# Need another opinion



## Thyroidmommy (Mar 25, 2011)

I need another opinion on my husbands labs and no he doesn't have all that he needs but what I have to go off is this:

August 09 
TSH 1.20 
FT4 0.64
T3 uptake 34.0

May 2010
TSH 1.38
FT4 0.56- 0.59-1.17
T3 uptake 32.0- 33.0-40.0
FT3 3.5- 2.0-4.4

The reason I ask is he doesn't believe he has a problem but he has so much pain all the time and I know from my own experience that so much of my pain is gone after getting my levels up. But no one likes to listen..

But of course the doctor does not think anything of the low T4 because TSH is normal.

He has some more recent tests not sure what ones from a hospital stay I am going to try and get my hands on tomorrow also.


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## Thyroidmommy (Mar 25, 2011)

Came accross this 
•The National Academy for Clinical Biochemistry (NACB) published a consensus statement in November 2002 with guidelines stating that the normal range for Free T3 should be 3.5-7.7 pmol/L (0.2 - 0.5 ng/dL).

Anyone know how to convert that??

His is PG/ML


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

Thyroidmommy said:


> I need another opinion on my husbands labs and no he doesn't have all that he needs but what I have to go off is this:
> 
> August 09
> TSH 1.20
> ...


FT4 is clearly in the basement and the FT3 could/should be a little higher like say @ 75% of the range given by the lab. It is now (2010) barely above mid-range of 3.2. That is not good as the FT3 is the active hormone for energy, healing, happy mood, enthusiasm, cognitive function and so on.

TSH may be in normal range but that does not mean that is normal for your husband. Most of us feel best @ 1.0 or less.

How about you? How do his compare to yours? Just curious. No 2 persons have the same needs but I am still curious.

What kind of pain is your husband experiencing?


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## Thyroidmommy (Mar 25, 2011)

I am not sure what your asking how does mine compare to his? My TSH is always suppressed and my free T3 & T4 are always at the very top.

I don't feel good with any TSH..I went from knowing hyper as normal to 4.xx feeling like crud and it wasn't until my TSH was suppressed that I felt good again.

He has alot of similar pain as I did back pain, joint pain, ect.

If your asking lab ranges? Between him my son and I the lab ranges are all different even at the same doctor office. The highest T3 is around 5.5.


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## Thyroidmommy (Mar 25, 2011)

Can you possibly point me to any info on "normal" TSH and low free's?


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

Thyroidmommy said:


> I am not sure what your asking how does mine compare to his? My TSH is always suppressed and my free T3 & T4 are always at the very top.
> 
> I don't feel good with any TSH..I went from knowing hyper as normal to 4.xx feeling like crud and it wasn't until my TSH was suppressed that I felt good again.
> 
> ...


Yeah; that is what I wanted to know. Just for the heck of it.

Me too w/ the TSH. It keeps other antibodies very very quiet. In my case, Anti-DNA, C3 and C4 (Lupus)

I am always interested in the entire family. You never know when such info will be useful.


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

Thyroidmommy said:


> Can you possibly point me to any info on "normal" TSH and low free's?


Normal is what is dictated by the masses. I prefer to not be in that group for much of anything, truth be known.

To me, normal for thyroid is individual. It is where you feel best. It is where you once again are enjoying a quality life, weight is under control, cognitivity is good, mood is good and so on. This is called euthyroid and as far as I am concerned, no two people are alike in this.

But, there are guidelines and sometimes they are helpful. On this particular board, I have observed that those who feel the best have TSH @ 1.0 or less (mine is 0.03) and the FREES are in the 75% of the range given by the lab w/ the exception of FT4 if one is taking T3 supplementation.

How about you? What is your thinking on this?


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## Thyroidmommy (Mar 25, 2011)

I agree. I believe if he were to be on thyriod medicine it would help him tons!

I don't know if I have anything else going on I only ever had ANA testing which the one that I had was negative. But I know I only feel good if I am 0.01-0.02 when it gets any higher I have alot of cognitive problems and fatigue. I am surprised you are able to keep it down with 3 1/2 grains I am on 5! Funny how each person is so different. But even so with every person different I think his low T4 is contributing to his problems. His mom does have a thyroid problem tho porely managed and I believe his Grandma may also but untreated.


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

Thyroidmommy said:


> I agree. I believe if he were to be on thyriod medicine it would help him tons!
> 
> I don't know if I have anything else going on I only ever had ANA testing which the one that I had was negative. But I know I only feel good if I am 0.01-0.02 when it gets any higher I have alot of cognitive problems and fatigue. I am surprised you are able to keep it down with 3 1/2 grains I am on 5! Funny how each person is so different. But even so with every person different I think his low T4 is contributing to his problems. His mom does have a thyroid problem tho porely managed and I believe his Grandma may also but untreated.


There you go; there are so many differences. For one thing, I am 68. I am very active but not like I was when I was 30. LOL!


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## Chromatic (Mar 31, 2011)

And I at 30 am mentally and physically debilitated by a large percent at the moment. have been robbed of the last 5 years or so,.. it really doesn't matter a significant amount in regards to age.. when things are wrong they are wrong and you feel the effects to some lesser or greater degree. What has always perplexed me is how some people who are incredibly far hyper or hypo can not have an incredibly significant subjective problem yet others who are somewhat minimal can have extensive symptomology.

Anyhow,.. as for the varying labs. The thyroid fluctuates constantly... it should not be fluctuating by any great degree but it does fluctuate from morning to evening, hot vs cold, diet, exercise, etc. Then add in disease process and it really starts to confuse things. Beyond that, we are all unique and what is optimal for Jane isn't likely to be the exact optimal area for Joe. Then as some others like to mention, there isn't a perfect 'number' for anyone. Just an area where you should strive to reach only if your symptoms dictate. The most important thing is symptom alleviation, and if that occurs when you are at a TSH of .001 or a TSH of 1.5 it really matters not.. it just is what it is.

As for ANA, .. keep in mind ANA can be negative and a year later be positive. This isn't to worry you, but it isn't a diagnostic test that once negative must always be negative. You can have active disease and have mostly normal labs that only reveal abnormality some years into the disease. Sometimes, especially in polyarthritic type of disease , it takes some beginning of damage from the disease process before the labs really begin to show abnormality. (Then in others it can be picked up well in advance.. again biochemistry is a VERY unique business).

That said, if your symptoms are being controlled directly with the thyroid treatment I wouldn't worry so much about 'other possible problems'. Use occam's razor .


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