[Just Me]

I am going to have my bloodwork done by an outside lab, as my endo is not very cooperative, and insists that the TSH is enough.
But as I look through the tests offered I don't see one with TSI, or am I missing something. I know I need the FT3 and FT4 and TSI,do I need 2 separate tests? Has anyone here used Health Check USA?
Thank You

My Tsh was .233 on 03/02/09
T4,Free was 1.67 ref..70-1.50

1/15/2010

TSH 2.0
T4, Free[Direct} 1.23 RR .70-1.50

[Lakelover]

Just Me, on 06 February 2010 - 02:25 PM, said:

I am going to have my bloodwork done by an outside lab, as my endo is not very cooperative, and insists that the TSH is enough.
But as I look through the tests offered I don't see one with TSI, or am I missing something. I know I need the FT3 and FT4 and TSI,do I need 2 separate tests? Has anyone here used Health Check USA?
Thank You

You need to order an additional test if you want a TSI

Healthcheck list the test you need for FT-4 and FT-3 along with TSH under 2 names - both cost $85

STTM Basic Thyroid Function
Blood Tests Included :
- Thyroxine (T4) Free Thyroid Function Blood Test
- Tri-iodothyronine (T3) Free Thyroid Blood Test
- Thyroxine-Stimulating Hormone (TSH) Thyroid Blood Test

or Thyroid Panel 2 with TSH
Blood Tests Included :
- Thyroxine (T4) Free Thyroid Function Blood Test
- Tri-iodothyronine (T3) Free Thyroid Blood Test
- Thyroxine-Stimulating Hormone (TSH) Thyroid Blood Test

I couldn't find the TSI test - I'm wondering if they discontinued it??

[cdsh3764]

You could try this place

https://sttm.mymedla...&product_id=325



You might also ask your GP to order whatever tests you need.....and, if he/she says
he/she wouldn't know how to interpret the results, you can use this:

http://www.clinlabnavigator.com/T.html


I noticed that the above site does not specifically list TSI - however, it describes
TSI as a part of the TRab (thyrotropin receptor antibody) test which is a decent
alternative to the TSI test - MyMedLab.com offers the TRab test as well and
it's much less expensive:

https://sttm.mymedla...&product_id=325

[Monica]

Call healthcheck and tell them what you are looking for. Sometimes you can order tests that they don't show online. I don't remember if you are on ATD's or not but if you are you might want to consider the Comprehensive Metabolic Panel with Comprehensive Thyroid test. This one includes the CBC and liver function tests that we need periodically while on ATDs. It also has a lot of other good tests like cholesterol which can be elevated when you are hypO.

[Just Me]

I am on Methimazole. 2.5 mg at night plus 20 mg of propranolol and my TSH has went up to 2 from .233 a year ago. my endo thinks I am just fine, but I am so cold and my heart starts pounding for no reason, I am miserable.

[mmztcass]

Just Me, on 06 February 2010 - 04:01 PM, said:

I am on Methimazole. 2.5 mg at night plus 20 mg of propranolol and my TSH has went up to 2 from .233 a year ago. my endo thinks I am just fine, but I am so cold and my heart starts pounding for no reason, I am miserable.

I wonder if you are hypO now? If we were going to look at the TSH levels, it's best to keep it under 2.0 and preferably at around 1.0.

Good luck in getting the tests done to find out your Free Ts levels and TSI.

{{{hugs}}} :)

[cdsh3764]

Just Me, on 06 February 2010 - 06:01 PM, said:

I am on Methimazole. 2.5 mg at night plus 20 mg of propranolol and my TSH has went up to 2 from .233 a year ago. my endo thinks I am just fine, but I am so cold and my heart starts pounding for no reason, I am miserable.

Your symptoms sound hyPO so, after you get labs to confirm, you might want to reduce your dose to 1.25mg

And, why are you taking propranolol? Do you have elevated heart rate? Usually the beta-blocker is stopped
once our thyroid hormone levels get into range - with a TSH of 2, I'm confident your levels are in-range and,
most likely, at the lower end of the range, if not even lower http://www.livingwithgravesdisease.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/default/sad.gif

If you've been taking methimazole for longer than 18 months, there's a good chance that you might be in remission
or very close to it.

