Ths?

[dutter]

my thyroid study:

THS= 1.71 (0.44-4.21) im within range. dose this study have merit?

[crazycrew]

Just about everyone here will tell you the TSH is useless. I don't know why. You will need the 4x daily saliva cortisol test and more.

[crazycrew]

my thyroid study:

THS= 1.71 (0.44-4.21) im within range. dose this study have merit?

What time of day did you draw blood? fasting? How do you feel?

[dutter]

What time of day did you draw blood? fasting? How do you feel?

blood drawn in the am, i did fast, i feel good. i wonder why doctors test THS if it is useless?

[crazycrew]

blood drawn in the am, i did fast, i feel good. i wonder why doctors test THS if it is useless?

My guess would be that the test was good in the stone age. And the only way to get modern quality tests as the standard, would be a series of law suits.

[Massa]

blood drawn in the am, i did fast, i feel good. i wonder why doctors test THS if it is useless?
because at medschool they are taught to ;)

the value is absolutely meaningless and even your serum T3 and T4 are relatively insignificant (without further info)

[hebsie]

...my opinion, TSH is not an irrelevant test. It's only irrelevant when it stands alone (such as in your case). To get an accurate 'picture', you really need a complete thyroid panel, not just TSH...hebs

[dutter]

My guess would be that the test was good in the stone age. And the only way to get modern quality tests as the standard, would be a series of law suits.

boy that's strange..peoples health is on the line here. the older i get the more i relize how screwed up our health care system is & the less faith i have in doctors.

[dutter]

...my opinion, TSH is not an irrelevant test. It's only irrelevant when it stands alone (such as in your case). To get an accurate 'picture', you really need a complete thyroid panel, not just TSH...hebs

how about the way one feels? i feel good and have a good energy level, that should count for something being that test is no good? i just don't want to ask for tests without any symptoms.

[crazycrew]

how about the way one feels? i feel good and have a good energy level, that should count for something being that test is no good? i just don't want to ask for tests without any symptoms.
Thats all that matters. Which is what we are all trying to achieve here. Congrats. dont change a thing.:cheers2:

[dutter]

Thats all that matters. Which is what we are all trying to achieve here. Congrats. dont change a thing.:cheers2:

thanks crazycrew

[hebsie]

how about the way one feels? i feel good and have a good energy level, that should count for something being that test is no good? i just don't want to ask for tests without any symptoms.

...you seem to be asking/saying two different things here. You asked whether a TSH test has merit. I said that in the right context, yes it does.

Now you're saying that because you feel good the test is no good.

I don't understand the connection here? First off, if you feel good why were you having your TSH tested to begin with? And a TSH of 1.71 is completely healthy. How did you expect to 'feel'?

[dutter]

...you seem to be asking/saying two different things here. You asked whether a TSH test has merit. I said that in the right context, yes it does.

Now you're saying that because you feel good the test is no good.

I don't understand the connection here? First off, if you feel good why were you having your TSH tested to begin with? And a TSH of 1.71 is completely healthy. How did you expect to 'feel'?

you said standing alone it has no merit (like in my case).

i got it checked when the dr did my regular annual bloodwork (i guess testing THS is standard). there is a little story. when my testing came back i found out i had a low T level (223/175-781). i have been on T-gel (testim) for 6 months now(5gm). my second blood test was high (1200). i think the high level was not accurate due to applying the gel in the morning of the test in the area where the blood was drawn (no one told me this is a no-no). my dr switched me to every other day due to the high number. my third test my T-level dropped real low (84). doctor put me back to 5gms a day. i posted this in another post and someone suggested that im not absorbing the gel well and should get my thyroid checked. thats where i started thinking about it some. thats where im at now. i will get blood drawn mid feb to see where im at and i will see if im absorbing the gel. this is all new to me. never in the past did i feel the need to examine my own bloodwork. like most people, i allways trusted the doctors and assumed they knew what they were doing and what they were testing for. i have allways had pretty good health and avoided doctors unless necessary. i hope this clears things up a little.

[hebsie]

...okay, that makes more sense. Perhaps this is why JanSz always tells people to keep things (like their labs) together in one post...hebs :)

ps...back to TSH. No, TSH by itself tells very little about actual thyroid function. TSH is only the signal (from the pituitary gland). It tells nothing about the actual thyroid status/output/function.

[wondering]

Use the search funciton...this has been discussed ad nauseum

[dutter]

Use the search funciton...this has been discussed ad nauseum

sure....im new here, i have read a lot. i just wanted some imput on THS (is that what these forums are for? helping people?)

