# Typo in book re: FT3?



## HeidiBR (Apr 4, 2010)

Is the following a typo? It is from:

Rothfeld, Gerald, M.D. and Deborah S. Romaine. Thyroid Balance: Traditional and Alternative Methods for Treating Thyroid Disorders. Avon, MA: Adams Media, 2003. P. 53.

I have put in *bold* the text that I think is in error.

"Free T3 (FT3) measures the amount of free (unbound) T3 in your blood. *Higher-than-normal values suggest underactive thyroid, and lower-than-normal values suggest overactive thyroid. *T3 levels are more sensitive and change more quickly than T4 levels."

Really? I thought if one's T3 is in the basement, it means that is a symptom of hypothyroid and not hyper.


----------



## Phoenix (Mar 20, 2010)

Yeah, the book has it backwards for the FT3.

It is the TSH that is higher with hypothyroidism and lower with hyperthyroidism.

Phoenix


----------



## CA-Lynn (Apr 29, 2010)

Heidi,

I agree with your understanding and that the book has an error. Time to contact the author or publisher.

This source validates what you and I believe to be true:
http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/t3/test.html

Note that:
"When you are sick, your body decreases production of T3 from T4. Most people who are sick enough to be in the hospital will have a low T3 or free T3 level. For this reason, doctors do not usually use T3 as a routine thyroid test for patients in hospitals."

Lynn


----------



## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

HeidiBR said:


> Is the following a typo? It is from:
> 
> Rothfeld, Gerald, M.D. and Deborah S. Romaine. Thyroid Balance: Traditional and Alternative Methods for Treating Thyroid Disorders. Avon, MA: Adams Media, 2003. P. 53.
> 
> ...


Boy; you have "nailed" a mighty big error! Of course you are right and they are incorrect. Wow! That is a huge publishing error!!


----------



## HeidiBR (Apr 4, 2010)

I will indeed contact the publisher, although I hope that it is already aware of the error.

Lynn, thanks for the link!

I was reading somewhere else (which book exactly eludes me) that if you test positive for thyroid antibodies, the presence of the antibodies can throw off thyroid testing. Do you think that is true?


----------

