? about thyroid blood work

[KR]

Okay folks. Besides the usual T3, T4, and TSH blood work what other blood work is there to check the thyroid? I have heard that there is another thyroid serial blood study that they do, where you have to stay in the lab for a few hours and they check the levels every so many minutes/hours, and they might even give you synthroid to see if your body absorbs it. Anyone have any clue what this would be? Sorry if I am not making a lot of sense, it is late and I am tired. Even if anyone knows of any thyroid studies besides the three I mentioned that would be great!

Thanks in advance

[shellsincanada]

I had an ultrasound. There are also radioactive iodine uptake tests, thyroid scans( these would be done through nuclear medicine) They measure how much iodine your thyroid takes up. Also in terms of blood work there is tsh, t3 t4, antibodies

[KR]

Thanks for the reply. I found a couple other serum studies for the thryoid since I posted.

TSH

fT4

fT3

rT3

anti-TG

anti-TPO

I am not so much looking for the ultrasound and nuclear med studies. I just keep reading that the T4, T3, and TSH studies can be within normal range even if you have problems with your thyroid. So I am trying to get more information on that.

[Idiopathik]

I am dealing with some thyroid issues myself - was dx last week with Hashimoto's thyroiditis. No symptoms other than vitiligo spots on hands, all thyroid levels were WNL except anti-thyroglobulin antibody, which was 5X normal. So, it's an autoimmune thing going on, I don't have any other autoimmune problems, and endocrinologist is just going to monitor levels for time being. HTH, are you having any specific issues or symptoms?

[KR]

I am dealing with some thyroid issues myself - was dx last week with Hashimoto's thyroiditis. No symptoms other than vitiligo spots on hands, all thyroid levels were WNL except anti-thyroglobulin antibody, which was 5X normal. So, it's an autoimmune thing going on, I don't have any other autoimmune problems, and endocrinologist is just going to monitor levels for time being. HTH, are you having any specific issues or symptoms?

For one, I am bipolar and have awful insomnia and sleeping issues. They have tried med after med and different sleep schedules and such with no luck. I have been reading up on the possible link to thyroid problems and bipolar/mental illness in general.

But as far as symptoms go,

unless it is super hot out, I am freezing cold

tired and fatigued all the time

weight gain

blurry vision

lousy memory

difficulty concentrating

swelling on my hands, fingers, calves all the way down to my feet

muscle aches

-one other thing, I have a sed rate that is 4 times normal, that they cannot figure out the cause of

*I will say that I am currently being treated for the whole bipolar/insomnia stuff. Just looking into the whole thyroid thing. I am starting to read that like you mentioned, the normal TSH, T3, T4 studies don't always indicate that your thyroid is functioning normally. That is why I am searching for other blood levels to check. Because I have been thinking for quite some time, years, that my thyroid might be part of the problem. Not to mention that I have read that even if they put your thyroid on the high end of normal, it sometimes helps to make the bipolar meds work better.

**I am in no way looking for specific medical advice. Just looking for information on thyroid levels and stuff in general.

***I just want to be an informed patient/nurse when I go see the doctor next:)

[loricatus]

Thanks for the reply. I found a couple other serum studies for the thryoid since I posted.

TSH

fT4

fT3

rT3

anti-TG

anti-TPO

I am not so much looking for the ultrasound and nuclear med studies. I just keep reading that the T4, T3, and TSH studies can be within normal range even if you have problems with your thyroid. So I am trying to get more information on that.

An endocrinologist told me that the reason one may fall within the normal range is that the normal result range is so broad, too broad in his opinion, that those that fall near either end of a range usually have, what he termed, subclinical symptoms. Meaning that if you fall out of range, you have to be in pretty bad shape. If you are at either end of the normal scale, but still within the normal limits, you would be symptomatic without being in a severe (physiologically speaking) hypo/hyper thyroid state.

[KR]

An endocrinologist told me that the reason one may fall within the normal range is that the normal result range is so broad, too broad in his opinion, that those that fall near either end of a range usually have, what he termed, subclinical symptoms. Meaning that if you fall out of range, you have to be in pretty bad shape. If you are at either end of the normal scale, but still within the normal limits, you would be symptomatic without being in a severe (physiologically speaking) hypo/hyper thyroid state.

That all makes sense. Thanks for your post.