Interpretation of lab results, help please!

[lucar]

Lab results

TSH 0.99 mU/L 0.30 -6.00

Free T4 18.2 pmol/L 10.0-22.0

Hello,

I am new here, I would really appreciate if you could help me understand my lab results for TSH and Free T4. I have been suffering with hypothyroid symptoms for several years which have been undiagnosed. This year at the beginning of May I started feeling worse and I asked my GP for a blood test for Thyroid, which GP said came back as clear. The thyroid test included only TSH and Free T4.

However, I still have the same symptoms (confusion, dizziness, brain fog, fatigue, etc.), so I wonder if those results can help to understand what is going on. I am considering going for private tests which are more comprehensive and include FT3 and Vitamins.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

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

Blue Horizon - Thyroid plus eleven tests all important vitamins and both antibodies .

This is an easy to do fingerprick test you do at home, post back and they email results to you couple of days later.

Usual advice on ALL thyroid tests, (home one or on NHS) is to do early in morning, ideally before 9am. No food or drink beforehand (other than water)

This way your tests are always consistent, and it will show highest TSH, and as this is mainly all the medics decide dose on, best idea is to keep result as high as possible

[lucar in reply to SlowDragon]

Thank you for reminding me that no food or drink before the thyroid tests to get best results, I didn’t know that it is so crucial to show highest TSH. Private tests are the best option, so I will get back when I have the results and I will post them.

[eeng]

I think your thyroid isn't the problem. Your FT4 level is much healthier than most people who are newly diagnosed have. However you should definitely get your Vitamin B12 levels checked - the symptoms of pernicious anaemia overlap with thyroid ones - and also Vitamin D. Have you tried going gluten free? The test for coeliac are notoriously unreliable, and you can be 'just' intolerant so you get lots of symptoms but the tests come back negative. Also Ferritin - presumably your doctor has already ruled out anaemia (similar symptoms).

[lucar in reply to eeng]

Thank you for reminding me that no food or drink before the thyroid tests to get best results, I didn’t know that it is so crucial to show highest TSH. Private tests are the best option, so I will get back when I have the results and I will post them.

The possibility of anaemia has not been mentioned by my doctor, thank you for pointing that out, it didn’t cross my mind either that it could be anaemia and that the symptoms are similar.