High FT3 and 'normal' FT4 and TSH - please advise

[Guest guest]

I had RAI treatment 6 years ago and I'm now on 150mcg of thyroxine

per day.

My blood test results are:

Free T4 is 20.6 pmol/L (reference range 11.5 - 23.0 pmol/L).

Free T3 is 7.0 pmol/L (reference range 2.3 - 4.9 pmol/L).

TSH is 2.47 mU/L (reference range 0.35 - 5.5 mU/L)

What I am unclear of is what a high FT3 means when FT4 and TSH are

within 'range' and also where do I go from here. I'm on thyroxine,

but is there medication I can take to bring my FT3 levels back within

range? From what I've read a high FT3 could mean blocked receptor

cells. Anyone know any more about this, I've done a search on google,

but didn't find anything helpful or understandable.

thanks for all replies

buzz

[Guest guest]

buzzvadar wrote:

>

> I had RAI treatment 6 years ago and I'm now on 150mcg of thyroxine

> per day.

>

> My blood test results are:

>

> Free T4 is 20.6 pmol/L (reference range 11.5 - 23.0 pmol/L).

> Free T3 is 7.0 pmol/L (reference range 2.3 - 4.9 pmol/L).

> TSH is 2.47 mU/L (reference range 0.35 - 5.5 mU/L)

>

> What I am unclear of is what a high FT3 means when FT4 and TSH are

> within 'range' and also where do I go from here. I'm on thyroxine,

> but is there medication I can take to bring my FT3 levels back within

> range? From what I've read a high FT3 could mean blocked receptor

> cells. Anyone know any more about this, I've done a search on google,

> but didn't find anything helpful or understandable.

Hi Buzz,

glad you asked as my fT3 just went high, on it's own, but I'm on

PTU still.

In your case you can probably lower the fT3, by taking slightly

less thyroxine, as the typical fT4 level on those not receiving

thyroxine is far lower than 20.6. In my case the fT4 is only

just above the bottom of it's range.

Are you having symptoms, or was it a routine test? If so hyper

or hypo symptoms? If you're not having symptoms I wouldn't

change anything based on the one test.

Only thing that seems odd with your results is the TSH being

relatively high, I'd expect it to be below one with fT's like

that, certainly 2.47 is well above average TSH.

Simon

[Guest guest]

Alright Simon,

I don't seem to be suffering the normal symptoms of either hypo or

hyper, but I suffer severely from irritable bowel syndrome. Somehow

during my RAI my gut got affected and has never recovered. The thing

is, back in 1995 I got irritable bowel syndrome just after I had

become hyper. A few months later I had RAI, had a severe reaction to

it and I went even more hyper. But my bowel problem cleared up. The

second time I have RAI, my bowel problem comes back and doesn't seem

to want to go. I'm (sort of) convinced that a thyroid hormone is the

key to me feeling better so I was actually glad my FT3 is high.

Though what can be done about it, I'll see what an endo says.

thanks

buzz

> >

> > I had RAI treatment 6 years ago and I'm now on 150mcg of thyroxine

> > per day.

> >

> > My blood test results are:

> >

> > Free T4 is 20.6 pmol/L (reference range 11.5 - 23.0 pmol/L).

> > Free T3 is 7.0 pmol/L (reference range 2.3 - 4.9 pmol/L).

> > TSH is 2.47 mU/L (reference range 0.35 - 5.5 mU/L)

> >

> > What I am unclear of is what a high FT3 means when FT4 and TSH are

> > within 'range' and also where do I go from here. I'm on thyroxine,

> > but is there medication I can take to bring my FT3 levels back

within

> > range? From what I've read a high FT3 could mean blocked receptor

> > cells. Anyone know any more about this, I've done a search on

google,

> > but didn't find anything helpful or understandable.

>

> Hi Buzz,

>

> glad you asked as my fT3 just went high, on it's own, but I'm on

> PTU still.

>

> In your case you can probably lower the fT3, by taking slightly

> less thyroxine, as the typical fT4 level on those not receiving

> thyroxine is far lower than 20.6. In my case the fT4 is only

> just above the bottom of it's range.

>

> Are you having symptoms, or was it a routine test? If so hyper

> or hypo symptoms? If you're not having symptoms I wouldn't

> change anything based on the one test.

>

> Only thing that seems odd with your results is the TSH being

> relatively high, I'd expect it to be below one with fT's like

> that, certainly 2.47 is well above average TSH.

>

> Simon

[Guest guest]

buzzvadar wrote:

>

> I don't seem to be suffering the normal symptoms of either hypo or

> hyper, but I suffer severely from irritable bowel syndrome. Somehow

> during my RAI my gut got affected and has never recovered. The thing

> is, back in 1995 I got irritable bowel syndrome just after I had

> become hyper.

Diarrhea is a common symptom of hyper, whether it counts as IBS

is a question of terminology. My doctor had me labelled as

either IBS or hyperthyroid when he sent of the blood samples

that finally diagnosed my Grave's, but that all cleared with the

Carbimazole.