Your labs will tell all http://www.livingwithgravesdisease.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/default/smile.gif

[Lakelover]

Just Me, on 06 February 2010 - 06:01 PM, said:

I am on Methimazole. 2.5 mg at night plus 20 mg of propranolol and my TSH has went up to 2 from .233 a year ago. my endo thinks I am just fine, but I am so cold and my heart starts pounding for no reason, I am miserable.

Order the Thyroid Panel II which gives you the FT-3 and FT-4 test in addition to your TSH - this will confirm if you are in need of replacement or thyroid blocking medications. While the TSI will confirm where you are in your thyroid disease it will not tell you what meds to take. One other point - if you have these labs done you can always go to a GP and get replacement if that is what you need.

[Just Me]

cdsh3764, on 06 February 2010 - 08:10 PM, said:

Your symptoms sound hyPO so, after you get labs to confirm, you might want to reduce your dose to 1.25mg

And, why are you taking propranolol? Do you have elevated heart rate? Usually the beta-blocker is stopped
once our thyroid hormone levels get into range - with a TSH of 2, I'm confident your levels are in-range and,
most likely, at the lower end of the range, if not even lower http://www.livingwithgravesdisease.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/default/sad.gif

If you've been taking methimazole for longer than 18 months, there's a good chance that you might be in remission
or very close to it.

Your labs will tell all http://www.livingwithgravesdisease.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/default/smile.gif

[Just Me]

I have been on medication since March/09 and I was started on Propanolol then, my blood pressure went up when I fainted in February 09, they did all sorts of tests and some with radioactive scans, that were not supposed to be dangerous, at that time they had not determined Graves disease, I have wondered if all the scans that they did caused some of the problems I am having. My blood pressure just goes up with the pounding heart and then it is gone for awhile, I can't determne what causes it, the endo says it just your thyroid.I guess thats why I am still on it.

[cdsh3764]

Just Me, on 06 February 2010 - 11:21 PM, said:

I have been on medication since March/09 and I was started on Propanolol then, my blood pressure went up when I fainted in February 09, they did all sorts of tests and some with radioactive scans, that were not supposed to be dangerous, at that time they had not determined Graves disease, I have wondered if all the scans that they did caused some of the problems I am having. My blood pressure just goes up with the pounding heart and then it is gone for awhile, I can't determne what causes it, the endo says it just your thyroid.I guess thats why I am still on it.

I've read on Elaine Moore's site that some scans can make a person hyPER - I don't know if you've ever read on her site, but it is chock-full of great info.
Her words that I just shared with you were those she's told to people in her answers to the questions posed to her in the Q&A Forum on there.

If you want to read on her site, visit here: www.elaine-moore.com

Elevated BP is a sign of hyPOthyroidism - so is a pounding heart......I was overmedicated for a good part of my Graves' journey - things got so bad at one
point that I took to Googling any new symptom and hyPOthyroidism - the symptom was inevitably on one of "the lists".

Here's a pretty comprehensive list of hyPO symptoms.....there are plenty more out there, it's scary

http://www.stoptheth...g-and-pathetic/

The title of the site tells you something - many thyroid patients suffer as we have :(

How DID your docs determine Graves'?

[Just Me]

cdsh3764, on 07 February 2010 - 07:22 AM, said:

I've read on Elaine Moore's site that some scans can make a person hyPER - I don't know if you've ever read on her site, but it is chock-full of great info.
Her words that I just shared with you were those she's told to people in her answers to the questions posed to her in the Q&A Forum on there.

If you want to read on her site, visit here: www.elaine-moore.com

Elevated BP is a sign of hyPOthyroidism - so is a pounding heart......I was overmedicated for a good part of my Graves' journey - things got so bad at one
point that I took to Googling any new symptom and hyPOthyroidism - the symptom was inevitably on one of "the lists".

Here's a pretty comprehensive list of hyPO symptoms.....there are plenty more out there, it's scary

http://www.stoptheth...g-and-pathetic/

The title of the site tells you something - many thyroid patients suffer as we have :(

How DID your docs determine Graves'?

She determined it by the TSH saying that it was .233 and the T4, Free Direct was 1.67. Plus all the symptoms I was having and still do, the pounding heart, icy cold, rough skin, weight gain, you know the typical stuff.

[cdsh3764]

Just Me, on 07 February 2010 - 09:32 AM, said:

She determined it by the TSH saying that it was .233 and the T4, Free Direct was 1.67. Plus all the symptoms I was having and still do, the pounding heart, icy cold, rough skin, weight gain, you know the typical stuff.

