got copys of my blood work?

[Guest guest]

ok i still don't understand what the levels mean ,so i'll just put

them out here and maybe somebody can help me?here goes first trip to

the endo 3-15-03 tsi 107 t-4 free 1.2 tsh 0.35 L T 3 FREE 403 and

then after RAI on 6-13-03 t 4 free 2.0 tsh o.15 thats the only two

they tested.no meds after that one.then on 8-6-03 t 4 free 0.5 L tsh

57 H and thats all thay tested that time two? thay put me on 100mg

synthyroid ? does this sound right ? i hope so becuse i really need

to start feeling better? if anyone can help me to understand this

level stuff it would be greatly appreciated .thank you to all that

have helped me so far. and should i be asking for more or different

test?

[Guest guest]

My goodness, ph, you are very hypO right now. In general, it is a good

idea to post results with ranges, as it is hard to interpret without

knowing the ranges for each. Different labs have different ranges, so that

makes it more confusing. However, it does seem clear from the results you

have provided that you are very hypO, with a whopping TSH of 57. (Most

people feel good somewhere between 1 and 2.)

Listing your results is easier for people to read than in a paragraph. For

instance:

3/15/03:

TSH: 0.35 L (post range here)

Free T4: 1.2 (post range here)

Free T3: 403 (post range here)

TSI 107%

[before RAI]

6/13/03:

TSH: 0.15

Free T4: 2.0

[after RAI]

8/6/03:

TSH: 57 H (post range here)

Free T4: 0.5 L (post range here)

Basically, when TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone, produced by the pituitary

gland) is low, that means hyper, and when it is high (H, as in your case),

that means hypO. With Free T3 and Free T4 (your thyroid hormone levels) the

opposite is true: high means hyper, and low (L, as in your case) means

hypO. Your TSI, before RAI, was 107% activity (not very high, but present),

which means that you had thyroid stimulating immunoglobulins, or the

antibodies that are responsible for Graves' (they mimic the TSH, and cause

the thyroid to produce excess hormone).

I don't know much about Synthroid (except that you definitely need it, or

at least some form of thyroid replacement hormone), so I can't make

suggestions as to dosage and what to do (i.e., when to get labs done) from

here. But I would definitely be on top of them every step of the way (in

other words, to get labs done as soon as reasonably possible). I hear

Synthroid can take a while (as in weeks) to fully kick in, but hang in

there. Are you sure they prescribed 100 mg? Or is it mcg? And did they tell

you to take the Synthroid on an empty stomach (i.e., first thing in the

morning), and not eat for 1/2 to 1 hour afterwards (to prevent interference

with absorption)? Calcium especially blocks absorption, so do not wash down

with milk! Also, you should watch for hyperT symptoms (from the Synthroid

website: rapid or irregular heartbeat, chest pain, shortness of breath, leg

cramps, headache, nervousness, irritability, sleeplessness, tremors, change

in appetite, weight gain or loss, vomiting, diarrhea, excessive sweating,

heat intolerance, fever, hives or skin rash, or any other unusual medical

event). Hyper symptoms would mean you are taking too much.

Glad you got the meds,

At 06:59 PM 8/12/2003, you wrote:

>ok i still don't understand what the levels mean ,so i'll just put

>them out here and maybe somebody can help me?