How is it possible to be Hypothyroid when bloods within range?

[Justy]

I understand arguments about reference ranges (i think) and also that before bloods people werew treated on symptoms alone, but i feel confused when i read on here of people being a certain degree of ill with bloods out of range, yet others like me can be more ill and bloods always be in range.

I am one of those diagnosed with ME (after 17 years of variable health from severely ill to mildly and back again to severely ill) But after an appt with Dr S he feels Hypo. My bloods have changed over the years, but don't seem to reflect how i feel (at their closest to range ends now, but M.E slightly improved)

Interested in how this can all be explained.

Justy x

[Moggie]

Try this - its not easy reading but, roughly speaking, it tells you how the body uptakes thyroid hormones into the cells.

Your bloods may be o.k. but if the body is not up taking your T3 or T4 into the cells you can still feel ill.

nahypothyroidism.org/thyroi...

Moggie x

[shaws Administrator]

Before we were diagnosed by using the TSH blood test, people with clinical symptoms, of which the doctors at that time were trained in, were given a trial of natural dessicated thyroid hormone. Also ME, fibromyalgia, and chronic fatigue were only named about ten years after the introduction of the TSH.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to shaws]

Always meant to look up, you often see things that suggest fibromyalgia is the "new" name for fibrositis - which has a much longer history - at least to 1946. Is that a fair statement? Or was fibrositis something else that has now largely disappeared?

Rod

[Marz in reply to helvella]

....along with lumbago and plain old rheumatism....

Got the lot but was diagnosed with FM instead !! Gone away now thanks to better thyroid treatment....

[tegz]

My local hospital uses 5.6 as FT4 minimum. The local private testing uses 12.

I can't believe equipment variations allow for a doubling of lower limit- and in any case leads to doubts and worries.I may raise the issue with the former- but don't wait up!

This is an area needing further investigation- apart from the slavish desire of Drs to hide behind lab figures to cover their lack of knowledge.

[Muffy]

Nobody knows what their thyroid hormone levels are when well, so e.g., if your TSH was 1.5 when you felt well, it could now be 4 and you are feeling very unwell. Still of course within range.

[kiltis]

It's called Hypothyroidism type 2 and it's caused by thyroid resistance.

Both the thyroid and pituitary glands are functioning normally, but the hormones aren’t getting into the cells where they’re needed. This causes hypothyroid symptoms.

There is a book called The Calcium lie by Dr Robert Thompson that explains why this happens and what you can do to cure it.

You might be able to download it.

There is also a book about it by Mark Starr Hypothyroidism called Hypothyroidism Type 2 -the epidemic

Kind regards,

Katarina