Advice on my thyroid test results please

[Roseyeb]

Hi,

I've just had my first thyroid results and I wondered whether anyone could help me interpret them? I was advised to get the test by a friend who is hypothyroid and thought my symtoms sounded like how she felt before she was treated.

the results I have are

TSH 1.31 mU/L (range 0.2. - 4.50)

Free T4 12 pmol/L (range 9-21)

They are both within the normal range, but I was wondering whether there is a 'normal for me' range and that my results could indicate a lowered level of thyroid hormone for me? But my GP is quite young and doesn't have any experience of thyroid problems (self confessed) and couldn't answer any of my other questions.

She also or a range of other things including kidney and liver function and anaemia, and all are normal.

My symptoms are tiredness (sometimes exhaustion), foggy thick headedness, problems concentrating, deteriorating eyesight and weight gain which doesn't reduce when I diet or increase my exercise levels. These have been gradually getting worse over the past 18 months, and all of the healthy living changes I have made and increasing my exercise levels have made no difference.

Dr thinks it's probably down to age (38) and a busy lifestyle (I work full time and have two primary age children). I'm otherwise really healthy, fitter than at any other point in my life and have very little negative stress in my life (and I'm not actually over weight).

I just want to make sure that there is no medical explanation that I should investigate further. Before I accept these symptoms as an inevitable part of getting older and working hard!

Grateful for any thoughts

[shaws Administrator]

If you can afford a private consultation, email [e-mail] who has a list of doctors.

Before the blood tests came in people were diagnosed and medicated according to their clinical symptoms, of which yours seem suspicious.

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/testin...

[eeng]

Your FT4 level seems quite low - most of us here feel letter when it is near the top of the range. Do you have any other symptoms - slow heart rate, feeling the cold, thinning hair, tinnitus etc?

[patG]

Hi,

That sounds a lot like what I'm experiencing.

I had my TSH tested earlier in the year, came back at 1.75.

Symptoms still here, if anything are getting worse, went to a different GP, retested TSH and I asked for T3/T4 also (along with other tests as you said Roseyeb). These came back as follows

TSH - 2.06 (so has risen since last test, is this normal to be variable?) (0.27-4.2)

T4 - 12.9 (12-22) (so borderline low)

T3 - 4.1 (3.4 - 6.5)

Can low(ish) T4 cause the symptoms? Ive seen some US GP websites that say they sometimes treat symptoms if test results are in normal range, has anyone had any success with trying that route in the UK?

thanks