Well...that's not good. First off...can you post your labs like this:

TEST Result Range
TSH 1 1 to 5

Be sure to list your Free T3 and Free T4 as well if you have them.

TSH 2.100 Range 0.450-4.500
Thyroxine (T4) 4.5 4.5-12
T3 Uptake 31 24-39
Free Thyroxine Index 1.4. 1.2-4.9
T4,Free(Direct) 0.82 .82-1.77
Thyroid Peroxidase (TPO) Ab 6 0-34
Triiodothyronine,Free,Serum 1.8 2.0-4.4

Hi dawnrose. My endo said that many docs don't know how to interpret the results of thyroid blood tests, so they only go by TSH. THOSE are the docs to steer clear of.

Even though my endo is thyroid savvy, I still have to encourage her to give me the right dosages of T4 and T3 so I feel well. It's an uphill battle, but worth the fight.

Fingers crossed for you.

So sorry to hear about the 3 clueless doctors - I saw 4 of them.

You need a doctor like keeska's and mine....one that recognizes the fact that it's the actual thyroid hormone levels (FreeT4 and FreeT3) that determine thyroid status.

I, too, have to lead my treatment with my doctor. That's OK with me since only I live in my body.

I suspect that there is at least another doctor out there who can see you before August 2nd.

Have you tried looking for an integrative doctor? "Whole body" doctors tend to be more available than specialists.

I posted there at healthtap too. One doc said take name brand T4 and you won't have problems. Other doc said I need TSH, Ft4, and Ft3 because the Total T3 is just kind of like in a vaccum.

Saw endo for the first time Monday, and he said that they are now only going by TSH results....have been on thyroid meds for several years, new that it was hypo, he diagnosed with hashi's and vitamin d deficiency....he was a really great doc with a great bedside manner, funny, but serious at the same time, but also told me that the 50 pds i have gained over the last 5 years also has nothing to do with the hypothyroid...i dont know what to think or where to go from here..any suggestions??

anxiousone

I just posted some info for you on another thread.

http://www.dailystrength.org/c/Hypothyroidism/forum/8707188-fluid-retention-and-hypo/page-3#addcomment_anchor

Sorry to say, I highly doubt your endo will ever help you achieve wellness if he relies on only the TSH test. It fails thyroid patients every time.

If you read around on the site I'm linking below, you'll see just what I mean:

http://www.thyroidchange.org/index.html

Thx cd I was afraid of that...i'll check out ur link as soon as I can!! Have a great day!! :)

I have also learned that the doctor will follow what the Lab PEOPLE put on the results --

If there is nothing next to the number from the Lab people -- then the doctor may tell us "you're within range" -- THEN do nothing for us and even leave us hardly able to function.

When there is something abnormal -- the Lab will put a HIGH or LOW next to the number - Then this alarms the doctor and he/she doesn't do much for us, either!!

If it says, LOW -- they panic, the number is too low -- "You're going to go HYPER"

If the word next to the number is high, then the doc still panics -- You're number is too high"

This is where WE, the patient, must be smarter than the doctor and demand the right kind of care. We must know more about the disease then the physician such as understanding how the numbers can work for us, medications to relieve symptoms, understand the results, Understand the ranges, understand what levels fit us, symptoms associated with T3 and T4.

Geez that's why I am less stressed being my own doctor.

Most endos are pompous asses. The one I have now is female and was recommended to be by a few women who I told had a thyroid problem and went to her. After I was treated for Graves and my former endo made me too hypo and talked about RAI... I quit him and went to my family doc awhile. He basically let me set the dose of the anti thyroid med myself but when I started asking too many questions about antibodies etc...he said I knew more than him and to try to find another endo.
I have antibodies for both Graves and Hashi's so my new doc now is open minded and willing to try different doses, different meds.(I have been on replacement meds for about 4 years now.) She is an exception to the rule, it seems,she is an endo. My labs (standing order) always contain FT3, FT4 and tsh. My tsh has been really low and as long as the frees are fine, she's fine.She thinks that's what counts the most. The tsh might be an indicator of something going on weeks before too, as it can lag behind. Most times for Hashi's people the tsh can look "normal" even low and can change in 2 weeks.(go way up) This is usually what Hashi's does. The tsh bounces around and the frees are still low, that's why the tsh is unreliable. If you find a doc that knows this and goes by this theory, you'll be good. It's just still hard to find this kind of doc. Most are not endos! You don't have to go to an endo, unless you hear they're a good one. An open minded doc who cares about how you feel is the most important. Not one that doesn't run the frees and doesn't go by obvious hypo symptoms. and only goes by tsh....run from those!