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What Do My Lab Test Reports Indicate?

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Posted on Wed, 3 May 2017
Question: I am 72 yrs old & 42 yrs ago my dr did all the test for thyroid including the iodine uptake. he said I had hypothyroidism & put me on synthroid. my mother had a goiter in my teens & then thyroid cancer. she had her thyroids had a lump outside her glands & it was cancerous & they then went back in & took her glands out. she like me had been on thyroid since her early 50's. I stayed cold all the time, especially my nose & hands, my hair was coming out, & weight gain. I am only 4'11" so one lb really shows up. I had the same dr for 37 years & he checked my thyroid monthly & had to adjust my med up or down. Three yrs ago after he had been retired for 3 yrs the dr I was seeing in his place had kept me on synthroid. Then one day I saw a PA & she looked at my lab work & took me off synthroid. She said my level was normal. I told her my dr had told me when it was normal it meant the med was working. So she would not write me a prescription. Now I have been off of it for 3 yrs and had gained 60 lbs (I have worked hard & lost 30 but am still overweight), my hair started coming back out & still is, my nose, face & hands are always cold, & I have 0 energy level. I have talked to the MD I started seeing when mine retired & he said to try it without synthroid & see what happens. Well I have to see a different PA nor NP almost everytime I go as the one MD stays so busy & I think he sees mostly his old patients. What should I do? My last labs were on 2/22/17 & my TSH was 0.81 mIU/ml &FT4_6 was .11 & I was told every thing was fine.
doctor
Answered by Dr. Mirjeta Guni (30 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
Check the TSH to confirm the under active thyroid:

Detailed Answer:
Hello,
I have gone carefully through your concern.
Usually, under active thyroid or hypothyroidism is a long life disease.
It means that when the thyroid gland looses it's function it does not regain it and your symptoms confirm it.
So, if your physician decided to take it off, you should check the TSH 6 weeks after to see the function of the gland without treatment.
If it is above the normal ranges, it means that you need treatment and should restart levothyroxine.
About the thyroid cancer, an ultrasound of the thyroid gland once yearly would help to detect it early.
Hope the information will help.
Kind regards,
Dr.Mirjeta
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Raju A.T
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Mirjeta Guni (1 hour later)
Brief Answer:
Check the TSH to confirm the under active thyroid:
This does not help me at all as I had my thyroid test results in my question. Also, it was a PA that took me off & I have asked to be put back on med just to see if it would help with my energy level, staying cold, hair loss, and weight gain problem, but have been unsuccessful in getting anyone to let me try again. Seeing a different PA or NP every 3 months does not help. My old dr saw me once a month & checked my thyroids with his hands. No one has checked them unless I ask. I have a lot of problems being 72 and I don't need not having any energy and being fat to add to them. My TSH was 0.81 mIU/ml in Feb as I stated in my discussion above. The range on sheet is 0.34-4.82. I would say .081 is on the low side, but the last PA said was fine. Well I don't feel fine & all these problems started shortly after being taking off the synthroid. Evidently, there is nothing you can do either as I am sure you can't prescribe on the internet & like all the PA & NP's I see, no one really cares. So I will see if you have a better answer, if not I will ask for my $29 charge be refunded or contact my bank to stop payment. Thanks!
doctor
Answered by Dr. Mirjeta Guni (1 hour later)
Brief Answer:
More info about hypothyroidism treatment;

Detailed Answer:
I can understand your situation, but the desicion rather to take levothyroxine or not does not depend on clinical symptoms but on hormonal results.
You are right about the clinical examination of the thyroid gland, but the decision rather to treat with levothyroxine or not does not depend on it.
If I can understand it right, the Ft4 level is 0.11, right? If the low range is 0.7, it means that it is under the normal ranges and treatment with levothyroxine is recommended.
If there are other normal ranges for Ft4 and it is considered within the normal ranges, your physician will check ft3 and reverse T3 if you insist that you have symptoms of hypothyroidism.
In rare cases TSH can be normal but Ft4, Ft3 or reverse T3 are altered, causing symptoms of hypothyroidism. In these cases levothyroxine is justified.
Best wishes,
Dr.Mirjeta

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Raju A.T
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Mirjeta Guni (1 hour later)
Thanks for trying, but I feel I should not have to pay as I provided all the info & the solution to what I feel my problem is. You can see my TSH level is low & I have results from T3 also. I would just like to try the synthroid to see if I can get rid of the symptoms I have. I sit inside with sweat pants & shirt with another shirt under it, socks & bedroom shoes with fur inside & usually have a blanket/throw over me when I am sitting. My hair looks awful, my nose is red, & I am fat & inactive as I have no energy. Maybe I can find a website from Canada or somewhere to get some synthroid, even if it cost a lot. XXXXXXX Weeks
doctor
Answered by Dr. Mirjeta Guni (9 hours later)
Brief Answer:
wish synthroid will help;

Detailed Answer:
I am happy to provide you with the right information, whatever the cost is.
Of course the clinical evaluation is a very important part in medicine and we just give theoretical information regarding to the information you give.
Wish you find solutions of your symptoms with synthroid.
Best wishes,
Dr.Mirjeta

Note: For more information on hormonal imbalance symptoms or unmanaged diabetes with other comorbid conditions, get back to us & Consult with an Endocrinologist. Click here to book an appointment.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Nagamani Ng
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Answered by
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Dr. Mirjeta Guni

Endocrinologist

Practicing since :2006

Answered : 2413 Questions

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What Do My Lab Test Reports Indicate?

Brief Answer: Check the TSH to confirm the under active thyroid: Detailed Answer: Hello, I have gone carefully through your concern. Usually, under active thyroid or hypothyroidism is a long life disease. It means that when the thyroid gland looses it's function it does not regain it and your symptoms confirm it. So, if your physician decided to take it off, you should check the TSH 6 weeks after to see the function of the gland without treatment. If it is above the normal ranges, it means that you need treatment and should restart levothyroxine. About the thyroid cancer, an ultrasound of the thyroid gland once yearly would help to detect it early. Hope the information will help. Kind regards, Dr.Mirjeta