need help with results

[Lije]

Hello I have just had my 24 hour urine test result back from Genova diagnostics for Thyroid Hormones and iodine.

my total urine volume for 24 hrs was 1375ml

Triiodothyronine (T3) 646 - pmol/24h - normal range 592 - 1850

Thyroxinie (T4) 155 -pmol/24h - normal range 347 - 1994

T3:T4 ratio 4.2 normal range 0.50- 2.00

Iodine (urine) 71 - normal range 100 -199

should I take these new results to my GP I don't get much sympathy from them beacause

I had this test done (bloods only by Genova)2 years ago and my results then were border line My GP said that i was within the NHS acceptable guidelines and wasn't concerned. More or less told me to go away and diet and exercise. But since then obviously things have changed.

thank you

Lizzie

[twinkleyt]

Always had a Thyroid blood test which shows the TSH. This is what GPs mainly go by, but is missing from your Urine Test.

[Hidden]

Apart from T3, which is at the lower end of the range, everything else is way out. T4 is way too low, iodine is low and of course the T4/T3 ratio is out because of the very low T4. T3 is the active hormone, so it seems to be converting from T4 okay. I am not medically qualified but it seems to me that you could do with some T4 and I would certainly go along to my GP with these results. They will probably want to do their own tests (they won't act on other lab tests, well they didn't for me anyway) and twinkleyt is right they will probably do the TSH test.

Have a go and see what happens, you need to do something as I suspect you feel rather awful.

Would be glad to hear how you get on.

Jan

[Lije]

Thanks for the reply

There was no TSH results as went for Urine as apposed to blood this time around.

I also suffer from other auto immune diseases Psoriasis and Lichen sclerosis plus arthritis. I was wondering if there was a connection and i could be suffering from Autoimmune thyroid disease.??? What kind of questions should I ask my GP. The GP test came back as normal!!!

[angelharley in reply to Lije]

I have hashimoto's...i think you need a Peroxidase Ab test, this will determine whether you have auto immune Thyroditis.

Natalie

[Lije]

Thanks for the helpful tips, but is this something i ask a G P for or should I see a specialist or something. I often see people on here asking to see a endicronologist is that someone i should ask to see?

[Hidden]

I think it is best to start with your GP and see what he/she says about your results. Hopefully they will do TSH, but they do overly rely on this result and it would be good to have a full blood count which would show if you have antibodies. 2 years is a long time and if you need medication things can only go down hill fast if you are left untreated. If you still have severe symptoms and the Dr insists after further testing you are okay, that might be the time to ask to see an endo. I have no experience with endo's so not sure if you need a referral from your doctor to see any endo, I suspect you dont if you go privately.

Hope this helps

[JudithW]

TSH really is not a very good indicator of how well the body is getting the correct hormones it needs to work properly, and even then is the body able to use the T3 properly or is DNA preventing this? TSH is secreted by Pituitary to make the thyroid produce more or less T4 and a bit of T3. It tells us the Pituitary is working well. It does indicate if high that the Thyroid is needing a kick to produce enough T4. Conversely if low that there is more than enough T4 in the blood stream. This is a feedback loop Pituitary, blood and Thyroid gland involved.

However as discussed above T3 is the hormone used by the body for the body to work properly. If the conversion of T4 to T3 is not working properly for whatever reason, then there is not enough usable T3 and the body will malfunction. This will still leave the range of Blood tests performed by the GP looking good.

Dr Hertoge in Belgium says UK is 30 years behind the treatment of Thyroid disease, they treat at 25% underactive UK treats at 75% underactive. Lets face it the figures that the NHS GP works to, are just that, numbers. Numbers can be set any where. I have read there is 400,000 people (mostly women) who are undertreated in the UK.

When I first went to my GP my TSH was 4.08 just above the reference range but I was lucky and the GP listened to me and started me on Thyroxine. My hoarse voice disappeared after 3 or 4 weeks. A lot of other symptoms had developed, one of them shortness of breath, when the thyroxine was increased to 75mcg it improved for 4 or 5 weeks and then reverted, as did other symptoms. At 100mcg I found me again the positive lets get on with it person, alas only for that to disappear again after a few weeks. So for 2.5 years I have been battling the GP and specialist, the shortness of breath after all the tests under the sun show my heart and lungs to be fine, so 'What is it Dr?' 'The load the respiratory system is having to carry is too great for it' 'so your saying it is because I am fat' Dr I responded.

I too have just had the Genova 24 hour urinalysis. My T3 is 292 (800-2500) My T4 is 905 (550-3160) T3:T4 ratio 0.32 (0.50-2.00) Perhaps this is why I still have symptoms.