# new and have labs



## melissab (Mar 23, 2011)

I've cross posted in the introductions forum http://www.thyroidboards.com/showthread.php?t=2941

..I posted there before I realized there was a separate place for posting labs. :confused0079:

Thank you

Hi, I am a newbie here...I have been on a few other message boards and I think that might be adding to my confusion and feeling of being overwhelmed.

I'm not sure where to start so I will just...start!

My Doc is great as far as being willing to work with me on however I decide to treat, problem is she has no true advice and openly admits we are in territory she doesn't understand. I need to stay with her b/c it is an affordable "clinic" type place, plus she has been the only doc I have seen in some 20+ yrs...not a big fan of the medical field ( please, no offense intended to folks here, just my opinion and experience).

So- I am 40 yr next month, female. I am not a meat eater, though I do partake in organic free range dairy and eggs. ( this is worth noting when you see my high iron apparently)

Went to doc last month finally after having several month long episodes of stomach trouble spread over several years...the last one "took me down"....feeling gut kicked, extreme nausea, exhaustion from the sick feeling, irregular bowels where I had been clockwork before....

Before relenting and going to the doc, I tried taking away my supplements one at a time, then different suspect foods one at a time ( peanuts, grains, dairy), then replacing them back slowly one at a time...to no avail.

It seems to others that observe to be stress related, though I feel sometimes it comes out of the blue with no connection to anything. ( have started journaling to see if I can find a connection to something)

Anywho- I requested a bunch of labs, one of which unintentionaly included thyroid...I came up with TSH of 5.18, among other things ( see labs). Add to this, apparently my level has BEEN around 5 since at least 2003, the farthest back we could see this in lab results in my files...2003 was 5.000, 2006 was 4.680. The recent 5.18 flagged only b/c the lab is going with lower standards now.

As my research over this thryroid thing expanded I requested more labs and my doc has been kind enough to comply so far. I am very lucky.

Anyway, I don't "feel" classic hypO...there is NO hair loss, weight gain, exhaustion ( other than when my stomach acts up), or other classic symptoms at all. In fact, I joke that I have 2 speeds- GO! and STOP. I can go go go for hours and as a small business owner I do physical labor for a living ( landscape construction), but when I sit in the evening, everything better be done, b/c as soon as I hit the couch or bed, its snoozeville- boots on or off, doesn't matter! ..and I am a good sleeper, too...8 hours no problem.

I DO, however, find that 3 life long issues *seem* to be thyroid issues...since I was a child, all through youth, teenage, young adult up until current I have dealt with depression, chronic muscle pain and hypoglycemia.

One way or another- and one helluva LONG journey later, I have all 3 "under control" to date via proper diet, natural supplements and I take BC pill to control the depression. ( I know it is awful, but the other option is NOT pretty...hoping once I start thyroid treatment, I may be able to stop the BC pill)

So, that brings me to current...

Since getting these lab results I AM taking 5000iu Vit D3 twice a day, I have lowered my iron in a multivit chewable from 18mg to 5 mg. Re-testing these this week after 6 weeks of changes.

I Am NOT taking any thyroid treatment at all, nor have I ever at this point.

Otherwise, my supplements include gluc/chond/msm liquid, antioxidant liquid, omega 3-6-9 gel cap, chewable multivitamin, Vit D3 gel cap, whey protein powder and taurine.

I am considering selenium and am testing this week to see if I am low or not. I am also considering tyrosine, but have only just started researching this.

I am including my labs below hoping for some feedback, direction and/or suggestions.

Just fyi, I would much prefer a natural treatment over synthetic if I have a choice. I have a supply of natural dessicated thyroid- Erfa, that is unopened in the cupboard to start once I figure out if it is appropriate. ( I was advised along the way that I need T3 only for a time- but not sure why)

Thank you very much for looking and taking the time to reply.

Melissa

These lab results flagged:

HDL 38 (39+) (Flagged LOW)

TSH 5.18 ( 0.45 - 4.500) (Flagged HIGH)

Vitamin D, 25 Hydroxy 28.5 (32.0 - 100.0) (Flagged LOW)

CRP 6.3 (0.0 - 4.9) (flagged HIGH)

Iron Serum 158 (35 - 155) (flagged HIGH)

Cortisol PM 1.6 (0.4 - 1.0) (flagged HIGH)

All lab test results:

Iron TIBC 345 (250 - 450)

UIBC 187 (150 - 375)

Iron Serum 158 (35 - 155) (flagged HIGH)

Iron Saturation 46 (12 - 55)

Ferritin 69 (13 -150)

Magnesium RBC 4.8 (4.2 - 6.8)

NO Potassium RBC available

Vitamin D, 25 Hydroxy 28.5 (32.0 - 100.0) (Flagged LOW)

Vitamin B-12 757 (211 - 946)

Folate >19.9 (>3) (2.2 - 3.0 Indeterminate, <2.2 Deficient)

