bad.

Go back to your GP. My DH has a serious Thyroid problem and doesn't have most of the symptoms you list.

Although to be fair he maintains his body weight through massive amounts of exercise.

I would have thought those symptoms could well be something else, assuming that you have eliminated any negative diet and lifestyle factors.

I have similar symptoms, but they are down to a sedentary lifestyle, insufficient sleep, a poor diet and age.

try to be happy and positive that you are NOT ill and are in full health. you shouldnt hope to be unwell but be happy and focus on living a good healty life :-)

Can see another GP and ask to be referred to endocrinology .

The fact you have had a positive antibody test does mean you in fact have a thyroid problem.

What are your results?

Bear in mind that "normal" might not really be normal.

I would request specific numbers

I understand completely why you feel upset. Being ill and not having a diagnosis is actually quite a battle and can be scary. You can even start wondering whether it's all in your own head. I know - I have definitely been there.

Hang in! Just because it's not a thyroid issue doesn't mean it's not something else. You need to rule out other possible physical causes for those symptoms, so further blood tests may be needed, and maybe some other tests too.

I hope you get a resolution soon. Sometimes you do have to pester and go back and back, but trust your instincts. You know your body - if you feel this way and you know it's not normal, do keep persisting.

Have you posted on the general health boards? There are some very knowledgeable people on there. It seems that uk 'normal limits' are set very low. There are also lots of other issues such as low vitaminD which can cause a whole raft of symptoms.

I have normal thryroid normal iron within range b12 im always tired foggy brained achy joints its so frustrating i stopped going i felt like a hypochondriact . If you feel ill you feel ill go back

Perimenopause?

You are definitely not being unreasonable. I'm currently suffering from terrible IBS symptoms but all tests come back normal. This is not normal for me though and I feel terrible!

As regards thyroid I went overactive about 10yrs ago and actually I never felt better. I no longer had to battle with my weight, I had more energy and felt great. The "reason" showed up on a routine health check and I got put on carbimazole - the thyroid went back to normal levels but so did my continuous weight battle. In hindsight I wish I had not taken the carbimazole and had trusted how I felt if that makes sense.

Really Matilda? - I just had a blood test thread & got told 'believe your GP if it
says normal it is' response! Actually I believe you I've normally had very supportive replies this was an anomaly

Have you thought about supplementing with Vit D? I say this to everyone as the research is coming out that we need tonnes more than the RDA/we can get in food - an Olympic team (so fit, healthy, good diet & probably outside quite a bit) was checked and over half were medically deficient!!

Have you thought that perhaps you are not ill ?
You have been investigated, and presuming you have had blood tests for vitb12 and ferritin and vit d and these are also normal, i think it is unreasonable to want nhs funded further investigations and a referal to an endocrinologist.

perhaps what tulipgrower said :

'I have similar symptoms, but they are down to a sedentary lifestyle, insufficient sleep, a poor diet and age.'

not all physical symptoms are because of pathological disease .

Thank you for all your replies.

I have in the past been low in Vitamin D and Iron and have had treatment for both. My last blood test showed these to be back in an acceptable level.

Margot - I do not believe I am perimenapausal. I am 38 years old and have felt like this for a long time.

Roonerspism my results were TSH 2.01, T4 Total 73, Free T4 13.65, Free T3 3.68, Anti-Thyroidperoxidase abs 29.5, Anti-Thyroglobulin Abs 18.0, B12 436,

Theredjellybean - I'd like to think that not all my symptoms are in my head. I wake during the night with numb hands, I often have 'white' finger, I get so tired at work that I have to rest my head on the desk to stop me feeling like I am going to fall asleep and have my head hit the desk, I feel so fatigued that I have to drag myself out of bed.

I control my weight by healthy eating but if I take my eye off of what I eat then the weight goes back on very quickly. I am 5'7" and weigh 11stone.

I think it's unhelpful to say that you're not ill just because the tests that have been tried so far don't show abnormal readings. Maybe you need a wider spectrum of blood tests.

There is also a possibility that this could be a psychological illness rather than a physical one. Could you be mildly depressed or anxious? It can have those very real, very physical symptoms that can make a person feel awful.

I just knew this thread was going to be about underactive thryoid before I even opened it. Was expecting to see a TSH

except the hand and finger symptoms - which may well be carpal tunnel syndrome which does not necessarily mean thyroid disease , and your gp can refer you to have this treated; all the rest sound like lifestyle issues.

Loads of us are knackerd a lot of the time , lifestyles these days are hectic and unrelenting and very few people seem to realise this .
If i do not keep to a 1200 calorie diet i gain weight...most people do gain weight is they do not have a healthy diet.

I am not be cruel, simply think that what you report is not actaully that unusual , and focusing on thinking that somehow your normal blood test results are in some way not normal is disengenuously encouraging you to think this is in some way an illness, instead of focusing on the positive.

which is you are not ill, but perhaps you need to think about lifestyle ? can you work less ? what do you do to relax ? can you take care of yourself more ? do you need some holisitic help - yoga for example ?

i must have this conversation at least 4-5 times a week with patients ...'tired all the time' is the number one complaint to see the gp about

Have they tested b12?

You are not your blood test results. I was dismissed by an endochrinologist for ages because my test results were within the normal range (thankfully my GP had trained under a thyroid specialist and was very persistent on my behalf) but as others have said, the normal range may not be what is normal for you. Thyroid disease runs in my family too and my DD has been very lucky to have come under the care of a couple of consultants who are thyroid specialists. Might be worth googling thyroid specialists near you and demanding an appointment

My B12 & Vit D deficiency went for years undiagnosed

My folate & Iron had been treated but it hadn't really worked

So much research is going on atm about establishing more accurate levels (eg B12 is treated if it's below 500 in some countries, below 180 in some UK counties & below 131 in my county - nb I have brain fog so my figures may not be totally accurate)

I have those symptoms and was diagnosed with ME after a lot of blood tests (which included the thyroid)

there I'm happy to see that all my symptoms are just 'lifestyle issues' though .
Maybe I should sleep more (I'm in bed by 8.30pm most nights), do less (I had to stop working full time), stop drinking or smoking (never done any of those) and eat healthily (done too).....
I think most people who are really knackered that it has that sort of influence on the wellbeing and their life has done all of those TBH.....