Blood test shows thyroid levels within normal range

[Karganeth]

Okay,

I am a 23 year old male from London. A few years ago I had the blood test done and it showed that my TSH levels were slightly above normal range as the doctor stated but assured it was perfectly fine. Several months later down the line I had another blood test and my TSH levels had gone within normal limits. Again several months down the line while being checked for something else, blood test pointed TSH at 5.6 and my gastro sent a letter to my GP to request a referral to an Endocrinologist. My GP said that wasn't necessary as they do can do the tests within the surgery. I had the blood tests done again and my TSH level was 2.2 down from 5.6 last time and my T3 and T4 levels as she mentioned were fine. How can my TSH levels keep fluctuating so much? Is this normal? I'm truly at the end of my rope, Gastro has no idea what is going on with me and neither does the GP. I honestly thought we had finally hit the nail with this but it seems I am back to square one. Also to add, my father has Ankylosing Spondylitis and Discoid Lupus. I seem to have inherited the HLA-B27 gene and am currently being checked for Ankylosing Spondylitis. MRI Scan showed damage to insacroiliac joint but since damage needs to be seen in two places to be diagnosed, I've been given another MRI scan in 18 months time. (Apologies that I cannot give you the exact results for some of the tests as I haven't received the results, but I do plan to very soon.

The persistent symptoms I experience are:

Cold hands

Slight difficulty swallowing (feeling of grinding)

Chronic Fatigue

Napping regularly

Painful standing on feet for long periods

Inability to concentrate on anything, books are complelety out of the question

Sluggish

Weakness

Dizziness

Loss of consciousness

Waking up feeling knackered

Oversleeping

Weight gain (all in my lower abdominal area) (Although doesn't feel like normal fat)

Can't lose any weight

Night sweats

Intolerance to Cold

Swelling of the hands

Abdominal Distension

Heart Palpitations

Constipation

Shortness of breath

Occasionally skipping beats

I've also been investigated for Uveitis (Iritis) (Inflammation of the eye came out negative, going for another check in several days time)

Eye symptoms I experience are:

Extreme sensitivity to light (feels like a beam through my eye, very painful)

Eyelid Spasms

Excessive tearing of eye when in direct light

Eye redness

Slight discolouration (darker) iris in one eye

Blurred Vision

The weird thing though is that these eye symptoms aren't persistent at all times. They seem to come and go. There are days when I can look directly into light and other days my eyes are so sensitive, it feels like a dagger has gone right through my eye. Although one symptom that is permanent is Blurred Vision.

My latest blood test was supposedly a full thyroid count, from what I saw on the screen that consisted of TSH, T3 and T4. I've heard there's also a Free T3 and Free T4, unless that is the same as just a normal T3 and T4 I then haven't had those tests done.

Can anyone shed some light please?

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK]

A T4 test would almost certainly be a Free T4 test. (Total T4 is rarely done in the UK.)

A T3 test could be Free T3 or Total T3 - most labs seem to do one or the other but not both!

TSH (and thyroid hormones) do vary through the day and night:

thyroiduk.healthunlocked.co...

Typically, TSH is highest in the early hours and best time to have blood drawn to show high TSH is as early as possible in the day - e.g. 08:00.

Depending on why your thyroid hormone levels might not be right could also be behind "splurges" of thyroid hormone being released. If you have a test at the "wrong" time, it could all look fairly OK.

You absolutely must (as you intend) get your test results, including reference ranges. Have a look here:

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/NHS_In...

Rod