Very odd thyroid test results

Posted by geri719 @geri719, Dec 7, 2018

My daughter 16 has been extraordinarily fatigued the last few months. At first I thought she may be depressed, but I asked for a number of blood tests, including TSH.
I have Hashimoto's (and 2 other autoimmune disorders).
Her TSH came back at 3.43 (high end of normal on non age or gender specific range), but the median for 15-18 is 1.7.
So, next the doc ordered free T3 and free T4.
Oddly, they are also on the high end of or above normal.
T3 is 6.2 and T4 is 19.
Today we went for a thyroid antibodies blood test.

Her symptoms are definitely hypo and not hyper.

Doc is referring to an endocrinologist, but has no idea how long that will take.

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Diabetes & Endocrine System Support Group.

Ethan McConkey, Moderator | @ethanmcconkey | Dec 8, 2018

Hi @geri719 and welcome to Connect. This fatigue must be very exasperating for your daughter.

I wanted to share this existing discussion on thyroid and synthroid (https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/thyroid-and-synthroid/?utm_campaign=search) in hopes it can add to your research into what is going on with your daughter.

I also wanted to take @retiredteacher @annedodrill44 and @ramblyn all have hypothyroid symptoms and may be able to help answer questions about your daughter's test.

Back to your daughter, how has she been feeling? How has this fatigued affected her day-to-day life?

Retired Teacher | @retiredteacher | Dec 9, 2018

@geri719 I wish I had more information for you, but I didn't have thyroid problems until I was an adult. So, I am not familiar with teens and this issue. I do know that fatigue is a symptom, but other problems also have that symptom. I was diagnosed over 30 years ago so my PCP ran the test, determined I was hypo, and prescribed Synthroid. I have never had any problems with the medication.
As I have aged, the dose has been changed one time. Other than that I no longer have the fatigue and fog that I had when I was a younger adult. I know other symptoms I had was hair loss and paper thin fingernails. I will always have to take the medication, but I need it and it works.
Does your daughter have any other symptoms besides the fatigue? I'm sure as soon as you see an endocrinologist, you'll get the answers you need so that your daughter will feel well again.
Carol

JK | @contentandwell | Dec 11, 2018

@geri719 Hi, I too have hypothyroid, but like Carol did not have that until my adult years and I take an extremely low dose of levothyroxine now. It's a balancing act to get the right dose, for a while I was on a higher dose but I asked them to test again and that led to the doctor cutting my dose in half.
I'm glad you are seeing an endocrinologist. PCPs will handle cases but I think in many cases it's better to be with a specialist. My endocrinologist moved out of state so I let my PCP handle it for a while but I resumed going to my endocrinologist last summer, he's only about an hour and 10 minutes away and for me it's worth it to feel certain that he knows what he is doing.
How is your daughter doing with this? I hope she is able to keep with her school work and some sociability, that's so important for teens. I am sure once the endocrinologist gets her on the right dosage of a thyroid medication she will feel much better.
Your post has got me to thinking too, my daughter who is now in her 30s is very fatigued a lot. I wonder if her thyroid has been tested. I will have to ask her.
JK

jjdonahue42 | @jjdonahue42 | Dec 12, 2018

Your doc measured total T3,has he measured freeT3 and reverse T3 ? Total T3 is made up of two chemical forms of T3, free T3 is active and reverse T3 is not. Recently I also experienced extreme bouts of fatigue and was prescribed Armour thyroid, within a month my fatigue was gone and I resumed normal daily activities. You may want to investigate reverse T3 .