[dutter]

Use the search funciton...this has been discussed ad nauseum


...okay, that makes more sense. Perhaps this is why JanSz always tells people to keep things (like their labs) together in one post...hebs :)

ps...back to TSH. No, TSH by itself tells very little about actual thyroid function. TSH is only the signal (from the pituitary gland). It tells nothing about the actual thyroid status/output/function.

thank you

[crazycrew]

sure....im new here, i have read a lot. i just wanted some imput on THS (is that what these forums are for? helping people?)

Still a good subject and some of us haven't been here forever. I didn't notice any links related to the subject wondering, but thanks for your input.

[dutter]

Still a good subject and some of us haven't been here forever. I didn't notice any links related to the subject wondering, but thanks for your input.

yes, i have a lot to learn about TRT. i think everyone has a different story. i was mostly curious on how THS is related to my story & situation so i can draw some thoughts & conclusions from others that are more knowledgeable. i have read on this fourm that more extensive testing is required to find out how well your thyroid is functioning. i guess im having a hard time understanding why doctors run useless tests & judge someones health by these tests. just like i learned that my estradiol test was invalid (54/ 20-47). i asked the doctor to run that test because i was getting gyno symptoms after a month on the gel (testim 5gms). would that mean i was absorbing the gel good even though my system was converting it to E? i guess im a little confused at this point because of that (84) TT level & gyno symtoms are allmost non existent now. that number tells me i am not absorbing the gel well. the really strange thing is that i feel good, i have no high E symptoms, labido & wood are good, have plenty energy & i am strong at the gym. i did have ED symptoms which is one of the reasons the dr ran a T test originally. this adds to my confusion because the ED symptoms are gone. i guess my blood test in feb will tell me more. thanks for you help.

[LeanGuy]

yes, i have a lot to learn about this whole TRT subject. i think everyone has a different story. i was mostly curious on how THS is related to my story & situation so i can draw some thoughts & conclusions from others that are more knowledgeable. thanks

As a minimum when checking thyroid I test:

TSH
T4, total
T4, free
T3, free
T3, reverse (I don't run this one every time because of cost)

Life extension has a good thyroid panel that includes these (minus RT3) for only $75 if you're a member.

TSH is a good measure of your brain's opinion about current thyroid levels. The other labs will show actual body levels. In any event, it sounds like gels are not going to be your best option for TRT.

[dutter]

As a minimum when checking thyroid I test:

TSH
T4, total
T4, free
T3, free
T3, reverse (I don't run this one every time because of cost)

Life extension has a good thyroid panel that includes these (minus RT3) for only $75 if you're a member.

TSH is a good measure of your brain's opinion about current thyroid levels. The other labs will show actual body levels. In any event, it sounds like gels are not going to be your best option for TRT.

thanks lean guy (you are pretty lean)

[dutter]

As a minimum when checking thyroid I test:

TSH
T4, total
T4, free
T3, free
T3, reverse (I don't run this one every time because of cost)

Life extension has a good thyroid panel that includes these (minus RT3) for only $75 if you're a member.

TSH is a good measure of your brain's opinion about current thyroid levels. The other labs will show actual body levels. In any event, it sounds like gels are not going to be your best option for TRT.

would health insurance pay for this testing? if im not absorbing the gel i will talk with my doctor about this and go to shots pending on the results from my next bloodwork in feb. if i reach this point he will probably send me to an endo.

[crazycrew]

If your doctor will order it; I am sure the insurance will cover it

[cpeil2]

my thyroid study:

THS= 1.71 (0.44-4.21) im within range. dose this study have merit?


TSH is unreliable as a marker of thyroid status. That said, though, If I had a result like this, and I felt good, I wouldn't bother with further testing. OTOH, if I had symptoms that suggested problems w/ my thyroid status, I would proceed with further testing, even if a doc had told me that my TSH level indicated I did not have a thyroid problem.

[crazycrew]

If you are feeling fine there is nothing wrong with getting a full set of labs that you can use as a baseline to compare to future labs you might have when you don't feel good.

[dutter]

TSH is unreliable as a marker of thyroid status. That said, though, If I had a result like this, and I felt good, I wouldn't bother with further testing. OTOH, if I had symptoms that suggested problems w/ my thyroid status, I would proceed with further testing, even if a doc had told me that my TSH level indicated I did not have a thyroid problem.

thanks, the only reason im suspect of a thyroid problem is the low T reading i got on my last test TT= (84/ 175-781). the blood was drawn around 48 hrs after T-gel application due to dr's orders to use T-gel every other day. i think i need to stop worrying & just wait for my next test results. i guess im just preparing myself for the worst.