Please Help me Understand...
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Please Help me Understand...
| Fri, 06-25-2004 - 2:24pm |
Last Wednesday GYN noticed an enlarged thryoid and sent me for blood work. TSH is 3.73, free T4 is 0.9, free T3 won't be available until Monday. From this, they are saying levels are "normal"; however due to the enlargement he is having an ultrasound performed next Tuesday. Could the T3 level alone indicate a problem? I was actually hoping for some out-of-whack numbers since I've gained 15 lbs (although I do Pilates or Taebo at least 3 times a week and walk at least 2 miles per day and eat relatively healthy) and some days feel like I've been run over by a truck and been frustated by some brain fog lately. My brother and grandmother are both medicated for Hypo as well. I've also had several bouts of laryngitis, thinning hair and dry skin. Please help me understand what normal #s, yet an enlargement might mean -- and if perhaps the T3 level alone could spell "trouble". Thank you!! p.s. Just started corticosteroids today for poison ivy. Do you think this will affect the ultrasound results 5 days from now?? (On steroids for 6 days)

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Here's an article that talks about the different tests and how to read the results. Hope this helps! Cathy :)
Thyroid
There are 2 types of thyroid hormones easily measurable in the blood, thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3). For technical reasons, it is easier and less expensive to measure the T4 level, so T3 is usually not measured on screening tests.
Please be clear on which test you are looking at. We continue to see a tremendous amount of confusion among doctors, nurses, lab techs, and patients on which test is which. In particular, the "Total T3", "Free T3" and "T3 Uptake tests" are very confusing, and are not the same test.
Thyroxine (T4) . This shows the total amount of the T4. High levels may be due to hyperthyroidism, however technical artifact occurs when estrogen levels are higher from pregnancy, birth control pills or estrogen replacement therapy. A Free T4 (see below) can avoid this interference.
T3 Resin Uptake or Thyroid Uptake. This is a test that confuses doctors, nurses, and patients. First, this is not a thyroid test, but a test on the proteins that carry thyroid around in your blood stream. Not only that, a high test number may indicate a low level of the protein! The method of reporting varies from lab to lab. The proper use of the test is to compute the free thyroxine index.
Free Thyroxine Index (FTI or T7) : A mathematical computation allows the lab to estimate the free thyroxine index from the T4 and T3 Uptake tests. The results tell us how much thyroid hormone is free in the blood stream to work on the body. Unlike the T4 alone, it is not affected by estrogen levels.
Free T4 : This test directly measures the free T4 in the blood rather than estimating it like the FTI. It is a more reliable , but a little more expensive test. Some labs now do the Free T4 routinely rather than the Total T4.
Total T3: This is usually not ordered as a screening test, but rather when thyroid disease is being evaluated. T3 is the more potent and shorter lived version of thyroid hormone. Some people with high thyroid levels secrete more T3 than T4. In these (overactive) hyperthyroid cases the T4 can be normal, the T3 high, and the TSH low. The Total T3 reports the total amount of T3 in the bloodstream, including T3 bound to carrier proteins plus freely circulating T3.
Free T3: This test measures only the portion of thyroid hormone T3 that is "free", that is, not bound to carrier proteins.
Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) : This protein hormone is secreted by the pituitary gland and regulates the thyroid gland. A high level suggests your thyroid is underactive, and a low level suggests your thyroid is overactive.
Hi Mommy2livnkari,
I would agree that your symptoms do sound as though there is some problem.
I haven't had that type of scan, a friend of mine has and she said it was no big deal. I do know what its like to have a "goiter". Mine is multinodular diffuse goiter, so my nodules are very small and there is a TON! but, my condition is autoimmune, so the nodules are caused by the attack on my thyroid then the antibodies are settling in there. But I can't be diagnosed with hashimoto's (underactive) of grave's (overactive) because for now my TSH is normal, I'm not on the low end of either range, although in the spring I was closer to the hyper side.
Also the swelling of the thyroid is usually called thyroiditis, and all that means is it's inflamed. itis= swelling. Some research describes it as arthiritis of the thyroid, but its really referring to the inflamation. Its common if your thyroid isn't working correctly to have swelling. I have about the same measurements on the lobes of my thyroid. Sometimes mine is uncomfortable. The pressure kind of feels like I have on a turtleneck sweater, or a choker necklace. And sometimes I pull my shirts and jackets and seatbelts away even though they aren't tight.
If I were you I would ask your doctor about the possibility if your goiter has been caused by an autoimmune thyroid disorder. They will have to check your anti-thyroid antibodies through bloodwork. But from your test results you are hypo and they might want to start you on thyroid hormone supplement, or wait and do more testing.
Your doctor has good advice about the vitamins. A good B-complex will definately help boost your energy level! If you do decide to take a multi, buy a good multi that also includes trace minerals, like copper, selenium, zinc, etc. And don't waste your money at GNC-- too expensive. Also Bee Pollen is great for energy too. Stay away from energy drinks like Red Bull, from what I've been told its worse on your body than taking ephedra. Try reading up on about.com-- there's tons of thyroid information, and good info on diet & exercise & nutrition for thyroid sufferers : http://thyroid.about.com/blthyroid.htm
here's some info on thyroiditis: http://www.mythyroid.com/thyroiditis.htm
more nutritional & supplement info: http://www.wellnessresources.com/protocols/ThyroidMetabolism.htm
I found that my endocrinologist couldn't give me any advice about vitamins or herbal supplements, but it would be a good idea to mention that you want to include some or to tell them what you are taking in case they know of any interractions. And just like Cathy & Calley said, it's important to take your thyroid meds alone so they can function they way they need to.
Good luck, I hope your endocrinologist can help shed some light on the whole situation. You gyno & MD have some knowledge of what's going on and it was very smart of them to run the bloodwork and have you have the ultrasound. You are lucky to have gotten such a quick appointment. I hope this info helps you in some way. --Lisa
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