# Received lab results & hand-written note from my doctor



## monarch (Mar 13, 2010)

I had my labs done last Friday. I can't sleep to I went and got the mail. I see I received the card they usually send out when all of your labs test are normal. It is usually just a card w/no writing on it. This time my doctor wrote the following on the bottom of the card word for word.

*"Your Thyroid levels are way too high. Please go back to the .175 dose! The Thyroid antibodies were positive, but the same as 11.7 years ago.

Except for the high Thyroid level all of the tests were normal!"*

I didn't add the exclamations or underlines. They were his note.

I had told my doctor that I was taking .200 mg instead of .175 mg because I was feeling hypo again. I took a few .175 levothyroxine tabs and quartered them. I took 1/4 of .175 mg in addition to my .175 mg for a bit not long though (three weeks). Puts me at around .200 mg which is less than what I was taking pre-baby.

So my CBC, T3, T4, C-reactive protein, B12 level, LH/FSH, Pituitary and sed rates were normal.

He did not give me my levels or ranges. He never has/does. I will call to see if a nurse will give them to me over the phone tomorrow. If not, I'm not sure what my next step should be. I'm SO tired of this power struggle.

This just solidifies my crazy status in his mind. My labs are normal (except for ME screwing them up) so my symptoms, extreme tiredness, sore lymph nodes, eye edema, irregular menstrual, always cold, etc I have been battling for a long time are in my head as he said they were. :ashamed0005: We talk about me seeing a psychiatrist at my last visit. He thinks I need different head-meds. As he has always said you can't be tired and anxious at the same time. Also, the symptoms will probably go away if I go on heavier head-meds. I look forward to an anti-depressant that can get rid of my hair loss, skin changes, menstrual issues, and my thyroid eye disease. I already take stuff per his request (which I have been taking for the last decade at the same dosage). Hasn't changed a thing.

I probably sound like a drama-queen but I've felt horrible (it's also 4:24 a.m. bit of insomnia/anxiety). Every time in the last 12 years that I've gone to see him when I feel awful (which has been less than 10 times because I don't go unless I REALLY feel horrible) I've been told nothing is wrong with me. Why bother going to the doctor if I end up finding out my physical symptoms are really mental?

The plastic surgeon also told me at my consultation that me eye bags are not water it is do to fat. The plastic surgeon wanted to use my photo as an example of early aging (before 40) and under eye fat bags. Ummm, no? It's like signing up to be in the "don't" section of a fashion segment.

So I feel horrible, I'm crazy, and the perfect poster child for early aging. As Bill Murray says in Caddyshack "so I've got that going for me, which is nice".

Sorry for the rant.:aim33:


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

monarch said:


> I had my labs done last Friday. I can't sleep to I went and got the mail. I see I received the card they usually send out when all of your labs test are normal. It is usually just a card w/no writing on it. This time my doctor wrote the following on the bottom of the card word for word.
> 
> *"Your Thyroid levels are way too high. Please go back to the .175 dose! The Thyroid antibodies were positive, but the same as 11.7 years ago.
> 
> ...


I am so sorry. You already know that I think you are "trying" to be hyperthyroid and once again, only TSI (thyroid stimulating immunoglobulin) will prove that out.

Can you not get your lab results and ranges? HIPAA says you are legally entitled to them. We would love to see them and it would be huge help.

Now listen to me. When one is hyperthyroid, even at rest, the metabolism is racing at 100 mph.. The patient is very anxious and then crashes and burns (exhausted.) Your doc is fluffing you off.

May I recommend you find a better doctor?

Hugs,


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## Lovlkn (Dec 20, 2009)

> He did not give me my levels or ranges. He never has/does. I will call to see if a nurse will give them to me over the phone tomorrow. If not, I'm not sure what my next step should be. I'm SO tired of this power struggle.


Monarch,

You need to get copies of your las and post results with ranges. With all your symptoms I bet your doctor is running the wrong lab on you. I just had this same experience where my new GP ran a Total 4 instead of FT4 and I am currently awaiting new lab results as I guarantee you my FT4 is too high as I have been having severe anxiety but I believed him , just like you are believing that your labs are "normal" or "high" . You need to see with your own eyes exactly where your labs are.:scared0015:


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## monarch (Mar 13, 2010)

I called and I got a sweet nurse on the phone and she is willing to send my labs results to me. I asked her to just give me the thyroid test results. I asked for T4 results, she said she didn't see that test result but the rest are:

TSH - .07 (lab range .7 - 4.3)
T3 - 4.26 (lab range 2.5-4.3)
Free Thyroxine 2.7 (lab range 0.9-1.7)
Thyroglobulin antibodies - 36.9 (I don't know the range)

I didn't ask for anymore over the phone. She is sending me a copy via snail mail.


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## monarch (Mar 13, 2010)

I just want to feel good again. I don't know if that is possible to have energy during the day or not get sick all the time.

I see all these people out there functioning and getting all their stuff done and I just want to be one of them. I hate not having any energy or getting tired out easily. I want to play hard with my son and actually enjoy it.

Sad day. Family is mad at me because I missed an event. I totally forgot about it. They don't understand or care about thyroid issues. I understand that because I didn't even know about the thyroid until mine went bye-bye on me.

Oh well. Thank you again everyone. You've been great. Thanks for listening to me rant. I hate being a "debbie-downer".


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

monarch said:


> I called and I got a sweet nurse on the phone and she is willing to send my labs results to me. I asked her to just give me the thyroid test results. I asked for T4 results, she said she didn't see that test result but the rest are:
> 
> TSH - .07 (lab range .7 - 4.3)
> T3 - 4.26 (lab range 2.5-4.3)
> ...


