Do you folks agree

[Mitzy1]

Results 9/9/16

Normal free T4 19.3

Free T3 low at 3.41

TSH normal at 4.4

On 75mcmgms levothyroxine

Repeat test Nov

Also have graves disease

Thanks

[Clutter]

Mitzy1,

You are under medicated to have TSH 4.4. The goal of Levothyroxine is to restore the patient to euthyroid status. For most patients that will be when TSH is 1.0 or lower with FT4 in the upper range. FT4 needs to be in the upper range in order that sufficient T3 is converted. Read Treatment Options in thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/about_... Email [e-mail] if you would like a copy of the Pulse article to show your GP.

[Mitzy1 in reply to Clutter]

Thanks

[jimh111]

You have a highish fT4 and TSH but low fT3. Although your fT4 is high you are only on 75 mcg levothyroxine, so your thyroid is almost certainly still putting out some hormone. In Graves' (if I remember correctly) the thyroid can go a bit haywire and chuck out hormones, usually more T3 than T4 I think. It's possible your thyroid is putting out extra T4 at the moment and might do so until the gland eventually fails.

I would ask your doctor (endocrinologist?) if you could have some liothyronine, at least for the short term as your fT3 is low and your TSH a bit high. If they give you more levothyroxine your fT4 will go too high and you will start to produce 'reverse T3' which blocks the action of T3 and so an increased levothyroxine dose will be counter productive.

Another possibility is that you have selenium deficiency. Selenium is needed to convert T4 to T3 and with too little selenium your fT4 stays high, the fT3 is low and TSH rises becauses the pituitary needs to convert T4 to T3. As you are having blood tests in November I would contact your doctor now and ask for a selenium test. Don't be tempted to supplement until you have had the test, you need an accurate result.

Sometimes in Graves' your thyroid can flare up now and again giving confusing symptoms. If you get very different results in your next blood test this would indicate flare ups.

All the above assumes you are getting symptoms of hypothyroidism. If you are not and feel OK then don't worry about the blood test results.

[Mitzy1 in reply to jimh111]

Seeing endo December and bloods being done end of this month will have chat with doctor thanks