# Interpretation of results - help please



## arkledessie (Mar 31, 2010)

I have felt very unwell for some years and have a host of low thyroid symptoms I often feel like ending it all. However, my results have hovered around "normal" although I think they are weird and need looking into. Would anyone with the knowledge please comment? I am going out of my brain trying to know what to do.

Free T3 - 4.41 (range 4.00 to 8.30)

Free T4 - 9.02 (range 9.00 to 20.00)

TSH - 0.86 (range 0.25 to 5.00)

As you can see, they are all pretty low, which seems unusual. Should I interpret these scores as "low" or can they only be termed "low" if they are actually below the normal range?

Incidentally, my DHEA test was 3.8 (normal range 4.1 to 28).

I would be so grateful for some comment/advice. Thanks!


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

arkledessie said:


> I have felt very unwell for some years and have a host of low thyroid symptoms I often feel like ending it all. However, my results have hovered around "normal" although I think they are weird and need looking into. Would anyone with the knowledge please comment? I am going out of my brain trying to know what to do.
> 
> Free T3 - 4.41 (range 4.00 to 8.30)
> 
> ...


Welcome to the Board!!

Wow, yeah. Low is right.

If you are female, it could be estrogen dominance. It could also be a pituitary problem. And.....................it could be because of adrenal fatigue.

What has the doctor had to say on your behalf?

Have you had any antibodies' tests? Sometimes when antibodies and autoantibodies are running amok, we see strange labs as well. Sometimes cancer of the thyroid can cause that also.

I recommend these antibodies' tests (and by the way, how lucky you are your doc ran the frees.)

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

I am wondering how you are functioning? You have very little hormone to go on. As you know, FT4 converts to FT3 which is your "active" hormone.

When you have time if you will please list all your symptoms, your gender, your past medical if you care to share, what meds are you on now and so forth.

That will help.................a lot.


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## arkledessie (Mar 31, 2010)

Thanks so much - will work hard to get together a useful response and will post it asap.


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

arkledessie said:


> Thanks so much - will work hard to get together a useful response and will post it asap.


Thank you; it will be most helpful.


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## arkledessie (Mar 31, 2010)

Hi

To try to explain, I am a 59-year old female (menopause at around 55). Around the time of the menopause I split with my husband of 34 years and began a new relationship (I am still with that same partner, happily). Also at this time I developed interstitial cystitis (no cure, no known cause - thought likely to be auto immune, particularly as I earlier had ulcerative colitis (auto immune) from the age of 16 to 50). Soon after I began the new relationship I began to take synthetic HRT (Livial/Tibolone) and am still on it although want to come off. Is it best for me to do this before I try any self help? For many years I had on and off symptoms very like ME although as a runner I was able to keep running most of the time, even though I sometimes had to take weeks off due to exhaustion. I developed what was thought to be fibromyalgia within the last 10 years also.

More recent symptoms are feeling cold during the day even when others are not cold (and not being able to get warm), being too hot in bed almost straight away and having to stick my feet outside), aching, getting exhausted if I try to exercise (usually), waking up feeling like I haven't had any real rest, yukky taste in mouth, dry skin and very pale in mornings, dry brittle hair which has thinned quite a bit, puffy face and eyes (and recently had a spell where my face puffed up quite dramatically so that the doctor put me on a week's course of steroids and antibiotics), swollen feet particularly at night, poor circulation (fingers and toes often go white), weight gain which just won't shift, "swirly" headaches, occasional dizziness, pins and needles, constipation, occasional diarrhea, inability to tolerate sugar and alcohol, anxiety, lowered sex drive. Low body temp and low pulse (although pulse seems to have sped up again recently!). I think that's it!!

I might add that I occasionally feel a lot better, but only for a while and it all returns. Is that still par for the course?

I had a very stressful marriage (husband an alcoholic) and it ended very violently as he attacked my now partner in our place of work. He then hounded us with threats and also told me he had committed suicide (he hadn't). My mother also died during this time and my father had died 3 years earlier (I was close to my parents). I did suffer strong guilt about my husband as he was very good to my late mother and also was very kind to me when he was sober. I feel I have got it out of my system now.

I moved to France a year ago. It is harder out here to find a holistic doctor.

I have not had an antibodies test. I have been told my TSH is normal and that is all that matters. I feel my life is not my own and often not worth living.

I am trying to eat a more alkaline diet and have ordered 4 books on thyroid self help and the menopause to try and help myself get better.

I am not on any medication.

A couple of years ago I saw Dr Barry Peatfield in the UK who was convinced I had low thyroid. I had urine and saliva tests done which confirmed this and that I had adrenal stress. He told me to take adrenal support (which I did, although I felt no different) then thyroid extract (which I did, in increasing dosage, as instructed, but I felt no better and after a week or so began to get bad heart palpitations. I could not get any reply by phone or email from Dr Peatfield so ran the manufacturers of the thyroid extract who informed me to stop taking it then get hold of the doctor). I did this but unfortunately never got a response from Dr Peatfield. I am now in "no man's land" and also in a foreign country.

