Normal or hypo?

[Warwickshirelass00]

Please can someone give me some advice?  I have been suffering palpitations, fatigue and cold all the time.  I went to my GP because I thought I had a heart problem. However, after carrying out blood tests I was informed that my thyroid reading was 4.9, which whilst in the normal healthy range is a little high.  I have now had to wait six weeks and have now had test results of thyroid 3.39 and anti bodies of 5.  Is this really in the normal range? I have other symptoms of hypo such as high cholesterol, trouble, weight gain, breathing etc.

Should I have fasted for the tests? I was not asked to do so.

[Clutter]

Welcome to the forum, Warwickshirelass00.

TSH 4.9 must be close to the top of range but has now dropped to 3.39.  NHS won't usually diagnose hypothyroidism until TSH is over range (usually 5 or 6) or FT4 is below range.

I'd need to see the range for thyroid peroxidase antibodies to be certain but I'm fairly sure that antibodies 5 will be negative for autoimmune thyroid disease (Hashimoto's).

TSH fluctuates according to circadian rhythms and is highest in the early morning and lowest after noon.  It's not obligatory to fast before a thyroid blood test but can be advisable for people seeking a diagnosis to have an early morning and fasting (water only) test when TSH is highest.

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I am not a medical professional and this information is not intended to be a substitute for medical guidance from your own doctor. Please check with your personal physician before applying any of these suggestions.

[Warwickshirelass00]

Thank you for your response Clutter, I have an appointment with my GP next week. If my results are in the normal range, please could you advise me what is causing my symptoms and how to remedy them?

[greygoose in reply to Warwickshirelass00]

Just being 'in range' means nothing when it comes to thyroid. It's where in the range it falls that counts because the ranges are a nonsense! And, in fact, a TSH of over 3 is hypo, and in some places in the world you would be treated when you TSH is over 3. 

Unfortunately, in UK, the NHS is controlled by a bunch of sadists who like to see the TSH get much higher before they are willing to treat. And, the truth is, they know very little about thyroid and are unaware that a patient can suffer from terrible symptoms with a TSH of just 2. Furthermore, they have little idea what hypo symptoms even are. 

That's not much consolstion, I know, but just a warning about how things are. Your symptoms say you are probably hypo - more than likely, l would say, but l don't know how you are going to convince you're doctor. Oh, and a truly healthy range for TSH is 0.8 to 1.25, and anything over 2 means that your thyroid is struggling. But that's another thing that doctors don't know.