# Help with Labs?? 1st post, 1st full thyroid test. Desperate.(!!)



## Umbra (Jun 26, 2017)

Greetings.

SO glad to find this forum. I'll try to keep this short. I'm a 41 yo male. I have been dealing with ever increasing ""chronic fatigue"" for the last 13 years. Two months ago I crashed hard. I have had to stay with friends to help take care of me, some days my fatigue is so bad I can't get out of bed. I have been unable to work for at least 6 weeks. I can never get far from the couch.

For these last two months I have been doing significant online research to try to diagnose myself, as my doctor was honest enough to tell me finally that He had no idea what is wrong with me nor what to do for me. I have really rotten insurance that next to no-one accepts.

All my research keeps taking me back to hypothyroidism or Hashimotos. I have gained 20 pounds of weight over these last two months. I sleep quite cold. I'm bald (no male pattern baldness on either side of my family) have brain fog, ~ suffice it to say I have all the symptoms except I do not get constipated. (I am on CPAP for apnea so its not that, and I had a general blood panel done- I'm not anemic, low on Iron or potassium etc. etc.)

After begging my primary MD, (while nearly in tears) to do a full thyroid panel- he finally gave in. I just got those results back.

The bummer is that the test results, per my research of "optimal ranges" are seemingly in odd measurements (as received back from LabCorp) rather than in typical NG/DL etc. measurements that are typically used far and wide across the internet when I have researched the optimal ranges.

So I thought "no problem" I can convert the units of measure to more common ones. But when I do that (via online conversion calculators) I get HUGE numbers that seems to not make sense.

So alas here I am, hoping kind folks here can offer knowledge, wisdom & experience.

My results as returned from LabCorp is:

TSH = 1.660 uIU/ML

T4 = 6.1 ug/dl ** (when converted to the common ng/dl = 6100??)

T3 uptake = 23%

Free Thyroxine index = 1.7 (never heard of this test and the unit of measure is not reported on my paperwork.)

T3 = 110 ng/dl ....which equals 1100 Pg/ml- which appears the normal until of measure for this test...?

TgAb = <1.0 IU/ml

TPO = 10...which is supposedly way out of optimal range....?

These were all the tests we could find that LabCorp supposedly does for Thyroid, with my DR claiming He could only use LabCorp for testing. I had hoped to also have reverse T3 and reverse T4 tested but it was supposedly not available from LabCorp.

Again what is really confusing me is that my particular test results for each individual test is in an odd unit of measure compared to the units of measure commonly reported on internet sources of "optimal ranges." When I convert my tests units of measure to the ones commonly reported...I get confusing numbers. ?

Thanks so much to anyone willing to help in anyway.

Umbra

Addendum- I have as of 4 days ago adopted a strict gluten and soy free diet hoping this will allow me to heal or alleviate symptoms. I simply can not continue being an invalid. Huge thanks.


----------



## Lovlkn (Dec 20, 2009)

Depending on where you live you can self pay for labs.

Free T-4 and Free T- 3 will give you a better idea of where your free and unbound thyroid hormone results are. I have had both Free and Total 4 run and they in no way track the same do I feel Total 4 is useless.

Having TPO means something possibly autoimmune is happening.

If you have nodules an ultrasound of your thyroid will reveal them.


----------



## Umbra (Jun 26, 2017)

Thank you for your reply.

Did my posted tests results in my OP not state Free T3 & Free T4 results? I'm confused now by your saying I needed to have T3 & T4 tested. ?


----------



## joplin1975 (Jul 21, 2011)

Don't worrry about converting the results but do please include the reference ranges. That's more important than unit of measure.

Your original post just said t4 and t3 - can you double check your results and see if those are free or total?


----------



## jenny v (May 6, 2012)

Do you have hard copies of the labs? Those will include the exact test name and the ranges.


----------



## Umbra (Jun 26, 2017)

Okay, Thank you so much.

