Thyroid Test - Page 3

onlyshopsonline · ‎03-09-2010

@kismet You don't know how lucky you are that your first blood test showed any irregularity at all. I was ill for 10 years, before my thyroid blood tests showed irregularities.....long story. I had Hashimoto's.

As someone who dealt for years with Hashimoto's, and had a thyroidectomy just a little less than 2 years ago, I can tell you that you need to have your doctor run TSH, Free T3, Free T4, and thyroid antibody tests to get a full picture. Reverse T3 is also another good test to have done.

And, sometimes the tests all look "normal" and you could still have thyroid issues. Not enough is known about diagnosing and treating thyroid disease.

"I've been here since October 2006. Wow!"

Mothertrucker · ‎01-30-2015

Remember, if you take Biotin, discontinue it for 7- 10 days before a thyroid test, as it can cause a false reading- My Endocrinologist called me in a panic one day (I have quarterly Thyroid tests) and wanted to know if I had been taking my medication as presribed! My numbers were way off! She figured out it was the Biotin making it look as if my thyroid was off... Glad she figured it out, cause I would hate for her to have adjusted my thyroid meds needlessly...

CJC · ‎03-11-2010

I have been taking thyroid meds for 51 years, beginning in 1968 with dessicated thyroid (made from horse urine I believe) because synthetic thyroid meds were still in the future. Then I moved to synthroid when it first came out. Now I take levothyroxine. My dosage needed adjustment only once as I aged, but I still get a TSH test every year. One thing.....too much synthroid can take calcium from your bones and can contribute to osteoporosis when you're older. Your dosage must be monitored; a good internist can handle this when you have annual blood work done. Good luck!

tsavorite · ‎03-09-2010

@CJC wrote:
I have been taking thyroid meds for 51 years, beginning in 1968 with dessicated thyroid (made from horse urine I believe) because synthetic thyroid meds were still in the future. Then I moved to synthroid when it first came out. Now I take levothyroxine. My dosage needed adjustment only once as I aged, but I still get a TSH test every year. One thing.....too much synthroid can take calcium from your bones and can contribute to osteoporosis when you're older. Your dosage must be monitored; a good internist can handle this when you have annual blood work done. Good luck!

No the natural brands are and have always been made from dessicated PIG thyroid...they are comprised of T1 T2 T3 & T4 plus calcitonin which is protective of the bones. Synthroid is synthetic T4 only medication which is the body's storage hormone....when it needs thyroid the body removed 1 molecule converting it to the active form T3.

TSH is not a good test to go by in a vacuum...your free T3 and T4 should be checked and if it is your first tests the both antibodies tests should be ran to determine if you have Hashimoto's thyroiditis.

A good doctor should be talking with you about symptoms if your having any...I had MANY...and increasing your dosage until they are resolved and your labs are in the optimal range not just barely in the lab range....or even worse based on TSH only.

If I hadn't come across a great website on all this plus a good doctor I'd still be very very sick. I can't imagine where I'd be I was in such pain and falling down fatigue among other symptoms.

HTH also a good website is Stop the thyroid madness I learned alot from them!

Edit: the horse urine is pregnant horse urine to make estrogen for BC pills by they way.

BeccaLou · ‎02-09-2016

Do you feel sick from that medicine ?

BeccaLou · ‎02-09-2016

Has this affected your heart ?

kismet · ‎03-10-2010

I just got retested for my thyroid and my results came in at 4.61 and in January were 4.95. My doctor says to wait 6 months and check again. I told him I was going to see a specialist and will discuss it with her. I have nodules that have to be checked so will discuss the test results with her also. Gut feeling kicking in.

Fona · ‎11-16-2011

Kismet: I have had hypothyroid for 30-odd years and my symptoms were like yours - feeling cold, always tired, etc. I used to take Synthroid but for a few years now I have taken Levothyroxin daily and it works well for me. Along the way I have discovered one or two things that might be useful for you to know.

I have learned that many doctors really know very little about thyroid and you need to see a specialist, or at least find a doctor that has good knowledge. Telling you they are "watching" your symptoms is not helping you at all and tells me they really have very little knowledge of thyroid problems. One thing I read that really surprised me is that thyroid problems can be inherited from your mother, which makes sense in my own case because, on looking back, I realize that my mother had all the symptoms but this was very many years ago and she was never diagnosed, which makes me very sad. Of course, I'll never know for sure.

After your tests, your doctor will prescribe thyroid pills which you must take daily, first thing in the morning with some water. Please be vigilant and try not to miss any. They can take a week or two to start working and then hopefully you will begin to feel better. It is usual to have another blood test after about three months to make sure the dosage is right for you, or it may need to be adjusted.

Remember, you need to be proactive from now on. Take your pills daily, always make sure you get regular blood tests (usually once or twice a year) to test your thyroid levels and, of course, see your doctor if you don't feel good at any time.

Don't expect an instant miracle but remember that in time you will gradually feel good again.

The posters here have given you some good information which I am sure will be very helpful to you. Please let us know how you are doing.

With very best wishes.

cherry · ‎03-09-2010

I can only take natural thyroid which is Armour. The synthetic stuff makes me so sick. You might have to take a few types, to find out what you can tolerate

I suggest not getting more than a 1 months scrip, if you need to take it. It will prevent you from spending money ,on hormone replacements ,you can't take. Thyroid is a hormone ,and replacement is also a hormone, and not a med

cuddlesmama · ‎03-11-2010

I would always suggest seeing a specialist if you have a thyroid problem. A PCC doesn't know that much about it as they don't keep up to date on it. My Husband had hypothyroidism and his PCC prescribed a med and he never felt good so he went back to his PCC and she said it was all in his head and he was on the right dosage. So he went to see a specialist she increased his thyroid med and also found other things that showed up in his blood that his PCC never did. Well, since then he has changed his PCC but just sees his specialist for his thyroid.