Please help! Thyroid confusion!!

[Eshep]

How is my endocrinologist telling me a free t3 of 2.1 (2.0-4.9) is normal? I have every hypo symptom you can imagine. 2.1 is a very low free t3 level, correct?

My tsh is 2.2 (.5-4.5)

Free t4 is 1.1 (.8-1.8)

TPO 13

What would be my best course of action? I need more t3, correct? My t4 is not converting to t3 for whatever reason!!! How does she not see this? So frustrating!

[greygoose]

When a doctor says 'normal', all s/he means is 'in-range'. They just do not understand that the ranges are too wide and that you cannot possibly feel the same at the bottom of the range as you do at the top. In med school, they just do not learn about subtleties. For them, in-range is in-range, and you're just fine! I'm not sure you'll ever be able to convince her that this is just not so.

However, if you are on thyroid hormone replacement, you are under-medicated, and do need an increase, because your FT4 is also too low, and your TSH too high.

[Celestialbeing]

I see that you are in the USA. Me too. IMO, your FT3 is very low. True, you are likely not converting. What are you taking and what is the dose? You might benefit from an increase in dose, adding synthetic T3 or switching to a NDT. Feel free to message me privately to discuss endos/docs in your area and the upcoming international conference. (Good if you had thyroid cancer).