Re: Test Results - Hypo for me??? To all...

[Guest guest]

Hi Barb-

I'll leave the lab tests to Elaine. Many of them are outdated, but your FT4

is the number I'd be concerned with (TSH tends to lag). 0.86 is at the

lower end of normal and your symptoms do appear to be hypo. When is your

next appt? Hopefully, the endo, if he/she concentrates on TSH, will

recognize the newer parameters. If not, the ATA (American Thyroid

Association which is geared towards endos) has them. It's at

www.thyroid.org. I think it was presented at their 2002 meeting. I tried to

pull it up for you but my babies started fussing. Hopefully, Elaine has the

reference at hand for you. Otherwise, cruise around on that site and you

should be able to find it.

I had hyperish bowel symptoms the entire time I was hypo (11 years) and it

always confused me too.

Take care,

dx & RAI 1987 (at age 24)

> Hi again all - I was told last week that my facial swelling might be due

to becoming hypo after more than a month on Tap. (I had been on PTU for two

months before that.)

>

> My doc had not called me with the results, so I went and picked them up at

the lab. While everything seems to be " within normal reference range " I'm

afraid this is not " normal " for me.

>

> All he tested this time on Saturday, 5/24 was FT4 and TSH. My FT4 (or

Thyroxine, Free as they call it) was 0.86 with a ref range of 0.75 - 2.00.

(I am also puzzled by this, as I thought Thyroxine was T7, not T4. I'm so

sorry - I'm just so confused. It seems as though different labs call tests

different things. Using three labs, I have results over time for Thyroxine

(T7), Thyroxine, Free and Free T4 Index (FTI), not to mention T3 Uptake, and

T3 Total (RIA.) Thryoxine, Free seems to be what I thought the FT4 was?!

>

> Anyway, my last test prior to this one was ono May 8th, and my Free T4

index at that time was 2.0 with ref range of 1.40 - 3.00. (Why do I feel

like I'm comparing apples to oranges?? Am I?)

>

> Also, my TSH was 1.69 (ref range 0.35 - 5.50) on May 8th - this past

Saturday it was 3.35 (ref range 0.45 - 5.50.) Kind of mid-range, except

when you consider the " new " range Elaine brought to our attention. In that

case, it's high if it should be less than 3.04.

>

> I am continuing to lose tons of hair, still have a swollen face, I am

incredibly tired and now have some of my old (hyper) bowel symptoms back.

Is that common in hypo as well?? It may be unrelated, I guess.

>

> What are your thoughts?? I'm just expecting the endo who ordered the

tests to say I'm within range, and things are fine. I'm wondering if that

is the case, do I need to try to explain otherwise to him?

>

> Thanks again!

>

> Barb

[Guest guest]

Hi Barb-

I'll leave the lab tests to Elaine. Many of them are outdated, but your FT4

is the number I'd be concerned with (TSH tends to lag). 0.86 is at the

lower end of normal and your symptoms do appear to be hypo. When is your

next appt? Hopefully, the endo, if he/she concentrates on TSH, will

recognize the newer parameters. If not, the ATA (American Thyroid

Association which is geared towards endos) has them. It's at

www.thyroid.org. I think it was presented at their 2002 meeting. I tried to

pull it up for you but my babies started fussing. Hopefully, Elaine has the

reference at hand for you. Otherwise, cruise around on that site and you

should be able to find it.

I had hyperish bowel symptoms the entire time I was hypo (11 years) and it

always confused me too.

Take care,

dx & RAI 1987 (at age 24)

> Hi again all - I was told last week that my facial swelling might be due

to becoming hypo after more than a month on Tap. (I had been on PTU for two

months before that.)

>

> My doc had not called me with the results, so I went and picked them up at

the lab. While everything seems to be " within normal reference range " I'm

afraid this is not " normal " for me.

>

> All he tested this time on Saturday, 5/24 was FT4 and TSH. My FT4 (or

Thyroxine, Free as they call it) was 0.86 with a ref range of 0.75 - 2.00.

(I am also puzzled by this, as I thought Thyroxine was T7, not T4. I'm so

sorry - I'm just so confused. It seems as though different labs call tests

different things. Using three labs, I have results over time for Thyroxine

(T7), Thyroxine, Free and Free T4 Index (FTI), not to mention T3 Uptake, and

T3 Total (RIA.) Thryoxine, Free seems to be what I thought the FT4 was?!

>

> Anyway, my last test prior to this one was ono May 8th, and my Free T4

index at that time was 2.0 with ref range of 1.40 - 3.00. (Why do I feel

like I'm comparing apples to oranges?? Am I?)

>

> Also, my TSH was 1.69 (ref range 0.35 - 5.50) on May 8th - this past

Saturday it was 3.35 (ref range 0.45 - 5.50.) Kind of mid-range, except

when you consider the " new " range Elaine brought to our attention. In that

case, it's high if it should be less than 3.04.

>

> I am continuing to lose tons of hair, still have a swollen face, I am

incredibly tired and now have some of my old (hyper) bowel symptoms back.

Is that common in hypo as well?? It may be unrelated, I guess.

>

> What are your thoughts?? I'm just expecting the endo who ordered the

tests to say I'm within range, and things are fine. I'm wondering if that

is the case, do I need to try to explain otherwise to him?

>

> Thanks again!

>

> Barb

[Guest guest]

Hi Barb,

T7 is an old test and today an FT4 is performed when a T7, which is really a

calculation, is ordered.

T3 uptake and the FT4 index are both obsolete tests that we once used before

tests to measure free T4 directly became available. We one used the T3 uptake,

along with total T4, to calculate the approximate FT4 level or index.

..

You should also have a test for FT3 to help determine if you're hypothyroid.

Many people do not convert T4 into T3 very well, and a low FT3 can cause

symptoms of hypothyroidism. I don't recall where you are in terms of treatment,

but

TSH is often falsely decreased in Graves' disease and these results can be

misleading. Take care, Elaine

[Guest guest]

Hi Barb,

T7 is an old test and today an FT4 is performed when a T7, which is really a

calculation, is ordered.

T3 uptake and the FT4 index are both obsolete tests that we once used before

tests to measure free T4 directly became available. We one used the T3 uptake,

along with total T4, to calculate the approximate FT4 level or index.

..

You should also have a test for FT3 to help determine if you're hypothyroid.

Many people do not convert T4 into T3 very well, and a low FT3 can cause

symptoms of hypothyroidism. I don't recall where you are in terms of treatment,

but

TSH is often falsely decreased in Graves' disease and these results can be

misleading. Take care, Elaine