It’s been a roller coaster for me to lose weight. Do you all think I could benifit from thyroid treatment based on my blood work
I can only comment based on my knowledge of Free T4 and your TSH.
Both look good. 1.7 is the middle of the range. You would also want to know you Free T3 which matters more tbh.
TSH the lower the better.
Mine numbers were 5.86 TSH, Free T4 was 1.17, Free T3 is 3.0.
My numbers actually caused more in-depth testing and turns out I have Hashimoto’s disease and was put on medication.
In short, your numbers look decent based on what I can tell. Again TSH, Free T4 and Free T3 from what I understand are the only things that matter. For me, it is really really hard for me to lose weight. So I hear you.
I find it strange that someone would test thyroid and not have a testosterone panel in a TRT forum to go along with it.
Testing the fT3 would tell you how much thyroid hormone is available to your cells.
I do not think you have a thyroid problem, because TSH is usually elevated in people with hypothyroidism.
While inability to lose weight is a sign of low thyroid, there is more to it than just that. Any others, fatigue, always tired, naps all the time, thinning hair, eyebrows, dry skin, hypersensitivity to cold, brittle fingernails, among others?
The numbers? You need to test free T3 for sure. However, the numbers do not tell the entire story. I give plenty of patients thyroid with lab levels perfectly normal. Interesting that some of the same guys who support taking testosterone when levels are within range will not suggest thyroid when levels are within range normal.
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You can have a low T4, low fT4, the only thing that matters is the fT3. I have rock bottom fT4 levels, but have better than midrange fT3.
The fT3 is where the rubber meets the road.
Too bad doctors still skip this important test.
If you have a low iron or low vitamin D, been there done that, losing weight will be difficult as will be gaining or maintaining muscle.
That’s because a low normal testosterone is not healthy and multiple studies show this, the symptoms start higher up at about midrange and progress as you drop lower.
TSH is way more reliable in detecting a problem than LH. I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone with secondary hypothyroidism on this forum.
Nah, equally unreliable.
Of course you haven’t. Probably because it is fairly rare. Certainly because it would be difficult to diagnose over the internet.
Is this meant to imply that low normal thyroid is not unhealthy?
No, low thyroid is unhealthy.
It is because you can’t interact or see the patient.
No kidding? Who would have thought?
Hmmmm, OK. You arrive at that diagnosis based on difficulty losing weight and incomplete lab work. Sometimes, perhaps in your zealousness to answer what seems like almost every post on this forum, you are simply wrong.
My comment was observing a difference in how low normal testosterone and low normal thyroid are considered by some. You explain that stating it is because low normal testosterone is unhealthy without mentioning thyroid, which would imply that the difference is low normal thyroid is not unhealthy.
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TSH and Free T4 is good enough to accurately determine thyroid status in the majority of people.
This is what my endo told me which I’ve backed up in my own research.
Serum free T4 concentration (91% and 94%) respectively when compared with serum TSH level (84% and 86%). However, the sensitivity and specificity for both laboratory tests assessed in conjunction improved further ( 98% for both) in comparison to either of the tests evaluated individually in diagnosis of thyroid disorder.
Conclusions: Free T4 may be more accurate and reliable than TSH as a single initial screening laboratory test in assessment of thyroid function.
Be careful, practice what you preach!
…
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I was referring to myself above, I can and do have low fT4 and optimal fT3, but to have low TSH, good fT4 and low fT3, according to @highpull secondary hypothyroidism is rare and therefore unlikely.
So what other conclusion can be drawn?
This comes to mind.
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My God, I knew it was a mistake to respond to you. Are you on psych meds? If so, stop! If no, start! How many times have you gone off on “idiot” doctors, “doctors that do not understand hormones”, “uneducated” doctors, “don’t order the right tests” blah, blah, blah, when they omit freeT3 testing? You go on here and contradict yourself in the same damn thread.
OK, welcome @FishSniper. You jump on a new guy who had the temerity to ask a question regarding thyroid on a testosterone forum. As you may know, many low thyroid symptoms are similar to low testosterone symptoms and if he looked at some posts he likely noted thyroid is often discussed, in fact dozens of time by you. He probably assumed he could get some constructive feedback. You bitch at him for not having testosterone tested and then tell him this:
Then base your answer on your own personal experience. You can do that because anytime an outlier comes on here with something weird guess what? You’ve had that too. You’ve had everything!
Huh? You have low freeT4, optimal freeT3, but good free T4 and low FreeT3?
Don’t take my word for it. You’re a great researcher. Look it up.
None, not yet, given the information at hand. Didn’t stop you though.
You’ll need to explain this one to me. I did not give him a diagnosis, only asked about common hypothyroid symptoms and suggested another test.
Unfortunately, you put out so much misinformation it offsets the good stuff. I’ll give you this though, you’re not boring, always entertaining.
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