thyroid ????

[twin]

I have read the posts about thryoid issues and I have a questionW when I went to the er because my heart was racing they did a thyroid test and the and the free T4 was 3.27 TSH .01 and I was given beta blockers and told to go to an Encronoligist. I went to the Encronologist and he had me get another blood test and made an appointment for a scan which is this week and Sat. I received the results of the blood test which he gave me and it is normal. My question is can you have a thyroid problem and have normal blood work? Or are there more definitive test? Thanks for any answers I get.

[maillotpois]

I don't think you can have a thyroid problem without it showing up in your blood work.

Did they give you beta blockers for something else, then? That's certainly not a thyroid treatment.

[twin]

They gave me the beta blocker until I could see the Encronoligist and he also gave me some. Which I would use until more test like the thyroid scan. I think I am confused.

[maillotpois]

And I guess I was wrong - looks like they can use beta blockers as an apparently temporary treament of some symptoms. http://www.patient.co.uk/showdoc/23068880/

Hmmmm.

[Thorn]

Not a doctor, just a hyperthyroid patient. Speaking from experience, yes, you can be hyperthyroid and still have test results "within normal limits".

Took three doctors before I found one who didn't think I was a hyperchondriac. She listened to the symptoms, decided that the "normal" may not be normal for everyone and ordered a nuclear scan. I would have periods of rapid heart beat, but never requiring medical treatment.

Went onto meds and beat the odds--the thyrod straightened itself out without requiring surgery or radiation and I no longer require the meds. Probably, because I was borderline, but I like to think that once in a while we're allowed to win.

Good luck....oh, and yes, you'll probably gain weight if the tone down the thyroid, but you'll feel better.

[froglegs]

I am hypothyroid and I have no noticeable symptoms except very infrequent periods. So I was screened for PCOS and they did thyroid bloodwork and noticed my TSH was higher than normal. So I did a little research and discovered that the "normal range" varies widely depending on who is defining it (although my TSH, at 6.54, was outside all of the normal ranges I found). I'm not really familiar with the details of hyperthyroidism, but it seems to me that if your bloodwork is borderline, especially if you have symptoms, there might still be a problem. You might consider pushing for more tests or going to another doctor.

[froglegs]

Oh and on the weight issue......... my doctor put me on daily levothyroxine which made my bloodwork normal. She said I would have a much easier time keeping weight off. It's been a year and a half and I'm still waiting!!

[makbike]

Twin - I would say it is very possible.

My cat, Figaroe, showed signs of hyperthyroidism but the "normal" test they requested came back with normal results. I took Figaroe to see a specialist in Ohio who checked him out and said he is hyperthyroid. I gave her copies of his panels and pointed out all were normal. She sent me home with the instructions for a specific test (wish I could remember what it was). The blood was draw and two days later his results came back. His values were so high they did not register. He underwent the radioactive iodine therapy and is now hypothyroid but hey it is controlled with a daily dose of medication.

If you are not happy with the doctor or suspect that your results are not thorough seek a second or third opinion. Educate yourself about the disease and don't be afraid to ask for specific tests. Good luck and keep us posted.

[velogirl]

beta blockers are commonly prescribed to post-thyca (thyroid cancer) patients. part of the long-term treatment for thyca, after surgery and radiation, is to surpress the patient's TSH by keeping the patient in a constant state of being very hyper-thyroid. this is an uncomfortable state for many patients, especially athletes, because of the extremely high heart rates, so docs will prescribe beta blockers to relieve the cardiac stress.

As a thyca patient, my endo keeps my TSH @ .01. That's considered very low and would indicate severe hyper-thyroidism. so if your TSH was @ .01, I would think you are hyper-thyroid -- .01 is not a "normal" result.

[ehirsch83]

beta blockers are commonly prescribed to post-thyca (thyroid cancer) patients. part of the long-term treatment for thyca, after surgery and radiation, is to surpress the patient's TSH by keeping the patient in a constant state of being very hyper-thyroid. this is an uncomfortable state for many patients, especially athletes, because of the extremely high heart rates, so docs will prescribe beta blockers to relieve the cardiac stress.

As a thyca patient, my endo keeps my TSH @ .01. That's considered very low and would indicate severe hyper-thyroidism. so if your TSH was @ .01, I would think you are hyper-thyroid -- .01 is not a "normal" result.

Lori- you had thyca? So did I! Hehe, team Thyca here.

On a random note, if anyone remembers a while ago I posted about missing my period. Finally went and got my bloodwork done because I was also showing signs of a prolactinoma. Turns out that I went into a hypothyroid(well synthetic thyroid...) state. The synthroid dosage that I had been on for almost 2 years all of a sudden isn't enough.

So what a relief, no prolactinoma, just an increase in synthroid medication:-)

[velogirl]

yup! I found out 3 years ago this weekend -- after being misdiagnosed for a couple of years. TT Dec 29th and then had a parotidectomy in April 2005.

I'll show you my scar if you show me yours, E!

Twin, try not to stress too much until you get additional tests. as you might have already noticed from the number and tone of responses, thyroid disease/conditions are very common and also very treatable. just be vigilant with your docs until you get an answer you can live with.

Lorri

[twin]

My scan has been moved to Jan.25th because the nurse did not tell me about iodine in multi vitimans. My new question is with a thyroid situation have you had problems with your knees feeling sore when you stand? Thanks

[crazycanuck]

Ummm..thinking back 5yrs..umm..

Twin, as far as i can remember my knees were probably weak from being quite big. Since i've been on Eutroxig, started- exercising and was able to control my appetite i don't notice anymore.

I wish you all the best in your quest for good health..



C