Do thyroid problems always show up on a blood test?

[BellaBoo0512]

I went to the doctors last week and I am showing a lot of signs that I have an under active thyroid.. Constantly tired no matter how much sleep I get, slow motabalism, struggle to lose weight, enlarged glands in my neck, mood swings, depression. My mum also has an under active thyroid.

The doctor was convinced I've got an under active thyroid so he sent me for a blood test but the results came back normal.

I was just wandering if anyone has been diagnosed with an under active thyroid but it hasn't shown up on a blood test?

I've been told I can be sent for a thyroid scan which involves injecting chemicals into my blood stream but I don't want to have this if it's not necessary.

 

[emyandpotato]

I am wondering the same thing. I'm thinking it doesn't happen but I have all the symptoms you mentioned and am losing hair etc. I have been diagnosed with an iron deficiency with taking iron twice a day isn't helping! It's so horrible, hope you get answers soon

 

[zanDark]

Usually symptoms and a scan are a better indicator than blood tests. I have hypo and even though my blood tests are fine at the moment, a scan (just a regular ultrasound one without any injections) showed thst it's currently not working most probably as a result of giving birth recently.

If your blood tests are normal but you have symptoms I'd suggest having more tests like a scan done to make sure nothing is wrong

 

[aimee-lou]

How long has this been going on?

I'm Hypothyroid, my Mum and my Aunt and my Gran are all hypo too. It's very common, especially as you've had a baby (sounds odd lol) but when you're pregnant the thyroid glad gets put under added strain and can 'burn out' and become swollen. I was diagnosed 4m after having my first after having had no symptoms at all before I got pregnant.

Do you know what tests the Dr did? Did he test your T3 and T4 as well as your TSH? TSH (Thyroid stimulating hormone) is normally the indicator the Drs use and the 'normal' range is massive - I need to be at the lower end in order to feel better. If my levels change I feel absolutely horrid. If your TSH is high that would show that the thyroid wasn't working or was working too hard in order to produce a 'normal' amount of T3 and T4. So if your Dr only did a T3/4 test and not TSH they wouldn't necessarily see you as being hypo. There's also a case that you may be going through an auto-immune version (either Graves' disease which is hyper or hashimoto's which is hypo) where the body actively attacks the thyroid gland and it therefore can't function properly and will eventually lead to it shutting down completely. You may be quite early on, therefore the thyroid and your body generally is trying to compensate and therefore you feel horrid, but your tests come back ok.

Are you on the pill or any other medication? Some of them can stop the thyroid from working effectively and also hinder the absorption of T3 and T4 into the body. Iron is actually the worst enemy of the thyroid, as well as iodine and some other minerals. B vits are really important as they can help with absorption.

As you have a family history, your Dr should be more than happy to keep an eye on you. If you're still not right, keep going back. You have a right to feel better, not to keep silent, so don't let them fob you off, demand your results and do some research and keep returning.

HTH and Hope you feel better soon x

 

[aimee-lou]

Usually symptoms and a scan are a better indicator than blood tests. I have hypo and even though my blood tests are fine at the moment, a scan (just a regular ultrasound one without any injections) showed thst it's currently not working most probably as a result of giving birth recently.

If your blood tests are normal but you have symptoms I'd suggest having more tests like a scan done to make sure nothing is wrong

Unfortunately you don't get a scan in the UK unless they suspect cancer. I've never been offered one, and no-one in my family has either. They base everything solely on bloods.

 

[zanDark]

Usually symptoms and a scan are a better indicator than blood tests. I have hypo and even though my blood tests are fine at the moment, a scan (just a regular ultrasound one without any injections) showed thst it's currently not working most probably as a result of giving birth recently.

If your blood tests are normal but you have symptoms I'd suggest having more tests like a scan done to make sure nothing is wrong

Unfortunately you don't get a scan in the UK unless they suspect cancer. I've never been offered one, and no-one in my family has either. They base everything solely on bloods.

That's a shame because you can get so much more information with a scan!! If my doctor didn't scan my thyroid then he might have reduced my thyroxine dosage just based on my numbers and the fact that I am asymptomatic! The only symptom I have is not being able to lose any weight which is very unlike me.

