Blood results

[Ayeshajm69]

Hi everybody

My 11 year old daughters blood results came back, she has hypothyroidism ,her blood results are TSH 185

Free TM <1.3

TPO >600

Could some please explain what these mean please

Thank you in advance

[jimh111]

These numbers means she has quite severe hypothyroidism (an under-active thyroid). The thyroid secretes two hormones thyroxine and triiodothyronine, usually referred to as T4 and T3. T3 is the active hormone. The thyroid secretes mostly T4 which acts as a storage hormone and the body coverts it to the active T3 when it needs it.

The pituitary secretes thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) to stimulate the thyroid to secrete T3 and T4 which in turn feedback to the pituitary to lower TSH. So, if the thyroid is failing TSH will rise in an attempt to get the thyroid to make more hormone. In fact TSH rises exponentially as T3 andT4 fall. A typical TSH level is around 2 in healthy people and above 5 or 10 as hypothyroidism sets in. A TSH level of 185 is very high and suggests she may be very hypothyroid although there is a poor link between the TSH level and degree of hypothyroidism.

You quote a free TM figure, I suspect this should read free T4 or free T3. We can’t comment on this number without the reference interval, this is a range usually put in brackets. It doesn’t matter, we already know she is hypothyroid.

The TPO figure refers to antibodies and it is high. This tells us that she has autoimmune hypothyroidism, the most common form.

She will need to take thyroid hormone tablets for the rest of her life to replace the hormone her thyroid is not producing. She should receive a prescription for ‘levothyroxine’ which is the usual form of hormone that is prescribed. She should be reviewed after about 6 weeks to do another blood test and adjust her dose.

This will have a substantial effect on her vitality and mood and make school work very difficult until she has recovered which will take perhaps three to six months. It’s therefore important to let her teachers know so they can make allowances and not mark her down unfairly.

Although quite a few of us on the forum do not do well on levothyroxine I have noticed that patients with a very high TSH seem to respond very well.

[Wetsuiter]

is this her 1st test? That TSH indicates she needs medication and retest in a couple of months, but if this is 1st test, then medication may be delayed until after 2nd test (at least that seems to be the case with adults).

i think the TM and TPO are poss the ranges, not the actual results, so cant add anything there.

Did they test FT4 and FT3?

someone who knows far more than me will be along to give more detailed advice.

[Ayeshajm69 in reply to Wetsuiter]

Good morning this is her first test

[klr31]

Do you have the reference ranges?

Karen