# Labs, can anyone take a look?



## hilly79 (Mar 11, 2011)

Last year I went to the ER to for something unrelated and during the MRI they told me that I had a nodule or nodules on my thyroid. She said they weren't a big deal and basically gave me no guidance or direction on what do do (if anything) about them. So some time has gone by and I am just ridiculously tired ALL THE TIME, even if I sleep 12 hours, I wake up exhausted. I get a breakout of canker sores at least once a month, which take at least a week or two to heal, my skin is very dry, I'm either freezing or burning up, hardly ever comfortable, have a constant ache all over and just plain feel like dirt. These symptoms combined with the nodule thing had me wondering if maybe my thyroid could be in some way out of whack.

I don't have insurance so hopping from doc to doc really isn't an option and I'd just like to have some sort of answer so that I can feel normal. I recently went to a general doc to get some labs done and reviewed them with the doc today. They say everything is normal, their lab doesn't test for antibodies but my results are below.

TSH, 3rd generation: .82 (0.40-4.5)
T4, FREE: 1.2 (0.8-1.8)
T3, TOTAL: 78 (76-181)

Thanks!


----------



## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

hilly79 said:


> Last year I went to the ER to for something unrelated and during the MRI they told me that I had a nodule or nodules on my thyroid. She said they weren't a big deal and basically gave me no guidance or direction on what do do (if anything) about them. So some time has gone by and I am just ridiculously tired ALL THE TIME, even if I sleep 12 hours, I wake up exhausted. I get a breakout of canker sores at least once a month, which take at least a week or two to heal, my skin is very dry, I'm either freezing or burning up, hardly ever comfortable, have a constant ache all over and just plain feel like dirt. These symptoms combined with the nodule thing had me wondering if maybe my thyroid could be in some way out of whack.
> 
> I don't have insurance so hopping from doc to doc really isn't an option and I'd just like to have some sort of answer so that I can feel normal. I recently went to a general doc to get some labs done and reviewed them with the doc today. They say everything is normal, their lab doesn't test for antibodies but my results are below.
> 
> ...


Oh, dear! Welcome! Everything is in normal range but it sure does not look normal to me.

While T3, Total is not the best of tests (FREE T3 would have been better), there are times when it tells us something and yours does. It is almost non-existant. LHM!! That is so low, it is incredible. T3 is bound, unbound and rT3 hormone. So..............when you see it in the basement like that, you know something is wrong.

Normally you would expect to see the TSH high w/low T3. So, I suspect that antibodies are at play here blocking and binding the receptor sites.

Whew!! Who has insurance these days? Not I!
Anyway................on the off chance you can manage it, here are suggested tests and do try to get the FREE T3 as well.

TSI (thyroid stimulating immunoglobulin),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/

understanding thyroid labs (please read the difference re the FREES and the TOTALS)
http://www.amarillomed.com/howto/#Thyroid

You cannot be feeling well. I hear ya' loud and clear.

In the meantime, take Lysine for the canker sores (yes, that is a thyroid symptom) and break open a capsule and put the lysine right on the canker sore as well. You will be shocked. And, I used to get that Numzit used for teething babies which offered wonderful pain relief. OMG!! They just hurt so horribly bad.


----------



## hilly79 (Mar 11, 2011)

Andros said:


> Oh, dear! Welcome! Everything is in normal range but it sure does not look normal to me.
> 
> While T3, Total is not the best of tests (FREE T3 would have been better), there are times when it tells us something and yours does. It is almost non-existant. LHM!! That is so low, it is incredible. T3 is bound, unbound and rT3 hormone. So..............when you see it in the basement like that, you know something is wrong.
> 
> ...


----------



## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

hilly79 said:


> Thank you for replying Andros, I really appreciate your input. With the "normal" diagnosis I was doubting even seeing another doc about it and figured that maybe it was something that I'd just have to suck up and deal with. The NP that met with me about my results suggested all of the things that I hated to consider, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, etc. which had me dreading a life of just feeling like dirt (this is a common trend in my family, feeling horrible and not having a diagnosis. My mom has been dealing with it for decades, my sis for years and the best they can come up with is arthritis and some sort of other rheumatoid disease) but I think I may see if I can get in with an endo in the next couple of months, finances permitting. I have 3 small kiddos and go to school full time so this whole not being able to concentrate and be fully active thing is a sore spot for me lately, which is what prompted me to see this doc in the first place. I had been reading through everyone elses labs and mine definitely didn't seem consistent with anything else I'd seen which was really confusing. I also thought they had ordered the Free T3 so I was surprised not to see it on my paperwork, I'm going to have to follow up with that.
> 
> Thanks for the suggestion on the lysine, I will definitely have to try that.


Please follow through and keep us in the loop. You are not alone w/your struggles, health-wise or other wise!


----------



## hilly79 (Mar 11, 2011)

Thanks again Andros, I actually bit the bullet and started calling endo's this morning and made an appointment with one for Thursday. Hubby says that if it means figuring out what's wrong, we can figure out the finances of it so I'm thankful he's understanding about it. If nothing else, I feel like I can at least rule the antibodies in or out at this point, discuss the nodule and if my thyroid is not the cause of all of these problems, figure out what is. I do have PCOS so I guess it couldn't hurt to check up on those issues with the endo as well.


----------



## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

hilly79 said:


> Thanks again Andros, I actually bit the bullet and started calling endo's this morning and made an appointment with one for Thursday. Hubby says that if it means figuring out what's wrong, we can figure out the finances of it so I'm thankful he's understanding about it. If nothing else, I feel like I can at least rule the antibodies in or out at this point, discuss the nodule and if my thyroid is not the cause of all of these problems, figure out what is. I do have PCOS so I guess it couldn't hurt to check up on those issues with the endo as well.


I am so so glad to hear this about your appt.. I am going to say a prayer for you and keep my fingers crossed that this doctor knows his/her stuff!

Here's hoping!!


----------

