# New here and confused with these results



## Frank616 (Mar 30, 2012)

I had a lot of the signs and symptoms of hypothyroidism. I went to the doctor and asked to have my thyroid levels checked. The doctor called me and said everything was normal. These are my results:

Free T4 188
FT4 1.0 ng/dL 1.0 - 1.8

Total T3 280
T3 1.1 ng/mL .8 - 2.0

Are these numbers good or bad?


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

Frank616 said:


> I had a lot of the signs and symptoms of hypothyroidism. I went to the doctor and asked to have my thyroid levels checked. The doctor called me and said everything was normal. These are my results:
> 
> Free T4 188
> FT4 1.0 ng/dL 1.0 - 1.8
> ...


What are the numbers 188 and 280 for? Your FT4 is very very low. Ideally it should be above the mid-range of the range given by your lab. 1.4 would be about the middle.

Did your doctor do a TSH?

What are your symptoms if you could be more specific please?

Even your Total 3 is below mid-range and that part is not good at all because Total 3 is bound, unbound and rT3 hormone. FREE T3 is your active hormone and that would be unbound available for cellular uptake.


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## Frank616 (Mar 30, 2012)

Now I'm even more confused. My doctor said these results were normal. My doctor is a family doctor. When I went in and told him about my cold hands, dry skin, body temperature fluctuating between 95-97 and just my overall "blah" feeling, he said don't worry about it. It's all normal. I begged him for a thyroid test and he ordered it but I guess he didn't order a TSH.

My main reason for wanting the thyroid test was because I've developed bone marrow edema. My symptoms are idiopathic and I've seen two orthopedic surgeons who have very different opinions. The problem is, both of my hips have BME and when the doctor looked at my MRI he said, "Wow, it looks like you sustained a serious injury." I haven't sustained any injuries and there's no reason for the BME. I eat well and live a healthy lifestyle. I read this:

http://jcem.endojournals.org/content/94/4/1068.full

This makes me believe that the BME was caused by the thyroid which was caused by excessive fluoride intake. The excessive fluoride intake is more conjecture at this point but based upon the foods I was eating, the numbers match.

I'm able to function because I'm taking Adderall but I wonder if my ADHD (at least some of it) has to do with my thyroid.

Do the numbers indicate hypo, hyper or something else?


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## Frank616 (Mar 30, 2012)

This is only an assumption but perhaps the 188 and 280 numbers are a value given based upon the ng/dL or ng/mL. I'm not really sure what they mean.


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

Frank616 said:


> Now I'm even more confused. My doctor said these results were normal. My doctor is a family doctor. When I went in and told him about my cold hands, dry skin, body temperature fluctuating between 95-97 and just my overall "blah" feeling, he said don't worry about it. It's all normal. I begged him for a thyroid test and he ordered it but I guess he didn't order a TSH.
> 
> My main reason for wanting the thyroid test was because I've developed bone marrow edema. My symptoms are idiopathic and I've seen two orthopedic surgeons who have very different opinions. The problem is, both of my hips have BME and when the doctor looked at my MRI he said, "Wow, it looks like you sustained a serious injury." I haven't sustained any injuries and there's no reason for the BME. I eat well and live a healthy lifestyle. I read this:
> 
> ...


Wow!!! I book marked that abstract. Before I went to the link, I was thinking myxedema.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001393/

How much fluoride do you think you have ingested?

Thyroid and ADHD are very very interconnected. By all means. We like to call it "brain fog" and that is not meant to downplay the seriousness of ADHD.

The only thing I can say at this point is you may have to go doctor shopping and I do wish your doc would have run a TSH as well.

And what about antibodies' tests?

TPO (antimicrosomal antibodies) TBII (thyrotropin-binding inhibitory immunoglobulin), Thyroglobulin Ab, ANA (antinuclear antibodies), (thyroid hormone panel) TSH, Free T3, Free T4.

You can look this stuff up here and more.........
http://www.labtestsonline.org/


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## Frank616 (Mar 30, 2012)

> How much fluoride do you think you have ingested?


 Somewhere in the neighborhood of 4mg to 6mg per day for about 10 years. Most of it was from eating mechanically de-boned chicken. About 1mg a day was from protein shakes. The rest was from various foods I was eating.



> And what about antibodies' tests?


No, it looks like the only two tests he ordered were those two. He didn't want to give me any blood tests but I was persistent so he ordered these two.

So do my numbers indicate hypothyroidism?


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

Frank616 said:


> Somewhere in the neighborhood of 4mg to 6mg per day for about 10 years. Most of it was from eating mechanically de-boned chicken. About 1mg a day was from protein shakes. The rest was from various foods I was eating.
> 
> No, it looks like the only two tests he ordered were those two. He didn't want to give me any blood tests but I was persistent so he ordered these two.
> 
> So do my numbers indicate hypothyroidism?


W/o the TSH to back up my opinion, I would say you are definitely hypo. We would expect to see TSH high. There are exceptions and that is why the TSH is so important.

My goodness; your fluoride ingestion was high. Oh, dear!

Back to the present though. We now have the conundrum of getting you to a good doctor and getting you well. As time passes, it will matter little what the cause except for our personal edification and in order to help others.

Bottom line is you need medical intervention for in the "now!"

Odd about those 3 digit numbers. No ranges so maybe they are the lab order numbers? Perhaps?

You already know this but I like to check things out further.
http://www.fluoridealert.org/fluoride-dangers/health/thyroid/index.aspx


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## Frank616 (Mar 30, 2012)

I called the doctor's office again and asked for the TSH test. She said I didn't need it because my levels are normal. She also said they ran my TSH but the secretary didn't give it to me last night (it would say TSH, right?). So, I'm going to stop tonight and get it. I'll post my results later.

I called an endorinologist and the next appointment is at the end of May. Those guys must be busy.....



> Odd about those 3 digit numbers. No ranges so maybe they are the lab order numbers? Perhaps?


I agree. I'll post it exactly as it's written on my sheet and maybe it was just me not relaying the information correctly:

Tests: (1) FREE T4 (188)
FT4 1.0 ng/dL 1.0 - 1.8 *1

Tests: (2) Total T3 (TRIIODOTHYRONINE) (280)
T3 1.1 ng/mL 0.8 - 2.0 *2


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## Frank616 (Mar 30, 2012)

I got my TSH results back. I guess the doctor was right, it is normal. My TSH is 2.19 in a range of .27 - 4.2.

Hmmmm, not sure what to do from here....


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## Frank616 (Mar 30, 2012)

My Free T4 is 55% of the upper limit. My Total T3 is 55% of the upper limit. My TSH is 52% of the upper limit. At least I'm consistent.....

My Free T4 is 71% of the median. My TSH is 98% of the median. My Total T3 is 72% of the median.

Do these numbers mean anything or am I now a dog chasing its own tail?


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## lainey (Aug 26, 2010)

It's difficult to "do math" to your thyroid numbers quite honestly--TSH levels don't generate a normal bell curve--the 50th percentile ranges from 1-2 with a long tail of "normal" values that extends upward--the 95th percentile falls around TSH of 5 or so in most large studies. When people discuss where the frees fall in the ranges, it is almost always in the context of those on replacement--studies have found that people taking thyroid replacement medication tend to have free T4 levels that fall higher than the normal population--generally in the upper half of the range.

So, there is a wide range of normal.

Your next step would be to have thyroid antibodies tests--Thyroid peroxidase antibodies--to see if you have any autoimmune activity. The presence of antibodies does not necessarily correlate with thyroid dysfunction (that is measure with the lab tests you have had) but rather indicates the potential for it. About 20% of the normal population has antibodies.


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