TSH 4.79 and ft4 8 what does this mean

[josaphina68]

[PinkNinja]

ft4 is the level of free thyroxine in your blood. It is one of the thyroid hormones. You haven't stated a reference range for your result but it looks low to me. This would suggest you have an underactive thyroid.

TSH is thyroid stimulating hormone and is produced by the pituitary gland to tell the thyroid to produce more thyroid hormones, including t4 and t3. This would normally be high if your ft4 is low, telling your thyroid that it needs to produce more thyroxine and t3.

Most doctors in the UK will not treat hypothyroidism if TSH isn't above the reference range. You haven't stated this range so I don't know if your doctor will treat you.

A TSH of 4.79 is too high, even if it is within the reference range. You are likely feeling terrible and need treatment with thyroxine tablets. Most people feel best with a TSH below 1.5. Once you are taking thyroxine, you will likely need your TSH to be below 1. The lower the better really.

You don't say anything about how you are feeling, whether you have a diagnosis or whether you are being treated for hypothyroidism or anything else, for that matter. It would really help if you could add this information so we can help you better.

If you are not currently being treated, I hope you can persuade your doctor to treat you because, as far as I am concerned, you have hypothyroidism.

If you have the reference ranges for the above results, please add them in so we can be more help.

Carolyn x

[josaphina68]

Hi Carolyn, I been feeling terrible for months, totally exhausted, weight gain, heavy periods, the list goes on Saw gp and this is 3rd time I've had thyroid checked and keep being told I'm borderline hypothyroidism..

Blood results this time for tsh are over range but normal range for ft4. I just know I'll get told because ft4 is normal there'll retest me in 6 months, I'm so fed up with feeling like this.

Any advice is really appreciated.

Jo x

[josaphina68]

Reference ranges 0 -3 tsh 7 -22 ft4

[josaphina68]

Should also add my ferritin level is 8 x

[Hidden in reply to josaphina68]

Hi there,

Your ferritin is low. The most likely cause is blood loss due to heavy periods. I assume your doctor has done a full blood count to find out whether you are anaemic? Even if you are not anaemic yet, iron supplementation would be a good idea - you are likely to become anaemic soon due to further blood loss, and iron deficiency is a cause of fatigue.

Are you taking an iron supplement already? The most common is ferrous sulphate. Ferrous fumarate and ferrous gluconate are others. They are available on prescription or from a pharmacy. At a ferritin level of 8, supermarket strength iron supplements are unlikely to be adequate.

A fT4 of 8 would be classed as low by most labs. My local lab's range is 10 to 20. Your TSH is above the normal range, suggesting hypothyroidism.

Given your symptoms, I would request a trial of levothyroxine. It is not necessary to wait until overt hypothyroidism develops. Borderline blood results are sufficient evidence to start levothyroxine *if* typical hypothyroid signs and symptoms are present, which in your case they are. The dose of levothyroxine is then titrated based on your symptoms and further blood results.

If you end up taking ferrous sulphate and levothyroxine, they should be taken at different times of day to prevent any interference with the absorption of levothyroxine.

I strongly advise you to see a different GP if your current doctor is not helping you to get better.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

It might also be useful to have your thyroid autoantibodies measured, if you haven't already. This test helps to diagnose autoimmune hypothyroidism.

[ladytelita]

I don't want to hijack the post but how does one make the doctor check for anti-bodies? Despite my last thyroid check being out of range (high tsh, low ft4), they won't treat. Despite my ill health one doctor said I was 'depressed' and needed to exercise more and eat less. This was questioned by myself but she had no intention of helping me at all. Will be seeing a different doctor this week sometime about x-ray and will talk about other things (such as just how bad my health has been this weekend and why the hell did the othe doctor give me anti-depressants which made me seriously ill. It seems to me, that unless youe tsh is very high, they aren't interested and some suggest that I won't have any symptoms as 'I'm not that far out of range'.

[josaphina68]

Don't understand why doctors r reluctant to treat a patient with abnormal blood test and classic symptoms

[ladytelita in reply to josaphina68]

Tell me about it! Keep looking for the right doctor josaphina, there are some out there.