Hi everyone.....

listen, would any of you know what these numbers mean? they are from my file from my dr.'s office, they are from my last blood test on Feb. 5th, it's the thyroid read out .... on Feb. 2nd in his office, he felt my thyroid, and said I had a sligtly enlarged thyroid ... then sent me for a blood test for that and cancer (just simply bec. my mom died of it)..the results came back, and he said everything was "normal" ..well at least there's no cancer, thank God....but what about these numbers.....I know that they lowered the "norm" range back in 2002, I know that a lot of people go untreated bec. the med. profession refuses to acknowledge this ....
and I seem to suffer with a few symptoms of thyroid problems.....I want to go back to him, and insist on farther blood work, IF THAT'S WHAT I NEED, I don't know, do I need to take yet ANOTHER blood test?????! As most of you prob. know by now, I still have that head pressure on the top of my head on the LEFT SIDE, sometimes on the left temple (on and off), this sort of stinging feeling up my nose (on the left), which ends up sort of going up to the top of my head (only on the left side),and sometimes that sinus pressure on the left side of my nose and cheek, .... today it was especially bad, and I end up taking Benedryl twice a day at this point, and yet, for about 13 days there, i was better, ..... I dont' know, maybe its ONLY hormonal ... or could it be my thyroid.....I will attempt to post this here now....the way it is on the file:


TSH 4.16 0.35-5.50 ulU/mL

THYROID PANEL 1

T3, UPTAKE 30 23.0-36.0

T4 (THYROXINE) 7.6 4.5-12.0 ug/dL

FREE THRYROXINE INDEX 2.3 1.0-4.3 ug/dL





OK, that's it ........... I'm also noticing even as I write this, that there is another sore spot of the back left side of my head, again! geez! they seem to come and go....but then again, my husband was just giving me a head message, to help with this weird head feeling/pressure/stinging ... ON THE LEFT SIDE only! I don't feel off balance anymore, I haven't had that now in about a week or so ... I looked up the hypto and hyper thyroid stuff..... it would seem I'd fit more into the hypo ...not enough hormoens produced.
My mother had some kind of thyroid problem when I was a teenager, I remember that. she would go to her dr.'s (every so often, I forgot now) and she'd drink RADIOACTIVE IODINE for pete sake! From what i can read, they still do that.....how can you actually ingest RADIOACTIVE?????? do you start to glow? LOL!!! OH BOY! I'm getting a little loopy here! I have to get rid of this weird head feeling, and it's only on the left ... I don't know if it's sinusitis, (this "dr." doesn't think so, I disagree), or hormonal....or thyroid!

If anyone can help me on this, I sure would appreciate it!!!!!!!!! Thanks you guys! Sincerely, MyDarling

hi again........just a quick note..i forgot to include that I also have, pressure on the roof of my mouth on the left side (on and off) and on the top gums....left side. (on and off). Also, I feel as though the glands under my jaw on the left side (you know, the glands that would swell up when you were a kid and got "swollen glands") are sensitive, and my left ear sometimes feels crummy too, kina stingy, and almost like I'm about to start up with an earache, but it doesn't go all the way. On occassion, I feel that the left side of my throat is a little sore, but that doesn't last long at all.

Hi,

I have hypothyroidism and wanted to try to answer some of yuor questions. You are right that the normal range for TSH was lowered. See this article for more info...

http://thyroid.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsit...%3Fr%3D20030118

It is now 0.3 - 3.0 but many doctors still use the old range of 0.5 to 5.0. Your TSH is over this range. If you are having symptoms of hypothyroidism I would continue to push the issue with the doctor. Most thyroid disease in women over 40 is caused by an autoimmune disease called Hashimoto's. I would ask for a thyroid antibody test to see if you have the thyroid antibodies - which indicates Hashimotos. Many peri symptoms mimic hypo symptoms and vice versa. Hypothyroidism can also exaserbate "hormonal issues".

