Is it normal to have high rt4 and normal rt3? - Thyroid UK

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Is it normal to have high rt4 and normal rt3?

Jessicacristina1990 profile image

New to this site, just wondering if there is anything wrong with my levels.. I litterally have almost every symptom of hypo since i was very young, and they got worse after having my daughter 5 years ago. I was referred to an endo, with no diagnosis -as he said my levels were all "normal", yet did not give me an explanation for all my issues and side effects that all point at hypothyroidism.. I always thought the ft3&ft4 were either BOTH supposed to be either BOTH high, or both low?

Can someone explain this to me so I can understand these levels :)

Thanks in advance

Thyroid levels

Feb 12 2016

Tsh 2.48

Ft4 12.2

Ft3 5.5

July 12 2016

Tsh 1.09

Ft4 12.3

Ft3 4.9

June 15 2015

Tsh 1.79

Ft4 13.7

Ft3 5.2

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Jessicacristina1990 profile image
Jessicacristina1990
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11 Replies

You need to post reference ranges as well as they vary from lab to lab.

I take it you have never been tested for thyroid antibodies (anti-TPO) and anti-thyroglobuline, used to diagnose Hashimoto's disease (autoimmune hypothyroidism) which is the most common cause of low thyroid function?

After reading your post, I also assume you mean free T3 and T4 (free T3/T4) and not rT3/T4...?

Jessicacristina1990 profile image
Jessicacristina1990 in reply to

Thank you! Just checked and you are right !

Im going to try and just post my lab results that were written in my endo's notes to me GP

humanbean profile image
humanbean

You are getting your r's and your f's muddled up.

What you've had tested is Free T4 and Free T3. These are often referred to as FT4 and FT3.

There is something that can be tested called rT3 or reverse T3, but it isn't shown on your list, and it is not tested for in the NHS.

There is no such thing as rt4 or reverse T4.

Do you have the reference ranges for your results? They probably look something like

Free t4 13.0 (12 - 22)

If you have them you can edit your post and add them. To do that you should click on the v in a little box beneath your post, click on Edit, make your changes, and then click on Post.

Jessicacristina1990 profile image
Jessicacristina1990 in reply to humanbean

Thank you! Just checked and you are right !

Im going to try and just post my lab results that were written in my endo's notes to me GP

Jessicacristina1990 profile image
Jessicacristina1990 in reply to humanbean

So on one of the days lab results he said my "tsh receptor antibodies undetectable"

And on another lab result he wrote "anti-TPO level 8"

Since i dont have a copy of the lab results, (i just have what the endo wrote in his notes printed out from my GP.) How can i find out what the reference ranges are?

humanbean profile image
humanbean in reply to Jessicacristina1990

It's very disappointing that your results don't include reference ranges. If your surgery has access to blood test results from your local hospital (I'm assuming that is where your endo is and where you got tested) then you might be able to get a copy of the full set of results and ranges from your surgery. You are legally entitled to copies of your blood test results, although receptionists have to get permission from the doctor before printing them out for you.

An alternative is that you could ask for online access to your coded medical records and blood test results. Theoretically we should all be able to see our results online now, once we have registered, but many surgeries are dragging their heels. You need to show proof of identity when you ask for access and possibly when you ask for copies of results on paper as well.

Without reference ranges any comment I make on your results is going to be based on common reference ranges and I could be very, very wrong.

Antibodies fluctuate. A positive result is conclusive for autoimmune thyroiditis (also known as Hashimoto's Thyroiditis also know to patients as Hashi's), even if you later get a negative result if the test was ever repeated.

A negative result is not conclusive, and you could test again in future and get a positive result.

Based on the results you've given for antibodies it seems likely that at the time of the test you didn't have evidence of Hashi's.

However, the fact that your TSH has risen suggests you might have Hashi's. Whether you do or not, it seems that you might be heading for hypothyroidism.

Your Free T4 seems to be low in range, but that is assuming your hospital uses the common 12 - 22 range. If they use a different range then your result could be fine - some ranges start as low as 7. You could do a search for your hospital pathology department reference ranges. Some hospitals publish them on the web.

Your Free T3 seems to be holding up fairly well. Most Free T3 is made by conversion from Free T4. About 20% of the Free T3 in the body comes directly from the thyroid.

If your Free T4 keeps dropping, eventually your Free t3 will suffer because there won't be the raw ingredients required for converting into T3.

At the moment you won't get any treatment from the NHS. In some countries in the world (allegedly) it is possible to be declared hypothyroid and get treatment when TSH goes above 3. But that doesn't happen in the UK.

In the meantime, I would suggest getting your nutrient levels tested - the basic ones are ferritin/iron, vitamin B12, vitamin D and folate. Then if any of your results are below optimal, start supplementing.

Also, work on your gut health and your diet. Different things work for different people. If you have ever been tested for coeliac disease for example, and it came back negative, it is still worth experimenting with a gluten-free diet for a couple of months. It might work wonders for you.

Also, look up Izabella Wentz. She is a Hashi's sufferer herself. She has a website, a Facebook page, appears in several Youtube videos, and has written a couple of books which get good reviews on Amazon.

Jessicacristina1990 profile image
Jessicacristina1990 in reply to humanbean

Wow that was very informative! I will look into everything that you said :)

The thing is that i moved to a different province(canada). The reference range isnt available on the website of the lab where i had these tests done. :( and the reference ranges are different in the province i am currently in.

So with the lab results i posted for june 15/2015, my endo said i couldnt have any autoimmune disease since my antibodies was only 8, (he seems to not be very good with thyroid cases as ive heard from other patients.) So even if it is only 8, it is still positive, and there is a possibility for hashimotos? (I beleive my mother or my sister has that aswell). I could test negative sometimes too? And then positive after that?

I beleive the reference ranges were possibly..

Tsh 0.? - 3.0

Ft4 12-23?

Ft3 3.4-6.5?

humanbean profile image
humanbean in reply to Jessicacristina1990

Oh, I mistakenly assumed you were in the UK.

Since you aren't, my response should be ignored because I wouldn't have a clue about reference ranges in Canada.

If you have a positive result for TPO and/or Tg Antibodies then you have Hashi's. But it isn't possible for me to tell whether a result of 8 is positive or not.

Jessicacristina1990 profile image
Jessicacristina1990 in reply to humanbean

Ohhhh ok well i added some reference ranges to my last reply, going from my memory.. is there usually a certain number to determine if you are positive for antibodies?

humanbean profile image
humanbean in reply to Jessicacristina1990

For antibodies you might get told something like

TPO Antibodies 8 with a reference range of < 30. If my example is realistic then healthy people would have a result which is less than 30, and someone with a result of 8 would be fine.

However if the reference range was something like < 4, and the result itself was 8, then that result is outside the reference range and shows that the person has Hashi's.

jimh111 profile image
jimh111

fT3 and fT4 tend to see-saw as they both contribute to thyroid hormone action (many organs can convert T4 to T3). So if fT4 is high fT3 is usually a little low and vice-versa. That way you get steady hormone levels. Obviously if both fT3 and fT4 are high, or low, this is not normal although both can be low in certain conditions such as starvation. Some patients need high fT3 levels and maybe highish fT4, this is fact and it's up to endocrinologists to get off their backside and find out why.

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