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Original poster

Another thyroid question

7 replies

Frugaldougal · 05/04/2012 00:00

I had my thyroid checked in December and the results were borderline,antibodies -negative,tsh-4.85(range 0.30-4.50) and free t4 16(range 11-21).Doctor said to have them re checked in 3 months. I have just had the results and doctor said they are normal,antibodies negative,tsh 2.35, they did not check free t4 this time.So I am wondering is it quite common for the levels to return to normal without any medication? I do feel better than I did in December but still not 100%,really wasn't expecting them to come back normal!

OP posts:
winnybella · 05/04/2012 00:21

I don't know, but I'm in the same situation, with T4 normal, not checked for antibodies and TSH 4.19 (cut off where I live 4.20).

I was also wondering how come you can feel lousy with high (ish) TSH if T4 are at normal level? As far as I understand it it's TSH that enables the body to produce T4 and it's the low (or high) levels of T4 that give symptoms? So even if the body has to work harder i.e. produce more TSH to get the T4 levels right, why would that make us feel tired/have all the other symptoms? Does that make sense?

RockinD · 05/04/2012 13:08

OP, you were definitely hypo in December. Whether you are now iit is impossible to tell without the FT4 and FT3 readings. You may well be as the TSH is still too high, even though it is within range. I would guess that the Path Lab in your area will not test anything else if the TSH is within range which has a major impact on diagnosis and treatment for many people.

If you are still not feeling well, and if you have obvious hypo symptoms and signs, like low basal body temperature or the outside third of your eyebrows disappearing, then it might be worth going back to your doc and asking for a full thryoid function test.

D

Original poster
Frugaldougal · 05/04/2012 20:25

RockinD can you use the ear digital thermometers to do your body temperature? I thought I once read some where that it had to be taken under the arm.

OP posts:
mercibucket · 05/04/2012 20:56

Tsh varies during the day and during the year - higher in winter apparently and during the night (so get tests done early in the day)
It has a very vague relationship with cellular level t3 and blood t4 - I don't understand why we don't test t3 instead of t4 or even worse, just tsh
'Normal' is a bit of a useless term wrt thyroid results as well - take with a pinch of salt!
If you still feel ill, keep going back to gp and perhaps trial levothyroxine. Don't be fobbed off with 'normal'!

mercibucket · 05/04/2012 20:56

Tsh varies during the day and during the year - higher in winter apparently and during the night (so get tests done early in the day)
It has a very vague relationship with cellular level t3 and blood t4 - I don't understand why we don't test t3 instead of t4 or even worse, just tsh
'Normal' is a bit of a useless term wrt thyroid results as well - take with a pinch of salt!
If you still feel ill, keep going back to gp and perhaps trial levothyroxine. Don't be fobbed off with 'normal'!

mercibucket · 05/04/2012 21:38

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/9231055/

The interesting thing for me is the way tsh varies but with little if any change in t4

mercibucket · 05/04/2012 21:38

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/9231055/

The interesting thing for me is the way tsh varies but with little if any change in t4

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