t4

[jazzanne]

if my thyroid profile was normal tsh , free thyroxine and free t3 does that mean my total t4 would be normal or is that a diff. test x

[diogenes Remembering]

T4 is not the same as free T4. The reason is that the total amount of T4 you have in your blood depends on the amount of the proteins that carry it. People can have amounts that can vary person-to-person by a factor of at least 10. So the same free T4 could arise in two people whose carrier proteins, and therefore the amount of T4 they carry, (and T3) could be 10 fold different.

[jazzanne in reply to diogenes]

so is it a waste of time getting t4 tested if free t4 and t3 and tsh are normal?

[diogenes Remembering in reply to jazzanne]

In a word, yes. It tells you no more than FT4 does, and can mislead.

[jazzanne in reply to diogenes]

hi my results were normal can you tell me if this includes free t4?, this is my results tsh 2.07, free thyroxine 16.0, and free t3 4.8

is free t4 included?

[greygoose in reply to jazzanne]

Free T4 is the same as free thyroxine. Thyroxine is T4.

[diogenes Remembering]

Yes the free thyroxine is FT4 and your number is in the middle of the usual normal range 10-23.

[jazzanne]

thanks x