My daughter, aged 28, has the following results: TSH 3.1, T4 13.5, T3 5.7.

[appalachian49]

The doctor says these are normal but she has suffered from tiredness and fatigue, aches and pains, dry skin and several other hypothyroid symptoms for a few years. She has been depressed during the past 2 years so the GP thinks her symptoms are because of that. My sister has just been diagnosed with hypothyroid and as I have chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia I asked for a T4 test as well as TSH. I am now on a 3 month trial as my T4 was 12. My other sister has chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia but has been refused T4 tests. Can anyone help?

[helvella Administrator]

I feel that the first step here is to get hold of your full test results (that is, for all of you). You need the test results and the reference ranges.

It is not at all clear if you live near each other or not. And reference ranges can vary by laboratory and over time. So please take special care collecting the information.

Have any of you had antibodies tests? (Usually Thyroid Peroxidase antibodies - TPOab.)

There are strong family links so you should at least make sure that all doctors involved are aware of the other family members. Indeed, are there any other family with thyroid or autoimmune diseases?

Rod

[appalachian49 in reply to helvella]

Hi Rod, thanks for your answer. My daughter lives near me and we share the same surgery. The TSH range is 0.3-4.2, the T4 was 10-25, I don't know the T3 range. Are her results indicative of a thyroid problem? We haven't had antibody tests, would that be the next thing? we are waiting for Vit D to come back but her B12 was fine. My one sister lives in Swansea and the other one in London.

[helvella Administrator in reply to appalachian49]

Few people feel good towards the bottom of the reference ranges (e.g. for FT4). Most feel better from middle to top.

TSH should not be that high in someone who is well.

Please always get blood drawn as early in the day as possible (I try for 08:00) as that is when TSH is usually highest.

Also, please get the B12 result(s) - again, the ranges go far too low!

I agree that this looks to be hypothyroidism all round.

Have you all had full blood tests?

[appalachian49 in reply to helvella]

Yes, she did have full blood tests. She has a problem with low platelets but have been stable at 89 for 2 years. Her WBC was 4.3 and RBC 3.95 which are both at bottom of scale but doc said normal. Her B12 was 516 and folate 7.5. She had them taken at 8.50 in the morn after fasting.

My father was not diagnosed with under active thyroid but he did complain of all the same symptoms that we are now getting! He went on to develop heart disease and Parkinsons!

Thanks

[galathea]

Her results are indicative of a thyroid problem.

The T4 is in range but at the bottom end and the raised TSH shows that the thyroid is having to be driven hard to produce the T4. A normal TSH is 1 and a tsh of more than 3 would be treated in every country of the world.... except for Britain.

The link between you, your sister and your daughter would suggest an autoimmunce cause and you need to get her antibodies tested. If your daughter has auto immune thyroid problems they will not get better on their own and delaying treatment does no one any favours. If the doctor refuses, you could consider getting tests done privately, you can deal direct with the lab yourself and the cost is around a hundred pounds for a full set of tests...... details on the home page of the thyroid uk website.

Fibromyalgia has been linked to thryoid hormone deficiency,specifially a lack of T3 hormone by the late Dr John Lowe. There are several papers and writings of his on various websites, well worth doing some searches.

How fine was your daughters B12? over 600? or at the bottom of the range at 200?

I think maybe all of you should think about having a full set of thyroid function tests, so you can see what you are all dealing with. It does look like there may be some link.....

thyroid UK web site is here: thyroiduk.org.uk

G x

[appalachian49 in reply to galathea]

Hi G

Thank you for the message. I thought the same about TSH and T4 but what about T3? I haven't had the print out yet so don't know the range. Her B12 was 516 which is not low but is less than 600! Is 600 significant? Her folate was 7.5 which is at the bottom of the range(4.5-18.5)

It has been difficult to get the full thyroid tests done because the labs won't do them! They won't do T4 or T3unless TSH is higher than 4.2. My GP asked for my tests to be repeated when I found out on here about doing them in the morning but the lab refused! My T4 was still only 12 but my TSH was 1.3.

Unfortunately we cant afford tests privately at the moment because we are both on benefits due to illness!

Thanks

A x

[galathea in reply to appalachian49]

I believe that you would be treated in Japan with less than 600, though there are , apparently two different thresholds, one is about 500 and one 600.

Without the ranges its difficult to comment on the t3 level,but it does look suspicious, It's near to the top end of any of the ranges, but the free t4 isn't at the top, and the tsh is raised.... I'd be looking at checking reverse t3 levels.

This Could get complicated as doctors don't believe in much..... Some will say fibromyalgia is not related the thyrod, Others claim that low thyroid is depression, ans some think reverse t3 is a myth. I would have a look at the book by Anthony Toft. Understanding thyroid. It's less than £5 online or at the chemist and as drtoft was a renowned endocrinologist, your doctor may give some thyroid meds, if you use Dr. Toft's reasoning on him.

You need to gen up yourself so you can argue your case with the doctor. Fortunately, there is lots of experience on here and people are happy to answer questions.... DonT be afraid to ask......

Good luck!

G x

[Marz]

....also check out adrenals - if your daughter has been suffering with low thyroid hormones for any period of time then her adrenals can eventually become stressed and then function poorly. There is a website drrind.com where there is good information. The testing for poor adrenal function is sometimes open to debate - but there is good advice on STTM - Stop The Thyroid Madness - about temperature taking three times a day and over several days. Also other ' at home ' tests you can perform. Of course all these things are guidelines. A support supplement may help.

Thyroid illness is complicated and maybe that is why few docs are able to grasp the nettle - so we have to do lots for ourselves. There is however lots on this site about low thyroid hormones and depression. In fact T3 was used in the past for low mood.

Lets hope things will soon improve for you all. My daughter in the UK was told they do not normally test anti-bodies when the TSH is in range ??? Auto-immune Thyroiditis is the most common form of thyroid illness so without testing the anti-bodies how would they know if anyone had Hashimotos. Quite ridiculous and just doesn't make sense.

Rod is right - these things run in families.

Good luck and keep posting.............

[appalachian49 in reply to Marz]

Thank you very much for the info - this site is brilliant. I have learnt a lot in a few weeks!

I will check out the links

[tactano50]

I was only diagnosed with underactive thyroid when i went to clinic for blood test but forgot paper work nurse said she couldnt do without but i said please its my only day off and had waited 2 weeks for appiontment she then agreed and gave me form to fill in saying she shouldnt really do this i then ticked box for thyroid then noticed another for thyroid antibodies so ticked that ,the nurse looked at form and said we dont normally do antibody test,but never mind you have ticked it now .afew days later i got call from doctors to say everything ok ,but following day got another call to say i had thyroid antibodys so i have underactive thyroid,that was 8 years ago my tsh is almost always in the so called range but im still unwell and nobody wants to listen.

[appalachian49]

That's very interesting, thank you so much for replying. Are you on thyroxine now though?