> A few months later I had RAI, had a severe reaction to

> it and I went even more hyper. But my bowel problem cleared up. The

> second time I have RAI, my bowel problem comes back and doesn't seem

> to want to go. I'm (sort of) convinced that a thyroid hormone is the

> key to me feeling better so I was actually glad my FT3 is high.

> Though what can be done about it, I'll see what an endo says.

I'm coming to the conclusion that my remaining bowel problems,

very minor as they are, may be due to gluten....

My doctor hasn't given any suggestions yet, but if my cough

isn't better in the morning I'm going to visit, before Faye

murders me for depriving her of sleep.

Anyway I think too much thyroxine has to be top of your list of

likely causes, although I'd be very careful on reducing it, as

hypo creeps up so quietly.

Please let me know what the endo suggests, although with my

results so different it probably won't apply, it is all

education.

[Guest guest]

Alright Simon,

Thanks for the reply. How long did you have diarrhea before it was

sorted? I got thyrotoxicosis in 1989, managed to sort my thyroid out

due to carbimazole by 1992 and relapsed into hyper in Nov 1994 and

that's when the gut problems started.

Because I've had IBS type symptoms for so long I'm hoping that my

body is used to it. I've been put on Prozac to see if it can do

anything about my mind-gut connection. At the moment I seem to be

going through a bout of constipation at same thyroxine dose.

I've been on a restricted diet - no milk products, no wheat products

and it didn't help at all - apart from the weight loss. I lived on a

staple diet of cooked vegetables, chicken and rice cakes for three

weeks. The only fruit I ate was bananas. I've read in places that

starch could be a problem, in which case rice cakes was a bad idea.

thanks

buzz

> >

> > I don't seem to be suffering the normal symptoms of either hypo or

> > hyper, but I suffer severely from irritable bowel syndrome.

Somehow

> > during my RAI my gut got affected and has never recovered. The

thing

> > is, back in 1995 I got irritable bowel syndrome just after I had

> > become hyper.

>

> Diarrhea is a common symptom of hyper, whether it counts as IBS

> is a question of terminology. My doctor had me labelled as

> either IBS or hyperthyroid when he sent of the blood samples

> that finally diagnosed my Grave's, but that all cleared with the

> Carbimazole.

>

> > A few months later I had RAI, had a severe reaction to

> > it and I went even more hyper. But my bowel problem cleared up.

The

> > second time I have RAI, my bowel problem comes back and doesn't

seem

> > to want to go. I'm (sort of) convinced that a thyroid hormone is

the

> > key to me feeling better so I was actually glad my FT3 is high.

> > Though what can be done about it, I'll see what an endo says.

>

> I'm coming to the conclusion that my remaining bowel problems,

> very minor as they are, may be due to gluten....

>

> My doctor hasn't given any suggestions yet, but if my cough

> isn't better in the morning I'm going to visit, before Faye

> murders me for depriving her of sleep.

>

> Anyway I think too much thyroxine has to be top of your list of

> likely causes, although I'd be very careful on reducing it, as

> hypo creeps up so quietly.

>

> Please let me know what the endo suggests, although with my

> results so different it probably won't apply, it is all

> education.

[Guest guest]

buzzvadar wrote:

>

> Thanks for the reply. How long did you have diarrhea before it was

> sorted?

I have to plead I can't recall, it was a long time ago. I think

for me the diarrhea was most noticable immediately before I was

diagnosed, but then when you are losing weight rapidly these

things take on greater importance.

> I've been on a restricted diet - no milk products, no wheat products

> and it didn't help at all - apart from the weight loss. I lived on a

> staple diet of cooked vegetables, chicken and rice cakes for three

> weeks. The only fruit I ate was bananas. I've read in places that

> starch could be a problem, in which case rice cakes was a bad idea.

Oh well, at least you'll go back to a normal diet knowing what

isn't a problem.

[Guest guest]

Alright Simon,

I might try the restricted diet again - see if it makes a difference

is time round, but it is difficult to stick to!

I also posted a message to ThyroidUK (who I've seen on one of your

posts) about high FT3 and got a response back saying get an adrenal

saliva test done. So I'll look into that.

buzz

> >

> > Thanks for the reply. How long did you have diarrhea before it was

> > sorted?

>

> I have to plead I can't recall, it was a long time ago. I think

> for me the diarrhea was most noticable immediately before I was

> diagnosed, but then when you are losing weight rapidly these

> things take on greater importance.

>

> > I've been on a restricted diet - no milk products, no wheat

products

> > and it didn't help at all - apart from the weight loss. I lived

on a

> > staple diet of cooked vegetables, chicken and rice cakes for three

> > weeks. The only fruit I ate was bananas. I've read in places that

> > starch could be a problem, in which case rice cakes was a bad

idea.

>

> Oh well, at least you'll go back to a normal diet knowing what

> isn't a problem.