<< A recent standard thyroid screen was pronounced
normal.>>


Most standard thyroid panels measure TSH, T3 and T4
uptake.  The latter two don't tell you much, and the
TSH is too often considered the only relevant number.
Free T3 and Free T4 provide better information, as
well as testing for thyroid antibodies.

The lab indicates a normal range in TSH from about .5
to between 5.0 and 6.0.  Often doctors are satisfied
with a number anywhere within that range as being
"normal" and do nothing further, even when the patient
has many of the symptoms of hyper- or hypothyroidism.
Most patients seem to feel better at the lower end of
the range (between 1.0-2.0).

Cold intolerance is a symptome of an underactive
thyroid.  You can go to the abouthyroid.com website
for a list of symptoms to see if you have any other
warning signs, and then find out which tests will help
you to determine if you have a thyroid problem.


Lynda Bryson
(diagnosed Hashimoto's thyroiditis, March, 2001)
[log in to unmask]

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