T3 and Thyroid

naughtoj

naughtoj

Cathlete
Hi all,
My doc asked me to get a thyroid test when I went to see him for depression. Well, I did, and went to one of those labs where I get the results, not him. If my T3 Uptake level came out below the normal range, specifically it was 21.2 (norm is 23.4-42.7), do you think I need to go back to my doctor?

I ask because I know the values in the "norm" range are only the average. I wonder if my level is indicative of a problem. TSH and T4 were within normal range.

I am really hoping Tammy will see this (she is a MLT!) but I would love any comments from anyone that has had low levels of T3 or knows anything about thryoid stuff....:)

I'm cheap. I don't want to go see him if I don't have to....LOL...Thanks!

edited to add...........I do take oral contraceptives. Could this be the only reason for the decreased level? I read that it did make a difference, just wondering how much.:)
 
Yes, you should go back to see your doctor. With thyroid problems, it has to be monitored and regulated. You need to get blood tests periodically and see your doctor at least a couple times a year to make sure you're on the right level of thyroid medication. If your levels are too low, you'll feel symptoms of depression. If you go too high, well - you're in for a whole bunch of different symptoms. I don't think your oral contraceptives are the problem. I was on the pill for over 15 years before I had problems. Now I'm off of them and my thyroid still needs to be regulated.
 
Janice, what you need to do is send your results to your doctor and ask HIM if he needs to see you again. Please don't try to decide for yourself.
 
Janice, I agree with Nancy. Ask your doctor if you need to come back. Also, the normal values for labs are not "average". They ARE normal, but some values can vary slightly from facility to facility. So anything above or below them is NOT normal, although whether or not it indicates a problem or only bears watching is something your physician should be deciding.

Carol
:)

(edited for clarity)
 
I don't know too much about the levels, but I am hypothryoid. About 3 years now. I just take a pill a day. If you do find out you have a thyroid condition, like others have said, you need to have it checked regularly so you get on the right dosage. It took a year before my doc got my dosage right. You really need to see your doctor. A thyroid left untreated can turn more serious down the road and lead to larger medical bills.
 
One thing that's very important about your doctor - he has to be willing to LISTEN to how your feeling and take that into account in addition to your levels. My levels the last time I had them checked were on the low-end of "normal" and he wasn't going to adjust it. But when I told him I was surprised because I wasn't quite feeling great (getting more cranky and had a pretty nasty bout of vertigo), he prescribed a higher dosage. That did the trick! You're going to develop a good relationship with your doctor - you'll probably have this condition for the rest of your life.

But on the bright side, you should be going every year anyway. So this will get you in there!
 
Very interesting story, Donna. I feel like I'm on the borderline of needing an increase sometimes too. I shouldn't admit this, but sometimes when I feel achey all over I take an extra synthroid- just for one day. Does anyone else who is hypothyroid sometimes get a kind of achey feeling all over? (Hypo=sluggish thyroid, right?)
-Nancy
 
>Does anyone else who is
>hypothyroid sometimes get a kind of achey feeling all over?
>(Hypo=sluggish thyroid, right?)
>-Nancy

Yes, I do! Ugh, that's all I can. I get so tired of it.

But I don't take an extra synthroid because over time, synthroid isn't good for your bones. I usually just nap when I can and try to push through it.
 
I felt very achy on Saturday (shoulders and knees) and it made me a bit on the grumpy side. But I didn't even think that it had anything to do with my thyroid - I attributed it more to not having taken a rest day from exercise for 9 days and the position in which I had slept the night before. I felt fine on Sunday and today - well, I just don't know what's going on with me today. I feel like I've taken some sort of energy drug! Like I've had a 6 pack of Diet Pepsi.

I don't know...I think I'm at a good thyroid level right now. I've been trying to find advice on helping your thyroid through diet, but haven't really found anything. If anyone knows a source of reliable information on that, please share!

Yes, hypo is sluggish. Hyper is over-active.
 
Donna,
I sincerely doubt that diet can help with hypothyroidism. The most common cause is an autoimmune condition known as Hashimoto's Disease. Diet can be very important for counteracting the weight gain sometimes associated with hypothyroidism, but I don't think it can help the disease itself.

But then, I'm not a medical professional, and I've been wrong before.

-Nancy
 
Well, went to the doc with the test results...he says the low isn't "low enough" and not something to consider as a factor in my depression. He gave me a new generic prescription for an anti depressant since Effexor was so expensive and made me feel horrible!!


I still am not back into the groove. I wonder if I will ever love working out again. My body is turning to mush and my mind isn't far behind. Isn't there more to life than the everyday grind of going to work and paying the bills? I really don't know how people do it for their whole lives. Sometimes I wonder what we were really put on this earth for!! I think I have spent so much time worrying about my future that I have forgotten to live in the present. I gotta see the bright side of things and take the time to "smell the roses". I am trying to pay off bills and am working seven days a week. I drive to work in the morning and seriously wonder if that rat race is all there will ever be for me. Sounds so pathetic and I KNOW there are people that have it worse, but don't you guys ever wonder that?


Don't you ever wonder why you were really put on this earth, what is it you are meant to do?


Deep thoughts with Janice tonight.

LOL.:)
 
Dag Janice, I feel like I'm reading something I wrote myself. As I told you in a private email a few weeks (months?) back, I, too, haven't been working out (over a year now). I lurk here trying to get inspiration but it just ain't happening. Turning to mush? Hell, I'm up to 161 lbs @ 5'6". People tell me I look great but I feel like CRAPOLA. I have zero energy, zero motivation. Unfortunately, I can link my "mood" to relational issues.

But I do wonder how people do it day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year. UGH. Do I wonder why I was put on this earth? In that respect, I have my faith that keeps me going.

Paying off bills? Oh yeah, student loans up the wahzoo, mortgage, cars, etc... We pay what we can & don't fret.

Do you think your "mood" may have to do with your desire to change careers & feeling trapped? My suggestion (easier said than done, easy for me to say not being in your shoes, all that other crap), take it one day at a time. Do what you can to work toward your goal & know that you are doing something about it.

My thoughts are with you more often than you would know. A long time ago you & I made a connection--whatever that means. I think of you as someone I can relate to.

Take care of yourself & you know where to find me if you ever want to talk off line.

Deb
 
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