Thyroid

[Colin221964]

My thyroid test came back as 7.50 is that good or bad as I am always so tired and feel sick and dizzy this has been going on for a very long time

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Is this a TSH test?

Can you add the reference range, it should be in brackets or at the side of the result if you have a print out.

Did they also test FT4?

[Nanaedake]

Can you give people more information? For instance, what was the test for, was it TSH and what was the lab range? If you haven't got all the information then get a print out from GP reception and post details on the forum. Have you already been diagnosed with a thyroid condition and are you taking levothyroxine?

[SlowDragon Administrator]

do you have any actual blood test results? if not will need to get hold of copies. You are legally entitled to printed copies of your blood test results and ranges.

UK GP practices are supposed to offer online access for blood test results. Ring and ask if this is available and apply to do so if possible, if it is you may need "enhanced access" to see blood results.

In reality many GP surgeries do not have blood test results online yet

Alternatively ring receptionist and request printed copies of results. Allow couple of days and then go and pick up.

For full Thyroid evaluation you need TSH, FT4 and FT3 plus both TPO and TG thyroid antibodies tested.

Also extremely important to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12

Low vitamin levels are extremely common, especially if Thyroid antibodies are raised

Recommended on here that all thyroid blood tests should ideally be done as early as possible in morning and fasting. This gives highest TSH, lowest FT4 and most consistent results. (Patient to patient tip, best not mentioned to GP or phlebotomist)

Private tests are available. Thousands on here forced to do this as NHS often refuses to test FT3 or antibodies or all vitamins

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/testin...

Medichecks Thyroid plus ultra vitamin or Blue Horizon Thyroid plus eleven are the most popular choice. DIY finger prick test or option to pay extra for private blood draw. Both companies often have special offers, Medichecks usually have offers on Thursdays, Blue Horizon its more random

[RockyPath]

The short answer is it's bad and it should explain who you feel so poorly.

[JaneAnne01]

Hi, I am newly diagnosed myself so still learning but my doctor said anything over a 4 (TSH) is considered hypo. Many say you need other levels checked as well but I was medicated with a TSH test only- level was 9- & I’ve read TSH is best indicator. Good luck!

[mountainice in reply to JaneAnne01]

Mine's been up and down over level 4 for 17 years, no treatment and didn't know about thyroid stuff till about 6 months ago

[vocalEK in reply to JaneAnne01]

TSH can be well within the reference range, but unless T4 and T3 are also tested, it's possible to be hypothyroid and very much in need of treatment because either a) the thyroid is not producing sufficient T4 or b) Your body is missing or is low on the enzyme that converts T4 to T3. T3 is the active version of the hormone that works at the cellular level throughout the body. TSH alone simply does not give the entire picture.

[JaneAnne01 in reply to vocalEK]

Thanks! I just know my TSH was high so I was placed on medication. I’m going to ask for others to be tested as well.

[Hidden]

What did your doctor say? When I get lab tests I ask for copies. Then I look them over. Here in the US if anything is out of range (low or high) the lab puts "Low" or "High" in the middle column so it jumps out for the doctor.

Look on your report. What's normal on the report? How close are you to normal? Right on the edge or way out of range? If you are way out of range you doctor should have called you to talk about it.

TSH:

HIGH numbers out of range mean your "thyroid stimulating hormone" is having to send messages to make T3 & T4.

LOW numbers means your body makes lots of T3 & T4 and your body isn't having to work so hard to get T3 & T4 into range.

There is actually a "look" those of us with low thyroid (high TSH). We're more likely to me overweight, feel sluggish, so tired we need a nap by mid afternoon, thin eyebrows, flaky fingernails, dry hair. People with hyperthyroid tend to have big buggy eyes and are thin and racing heart beats.

[mountainice in reply to Hidden]

Doesnt apply to me though. Always been on the thinner side but TSH raised.

[morehead]

0 is what you need. Mine was 9.1 and the doctor said that would make me so tired.

[Cup-cake7]

In Britain you can be told you are 'normal' at 4.5 tsh as I was,

even though I showed many hypo symptoms and had done for years - in other countries Iv read you are diagnosed as hypo with a tsh at 3 and displaying symptoms

- It's said you usually feel 'well' when you have tsh around a 1 ..