Only testing tsh when hypothyroid!? Is that rig... - Thyroid UK

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Only testing tsh when hypothyroid!? Is that right?

Bellsonit profile image
12 Replies

I persuaded my sister to go and have her annual bloods done as she's hypothyroid like myself .

She's rang the surgery today and they've only given her results for tsh saying that was all that was tested which is odd as they tested my free t and tsh at the same surgery.

Her tsh was 0.87 which she didn't tell me the range but they said it was satisfactory. I'm assuming as it's the same surgery as mine that the range would be 0.3-5.0??

Is the surgery right to only test tsh??

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Bellsonit profile image
Bellsonit
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12 Replies
miglet54 profile image
miglet54

How on earth can they say all is well when there are no results for T3 and 4. Tsh is but a small part of the picture.

VulpusVulpus profile image
VulpusVulpus

Mine only test TSH if it's "in range". So l guess they test TSH first in the lab and then ft4 if TSH is too low or too high.

Is it right? Not really no, it's a very narrow view of what your thyroid function is. Does it fit their narrow-minded view of thyroid problems? Absolutely.

miglet54 profile image
miglet54 in reply toVulpusVulpus

My TSH IS .66 and my T4 is just in range and my T3 is under.

Bellsonit profile image
Bellsonit in reply tomiglet54

Surely they should be increasing your dose? Or am I reading this wrong?

miglet54 profile image
miglet54 in reply toBellsonit

Was on 100 Thyroxine for ages, upped to 125 in November. Upped to 150 February after bloodtests. I have posted results, however I don't hold out much hope. Looking Into T3 AND NDT.

miglet54 profile image
miglet54 in reply tomiglet54

Bloodtest said no further action needed.

Bellsonit profile image
Bellsonit in reply tomiglet54

Are you due to go back and test again soon? Just wondered if you need to give it a few more weeks for the new dose to settle as you've had a few changes recently and then if you're still feeling awful then go back to the doctors as the advice ive always had is they should be treating the symptoms

Bellsonit profile image
Bellsonit

This is what i thought as yes tsh is in range but how is that indicative to the thyroid function when that could be all over the place? My tsh is supressed, my dose was lowered and my free t 3 went from upper range to the very bottom yet my tsh was still supressed and had barely changed. Arguably if they'd only tested my tsh they'd have sent my t3 to outside of range? Dangerous stuff!!

Glynisrose profile image
Glynisrose

At low measures TSH is or can be irrelevant.

It's totally wrong but a few surgeries do this now. My mums has only tested her tsh for the past 12 years. It's so stupid anything could be going on.

Bellsonit profile image
Bellsonit

I have told my sis to challenge it as it's nuts - how can they test all for me and only tsh for her when we've both been hypo for years, and go to the same gp surgery? She's now said she's going to leave it 4 weeks and see how she feels after trying to eat and sleep really well etc so that she can go back with evidence she's not right. I just feel bad for her that she doesn't feel like she can challenge it yet when they've only really tested half the problem?

in reply toBellsonit

That's exactly the same with my mum. She trusts her doctor more than me though which is understandable (but frustrating) as the doctor is the one medically qualified. She has a long list of secondary conditions to being under medicated for years. They have only tested t3 once in 12 years also and they never test antibodies. I don't think she even knows what they do and don't test though so its really confusing getting a straight answer from her about it.

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