[Anonymous October 16, 1998 at 3:40 pm Post count: 93172]

#1147590

Scott,

Here is a post I put on the BB a few weeks back. Hope it helps.

Afternoon warriors,

Just received my third phone call today to talk about test levels and had to do some explanation of test results. Now before you all go nut bar on me about practicing medicine let me explain. I basically tell the folks what they are trying to tell me is pretty much useless information.

For example “Hi Jake, I just got five units of rain and want to know how that relates to your area” What the heck does units of rain mean? Was it measured in inches, centimeters, at the start of a storm or at the end? Kind of the same thing if someone calls and says my TSH was 2.3.. OK 2.3 related to what?? Was the blood drawn right after your pills and do you have your blood drawn at the same time, every time? Did you change meds in the past two weeks? It all has an effect on the outcome. My 2.3 TSH may be someone else’s 5.4. See what we mean??

Each lab uses a different set of measurements for TSH, T3 and T4 levels. Unless they tell you what that lab considers the “Normal or average” range the figures are pretty much useless to any one else. That is why when someone posts my level was XXX is that OK ? We can’t possible tell you if it is or not. Now if you post your levels and what the lab shows as the normal range we may be able to provide some insight into the meaning but we cannot interpret them for you. So if we do not seem to be willing to talk about levels without knowing the particulars that is why. Talk over the results with your doctor. Find out if they use the same lab to process the blood work every time. I found out the hard way. I had a doctor that had different labs pick up his blood work. So each lab had different ranges and they were always changing my meds based upon on the results. I did not get stabilized while with that doctor. Changed doctors who used the same lab every time. Also have my blood drawn at the same time of day and the same number of hours after my meds. It does make a difference.

As my new Endo says. Always use the same lab. If they do the test differently it is constantly different and you can draw a conclusion from that. Hope this helps some. Took about 5 years before I had that explained to me. Now I know what to look for in my blood tests. Also ask for the TSH, T3 and T4 tests. HMO’s are beginning to want to test only TSH levels because it is a cheap test. It does not give the whole picture.

I hope this helped some.

Jake

[Anonymous October 16, 1998 at 4:06 pm Post count: 93172]

#1049725

Subject: Thyroid levels – What is normal?

Where do I get information to:

a. Find out what is the TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) measured range?
b. What TSH measurement is thought to be low?
c. What TSH measurement is thought to be high?

I have now found out that I exhibit the first indications of a person who is hypothyroid. I know that these indications have been present at least since I was in my early teens and up until now have been unrecognised. My physician has been misinterpreting its symptoms all this time resulting in missing out on a correct diagnosis. I have had only my TSH level measured -one of the several Thyroid tests. I hope I can get more extensive and verifying tests performed. At 27 years old, I can think of nothing worse than leaving this untreated and living a fraction of my life.

Thank you in anticipation of your early reply to assist me with learning about this growing menace.

Regards,
Scott Mitchell
scotty@netspace.net.au

[Anonymous October 17, 1998 at 10:46 pm Post count: 93172]

#1147591

I think there is something one could say that is general for all labs.
This psychiatrist noticed that for those of his patients that had depressions due to thyroid diseases, they generally felt the best when there TSH was in the lower quarter of the range and T3 and T4 was at the same time in the upper quarter of the range.
Hope this can help some.

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