High free T4 and high TSH-what does this mean? Please help
Hi
I am a 24 years old woman and I was recently diagnosed with underactive thyroid by my doctor since last year. However, as I was borderline hypo, I decline medication asI feared there would be side effects and the doctor said once I was on it,I would have to be on forlifewhich scared me.
I am having 6 monthly bloodtests to checkif my thyroid is under control despite no medication. I do not un derstandalotof these testand I am wondering if someonecould explain what my results meanplease?
Alot of people talk about T3 but I don't see them on my test result. Could they be under a different name?
Well here is what I have so far:-
17/02/2006
Serum free T4 =8pmol/L
Serum TSH = 4.52 miu/L
03/08/2006
Serum TSH = 4.22miu/L
no serum T4visiblefrommy resultslip
What do thesemean?
Am I getting better as the doctor seems not tomind that I refuse medication.
For those who areon med,is it true that onceyou are on it, it is for life?
Perhapsif someone could tell me what other serum I should be looking for then I willknow as the doctor has printed off the blood test but Idon'tknow what it means!
Your free T4 shows how much thyroid hormone is in your system, it's supposed to be more accurate than just a TSH alone. If your T4 is high, it is indicative of hyperthyroidism, if it was low it would be indicative of hypothyroidism.
I have Grave's Disease (hyperthyroidism) that has been in remission for the last 2 years. My free T4 just came up slightly elevated, my TSH and T3 were within normal limits. So in my case, it doesn't really mean much of anything, other than just keep an eye on it.
If you could post the value ranges for your labs, it might give a better idea of how high your Free T4 and TSH is.
As far as being on medication for life, it depends on what your thyroid disease is. I was on medication for about 8 months and achieved remission and now I haven't been on medication for 2 years. It could always come back in the future, but as of right now I'm "normal" thyroid wise.
It does sound like you are borderline hypo. With your TSH lowering, your body might be regulating itself, that is good! But keep monitoring it.
As for being on medication for the rest of your life, it's not a bad thing! If it helps your body work correctly, then why would you not take it? Do you wear glasses or contacts? It's the same thing...something in your body needs a little help so you supplement it with eye glasses or medication.
Good luck!
Cynthia
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Thanks for replying. My TSH does appear to be lowering but I still feel alittle hypo if you know what I mean?
I am hoping that within the next few months my TSH levels would continue to dip below the 2.5 mark and my free T4 will increase.
The main reason why I don't want to take the medications as I was told there are some side effectsd and the notion of taking a drug supplement for life, scares me a little...i know what you're saying if it means feeling better i shoudl take it...i was hoping someone would recommend a more natural/hollistic approach before i resort to drugs...
the problem is that even though i appear hypothyroid i am not overweight! is that normal?
how long have you been taking your medications if you don't mind me asking
I have been taking synthroid for more than 4 years now. When I started it, I lost some weight, I have more energy, my ideas are clearer.
When I was diagnosed, I was getting very depressed, I was always tired, my pulse was 45 and I did not feel good at all. I don't quite remember what my TSH was at the time but it was above 10.
Synthroid is the medication the most prescribed world wide. The only side effects are to reverse the effect of having a low T4.
As far as taking it for life. Well, if I need it to be healthy, carry my pregnancy to term, feel good, don't gain weight to easily, feel energetic, positive and happy, I don't really care about that little yellow pill every morning.
Good luck to you!
Coniela
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Dx in 2001
TTC x 2 years
Tried Clomid/Met/Dexamethasone/IUI... unsuccessfully
Going natural...
"Hey, What do I have to lose?"
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I was diagnosed as hypothyroid when I was in college, I was 21 and was 145 sopping wet. I was a hurdler on the track team and was in the best shape of my life. The only symptom I had at the time was I was exhausted...I couldn't get out of bed one morning I was so tired. I always had a low heart rate, but I attributed that to all my running.
Three years later is when it was found that I had thyroid cancer. My case has been quite unusual (I have a Reader's Digest version in my profile) and less than 10% of all nodules found on a thyroid are cancerous...so you do not need to worry about it! I have been taking Synthroid for 7 years now.
I understand your reservation about taking a drug. But Synthroid is simply synthetic thyroid hormone. Armour is made from dried pig thyroid and sometimes the dose is not consistent, but it works for many people. All these treatments are is hormone replacement. It's not like taking estrogen during/after menopause; thyroid hormone is something your body needs to function its whole life.
Hope this helps!
Cynthia
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Hi, this is my first posting on this site, but when I saw the thread I had to log in. I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism nearly 8 years ago, just after my first year in college. I had probably had it for longer, but I was so busy with high school and college that it wasn't until that first summer break that I realized I was unnaturally tired. Since then, I've been doing some research about it on my own. I've had several doctors but have never been able to get a referral to an endocrinologist, even combined with the PCOS. Here are some of the things I've learned.
--TSH stands for thyroid-stimulating hormone. This is the most common way to measure thyroid activity, but it's not entirely accurate because the TSH doesn't reveal how your thyroid is actually functioning--it reveals how your body THINKS your thyroid is functioning. If you have an underactive thyroid, your body will react by producing lots of TSH in an effort to get it to work. High TSH=low thyroid function. So it's an inverse relationship--you're not measuring the thyroid secretions in your blood, you're measuring the indicators of a lack thereof.
--I believe the usual normal range for TSH levels is between 5 and 1. Many doctors won't tell you that most people feel their best between 1 and 2, and many doctors will give you only enough medication to get you down below 5. My advice is to find a doctor who really listens to you when you say you're tired, and who will medicate you to the point that you are in that optimal range.
--I'm not on Synthroid like the other posters, I have always been on Levoxyl [levothyroxine]. I'm not sure why I'm on that instead of synthroid, but I can honestly say that of all the medications I have ever been on for anything, this is the only one without side effects. It really is replacing something your body is supposed to make naturally, and you'll feel a lot better if you give it a chance. The only detrimental thing I've heard is that later in life it can hasten the onset of osteoperosis--anybody know about this?
--Unless they are caused by medical treatment [like for hyperthyroidism or thyroid cancer] or an injury to the thyroid, most cases of hypothyroidism are autoimmune. Our bodies, for whatever reasons, are attacking our thyroids. This indicates that we are at higher risk for other autoimmune disorders, such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus.
--Hypothyroidism tends to be progressive. I have had to up my dosage at least once a year.
--Like PCOS, hypothyroidism is linked with obesity [lucky us!].
--Like PCOS, hypothyroidism is also linked with depression. Pay attention to this one. I have had several episodes of depression, the last one very debilitating. In my case, I believe the birth control [first pills, now the ring] for my PCOS is a big factor, but my gyno won't try a different treatment, and eventually I had to get a psychiatric referral etc. etc. I am now on Wellbutrin and Lexapro in addition to the ring and the levoxyl and doing much better, but I am going to be more careful about watching for signs of depression in myself in the future.
Lastly--this will get better. You are going to have to be an advocate for yourself, and you need to stick to your guns when doctors try to tell you the fatigue and the depression are normal. But someday soon, things are going to feel good again.
High free T4 and high TSH-what does this mean? Please help 
