What happens if my free T3 and TSH are high?.

[wittyjellyfish]

I have been diagnose with hypothyroidism but recently while going through my old test, i had found that both my free t3 and tsh were high. So, my question is, should i be concerned?. Is it an indicator of another serious disease?.

Personally my family has a history of immune diseases such as tumor and cancer. My grandfather is the one who recently got diagnosed with tumor in his chest and i had an aunt who passed away because of breast cancer. So, although not all my family have diseases given the fact that my own grandfather has tumor, i wanted to know if my thyroid tests were a symptom?.

I have also been suffering from depression and just recently for the first time, i have experience a bad panic attack. So, i wanted to know if i should be worried..?

[MaisieGray]

In the majority of cases, but not all, hypothyroidism is the result of an autoimmune condition called Autoimmune Thyroiditis aka Hashimoto's disease after the Dr who discovered it. Other cases, such as mine, are ideopathic. If you have the autoimmune condition it is possible to have occasions when an attack on the thyroid causes dying cells to "dump" thyroid hormones into the blood and then you see levels rise. High levels can also be caused of course, by being over medicated. So if you haven't been tested for Hashimoto's you can ask your Dr to do the tests, although he won't necessarily agree as there is no treatment for it, only treatment for your hypothyroidism. You could therefore have private tests carried out by a lab such as Thriva, Blue Horizon, Medichecks etc. Short term rises/fluctuations in hormone levels as identified are not therefore going to be a major problem and certainly do not imply a connection with, or the beginnings of cancer. However, depression and anxiety can both be symptomatic of being undermedicated, and no doubt it's the latter which is making you have disproportionate fears about cancer and your blood test results. So if you post your recent results here, together with their ranges, members can help identify what might be the problem and suggest what might help.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

For full Thyroid evaluation you need TSH, FT4, FT3 plus TPO and TG thyroid antibodies and also very important to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12

Can you add your most recent results and ranges of tests done

[HughH]

Your high TST and Free T3 with your family history and your symptoms points to a genetic thyroid condition. The condition is known as Impaired Sensitivity to Thyroid Hormone, sometimes called Thyroid Hormone Resistance.

With the condition you require very high levels of thyroid hormones to overcome the resistance and T3 generally works best.

[Angel_of_the_North]

Often when you first start being hypo, TSH rises and free T3 also rises (though not over range) relative to free T4 as your body tries to create as much T3 as possible to keep you going. You can get inaccurate results from taking vitamin supplements containing biotin in the 3-5 days before a blood test. What difference it makes depends on the type of assay used by the lab.