Wow!! Must admit, I'm a little blown away with her "rush" to declare Graves'. Your TSH was just a little below the low end of the range and your FreeT4 at the
higher end of most ranges.....most peeps with Graves' have almost undetectable TSH in the beginning......you might have had transient hyperthyroidism that was not of autoimmune
nature.

You also might have Hashimotos' thyroiditis which some peeps have along with their Graves'. Hashi's is another autoimmune thyroid disease that causes hyPOthyroidism
but some peeps can have a period of hyPER before the hyPO sets in or, even worse, they can vacillate between hyPER and hyPO.

And, I am confused about the symptoms you say you had back then - pounding heart is definitely hyPO - elevated heart rate is hyPER....icy cold, rough skin is hyPO...
weight gain is either.

You really need that TSI or TRab test. I think you should also get a TPOab test (thyroid peroxidase antibody) - a very elevated level can indicate Hashi's.

[cdsh3764]

You just might want to try to find a different doc to treat you.

Here's a site that might help

http://www.thyroid-info.com/topdrs/


Again, if you can get your GP to run the lab tests you need, it could
be much less expensive if you have insurance.

Best of luck to you!

Please keep us posted.

[Just Me]

cdsh3764, on 07 February 2010 - 10:32 AM, said:

You just might want to try to find a different doc to treat you.

Here's a site that might help

http://www.thyroid-info.com/topdrs/


Again, if you can get your GP to run the lab tests you need, it could
be much less expensive if you have insurance.

Best of luck to you!

Please keep us posted.

The more I read the more confused I am, I can not understand why she would determine I was hyper, other than the fainting spell, I have had all these strange symptoms for years and would tell every Dr. I went to about them and they all wanted to put me on anti-depressants, I do have insomnia and have been on meds for that for over 20 years, I have a small nodule hot,had that for over 20 years also, but was never addressed, I have always complained that my thermostat is broke, even when I have had pneumonia, I don't run a temp, always low temp.
I have also said that I am invisible thats why they don't listen to me. lol

[cdsh3764]

Just Me, on 07 February 2010 - 11:20 AM, said:

The more I read the more confused I am, I can not understand why she would determine I was hyper, other than the fainting spell, I have had all these strange symptoms for years and would tell every Dr. I went to about them and they all wanted to put me on anti-depressants, I do have insomnia and have been on meds for that for over 20 years, I have a small nodule hot,had that for over 20 years also, but was never addressed, I have always complained that my thermostat is broke, even when I have had pneumonia, I don't run a temp, always low temp.
I have also said that I am invisible thats why they don't listen to me. lol

Well, the current lab ranges for TSH are .3 - 3.0 (as you might have noted from my signature, my lab isn't up to date - the ranges
were changed back in 2002).

I don't know what the ranges were/are for the FreeT4 you had done - you will note from my signature that my lab changed their
ranges since my Dx.

So, there is a chance that your doc looked at your TSH and decided you were hyPER (some docs will say this even with in-range
FT4)....if your FT4 was above-range at the same time, then that is definitely hyPERthyroidism.

I will tell you this, I have read way too many stories of people having strange symptoms for years and years.....they've gone from
doctor to doctor, were treated for diseases they later discovered they didn't have. None of these docs thought to check their
thyroid and, of the few docs that did check their thyroid, they did not interpret the results correctly.

This seems to be a universal problem.

If you read on that site I linked for you "Stop the Thyroid Madness", you will get some idea of what I'm talking about. There are
lots more sites out there and many more forums - all tell the same sad story :(

I found this forum shortly after my Graves' Dx and the peeps on here taught me SO much and pointed me in the right direction for
research. Since I am a science-head, I sucked up every piece of information I could get my hands on. I've read books about Graves'
and books about the thyroid, thyroid textbooks and the thyroid section of medical textbooks. I've read on countless reputable
websites such as Thyroid Disease Manager which is written by endos for doctors and their patients. I actively participate on several
thyroid forums.


Whether you convince your GP to run labs for you or go through Healthcheck USA, getting the FreeT4, FreeT3, TSH, TSI and TPOab
tests will go a VERY long way to help you figure out where you are today.

