Partial results in and ?!? Is this TSH fluctuation possible or normal?

[Sarah-epieikes]

Thanks so much to all the lovely people who helped me so much on my previous post. I had a blood test 9.55am on Wednesday (hadn't been told it should be fasting so I'd had coffee and healthy snacks late the previous night) and called for results yesterday. Some were in but not all and i don't have the ranges, sorry. I'll get them with the rest of the results on Wednesday. But I'm shocked! I was so sure this was my time to get a diagnosis and work out a way back to healthy. What could have happened? Am I barking up the wrong tree?

Tsh: 1.67 (in Feb it was 4.3)

T4: 15.2 (in Feb 14.8)

T3: 4.4 (no prev result)

Obviously it's great if there really isn't a problem, but it leaves me with a load of unexplained symptoms and the fear that actually I'm just a lazy slug.

In better news, my hba1c was 45 in Feb and by following the blood sugar diet, it has come down to 37.

I was shocked by that too. So actually maybe I should check this was actually my blood!

I know I'm rushing in : the antibodies test isn't back yet. But what do you think? For my tsh to have dropped so much, is that a sign the high Feb result isn't significant. I haven't got print outs of previous results yet.

In the week before the test, my mental health took a real dip, with depression, insomnia, panic, massive mod swings. So I fly elected the result to be in line with hypo

[Sarah-epieikes]

Posted too soon. That should be "fully expected my results to be in line with hypothyroidism."

[Hidden]

I don't have any diagnosed thyroid problems but when I last had it checked the TSH was 0.902 and the Free T4 was 15.82. Apparently low TSH is good and you feel better if it is low. I don't have a T3 level result. At that time my Vitamin D was 34.2 which is on the low side and can make you feel grotty apparently. Have you tried any diet changes?

[Clutter]

Sarah-epieikes,

The recent results are euthyroid. Post the antibody results when they are available. Fluctuations in TSH are often due to positive antibodies (Hashimoto's).

[humanbean]

Tsh: 1.67 (in Feb it was 4.3)

T4: 15.2 (in Feb 14.8)

T3: 4.4 (no prev result)

If you had the reference ranges for us that would be helpful.

One possibility is that you have autoimmune hypothyroidism (aka Hashimoto's Thyroiditis) and you are going through a flare up. This means that you have antibodies attacking your thyroid. Your symptoms would suggest this too.

When you have antibodies attacking your thyroid, cells in the thyroid get damaged and killed off. When this happens the cells release their load of thyroid hormones into the body. So your Free T4 and (possibly) Free T3 would go up, and your TSH would go down.

Eating and drinking the night before the test won't have had any effect on the result. It's in the morning you have to fast.

However, your blood was taken later than the ideal time.

press.endocrine.org/doi/pdf...

Take a look at the graphs on page 2 of the paper linked above. You can see from the TSH graph that to get the highest TSH result during working hours (when blood gets taken) you have to have it taken as early in the morning as possible and it is usually recommended to try and get it done before 9am.

You could ask your doctor to test for thyroid antibodies. There are a few different kinds :

labtestsonline.org.uk/under...

The NHS will usually only test TPO antibodies. In reality though, being positive for either TPO or Tg antibodies would indicate autoimmune hypothyroidism. In other words, the NHS misses the diagnosis for anyone who has just Tg antibodies.

Another problem is that antibody levels fluctuate and it can take several attempts to get a positive result (if antibodies are there to be found). Some people have all the signs and symptoms of autoimmune hypothyroidism and yet never get a positive result.

[Sarah-epieikes in reply to humanbean]

Thanks, that's really helpful! I'll have the ranges and the antibody results on Wednesday at least, and will ask for printed copies of previous tests too.

Is this a large fluctuation of TSH?

It does seem like I should get the private tests too. And probably research what to do when the dr inevitably says he can't diagnose or prescribe! Feeling quite desperate to get some clarity and progress now...

[greygoose in reply to Sarah-epieikes]

What time did you have the test done in February?

[doglover100]

Ive had TSH levels of 20, 10 and 7 in a 4 month period before I was medicated so it can fluctuate wildly on its own without the help of meds. However my antibodies test was plus 1300 so hashi flares would explain it. A side note is that any infections however mild can give erratic tsh readings It can jump up.