Blood Test Results: Any Comments please?

[AndiRiley]

Blood test results: TSH, FT4, FT3, “Q=quality of life score”

TSH = 4% of range

FT3 = 32% of range

FT4 = -10% out of range

Q=quality of life score = 42% of range

( = well below "acceptable" range )

Dose 75 LT4 + 15 LT3

In my view the only blood test result that needs to be “in-range” is my “Q=quality of life score”

The last time I felt reasonably good was:

TSH = –5%

out-of-range

FT3 = 75%

of range

FT4 = -5%

out-of range

Q=quality of life score = 70%

of range ( = just below "acceptable" range )

Dose 75 LT4 and 20 LT3

Endo advised 87LT4 + 15LT3 which “should bring everything nicely back into range”

Which it did – except for Q=quality of life score which dropped further “out of range” to below 40%

Comments please?

[greygoose]

What a strange way of presenting results. I'd much rather see the numbers with the ranges.

Well, obviously you want a high percentage of quality of life, so you do whatever gives you that, and s*d the ranges. It doesn't matter if FT4 is below range, your body just keeps what it needs when you're taking T3. And the TSH is totally irrelevant. But, and endo is and endo, and the ranges are oh so important - when it's not your quality of life you're dealing with!

[Angel_of_the_North]

So drop the T4 and up the T3 again. It looks as though the T4 is going nowhere, as the FT3 has dropped like a brick. Or just increase the T3.

[AndiRiley in reply to Angel_of_the_North]

Thank you. I have increased my T3. I am kind of using my body as a chemistry set atm. I feel instinctively that some of the T4 is counterproductive and so eventually a reduced dose will be best. I do want to try to get a couple blood test results at the higher T4 dose to show to my endo and GP ( one at a higher T3 dose of 20 or 25mcg ( I'll see what feels best ) and one at the lower dose of 15mcg ) I am hoping to convince them about the inefficacy of these doses without having a three month wait on each while I feel ill and they do nothing.

I don't feel horrible ( just rather ill ) on any of these doses, but I'm a long way from feeling good like I did on T3 only.

There appear to be some reasons against having a close to zero FT4, but I'm not clear about what they are?