Can you help me understand numbers pls?

[dgleds]

Hi!

Ive been hypothyroid since i was 42 ,and im almost 60 now...Thyroid was bouncing around a bit thru menopause time....ive been over medicated at times, with periods of normal...I once was over medicated on synthroid, but my body was still saying produce more according to my t4 test back then...Anyways im a bit over medicated now, but feel ok..we might lower my med a tad....These are my numbers, and she the GP did a t3, I see...What does that T3 mean near that end of the scale 3.7..if it were below 3.5 for T3?

TSH

L 0.26 (so Im over medicated a bit)

Canada range 0.34-4.8

******************************

T4 Free

Mine........ 16.6

range10.0-20.0

**********************

T3 Free

Mine... 3.7

range3.5-6.5

Thanks for any help

[Marz]

If you were over medicated your FT3 would be high or over the range. It would seem possible that you have a conversion issue. How are your levels of FERRITIN - FOLATE - B12 - VITD ? They all need to be optimal for your Levo to convert into T3 and for you to feel well.

Do you have Thyroid anti-bodies ? - if so then this could account for your ups and downs.

[dgleds in reply to Marz]

They are so reluctant to check anything these days, due to government cutbacks...I did have my Vitamin D tested, because they had thought i had mild lupus few years back, so im on 2000iu of vitamin D...(The rhumetologist tested it)...I have no pain...if any, was very mild back then(the lupus thing baffled me).

They have never checked my thyroid antibodies ever!!! Few years back they checked my anti nuclear antibodies ANA and it was1:320 and fine speckled and homogenous....but that was it!! Specialist jumped on the lupus band wagon, but he has since backed up...Im off all the meds for that at my request, and he says its not very active(i doubt i have it)...The only thing i had was the ANA, nothing else tested...it doesnt say Lupus by itself....

BUT no, never thyroid antibody checked...I was surprised this GP finally checked my T3.....We had a shortage of GP's, and i had a Gp for couple years then she left, then saw who i could see...I have a permanent Gp now, i hope...so, its hard explaining things to them over and over....I still kind of wish they had paper files, and not on computer.

soT3 can/could be a conversion thing...its ok range now, but kinda down there...they should keep eye on that, but bet she wont look at it again...

[Marz in reply to dgleds]

Private Testing is available through Thyroid UK .... You really need to know if you have anti-bodies so you can take the appropriate action.

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

Your T3 is not OK - it is LOW ....

Oh have just realised you are in Canada so the Testing info may not be helpful

[dgleds in reply to Marz]

LOL..I use to live in the UK

[cjrsquared]

TSH is measurement of a pituatry hormone it says nothing about the active thyroid at cellular level. T4 is the pro hormone, the inactive storage thyroid hormone ( which is what levothyroxine is) that the body then breaks down to the active hormone T3. A raised free T3 is indicative of over replacement or hyperthyroid, it is this which causes systemic symptoms. However your T4 is above half way through the reference range but your T3 is near the bottom, this means that you may have a conversion problem, so you may still have some hypothyroid symptoms. Conversion problems can be exacerbated by anaemia, low Vit B12, low selenium or be genetic. It is worth ensuring that your folate and ferritin levels are in the top third of range and consider supplementing selenium. I would recommend researching further on vit B 12 but have blood levels measured before consider supplementing. If despite this your t3 doesn't rise you may need to take t3 along with your levothyroxine. It extremely difficult in the uk to get GP's to prescribe it, I do not know how it is in Canada. Good luck.

[dgleds in reply to cjrsquared]

Thank you for the info....My Mom had a B12 deficency, so you never know...She had to get shots for many years...

[dgleds]

and my t3 shows low range almost i think? I know reading tsh is opposite..when its low numbers..it means its in fast mode range or overmedicated..But how do u read the T3...is 3.7 low range almost, and means its not working well?

[Treepie in reply to dgleds]

T3 should preferably be in the upper half of the range ,some say upper quarter.Your T4 is in the upper half . it suggests as Marz says that you are not converting T4 to T3 very well.

[dgleds in reply to Treepie]

now to get the Gp to listen to me....or to do the t3 test over again at later date..its like pulling teeth!!!

[Treepie in reply to dgleds]

The problem is that they mostly go by TSH only and that suggests you are over medicated so they want to reduce the T4 .Stick to what you are on if you feel ok .But as others have said B12 is important and should be around 1000 .

[dgleds in reply to Treepie]

ok...and as my mom had issues with B12...you never know

[greygoose in reply to dgleds]

At the moment, you don't need your FT3 retested. You know it is low, and you know you have a conversion problem. The question now is : what is your doctor going to do about that?

T3 is the active hormone. And it's low T3 that causes symptoms and problems. But doctors don't seem to be able to get their heads around that.

It could be that you aren't converting well because you have low nutrients. Hence the importance of testing vit d, vit B12, folate and ferritin. Getting those done is the next step forward.

[dgleds in reply to greygoose]

Thats a good plan greygoose...I know my Vit D was low, & I am on Vit D for that now...I might be able to request for my B12 and iron to be done at my physical in October...They get snarky when you request tests, or even if you show you know what your talking about to do with thyroid etc..

[greygoose in reply to dgleds]

Well, let them get as snarky as they like! It's your health that is important, not their wretched little egos!!!

[dgleds in reply to greygoose]

The biggest egos come with the specialist Doctors...BUT, yes ive seen some wild egos lately with gp's...super rude too..

[greygoose in reply to dgleds]

They seem to think that the letters MD after their names, gives them licence to say exactly what they like, regardless of people's feelings.

[dgleds in reply to greygoose]

I totally agree...

[dgleds]

thanks..im learning...for years never asked anything, because i seem to be stable on synthroid at 75mg till i hit my my 50's...Learning lots lately..

[Angel_of_the_North]

Nothing there shows that you are overmedicated. If anything, the opposite as free T3 (the active thyroid hormone) is too low. If you feel well, that is fine. I wouldn't with t3 that low. Most people feel well with free t4 and free T3 in the top quarter of their ranges.

[dgleds]

I don't feel too bad...I sleep well, but it seems on less hours....I found some old lab results from 2013 where the t3 was 3.8, then in 2014 4.3....Its really hard to get them to check t3, t4, because to the GP 3.7 on latest T3 test, to them is in normal range ....I need to have a physical in October, and the gp even grumbled about they only do this if its truly necessary now...In the past you could request a physical yearly, and im 60 this year so you figure be a no brainer for them....(its been 2 years for me no physical).