# Lab Results - What do you see?



## sleepylizzie (Jun 10, 2013)

Hi,

I am new to thyroid tests, and I'm not sure I'm getting all the info from mine that I could, or ideas on what else to look at. Here are the numbers:

TEST - RESULT - UNITS - REFERENCE INTERVAL

T4, free (direct) - 1.19 - ng/dl - 0.82-1.77

TSH - 6.540 - uIUI/mL - 0.450-4.500

RT3, serum - 11.4 ng/dL - 9.2-24.1

TPO Ab - 5 - IU/mL - 0-34

Antithyroglobulin Ab, Siemens (DPC) ICMA Methodology - <20 - IU/mL - 0-40

T3, free, serum - 3.7 - pg/mL - 2.0-4.4

RT3/T3 = 30.8

All I see is high TSH, so probably hypothyroidism...What do you see? Any ideas on what causes for this are? I read that my Antithyroglobulin Ab result indicates I don't have Hashimoto's. Also my RT3/T3 looks good...Do you see anything else?

Generally I feel hypo, but I have trouble gaining weight sometimes. In addition to the lab stuff, my temp is usually around 97.6 F and varies throughout the day. It's been 96.0 before and 98.6 F before, when I wasn't sick. I have very low blood pressure - sorry I don't remember numbers right now.I'll try to find some. My neck lymph nodes are often enlarged and my throat feels tight often.

I talked briefly with an autoimmune doctor at a heavy metals lecture about these results and he says he thinks it's autoimmune, and not thyroid. He mentioned my thyroid/the base of my neck looks enlarged - I don't see that, but he does. Don't remember why but he said he doesn't think it's Graves and I think the Antithyroglobulin Ab results indicate its not Hashimotos. Since the RT3 isn't high the doc doesn't think it's heavy metals.

I'm having a hard time sorting this out and don't want to go to a million doctors or get a boilerplate diagnosis, so I'm trying to learn. I feel horrible. I sleep all the time or I feel fuzzy headed and tired. Not sure what the next step is.

Anyhow, thanks for reading and any thoughts you care to share


----------



## lainey (Aug 26, 2010)

> TSH - 6.540 - uIUI/mL - 0.450-4.500


This number is hypothyroid, you do have the antibodies (TPO) but they are very low. Anti Tg matters most in patients who are suspected of thyroid cancer, as they interfere with the post ablation monitoring. Here, they are inconsequential in the sense that you shouldn't have any, and you don't.

You shouldn't need to go to a million doctors to prove this, unless you find one that thinks like Mayo Clinic, which doesn't treat until the TSH is 10. Most practitioners will start you on a trial dose at that level.

You can have a high TSH, be hypo and not have an autoimmune disease. Body temperature is not considered an indicator of thyroid status, and doing math on your rT3 to T3 ratios is not a good use of your time. I also won't waste any words about what I think about "heavy metals" doctors. Quackery sums it up.

A goiter deserves a sonogram.

Who ran the blood work? Won't they treat you?


----------



## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

sleepylizzie said:


> Hi,
> 
> I am new to thyroid tests, and I'm not sure I'm getting all the info from mine that I could, or ideas on what else to look at. Here are the numbers:
> 
> ...




Not exactly sure you are hypo. TSH would make one think so but there are binding, blocking and stimulating antibodies to the receptor sites and that can give a false impression.

Recommending definitely an ultra-sound of the thyroid and these tests........

TSI
Normally, there is no TSI in the blood. If TSI is found in the blood, this indicates that the thyroid stimulating immunoglobulin is the cause of the of a person's hyperthyroidism.
http://labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/thyroid-antibodies/tab/test

Trab
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17684583

Actually, Trab is the cheaper test and if you get that test and you have Trab then you have TSI. Talk to your doctor about this.

It would also be interesting to know what your thyroglobulin is since you do have a smattering of thyroglobulin Ab.

Thyroglobulin Ab
A negative test is normal. A negative test means no antibodies to thyroglobulin are found in your blood.
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003557.htm
(The normal thyroid has Thyroglobulin in low titers but should not have Thyroglobulin Ab)


----------

