Help with Interpreting results

[laura281]

Tsh 0.4

T4 13.8

This is a blood test I had this week. I posted last week as I have quite bad tendinitis in many tendons and I'm really struggling to find help.

I know my levels are in range but are they ok?

[nostoneunturned]

Please let us have the relevant ranges for each, TSH and FT4, as lab ranges differ. Also the position in the range is important so it is not enough just to say they are "in range".

[laura281]

I don't know the range the dr just said they were in the range. But I'm guessing there is a general range?

[nostoneunturned in reply to laura281]

Laura, you are at the start of a pretty steep learning curve. First lesson, please, never accept any doctor telling you that results are in range. Where your results are in the range is important. Just ask for a printed out copy of the blood test results. No, there is not a general range, labs have their own ranges for each element, FT3, FT4, antibodies, whatever, depending on the calibration of the machine analysing the blood sample.

You will find a lot of truly invaluable info about this and other matters on the main Thyroid UK site, using the menu on the left hand side provides a really good background.

thyroiduk.org

[nostoneunturned in reply to nostoneunturned]

PS, sorry, meant to tell you you are entitled to have a copy of any blood test, it is your inalienable right so do not let anybody argue with you or question you when you ask for the results on paper. Check out the leaflets setting out patients' rights which should be on display at surgery if you need to.

[Clarebear]

The ranges vary quite a lt by lab, particularly the fT4 so they do need to come from your lab. Could you ask at your surgery? X

[laura281]

Finally got some answers..

Serum tsh 0.40 in a range of 0.4-4.5

Serum t4 13.80 in a range of 7-17

[nostoneunturned in reply to laura281]

Hi, Laura, after reading your previous posts it could be that by stopping taking the levothyroxine for "a few months" you inadvertently put your system, which needs saturating with thyroid hormone, back almost to square one.

It does take many months of this "saturation" to remedy the hormone hunger experienced throughout the body. Your recent results show present TSH satisfactorily low at 0.40 (0.4-4.5) and FT4 13.80 (7-17) is a huge improvement on TSH 100 (range not specified) and FT4 2.0 (range not specified).

In my opinion, for what it is worth, your past and continung tendonitis is a reflection of your body's need for thyroid hormone which you unfortunately denied it for many months so inadvertently blocking progress, but please let me emphasise that all symptoms do not disappear in a matter of weeks.

Here is a link to an article on tendonitis in hypothyroidism which will help you I hope:

thyroid-info.com/articles/m...

It is important to keep up an uninterrupted supply of thyroxine. In a busy life with many responsibilities this can be lost sight of, but try taking levo last thing at night two hours after last eating, and possibly mark the pop-out plastic strip with each day's medication so any missed pills really stand out.

Avoid thyroid hormone inhibitors such as all forms of fluoride in water and toothpastes (absorbed via mouth lining but Euthymol t/paste has no fluoride) non-stick pans etc., and find all the info on the main Thyroid UK site about these inhibiting influences which are really important in the search for health.

thyroiduk.org

Please post future results plus ranges so we can see how you are doing. It would be great if you could have the endo run a full thyroid panel....wouldn't we all love that....see the main site for details of this.