Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Marchlove]

Hi All

I’ve been having a good look around at articles on how to interpret full thyroid function tests.

This is the best one I’ve found so far, but it anyone has any more info regarding this, perhaps we could use this thread to post articles.

https://thyroidpharmacist.com/articles/top-10-thyroid-tests/

xx

[ATB]

Good idea.

This is the method I use, my former private endo also. I don’t pay attention to TSH now I’m on medication. It is difficult to interpret thyroid results when you are going through perimenopause so ideally a specialist that can look over the whole picture of hormones and what to address first, could be consulted. You have to also understand how thyroid medication affects sex hormones and how HRT affects the thyroid.

https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/lab-values/

[Gilla999]

Very interesting info, thanks for sharing. I have been putting off dealing with my thyroid results - obviously as my TSH is within range it's not an issue for the GP and I also just feel on so many meds at the moment between ADs and HRT that I haven't been able to face adding another thing in. But reading the information shared here it does sound like it is something for me to address in the future. Hypo runs in my family and my results have been getting steadily worse over the last two years. Very interesting to hear that the optimal TSH is around 1 and according to those reference results I'm below the bottom reference range for Free Thyroxine, although I do sometimes get muddled with which is the important one to pay attention to!

TSH = 3.16 (range 0.27-4.2)
Free T3 = 4.58 (range 3.1-6.8 )
Free Thyroxine = 12 (range 12-22)
Thyroid peroxidase antibodies = 95.4 (range 0-34)

[Marchlove]

Good info ATB! Lots to get our heads around though!

Can’t offer any help I’m afraid Gilla as it’s all too new for me. I’ve just sent for the medichecks full thyroid panel test. My hormone specialist tested my thyroid last November but bizarrely she didn’t test for antibodies, no idea why! x

[ATB]

Gilla,

Based on those results yes I would say you have hashimotos thyroiditis, the high antibodies should alert your GP really. The Free T3 is the one I pay most attention to but free T4 is the other one to watch and these two together help you monitor dosage if on meds. For diagnosis all of them are important, TSH less so. Your Free T4 should be higher too, yes, 17 or above on that range. Free T3 is also too low. Best way is to look at everything of course, all hormone issues, but your results are pretty clear to me esp as the antibodies are high. There is normally another antibodies related one, TbAb (Anti-thyroglobulin).

[Gilla999]

Thanks ATB, yes the other type of antibodies were fine / in range.

Especially with such a prevelance in my family I did figure it was something I might need to address in the future I just (possibly unwisely) can't face adding in "one more" medication at the moment, though I realise it could well be the reason why I suffer with chronic constipation and fatigue.

Thanks for sharing the helpful info on how to read the results as I wasn't aware or any of that.

[Marchlove]

Oh it’s so useful ATB having you to offer some interpretation whilst we all learn. Thank you.

I’ll post my results here as soon as I have them. x

[CrispyChick]

Hi all

Just been away comparing all this to my results from Nov. My bhrt clinic said my thyroid is all fine. I can see a couple of discrepancies with the article Marchlove has posted. I can't fathom out the one ATB has posted 

Any comments?

TSH. 0.93 mIU/l
Free thyroxine  14.8 pmo/l
Free T3.   4.2 pmo/l

Thyroglobulin antibody  13 IU/ml
Thyroid peroxidase antibodies  16.2  IU/ml

Looks OK to my untrained eye 

[ATB]

Do you have the ranges in brackets next to them? They can differ between labs

[CrispyChick]

Ah. OK. Here we are:


TSH. 0.93 mIU/l (0.27 - 4.2)
Free thyroxine  14.8 pmo/l.(12 - 22)
Free T3.   4.2 pmo/l.(3.1 - 6.8.)

Thyroglobulin antibody  13 IU/ml (0-115)
Thyroid peroxidase antibodies  16.2  IU/ml. (0 - 34)

Thanks😊

[Marchlove]

Another thing Crispy is weren’t you on the pill when you had this test done last autumn? I believe one article says that progesterone increases FT4, so things have probably changed for you since the test was done. I wonder if MG realised this, so weren’t too concerned. x

[ATB]

If that’s the case you’d expect her FT4 to be a lot higher and it’s low?

[Marchlove]

Looking back at the article what it actually says is
Factors that inhibit conversion of T4 to T3 - low progesterone, low ferritin, plus others.

I’m not at all sure of the impact of the pill or mini pill on all of this. But certainly they are not natural progesterone.

Anyway, I wouldn’t worry at the moment Crispy and just get MG to retest in the summer. X

[CrispyChick]

Oh  I totally thought my thyroid was fine. I assumed that my bhrt clinic would wavt the money of treating me if there was a perceived issue?! The first thing she said was it was good news on my thyroid - all fine. 

OK, so I wasn't on the pill at time of testing. I had been off about 2 months.

I'm not on hrt. I'm trying bioidentical progesterone only. Also testosterone. So maybe the prog will help?! I wasnt on it at time of test.

I don't know if I have hypo symptoms or not... I put everything down to my hormones, but reading the list, some I can tick off, others not. Are there any more significant than others???

I guess my main ones would he tiredness and extreme brain fog - but those could be my peri too. I am a cold person, but always have been 

X

[shoppingqueen]

Hello
Just jumping in on all things thyroid and agree with  ATB. Your TSH is elevated and the low T4 can really make you feel unwell. My current T4 is at this point as well and I’m barely functioning. I have Hashimoto’s so am on Levo and Liothyronine.
May well be worth checking it out as it can cause no end of issues healthwise- depression, chronic fatigue, poor sleep. The list is endless. And so many symptoms can be (mis) read as menopause/ peri.
X