Is it too expensive to get one privately in the UK?

 

[BellaBoo0512]

Thanks for all your replies I've got an ultrasound on the 11th of April and the doctors don't suspect cancer.. Not that I know of anyway and I'm sure id be scanned quicker if they did. I also have the symptom of my hair falling out along with a few more that I saw on a website.

Yes I'm on the pill and have been since May. I've noticed more symptoms since having my little boy last April but just put it down to having a newborn.

 

[aimee-lou]

Thanks for all your replies I've got an ultrasound on the 11th of April and the doctors don't suspect cancer.. Not that I know of anyway and I'm sure id be scanned quicker if they did. I also have the symptom of my hair falling out along with a few more that I saw on a website.

Yes I'm on the pill and have been since May. I've noticed more symptoms since having my little boy last April but just put it down to having a newborn.

That's brilliant that you're getting the scan. Bonus points to your gp as that will really help. I've never looked into a private one.... May have to.

 

[LoolaBear]

TSH levels are actually a bad way of diagnosing thyroid issues.

TSH is produced by the pituatary gland to stimulate the thyroid into producing T4 and T3 (so issues with TSH levels but not T4 and T3 would actually indicate a pituatary issue). Its your T4 and T3 levels that matter as they are the hormones actually produced by the thyroid.

Some people require practically non existant TSH levels for the thyroid to be functioning optimally (at its best). I am one of these people. Going by my TSH levels in 2012 you would assume i was Hyper as they were only 0.9, but my T4 and T3 levels were where they needed to be. The last time i had them done my TSH levels were 1.6 (where alot of doctors would say is perfect) but my T4 and T3 levels had dropped dramatically (gone from the upper end of the range to the lower end of the range)

so, yes, although TSH is a good indicator of thyroid issues its not always (and very commonly) the case.

A full thyroid test is the best option (bloods and scans if you do suffer from enlarged glands as this can be a sign of goiter or hasimotos/graves) will give a better indication of thyroid function.

be prepared though, in the UK its is common that you will only get treatment once your levels have to be completely out of wack. TSH levels range nationwide is commonly 0.5-5 but still most GP's will only treat you for under active thyroid until your TSH levels are 10 or above!

I was only lucky in the sense that my cardiologist thinks that, with my strong family history of thyroid issues, and my symptoms he thinks my thyroid is the problem behind my high blood pressure so has given me a trial of levothyroxine to see if this helps bring it down (and going by home monitoring it does seem to be the case) if i was still under the care of my GP he would be telling me that i was fine because my levels were still 'in range'!

All i can say is do your research so you can prepare yourself and also thyroid uk is a good website that is linked to a very imformative and friendly forum.

 

[AllyTiel]

I have many signs of hyperthyroidism. My TSH was mid range, but my t4 was 11.1. As it didn't hit the high number 12 though, they didn't look into it again. :/ I'm very sweaty, have a hard time gaining weight ever, very jumpy and nervous, etc... I also sweat at night and I'm only 23. Wish I knew what was going on! I don't know how to get answers either....

 

[ashrc66]

Hey ladies,

I just wanted to say I agree with everyone in the sense of getting further evaluation.

I have been having hypothyroidism symptoms for 6+ years. I have had several blood draws and 1 semi-scan done. And everything came back on the low end of normal! Which for me any lab on the low end of normal is usually a sign something is wrong but nobody listens to me.

Anyway, last week FINALLY had a blood work come back to show I was low of T4! It was found after an episode of a Sinus Arrhythmia that took me to the ER.

I took all of these numbers to my RE for my first appt and he was absolutely shocked that nobody had been treating me. He says he wants his patients to have a TSH level of 2.3-2.4 and T4 at 1.5 to be able to optimally concieve etc. He says with the wide range of normal it's absolutely impossible to determine by blood who is abnormal so he bases it off symptoms and where you are within the "normal" blood range. '
So I hope it makes you feel better that you are not alone in the numbers game with hypothyroidism.

Hope everyone here gets the answers they are looking for!