According to what I see here, you are hyperthyroid even though that is a Total 3 and not a Free T3 your T3 is over the top. However, we cannot be sure why it is over the top because Total is bound, unbound and even rT3(reverse T3) so a Free T3 test would have been better but I am grateful for what you got.

Because your TSH is very very low and T3 over the top, I do once again suspect hyperthyroid even though that is not a Free T3 (unbound hormone available for cellular uptake) and I do wish to see you get that TSI (thyroid stimulatingin immunolglobulin) which would indicate hyper if you have TSI and a radioactive uptake scan to rule out cancer and also the rate of uptake would either confirm or disaffirm (is that a word?) hyper.


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## monarch (Mar 13, 2010)

Andros said:


> According to what I see here, you are hyperthyroid even though that is a Total 3 and not a Free T3 your T3 is over the top. However, we cannot be sure why it is over the top because Total is bound, unbound and even rT3(reverse T3) so a Free T3 test would have been better but I am grateful for what you got.
> 
> Because your TSH is very very low and T3 over the top, I do once again suspect hyperthyroid even though that is not a Free T3 (unbound hormone available for cellular uptake) and I do wish to see you get that TSI (thyroid stimulatingin immunolglobulin) which would indicate hyper if you have TSI and a radioactive uptake scan to rule out cancer and also the rate of uptake would either confirm or disafirm (is that a word?) hyper.


Thanks. I unintentionally made myself hyper. I'm going to decrease the amount of levothyroxine per my doctor's request. In addition, I have made an appointment with a Psychiatrist per his request. He thinks the fatigue, anxiety, dry skin, hair loss, etc is psychological. :sad0047:
I was so ambitious and active prior to Hashi's. I never missed a day of work and I was always on the go. I want that person back. Maybe it is psychological? Who knows? I'm not ruling anything out right now.

As for my eye swelling/periorbital edema, the reason I initially came to this site, I will have to live with it until I win the lottery. LOL! I went for the consult and found out that costs more that I was initially quoted. It is hard to justify spending $4k.

Thank you so much again for your help (and everyone else's). I really appreciate it! HUGS!


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

monarch said:


> Thanks. I unintentionally made myself hyper. I'm going to decrease the amount of levothyroxine per my doctor's request. In addition, I have made an appointment with a Psychiatrist per his request. He thinks the fatigue, anxiety, dry skin, hair loss, etc is psychological. :sad0047:
> I was so ambitious and active prior to Hashi's. I never missed a day of work and I was always on the go. I want that person back. Maybe it is psychological? Who knows? I'm not ruling anything out right now.
> 
> As for my eye swelling/periorbital edema, the reason I initially came to this site, I will have to live with it until I win the lottery. LOL! I went for the consult and found out that costs more that I was initially quoted. It is hard to justify spending $4k.
> ...


Many a psychiatrist has diagnosed thyroid disease; my own sis was going for years undiagnosed and like you, it was "suggested" that she see a psychiatrist. Well, guess what? He took one look and said, "OMG; you have thyroid disease!" Just like that.

A psychiatrist is a physician first; many many years of med school. So, keep our fingers crossed.......................; don't get discouraged.

Sending hugs,


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## monarch (Mar 13, 2010)

Update:

I will not be able to get into see my new doc until April 29th. He is supposed to be good and will send me off to an Endo (my old dr. wouldn't) according to other patients that I've spoken to that really like him. Crossing my fingers. 

I finally received my labs in the mail. Even though I didn't get a TSI I have other info that may say something about my state of Hashi's. Since my doctor dropped me down to a lower amount of synthroid I've been horribly tired and I slept for 12 hrs. yesterday! That is crazy for me. Good thing my husband was off of work. My hair has started to fall out again, too. It just came back in! Oh well...

Here are my lab results in more detail (some info will be duplicated):
TSH: .07 (I know this really low that is why I reduced the amount of synthroid)
Free T3: 4.26 pg/mL
Thyroxine Free: 2.7 ng/dL
Luteinizing Hormone 6.1 mIU/mL
Follicle Stimulating Hormone: 5.3 mIU/mL
ANA: <40 TU
Thyroglobulin Antibody: 36.9 IUnits/mL
Thyroid Peroxidase Ab: 264.0 IUnits/mL
C-Reactive Protein: <.3 mg/dl
POC Sed Rate: 19 mm/hr

He also did Routine Hematology and Routine Chemistry. The only thing I can see out of range are my Monocytes. Most sites say they should not be higher than 6% and mine are 8%. Not a BIG difference but it is something.

My lymph nodes are crazy sore again on my right side. They are sore down my neck, along my collar bone, under my head/top of neck, my arm pit, behind my knee, and my groin. I didn't even know I had lymph nodes in some of these places. I had to look up what I was feeling.

I ache and I don't feel like doing much and I'm sleeping WAAAAYYYY too much. Can't wait to see my new doctor. Hope he can find out what is going on in my body. I'm praying.

Wishing wellness for all! Summer is around the corner and I hope we all can/will thoroughly enjoy it.


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## CA-Lynn (Apr 29, 2010)

I have a number of autoimmune diseases which require that I see several different specialists at regular intervals.

Over the years I've found that doctors' staff have lost test results, or the lab didn't fax them......so I made a rule: ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS have your physician write "cc to patient" on the lab order. This way you'll get the results at the same time your doctor does.

Since my blood is drawn at least once every three months [over the last 20 years] I decided to track my results and made a chart. It's very useful. You might consider doing the same.

In any case, there may be physicians who don't want you to get your lab results before they do.....and probably they're smart to do so because many people hit the panic button for no reason at all when they see the results.

I think those of us with chronic diseases which are monitored by blood work should be proactive in learning all we can about the tests and what the values mean. Therefore, getting the results before seeing the doctor is a good thing, as it allows us to formulate questions BEFORE seeing the doctor.


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