I am not on any medication for my thyroid. Two weeks ago I had a blood test which showed a TSH of 2.00 (0.27-4.20mU/L) and Free T4 13.1 (12.0-22 pmol/L). The blood test was taken at 2 pm after eating lunch.
After posting on here it was recommended that I do a full Thyroid profile at 9 am after fasting. Please can you tell me if these results are normal?
TOTAL THYROXINE (T4) 83 nmol/L (55-154)
TSH 2.08 mIU/L (0.27 -4.20)
Free T4 16.6 (12.0-22)
Free T3 3.6 pmol/L (3.1-6.8)
Thyroglobulin Antibody 11.8 IU/ml (0-115)
Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies 9.6 IU/ml (50-200)
Vitamin D 60 nmol (50-100)
B12, Folate, Ferritin all bang in the middle of normal.
These all look normal to me? Is this right? And is it normal for TSH to be the same at 9am and 2pm?
The results are from the same lab....
Any advice would be appreciated.
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msleonardchar
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If you're on medication for something else then check it's not affecting your thyroid. You can read up on medication side effects in the patient information leaflet or the Internet.
I noticed for myself that "normal" in the lab was too low for MY normal. Ask for a referral to an endocrinologist and ask them about it and describe how you're feeling/why you're concerned.
You just might find the article below (and the full paper which you can access) interesting and/or useful.
The normal range: it is not normal and it is not a range
1. Martin Brunel Whyte
2. Philip Kelly
Abstract
The NHS ‘Choose Wisely’ campaign places greater emphasis on the clinician-patient dialogue. Patients are often in receipt of their laboratory data and want to know whether they are normal. But what is meant by normal? Comparator data, to a measured value, are colloquially known as the ‘normal range’. It is often assumed that a result outside this limit signals disease and a result within health. However, this range is correctly termed the ‘reference interval’. The clinical risk from a measured value is continuous, not binary. The reference interval provides a point of reference against which to interpret an individual’s results—rather than defining normality itself. This article discusses the theory of normality—and describes that it is relative and situational. The concept of normality being not an absolute state influenced the development of the reference interval. We conclude with suggestions to optimise the use and interpretation of the reference interval, thereby facilitating greater patient understanding.
Ooh - side note- I learned that if insurance/doctor won't allow you to see a specialist; ask for a phone visit for a consultation with the endocrinologist
Your fT3 is low in range which can have symptoms: lack of energy etc.
Studies of healthy young people indicate TSH in range of 1.2 to 1.6 (same range as what you
put up...okay all ranges are the same in the next set of numbers) fT4 11 to 14. fT3 5.2 to 5.6.
The study was done in Turkey and published some years ago. I can't link to it right now but
have posted it in the past. They tested every hour for 24 hours.
You could consider taking a selenium supplement to improve conversion of T4 to T3.
Usually the tablets contain 200 mcg. We do not need that much daily so taking two tablets per week initially should be enough. RDI for selenium is 50 to 60 mcg per day. Brazil nuts are not a reliable source.
Everyone tests D3, B12, Folate. But they are not testing vitamin A level which is retinol.
Not beta carotene. Vitamin A levels also have an effect on thyroid hormone metabolism
since most of the T4 is converted to T3 in the liver. The highest levels of retinol are in
the liver which is why consuming some liver each week is a good idea.
"Serum T3 concentrations also increased in both obese and nonobese vitamin A-treated groups "
They were giving 25,000 IU per day. Given the RDI is 3,000 IU /day I wouldn't recommend
taking 25,000 per day. Once per week ought to be enough.
The study was done only over a 4 month period so I'd assume taking that much each day
wouldn't be problematic. But taking it at that dose indefinitely is unadvisable.
You could trial these and find out if they make any difference. At doses of two times 200 mcg Selenium per week for a month and then reducing to one times 200 mcg per week after that, and one times 25,000 IU vitamin A per week you will be into a good supplement dose and not be in any danger of excess ingestion.
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