Oh and here are my most recent labs from October 18, 2010:

TSH- 0.570, range (0.450-4.500
T4Free- 1.05, range (0.82-1.77)
T3 Free- 2.4, range (2.0-4.4)
ALT- 8, range (8-40)
TSI- 25, range (0-139)
TSH REC AB-

Oh and my new doctor said my antibody levels are negative and that does not support a diagnosis for Grave's. My other doctor said I do have Grave's, so I'm sooo confused!!!! My new doc, who is an endo also said some patient's will havenormal levels and still have autoimmune thyroid disease!!! So what does that mean, isn't autoimmune thyroid disease the same as having Grave's. Sooo confused!!! Any help would be greatly appreciated!!!

Thanks again and sorry for posting so many times in a row... I am having a hard time sleeping tonight and my mind is racing as you can see!!!! lol.

I'm sorry your eyes feel bad. I have used:

Dry form Vitamin A
Vitamin E
Milk Thistle
Salmon oil (which contains pre-formed Vitamin A and Vitamin D3)
Milk Thistle
and...???

I hate to tell you this, but any number that you have for the TSI is a positive for Graves' Disease. Yours was 25. I knew this one woman on another thyroid board who only had a TSI of a 2 and she had a full-blown GD.

What was your TRAb number since it was cut off? This board does not accept more than and less than signs as well as some symbols.

Your Free Ts, while in the range, may still be too low for you. I do better when my Free Ts are as close to the mid ranges as possible. Maybe that is where you might feel your best there at?

{{{hugs}}} :-)

My TRAb was less than 0.51, range (0.00-1.75)

That's weird that any number for your TSI is considered positive for Grave's. Then why is there a range??

Thanks for the hugs mmztcass,
Tina:)

That feeling of pressure behind your eyes can be relieved somewhat by sleeping with your head elevated. I slept almost upright for over a year. Also, use Refresh natural tears to help lubricate your eyes...that helps stop the irritation and dryness. I would make an appointment to see a board certified Ophthalmologist to have him check your eye pressures. When you feel pressure behind your eyes usually a pressure test will help to see if you have swelling in your eye muscles. I would make an appointment really soon to help put your worries at ease.

You levels are a bit low...if you do have eye irritation due to graves...being hypo will effect it. Big Hugs...Kathy

I do not have an explanation about the TSI ranges. But I can tell you this, a person with zero numbers for TSI would not have GD.

I would question why this new Endo is saying you have no GD antibodies?

So many of us here are on our fourth, fifth or more Endos since many of them are clueless in treating thyroid diseases. It is guessimated that about 80% of Endos treat Diabetes more than thyroid disease.

With your lower TRAb and not very high TSI, you have a better chance for remission.

{{{hugs}}} :-)

Thanks so much mmztcass and dairytech for your help. I'm still confused though. I try so hard to understand all of this and just when I think I understand something, something else comes up. It's so frustrating!!!

So dairytech, what do you mean when you say my numbers are low and I might be hypo?? I thought low tsh was indicitive of hyperthyroidism. I am starting to feel better since raising my ptu, but still not that great yet. I'm real confused on the TSI range thing? I'm definately going to talk to my doctor at my next appointment and tell him what I just learned here.

Thanks again,
Tina

We do not dose by the TSH or even really look at the TSH since it affected by thyroid antibodies. It is also a pituitary hormone and lags six weeks behind the current Free T3 and Free T4 results.

Your lower Free Ts indicate that your levels may be too hypO for you and which will likely explain your eye problems.

Whenever I dip down low with the Free Ts, my eyes gets more dried out and gritty. While I don't have the pressure behind the eyes, I have to adjust the MMI I take to get my Free Ts (especially the FT4) to come so I can feel better elsewhere in my body.

{{{hugs}}} :-)

P.S. If these were my antibodies results, I'd be dancing for joy, because it means the GD is not that bad. The PTU you take has definitely worked well for you. :-)

Thanks, it seems to be, but I'm not feeling like I used to feel quite yet!!! But I'm very grateful to be on my way back to feeling more like my old self. Hope you're all feeling good too!!! Thanks again for all your great advice, I really appreciate it!!

Have a Gorgeous Day!!
Tina

tlinaluski, you can have thyroid eye disease without having a thyroid issue believe it or not. I would definitely get a second opinion on the Grave's tho. I would think that they would have done a tyroid uptake scan. That is gold standard as part of diagnosing Grave's. Did they do one on you? Your levels don't look too bad to me. TSH is on the low end so you could be symptomatic from that.
I would say for the time being to sleep with head of bed elevated like Dairytech was saying, that helps me too. Buy some lubricating eye drops, buy the ointment, not just the refresher tears. Especially before bed. If your eyes are dry they can become irritated during sleep (REM cycle) because your eyes are moving. I would see an opthamologist for sure and see what they think. They can see if you have TED too. TED can cause exopthalmos (bulging) if the thyroid is not managed and treated properly. I wouldn't worry too much about that.
I hope you start feeling ether soon.

Thanks NurseTracey, and yes I did have a thyroid uptake scan three years ago when I was first diagnosed by my primary doctor. But now the endo I just started to see says I don't have Grave's and he did not order a uptake scan as of yet. He said the one I had in 07 was normal. So I don't know what the heck is going on. Is it true, that any number of TSI anti-bodies is indicitive of grave's? My number was 25???

I purchased the eye drops and they seem to be working and I also made an eye doctor appointment. Thanks for all your help, I really appreciate it:)

Have a great weekend:)
Tina

Hi Tina:

Any number that shows up for the TSI, is a positive for having Graves' Disease. I think I mention it to you before on another thread that I knew a woman on another thyroid board with a TSI of only a 2 and she had a full blown GD.

Look also at the eye supplements mentioned in other threads to use in addition to the eye drops:

Dry-form Vitamin A
Vitamin E
Milk Thistle
Salmon oil
Flaxseed oil
drinking more water
FlorGlo w/Bilberries and Lutein

{{{hugs}}} :-)