# Fluctuating TSH / thyroid - normal or weird?



## patience (Jan 26, 2010)

I've looked at previous thyroid questions before but couldn't find any that answered my specific questions... and I know, YANMD. I'll be seeing a doctor next week - but then, I've also seen about 3 doctors this year, with varying results.

I was diagnosed with CFS at the beginning of this year. As a teenager, I went through a period of subclinical hypothyroidism for about a year or so. During the past two years (I'm in my early twenties now), I started experiencing some symptoms of hypothyroidism, the more persistent symptoms being coldness and numbness in extremities, fatigue, dry skin, low blood pressure, hair loss, cold intolerance, constipation, increased sleepiness, inability to concentrate/focus and depression. About 3 months ago, I got my TSH and free T4 tested - which turned out to be 5.082 mIU/L and 14.48 pmol/L respectively. Six and a half weeks after that test, I had another thyroid test done: my TSH was 2.21 mIU/L, free T4 was 18.65 pmol/L and T3 (which hadn't been tested previously) was 1.32 nmol/L.

I had no treatment between the tests (the tests were administered by different doctors), and to my memory, did not make any changes to my diet or the supplements (vitamins and minerals) I was taking. For each test, the doctor administering the test pronounced me healthy and said I had no thyroid problems.

Up until now, I've figured my symptoms were/are just part of the CFS. But I was just looking at the test results again and wondering why my TSH and free T4 seem to fluctuate quite a bit (?) within 6.5 weeks when I didn't really make any changes to my diet or lifestyle, let alone take any hormone supplements. Is this normal? Am I overthinking this?


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## chopper (Mar 4, 2007)

Fluctuations like that are usually consistent with hashimotos. You need to get TPO Ab and TG Ab antibodies tests to know for sure. Sounds like it to me.


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

patience said:


> I've looked at previous thyroid questions before but couldn't find any that answered my specific questions... and I know, YANMD. I'll be seeing a doctor next week - but then, I've also seen about 3 doctors this year, with varying results.
> 
> I was diagnosed with CFS at the beginning of this year. As a teenager, I went through a period of subclinical hypothyroidism for about a year or so. During the past two years (I'm in my early twenties now), I started experiencing some symptoms of hypothyroidism, the more persistent symptoms being coldness and numbness in extremities, fatigue, dry skin, low blood pressure, hair loss, cold intolerance, constipation, increased sleepiness, inability to concentrate/focus and depression. About 3 months ago, I got my TSH and free T4 tested - which turned out to be 5.082 mIU/L and 14.48 pmol/L respectively. Six and a half weeks after that test, I had another thyroid test done: my TSH was 2.21 mIU/L, free T4 was 18.65 pmol/L and T3 (which hadn't been tested previously) was 1.32 nmol/L.
> 
> ...


Hello and welcome. Well; I think you have a thyroid problem. How do you like that? AACE recommends the TSH range to be 0.3 to 3.0.. And you are fluctuationg and you "do" have clinical symptoms.

You have a history of thyroid problems. If it walks like a duck, talks like a duck....................well; you know the rest.

I believe you would benefit from antibodies' testing ................

The lab tests listed are helpful when it comes to sorting things out.

TSH, FREE T3, FREE T4, TPO (antimicrosomal antibodies), ANA (antinuclear antibodies), TSI (thyroid stimulating immunoglobulin) and Thyroglobulin Ab as well as thyroid binding inhibitory immunoglobulins (TBII.)

You can look all of the above up here so you know what they are for........
http://www.labtestsonline.org/

And...........I know it is an inconvenience but I really cannot tell much if anything about the other tests for different labs use different ranges so if you can, the ranges would be so appreciated. TSH is sort of standard but we still like to see the range that your lab is using for that as well.

And then I always have to ask, "If your doctor says it is not the thyroid, to what does he/she attribute your unwellness to?" You have some very obvious clinical symptoms.

Why do you think you had subclinical hypo as a teen?


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