TSH 5.18 ( 0.45 - 4.500) (Flagged HIGH)

Free T4 0.98 (0.82 - 1.77)

T4 8.3 (4.5 - 12.0)

Reverse T3 205 (90 - 350)

Free T3 2.9 (2.0 - 4.4)

Antithyroglobulin (TgAb) <20 (0 - 40)

Thyroid Peroxide (TPO) 20 (0 - 34)

Rheumatoid Arthritis Factor 6.9 (0.0 - 13.9)

CRP 6.3 (0.0 - 4.9) (flagged HIGH)

SED rate 0 (0-20)

DHEA 135.7 (60.9 - 337.0)

Testosterone <0.2 (0.0 - 2.2)

Celiac:
Deamidated Glidan Abs, IgA 3 units (0 -19) (negative)
Deamidated Glidan Abs, IgG 4 units (0 - 19) (negative)
t-Transglutaminase tTG, IgA <2 (0 - 3 negative, 4 - 10 weak positive)
t-Transglutaminase tTG, IgG <2 (0 - 5 negative)
Endomysial Antibody IgA Negative ( Negative)
Immunoglobulin A, Qn, Serum 162 (70 - 400)

Electrolyte Panel:
Sodium serum 140 (135 - 145)
Potassium serum 4.1 (3.5 - 5.2)
Chloride serum 106 (97 - 108)
Carbon dioxide 22 (20 - 32)
Calcium serum 9.0 (8.7 - 10.2)
Magnesium serum 2.3 (1.6 - 2.6)

Cortisol panel:

AM 7.4 (3.7 - 9.5)
Noon 1.6 (1.2 - 3.0)
Eve. 1.4 (0.6 - 1.9)
PM 1.6 (0.4 - 1.0) (flagged HIGH)


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## lainey (Aug 26, 2010)

I'm "cross posting" my response to your first post. Please pick ONE place to continue 

Technically, you are "clinical" when you have symptoms.

So, am I correct that your TSH has been about the same for the last seven years, and you are having no major issues with energy or other "thyroid" symptoms? If you don't really have symptoms, then are you "clinically" hypothyroid based on the TSH alone? Something to think about:

The TSH range is a curve, shaped like a bell, with a majority of people falling around 1.0--here's a link to an article, specifically the graph:

http://jcem.endojournals.org/cgi/con...l/90/9/5489/F2

I'm saying this so that you keep in mind that it is possible to feel well with a higher TSH, there is a wide normal range and that could be normal for you. Your Free T4 and T3 values are also in range, while on the lower end (btw, I am medicated to around your lab values, and I am like you, I GO all day and drop dead to sleep, get up and do it again).

I'm not saying you shouldn't try thyroid treatment, or that you don't have a problem (you do have a smattering of TPO antibodies). However, I would try to have my GI symptoms evaluated by a gastroenterologist first, only because these are more recent, and your TSH has been this level for quite a lot longer, and they may not necessarily be related-- the GI problems could be their own issue, you should try to isolate that because treating the thyroid isn't really a direct solution.

I'm sure others will suggest a lot of antibodies tests (you haven't had the thyroglobulin or thyroid stimulating antibodies run yet, and there are several secondary sets of antibodies as well), RAIU scans and thyroid sonograms. You can test for all of these things and see if there are structural problems with your thyroid. These can help with a diagnosis. Occasionally people have several types of thyroid antibodies, and these can work in concert, blocking and binding each other.

If you don't eat meat, are you using soy as your protein source? Soy mimics estrogen in the body, and binds to thyroid hormone, and in some people inhibits thyroid function. You may want to evaluate your diet from this standpoint, and also for iodine. Many people mistakenly over supplement with iodine, because iodine deficiency causes hypothyroidism. However, rarely are people in the western world iodine deficient and instead, mildly elevated iodine levels can inhibit thyroid function and very high iodine levels can induce hyperthyroidism.

"Natural" thyroid products are only that in the sense that they come from an animal source, they do not simulate the natural production of thyroid hormone in the body. Your thyroid produces primarily T4, which is converted in the body to the active T3 hormone. "Natural" products contain T4 AND T3, and in a higher ratio of T4/T3 than is normally found in the body. Of course people love these medications because they give them an instant boost to their energy, but they circumvent the natural conversion process in the body. Only rarely do people convert the synthetic T4 only medications poorly, and it's not possible to tell if you are one of those people until you have tried the the synthetic first. In addition, the "natural" hormones tend to produce skewed lab results--free T3 must be measured because the TSH and FT4 values will be suppressed. This medication needs to be prescribed by a practitioner that is familiar with this result.

question: where does this come from >>I was advised along the way that I need T3 only for a time- but not sure why << ?? If you want "natural" replacement, it's part of the medication. You really don't need the T3 to start anyway, your body will make it from the T4 regardless.


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