Dear Michelle and Thyroid Folks,

>My Free T4 was L 0.32 and TSH was 55.11

Please look closely at that lab results sheet.

If I'm understanding you, there should be an H
or some other indicator of a "high" reading for TSH.

I'm only bringing this up because it does look like
the "L" in L 0.32 in an indicator of low Free T4.
Right?

Also, are there other readings on there, for reverse
T3 or antibodies or anything else?

So What's Happening?

If your TSH is about ten times higher than expected
[you said that 5.55 would be expected to be high
normal, right?] this would tend to mean that your
pituitary gland is producing more TSH than "usual"
because it thinks you do not have enough thyroid
hormones available in your body. The increased TSH
is "supposed" to increase your thyroid hormone
production (from your thyroid gland), but it doesn't
appear to be working correctly.

The low reading on T4 confirms this - you ain't got
even the puny amount of T4 thyroid hormones that
the tests think you need - possibly *much* less
than you'll need to control or reduce hypothyroid
symptoms.

Your doctor seems to have ignored your thyroid
condition for too long, allowing you to get out of
whack. You may need to watch this doctor more
closely from now on, to be sure you are getting
the attention you need to properly manage your
condition.

Many people would just replace the doctor, for
less. Certainly you should become familiar with
what to expect, and what your doctor should be
doing, generally.

A fellow I know fired a doctor a while back. This
endocrinologist said he could treat hypothyroid
disease with nothing more than TSH readings.
That endo literally said that even if a blood test
provided T4 and T3 levels, he would only pay
attention to the TSH. That particular endo also
failed to take the patient's temperature - relying
unscientifically on the "feel" of the patient's
hand. History.

I think you might want to search the Thyroid
Archives for any symptoms you have and "high TSH."

I wish you well.

 Pax,
Ballew Kinnaman <[log in to unmask]> 206/463-2322
Discussion list owner:
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