[Turquoise September 28, 2018 at 7:51 pm Post count: 20]

#1060927

Because it’s Friday night and I probably won’t hear from my endocrinologist until Monday, I thought I’d post. I had RAI three months ago; at my first follow-up lab tests, all values were within the normal range. That was at one month. I had a second round of tests a few days ago. Only one value, thyroxine uptake, is within the normal range. The others seem exceptionally above or below. I’m sure the doctor will explain this, but maybe someone can relieve some of my puzzlement sooner. The TSH value was 91.12, so far above the normal upper range (5.5) that I wondered if a decimal point was in the wrong place, although I’m sure all of the data entry was automated (which may or may not eliminate the possibility of error). T4free was 0.19, T4 was 0.50, and thyroxine free index was 0.12. I got my results within a few hours of going to the lab, while the doctor’s office apparently hadn’t received the results over 24 hours later, so I sent a message via the patient portal to tell them I’d had the tests and to be looking for the results. That prompted a request from the nurse who monitors messages to fax the results, which I did, and receipt was confirmed. I did that last night and waited all day for a reply and explanation. With such a change from the first set of tests, I don’t know what to make of it and the slow response isn’t helping. Can lab tests be wrong, or is my system just going nuts?

[Liz1967 September 30, 2018 at 6:36 pm Post count: 305]

#1185463

A TSH that high means your thyroid is producing no hormone which is the object of RAI. In other words, your thyroid has given up the ghost and you need replacement hormone, levothyroxine. I had a TSH of 40 on methimazole early on and I felt the worst of any time during the entire course of the disease. If you do not hear first thing Monday, keep calling until you do. You must be feeling bad with a TSH that high.

[Turquoise October 2, 2018 at 8:20 am Post count: 20]

#1185464

Thanks for the reply. It took another message via the patient forum, but I finally heard from the endocrinologist, and she has prescribed levothyroxine.

[Author]

Posts