Thyroid tests are normal?? Are you sure?

[RavenG]

Originally Posted by nonstickpam107

I don't think your FT4 looks anywhere near normal. And TSH can vary up to three points in any given day. It looks as if you have a long way to go...meaning this will take time. Plus it's not enough to lower TSH, just enough to raise the FT3.

Also, you want to test almost exactly four hours after you have taken first split dosage to get accurate FT3 testing..it looks as if you tested right after taking it (within a couple of hours).

Pam

Okay...thanks for your help....I did take the Armour (full dose, not split) at 5:00 am and the blood was drawn around 7:15 am. I do know better than to look at the TSH numbers when I'm on Armour...just wasn't expecting it to be that high I guess I'm re-reading all of the previous pages of this sticky and cutting and pasting stuff into a Word document that I want to remember. I'll be calling the doctor this week and telling her to up my dosage before my next appointment with her in three weeks. In your opinion, would you ask for 1/2 grain increase or full grain? I know you're supposed to go slow with any increase and that you're not a medical doctor but I value your experience, knowledge and opinion.

Thanks again!

[RubenO]

Originally Posted by nonstickpam107

Hi Ruben, are those labs AFTER taking the Armour? You could prolly handle a full grain of Armour (split..half in am, half in pm). And you should know that one grain (60mg.) of Armour contains 37mcg. of T4 and 9mg of T3 (so you're on half of that, meaning you aren't coming close to being able to have enough Armour to help ya...my DH is on 4 grains, to give you an idea).

It means once you are optimized on the correct dosage of Armour you may feel normal enough to exercise, eat well and lose some weight. Thyroid isn't all about weight. It's about outlook and feeling well enough to put effort into weightloss.

You big guys tend to lose weight quickly once you start a lowcarb lifestyle with support..we see that here at LCF. (Not lookin' at the rest of your labs cuz I just don't have time).

Pam

Hi Pam,

Thanks for your reply, those are the lab tests before Armour. They started me off with 32.5 Mg of Armour every morning 30 minutes prior eating. Today is my third morning taking it.

Besides the massive amount of weight I carry around, honestly, I don't feel bad in general like everyone talks about here. In fact, I feel completely fine and have an active lifestyle. If I am suppose to feel better than I do now, then I have no idea what to expect. My only real complaint now is my weight and sweating doing simple things like changing a lightbulb or bending over. Besides that, I feel pretty good.

Ruben

[Jesse MS3GT]

Hello, my name is Jesse and I am 24 years old. I apologize for the long post but I have some ideas and questions if anyone cares to comment on them. I have cliffs at bottom if you dont care to read all of this rambling.

I have read the first post in this thread, and also the thread entitled "Those seeking thyroid help/advice..." and I understand the frustration that must be caused by us folk registering on here just for thyroid issues, but most searches I have done on thyroid levels direct here or to about.com

I have been diagnosed with depression since I was 14. I have low energy, joint pains, muscle pain and many other symptoms of a thyroid or endocrine condition. Acne, hair loss, insomnia then sleeping for long periods of time. Losing weight during the winter and gaining during summer(backwards?) etc and so fourth. When I exercise I have less energy afterward and actually fall asleep. I nod off while driving very often as well.

I have had my thyroid TSH levels tested by two different doctors, both of whom said I was in the normal range, but will not show me the results. I had a cortisol level test done and was told it was normal. Both doctors pinpoint my problems to depression, but I have recently read up on fibromyalgia and its link to thyroid dysfunction. My mother suffers from depression and also was finally diagnosed with fibro after 5 years of complaints. She was always told “its your depression” or “its all in your head” by many doctors before being diagnosed by a specialist.

This further leads me to believe I may have a thyroid problem, and that is the cause of my depression rather than my depression causing all my other symptoms. I have been on paxil, lexapro, zoloft and prozac... None of them helped my fatigue, pain, low libido(actually worsened it) and all basically turn me into a zombie. Course my doctors just want to throw another SSRI or SNRI my way and shove me out the door. They will write me ANY prescription I want for an anti depressant, but a thyroid hormone? Nope, wont even allow a trial for that.

Anyway I have told both the doctors I have read on a few medical websites the normal range for a TSH level result doesnt constitute my thyroid being healthy. I even brought up the link between thyroid dysfunction and fibro and the fact my mother has fibromyalgia might hint she has had undiagnosed thyroid issues and I might be going down the same path. I cited the about.com article on FT3 FT4 levels… And I even said yeah my TSH levels may be normal, but that doesn’t mean by thyroid is able to use the hormones its producing. As usual I was dismissed as being a depressed person with too much time on his hands who should "Not be reading medical material on the internet diagnosing himself". I agree with having too much time, as this post proves, but whatever

I even brought up fluorides effects on the human body and was told I was silly for thinking fluoride was bad at all. Hidden Danger in Your Drinking Water and Toothpaste / Fluoride and Fluoridated Water's Link to Thyroid Disease Tell that to my best friends brother who died of bone cancer and blamed it on fluoride…. I just find it a tad too convenient that soon after 2/3s of the USA's water supplies have been fluoridated coincidentally our population became depressed.

I love this article stating that depression is triggering fibromyalgia(note my sarcasm) Genetic Predisposition Toward Depression May Trigger Fibromyalgia FibroFighters.com’s Weblog Again, I think this belief is backwards... Thyroid dysfunction being misdiagnosed as depression might lead to fibromyalgia since the thyroid was not being treated makes more sense in my "ignorant" opinion. Anyway, has anyone else thought of any of this? Any advice for me on fighting my doctors? They will not test me for t4 or t3 levels like nonstickpam states needs to be done. I feel hopeless!

Again I apologize for this absurdly long post…

Cliffs: Doctors blame my symptoms on depression and cite the TSH levels as gospel and no further testing is needed.
I have been on paxil, lexapro zoloft and prozac -nothing helps and I turn into a zombie with no libido
I have cited the about.com article and pointed out many other factors that should be considered and have been simply dismissed. Nothing I say will get them to continue testing my thyroid, but they will give me anti depressants as if I were a kid in a candy store with an unlimited budget.

Oh what to do? ha

[pennylovesdarren]

Originally Posted by nonstickpam107

I don't think your FT4 looks anywhere near normal. And TSH can vary up to three points in any given day. It looks as if you have a long way to go...meaning this will take time. Plus it's not enough to lower TSH, just enough to raise the FT3.

Also, you want to test almost exactly four hours after you have taken first split dosage to get accurate FT3 testing..it looks as if you tested right after taking it (within a couple of hours).

Pam

So taking a dosage relatively close to being tested throws off the results?