# Confused on labs



## akeene (Apr 20, 2010)

Hi All,

I went to my new Internist for a check up and told him that I have been not sleeping well, keep waking up, terrible panic attacks that are so not normal for me and a feeling of fullness in my neck. I told Doc that I had been diagnosed with a goiter a few years ago with multiple nodules and that some had been biopsied twice as they were getting larger and biopsies came back normal. I did have a radioactive uptake exam right before the goiter diagnosis that if I remember correctly showed that I was hyper, but all blood work was normal.

This new Doc said he didn't need to check my neck because he would probably just find a goiter and some nodules, he did run the bloodwork and the results are below. Can someone tell me what they mean if anything. Thanks so much.

TSH, 3rd Gen- 1.52 
Ref Range: 0.40-4.50

T3 Uptake: 37
Ref Range: 22-35%

T4 Total: 8.4
Ref Range: 4.5-12.5

Free T4 Index (T7): 3.1
Ref Range: 1.4-3.8

Amy


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

akeene said:


> Hi All,
> 
> I went to my new Internist for a check up and told him that I have been not sleeping well, keep waking up, terrible panic attacks that are so not normal for me and a feeling of fullness in my neck. I told Doc that I had been diagnosed with a goiter a few years ago with multiple nodules and that some had been biopsied twice as they were getting larger and biopsies came back normal. I did have a radioactive uptake exam right before the goiter diagnosis that if I remember correctly showed that I was hyper, but all blood work was normal.
> 
> ...


Hi there, Amy!! Welcome to the board! That FT4 is up there pretty high. Too bad he did not run the Free T3 which is your active hormone. Did the doctor run any antibodies' tests?

TSI would indicate hyperthyoird. Here is info on suggested labs to run.

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

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

How many years ago did you have this uptake scan? Were you placed on any medication at that time? Are you on any thyroid medication now and if so, what and how much?

The thing about the labs you had is they don't always keep up with what is really going on with the antibodies attacking your thyroid. The signals are getting confused and the labs are not moving in time with the signals. This is because usually we have the autoantibodies attacking self and then enter the binding and blocking antibodies to the autoantibodies and all this sort of keeps the ordinary thyroid labs in a "parked" position if you will.

Clinically, you are presenting w/ quite a few hyperthyroid symptoms. But symptoms do cross over and that is why the tests I have listed are important.


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