Good luck!

k

My Darling:
I have been a thyroid patient for years as have many others (KellyJ) on this board. First and foremost, your doc did not run the critical tests: If/when you go back to him (and I would advise finding another doc from Mary Shomon's about.com/thyroid website) request the following at a minimum: FREE T4, FREE T3, anti-thyroglobulin antibodies, TPO antibodies, and TSH. From the looks of your TSH, you need to be treated. Kimball is right, the AACE HAS lowered the TSH range and many are treating if the TSH is above 2, ESPECIALLY if there are antibodies present.
Hope this helps and feel free to respond or PM if further questions.
Love,
Avi

hi ladies......

oh, gosh, now I'm SCARED! If I have this thyroid thing, then what? Is this deadly? I read on another med. site that it's treatable, but you have to catch it IN TIME...geez, how do I know if I have or not? Yes, my mother also had something with her thyroid, I think it was underactive??? I remember she had to drink RADIOACTIVE iodine! WOW! I don't think that's such a good idea, you know? That can't be good. OK, I'll go back to this dr. and tell him i want the antibody test .... and all the others too ..... what I put on the post is all he did.

Now, today, (well this kinda started last night, late) my head feels so darn weird! It so hard to explain! It feels like it's stinging, more on the surface, but then underneath, it feels lke this WEIRD pressure feeling, yet, behind the left ear, and back a little, it feels like an icy/hot feeling (it feels like that on top of my head too, on the left side) and it's making me very very frightened, i try not to panic, but that doesn't do much, I had to take a xanax anyway. I laid there in bed this morning, until noon, with my face buried in the pillow, AFRAID TO GET UP, afraid of what today would bring, with my head. As far as any other HEAD symptoms, I don't really have any today, I don't feel dizzy, off balance, lightheaded ..... but i DO feel spaced, and detached from my body. I feel somewhat wobbly in my legs. My period is due in about 10 days, does anyone think that could be the problem?


Let me ask you guys something here....... if you have a thyroid problem, does that give you these head feeligns and sensations?
I keep getting these sore spots on my head too, on the left. But then again, I know lots of ladies here get that, i know that's a peri symptom, and also, my husband messages my head at night, so that could be it too.


I know that peri symptoms mimic the thyroid thing, so I don't know what to think, and the only way to find out, is the blood test. What happens between mid cycle, and your period, as far as the estrogen level is concerned (well, and progesterone too, I guess), here's why ..... for about 13 days, i was doing pretty good. UNTIL a few days ago, when my head started to feel crummy again, and the weird pressure and pain in the TMJ joint started up again...not bad, but there. When that started a few days ago, it was smack dab MID CYCLE for me! So, I kind of put it off to that, UNTIL i read the posts on the thyroid. Now, if you have something wrong with your thyroid, does it kind of come and go, like with me, or not? or does that sound more hormonal?


any help i can get here would be really really apperciated!!! thank you all! Sincerely, MyDarling

I don't have the head pressure/stinging symptom, but yes..if I go hypo..I can get fuzzy/detached.
Please don't be afraid..thyroid illness is very treatable. If your Mom had to drink radioactive iodine, she was most likely hyPER-thyroid, not hypO-thyroid. Sometimes it takes a while to get dosage right and there are some ups and downs, but as long as you take your meds..not deadly.

MyDarling,
Please don't panic about your thyroid blood work. It's not going to kill you! I have had TSH reading of 58. While I was off medication waiting for a rai treatment after thryoid cancer.... Your readings are a little high of the normal range.

Your doctor may treat you since your symptomatic. Fatigue etc. It may help you to take a small dose, wouldn't hurt to try!
If he does make sure he starts you on a low dose since going hyper feels even worse.
After about 3 months he will order new labs again, to see if you need more or less medication.

Oh your be fine! Please don't panic! These reading will not kill you!

I wish that I can have some words of wisdom for you Mydarling.. I have had blood work done for my thyroid, and the doctor told me the number's came back normal.. I didn't go into detail with him. I do know that what you are describing does sound like the symptoms my sister has who has thyroids problems,, I think that if you still feel this way, to be retested to put your mind at ease.