# Hi, first post, general help needed



## AmyinTheHam (Nov 2, 2011)

Hi! I am 37 years old and was diagnosed by an Endo back two years ago with Hashi's. At that time my thyroid function was still fine. He told me to have it checked annually or if I began to feel bad... Well I am not a great listener.

Three months ago my hair began to fall out, I have been feeling tired for months and decided I better get checked. The first appointment with the Endo was two months off so I went to the OBGYN for testing in the meantime.

Those test results were:
TSH 3.53 (0.4-5.50 normal range)
T3 Uptake 28 (23-37 normal range)
T4 Total 8.4 (4.5-10.9 normal range)
FTI 2.4 (1.4-3.1 normal range)

So of course OBGYN says "all looks good". You all seem really good at these results, would you all think that was all normal?

Thankfully I kept my Endo appt. Today went to him and was told my thyroid is hypo now. I will get and post those results ASAP I forgot today. But I do remember him saying that something is normally less than 60 and mine is in the 700 range.

I start Levothyroxine 75mcg tomorrow. I am hoping it will make me feel better. All the symptoms fit me, moody, tired, forgetful, like another poster stated in her post (also named Amy I think) I have thought it would be better to run away than put my hubby and DD thru my mood swings...

Oh my Endo did a reflex test on my arm, that was pretty cool. You could see how slow my muscle retracted. He said that was a sure way to know that I was in fact hypo. I pray the meds help, this has been such a horrible thing to deal with. I am so glad I found this board, and that we can share our information!!!!


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## Octavia (Aug 1, 2011)

Amy, welcome to the forum! We definitely have some members here who are good at reading lab results, and I suspect they'll know exactly what the 700ish number is!  (I'm not one of those people.)

I am curious about the reflex test on your arm - what was it? Sounds interesting!

Praying the meds help you... :hugs:


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

AmyinTheHam said:


> Hi! I am 37 years old and was diagnosed by an Endo back two years ago with Hashi's. At that time my thyroid function was still fine. He told me to have it checked annually or if I began to feel bad... Well I am not a great listener.
> 
> Three months ago my hair began to fall out, I have been feeling tired for months and decided I better get checked. The first appointment with the Endo was two months off so I went to the OBGYN for testing in the meantime.
> 
> ...


Welcome; you are in good hands now. The ob/gyn did some very outdated tests.

understanding thyroid labs
http://www.amarillomed.com/howto/#Thyroid

http://pro2services.com/Lectures/Spring/Thyroid/ThyTests.htm

Free T3 etc. 
http://www.thyroid-info.com/articles/freet3woliner.htm

Glad the endo thinks differently. When you get the other test results, please post here and thank you for knowing we need the ranges.

Let us know how you do on the thyroxine replacement also.


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## AmyinTheHam (Nov 2, 2011)

Thank you very much! I am out of town for business but hope to get the results when I get back. I took my first pill this morning. Any idea how long it will take to notice a difference?

I have heard things from "you should feel better almost immediately" to, "it could take a few weeks".

I was just hoping it would be sooner than later for the meds to help!


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## Negative101 (May 23, 2011)

Im assuming the 700 thing is antibodies. 
As for feeling better, Im not on meds myself, but it seems like the general consensus amongst those who are that it definitely takes some time (a few weeks at minimum?)

Anyway, your numbers you posted seem okay... TSH is high, but TSH is pituitary and does not really reflect how we feel. The FT3/Ft4 is for that. To start you on meds when your FT3 and FT4 are well within the range (id say half or higher) could potentially make you hyper (and we dont want that)


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## joplin1975 (Jul 21, 2011)

I'd say it took me about 72 hours before I noticed a difference.


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

AmyinTheHam said:


> Thank you very much! I am out of town for business but hope to get the results when I get back. I took my first pill this morning. Any idea how long it will take to notice a difference?
> 
> I have heard things from "you should feel better almost immediately" to, "it could take a few weeks".
> 
> I was just hoping it would be sooner than later for the meds to help!


It all depends on how deficient you are re the thyroxine. It is possible to feel in in 24hours; for others it takes a few weeks. Everyone reacts differently. It has a lot to do with your starting dose as well. Yours @ 75 mcg. is a healthy one.


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## AmyinTheHam (Nov 2, 2011)

I failed to respond about the reflex test, sorry. To explain it more he took my arm in his and asked me to relax it. It was wrist up and he put two fingers in my inside elbow area, where you get stuck for blood. He took that old fashioned rubber hammer we used get tapped with as a kid and hit his two fingers. My muscle went up then slowly down under his two fingers. So basic but pretty neat to know that is a sure symptom.

I still have not gotten my labs, three days out of the office this week has me behind.

I would love to say I feel better but I had a cold last week that has become a horrible sinus infection. So any good would be wiped out by this. I have cronic sinus problems and have had three surgeries since 1996...

Thanks again I am enjoying reading the posts here, your sharing of knowledge is really such a nice thing to do!


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## northernlite (Oct 28, 2010)

It generally takes quite a few days to really feel any effects of starting Levothyroxine. I counted the days and for me it was on day 12 when I first felt some improvement and then I continued to improve from there.


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## AmyinTheHam (Nov 2, 2011)

So I got my bloodwork from 2009 and present, here is what my Endo results were, vs. the OBGYN that I posted above.

11/4/2009
TSH= 1.320 range/unit .400-4.200 mIU/mL
Free T3= 4.7 range/unit 2.5-5.1 pg/mL
Free T4= 1.41 range/unit .80-1.90 ng/dL
(I had another doctor run the antibody tests prior so I don't think he re-ran those at that time, I need to dig for those, since it was 2009, but I know I had a copy!)

10/17/2011
Thyroglobulin Antibody= 147(H) range/unit <=60 U/mL
Thyroid Peroxidase Antibody= 733(H) range/unit <=60 U/mL
TSH= 4.370 (H) range/unit .400-4.200 mIU/mL
Free T3= 2.7 range/unit 2.5-5.1 pg/mL
Free T4= 1.09 range/unit .80-1.90 ng/dL

So I guess based on my T3 drop from 2009 to 2011 he felt the meds were a good choice. I have to agree, that I am starting to feel a bit better on them!

Thanks everyone, I welcome comments on the lab results! And appreciate all the help and support from you all!


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