Here are my test results -exactly- as printed on the document:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

*Test* *Result* *unit* *Reference Interval*

TSH 1.660 uIU/Ml .45 - 5.5

Thyroxine(T4) 6.1 ug/dl 4.5-12

T3 Uptake 28 % 24-39

Free Thyroxine Index 1.7 (blank) 1.2-4.9

Triiodothyronine (T3) 110 ng/dl 71-180

Thyroglobulin Antibody <1.0 IU/ML 0-0.9

""Thyroglobulin Antibody measured by Beckman Coulter Methodology""

Thyroid Peroxidase (TPO) 10 IU/ML 0-34

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thanks for any input your willing to provide!


----------



## Lovlkn (Dec 20, 2009)

> TSH 1.660 uIU/Ml .45 - 5.5
> 
> Thyroxine(T4) 6.1 ug/dl 4.5-12 *This is "Total not 'free'"*
> 
> ...


Free T-4 and Free T- 3 will give you a better idea of where your free and unbound thyroid hormone results are. I have had both Free and Total 4 run and they in no way track the same do I feel Total 4 is useless.


----------



## jenny v (May 6, 2012)

Yes, I would push for Free T3 and Free T4 tests. Those totals don't always track with Frees, but they are low in their ranges, so I would suspect hypothyroidism. Some doctors don't always want to run Frees (they aren't educated enough), so you may have to push or order labs yourself online, if your state allows.


----------



## Umbra (Jun 26, 2017)

Ok. I'll pursue the Frees. Thanks so much!


----------



## Umbra (Jun 26, 2017)

So is there any harm in me trying myself on 100mcg of synthroid for say 2 weeks to see if this life ending fatigue diminishes any?


----------



## Lovlkn (Dec 20, 2009)

Did they prescribe you 100mcg of Synthroid?

You may experience hyper symptoms on 100mcg. If you have a prescription you might consider easing into it ( maybe split in 1/2 for 50mcg doses) until you have the labs below tested.

I also suggest ordering self pay labs online prior to beginning any thyroid hormone supplement as once you begin you need to be on 6 weeks for accurate lab results.

https://www.healthonelabs.com/tests_offer/buytest/220/

You really need to have your Vitamin D, B-12 and Ferritin levels checked, if low in any it can cause fatigue.

What sort of doctor is treating you?


----------



## Umbra (Jun 26, 2017)

About a year ago my doctor said we could "try some synthroid to see if it will alleviate my fatigue."

He started me on 50 mcg and eventually bumped me up to 75 mcg.

ZERO relief.

I still have the medication on hand and I'm thinking about trying 100 mcg to see if their is any relief to my incapacitating fatigue.


----------



## jenny v (May 6, 2012)

So you're on the 75 now and thinking of bumping up to 100?


----------



## Umbra (Jun 26, 2017)

I WAS on 75 mcg for about 8-10 months but it did nothing to alleviate my fatigue. (as prescribed by my family MD to experiment to see if it would alleviate my then "chronic fatigue."

So I stopped taking it, as I was told that taking Thyroid meds to no effect would forever make your Thyroid lazy.

Four moths ago I totally & utterly crashed fatigue wise. Three doctors now, after MANY appointments with them have just shrugged their shoulders and said they did not know what was wrong with me.

At this point I'm thinking of resuming the thyroid meds as an experiment @ 100 mcg, as I'm told this is beginning dose of full thyroid hormone replacement. Just to see if it alleviates any fatigue.

What do I have to lose?? I have been home-bound & bed ridden for much of that time for 4 months now. This is not living!! Especially for a 42 year old man that that previously maintained top fitness throughout life. If this is "life" as I'm to know it for the rest of my existance- no thanks.

I'll swallow a gun barrel and go home to Jesus, as I REFUSE to be an invalid, constantly taxing friends family & church. For 4 months now I have done exactly that... Live OFF OF my friends, family & my church (whom is paying my monthly bills.) Nope, not gonna do this indefinantly.

Thanks for your input/insight.


----------



## joplin1975 (Jul 21, 2011)

I think starting at 100 is risky. You want to increase slowly (under a doc's care). It would make more sense to me if you got back on 75 and then increased every six weeks until you had some relief.


----------