Since our thyroids control virtually every body system on a cellular level, an out-of-whack thyroid can bring on a myriad of symptoms.
How about getting those labs run and sharing the results on here?

We can help you sort through everything.

[Just Me]

cdsh3764, on 07 February 2010 - 12:30 PM, said:

Well, the current lab ranges for TSH are .3 - 3.0 (as you might have noted from my signature, my lab isn't up to date - the ranges
were changed back in 2002).

I don't know what the ranges were/are for the FreeT4 you had done - you will note from my signature that my lab changed their
ranges since my Dx.

So, there is a chance that your doc looked at your TSH and decided you were hyPER (some docs will say this even with in-range
FT4)....if your FT4 was above-range at the same time, then that is definitely hyPERthyroidism.

I will tell you this, I have read way too many stories of people having strange symptoms for years and years.....they've gone from
doctor to doctor, were treated for diseases they later discovered they didn't have. None of these docs thought to check their
thyroid and, of the few docs that did check their thyroid, they did not interpret the results correctly.

This seems to be a universal problem.



My T4 Free was 1.67 and the refrence is .70-1.50 so I was over that reference so maybe I was hyper and now have gone hypo. We will see....

If you read on that site I linked for you "Stop the Thyroid Madness", you will get some idea of what I'm talking about. There are
lots more sites out there and many more forums - all tell the same sad story :(

I found this forum shortly after my Graves' Dx and the peeps on here taught me SO much and pointed me in the right direction for
research. Since I am a science-head, I sucked up every piece of information I could get my hands on. I've read books about Graves'
and books about the thyroid, thyroid textbooks and the thyroid section of medical textbooks. I've read on countless reputable
websites such as Thyroid Disease Manager which is written by endos for doctors and their patients. I actively participate on several
thyroid forums.


Whether you convince your GP to run labs for you or go through Healthcheck USA, getting the FreeT4, FreeT3, TSH, TSI and TPOab
tests will go a VERY long way to help you figure out where you are today.

Since our thyroids control virtually every body system on a cellular level, an out-of-whack thyroid can bring on a myriad of symptoms.
How about getting those labs run and sharing the results on here?

We can help you sort through everything.

[Just Me]

I was feeling so bad this am I went to the Dr. and I had a substitute Dr.
He showed me on the computer that I had a FT4 on 1/15/2010

1/15/2010
TSH 2.0
T4,Free {Direct} 1.23 RR .70- 1.50

I am taking 2.5 mg. of methimazole
20 mg of propranolol

I asked about a T3 and he said he couldn't order that, have to wait for the regular Dr. and she is out on Maternity leave.
To make a long story short he wanted to put me on anti-depressants, but I don't want to go there, so will see what happens.

[mmztcass]

Just Me, on 08 February 2010 - 02:32 PM, said:

I was feeling so bad this am I went to the Dr. and I had a substitute Dr.
He showed me on the computer that I had a FT4 on 1/15/2010

1/15/2010
TSH 2.0
T4,Free {Direct} 1.23 RR .70- 1.50

I am taking 2.5 mg. of methimazole
20 mg of propranolol

I asked about a T3 and he said he couldn't order that, have to wait for the regular Dr. and she is out on Maternity leave.
To make a long story short he wanted to put me on anti-depressants, but I don't want to go there, so will see what happens.

I really suggest ordering that Free T3 or get your regular doctor or another doctor to order the Free Ts at the same time to see how both of these are doing together to get an idea of where you are at.

{{{hugs}}}

[cdsh3764]

I am sorry you are feeling so poorly.

I agree that you need a FreeT3 level.

Dosing is based upon FreeT4 levels, though, and your level is
above mid-range....some people feel good there.....some
people feel better in the upper third or very top of the range.

Since your TSH is high, that is an indication that your FreeT4
level might be too low for your body's needs.....the fact that
you are having hyPO symptoms is a pretty good sign that
this is true.

If it were me, I'd reduce that meds dose to 1.25mg/day now.

And, if you are not having heart palps or an elevated heart rate
(over 90 at rest), I'd ditch the propranolol.

The methimzole is what is keeping your FreeT4 and FreeT3
wherever they are at.

Besides treating cardiac symptoms, the propranolol actually
reduces our FreeT3 levels......we "feel" FreeT3 the most so,
if yours is too low for you, that is yet another reason to
ditch the propranolol.