Any help would be so welcome. I am sorry for such a long diatribe! Where do you think I should begin?


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

arkledessie said:


> Hi
> 
> To try to explain, I am a 59-year old female (menopause at around 55). Around the time of the menopause I split with my husband of 34 years and began a new relationship (I am still with that same partner, happily). Also at this time I developed interstitial cystitis (no cure, no known cause - thought likely to be auto immune, particularly as I earlier had ulcerative colitis (auto immune) from the age of 16 to 50). Soon after I began the new relationship I began to take synthetic HRT (Livial/Tibolone) and am still on it although want to come off. Is it best for me to do this before I try any self help? For many years I had on and off symptoms very like ME although as a runner I was able to keep running most of the time, even though I sometimes had to take weeks off due to exhaustion. I developed what was thought to be fibromyalgia within the last 10 years also.
> 
> ...


Are you taking the HRT under a doctor's supervision? When did you last have your estrogen checked because one of the possible causes I mentioned for such low labs is "estrogen dominance."

I looked up your med; there sure are a lot of side-effects.
http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/medicines/100001519.html

Not at all surprised you feel so ill as everything as far as thyroid labs go are in the basement.

Are you under a doctor's care now?

The labs you shared with us; when were they done and did the doctor not comment? You should be on thyroxine replacement according to what I see. Those labs are very abnormal. I cannot imagine a doctor saying everything is normal and no further testing is to be done.

Not sure how they do things in France but something is really wrong here.

You had a hard life and for that I am sorry....... sadly, sometimes these types of stressors absolutely trigger what is lying dormant meaning genetically inherited genes.


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## arkledessie (Mar 31, 2010)

Thanks for your reply. How I wish I lived in the US! Here in France (and in the UK to an extent) everything is such a fight.

Here in France HRT is not monitored - I just got given another 6-month prescription without one question being asked.

I have been to see an endicrinologist (at my own request after the thyroid lab tests came back) but she dismissed me saying the only important test was TSH and it was normal so my problems must be caused by something else. That was it. Since then I saw my local doctor again 3 weeks ago because my face swelled up alarmingly and he gave me steroids and antibiotics. The next time I saw him was to ask him for a prescription for Valium, which I very occasionally take for a cystitis flare up, as it relaxes my muscles. At this time I mentioned my blood test results and he said he had never heard of scores (levels) like mine and could he see a copy of it (I had had the test done via another doctor - you can see any amount of different doctors in France) so I photocopied the results and left them at his surgery along with a long letter explaining how ill I felt. That was over 3 weeks ago now and I have not even had a reply or a phone call. I have no faith in him and do not want to have to pay a fee to see him to let him know how upset I am. He is rude at best - negligent at worst.

Do you think I may be able to help myself from books or do you think I should pursue the medics, knowing that they have no interest?


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## GD Women (Mar 5, 2007)

You might ask to have your adrenals checked if you haven't already. Low thyroids although still in Labs, however barley, could suggest adrenal issues. Adrenal can cause symptoms like those of thyroid. Levels can be confused with hypothyroidism because of the low T4 and T3. It is suggest the adrenals be treated first, before thyroid treated, when there is a case of both issues.

Sorry you having such a hard time physically and with doctors. 
Hope you get it all straightened out and you start to wellness and healing.

Good luck and bless.

"God heals, and the physician takes the fee" - French proverb


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

arkledessie said:


> Thanks for your reply. How I wish I lived in the US! Here in France (and in the UK to an extent) everything is such a fight.
> 
> Here in France HRT is not monitored - I just got given another 6-month prescription without one question being asked.
> 
> ...


For one; you don't need a specialty doctor. All you need is a general practitioner who is interested in helping you.

There is not much if anything to be done that I know of to help you w/o the proper lab tests for possible estrogen dominance and/or adrenal failure or both and even so, you do need thyroxine replacement. In the USA,that can only be obtained by Rx.

I feel bad, very bad and of course we will be here to support you and help provide credible information to you best we can.


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## arkledessie (Mar 31, 2010)

Thank you everyone for your kindness and help. I shall sit back and try to decide how best to progress. I am trying to find a sympathetic English-speaking doctor in France who I can work with.

No doubt I shall be asking you guys more questions in time. In the meantime, thank you all again for your kindness.

xx


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

arkledessie said:


> Thank you everyone for your kindness and help. I shall sit back and try to decide how best to progress. I am trying to find a sympathetic English-speaking doctor in France who I can work with.
> 
> No doubt I shall be asking you guys more questions in time. In the meantime, thank you all again for your kindness.
> 
> xx


We are that. Kindness heals too!

Here are some suggested labs just in case you find a doc who is thinking outside the box and is willing to help you.

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

We are here for you so ask questions and if we have the answers, we will provide.

In the U.S. we have our own problems. It is not easy to get a thyroid disease diagnosis here either. Most docs just want to Rx antidepressants. We have to advocate for ourselves. It's a mess.

Don't want you to think the grass is greener on the other side.


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