Thyroid ranges

[PrincessAnnie]

Is there a link I could use to know the ranges that I should be in for a full thyroid panel please,still waiting on a copy of my blood results but I want to be as knowledgable as possible before I start fighting with doctors again😤

[helvella Administrator]

Every lab has its own ranges (reference intervals). You cannot pick up a reference interval from one lab and use it to interpret a result from another lab.

It is quite possible that we end up with labs having the same reference intervals - but you simply cannot know this without checking the reference intervals for two or more labs.

The differences can be almost insignificant - or huge. For Free T4, in particular, we can see reference intervals where the top of one barely reaches the bottom of another.

[PrincessAnnie in reply to helvella]

Thank you x

[helvella Administrator in reply to PrincessAnnie]

In case it has not been pointed out to you, the reference intervals (ranges) are an integral part of your results.

Imagine getting into a car, and you don't realize the speedo is calibrated in kilometres per hour, or leagues per hour, rather than miles per hour. And it might show zero even when you are doing 10. Or shows 30 when you are actually doing 20.

And you also don't know the units of the speed limit signs.

That means, if you ask for a result, they MUST provide the reference interval and this is made clear under data protection legislation. Despite that, we see many who do not get them provided automatically.

[fuchsia-pink]

As helvella says, lab ranges vary. This is why you will see lot of references to how far through a range someone is, as it's pretty easy to compare results that way. As a generalisation, most of us need

* TSH to be low - less than 1 [TSH ranges don't vary much] and it doesn't matter at all if it drops below the bottom of the range IF you are on thyroid meds and free T3 is fine.

* free T4 and free T3 to be high - at least 3/4 through range; and if free T4 needs to go over for free T3 to be good enough this is also fine. If free T3 is over, you should probably reduce dosage a bit. You are only over-medicated if free T3 goes over-range.

* key nutrients a good half-way through range and vit D in 3 figures

... but we're all different, so you might need your results a bit higher or lower than these broad generalisations to feel tip top. The key thing, though, is that once you are on the correct level of meds (for YOU) there is no reason why you shouldn't feel fully well x

[SlowDragon Administrator]

And essential test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 too

Thyroid hormones need GOOD vitamin levels