Checking thyroid

[Night_Wolf]

Hey guys, I want to go get my thyroid checked but don't know what tests to do: TSH, T3, T4, Free T3 or Free T4. What is the most important as I suspect I have some thyroid problems, want to check that out. I'm assuming TSH and maybe T3? Or is only TSH enough?

 

[BP2000]

I posted a website you can check out. Look under Recommended Labwork for the list of thing's to check.


You can also check your body temperture when you wake up and periodically through the day. Mine was low so I starting taking Lugols iodine and selinium caps 200mg per day and it has helped a lot. Make sure you use iodized salt. And you can also take some kelp as well. Your thyroid needs iodine to function so if you are low on that your thyroid will suffer. Good luck


good website on ?Thyroid function

Natural Thyroid 101 | Stop The Thyroid Madness

 

[Diesel618]

TSH and Free T4 is enough to find out what's going on and how to treat it. Testing T3 could help to see how much is converting, but my doc just checked TSH at first, and when that came back high, he retested with TSH and Free T4.

 

[JMedic79]

^^^ this. an initial test for thyroid should be tsh/t4. but the other question that you're doctor will ask is why do you think you have a thyroid deficiency?

 

[Night_Wolf]

^^^ this. an initial test for thyroid should be tsh/t4. but the other question that you're doctor will ask is why do you think you have a thyroid deficiency?

I will go to a private medical laboratory to get tested, I don't like going to a doctor to get tests, is a pain in the butt.

TSH and Free T4 is enough to find out what's going on and how to treat it. Testing T3 could help to see how much is converting, but my doc just checked TSH at first, and when that came back high, he retested with TSH and Free T4.

Ok, thanks bro, but you think Free T4 is more important to check than free T3?

 

[JMedic79]

t4 has such a short life that it actually isn't that good of an indicator of thyroid health. my tsh will go through the roof if i miss even 3 days of meds, but my t4 values rarely get out of range. the thyroid functions on a negative feedback between the thyroid, pituitary and hypothalamus. tsh kind of controls the whole thing 'ish. that's why it's the primary indicator for treatment, at least for the providers i'm around. i was dx'd hypo 5 years ago and take 137 mcg synthroid daily.

 

[Night_Wolf]

t4 has such a short life that it actually isn't that good of an indicator of thyroid health. my tsh will go through the roof if i miss even 3 days of meds, but my t4 values rarely get out of range. the thyroid functions on a negative feedback between the thyroid, pituitary and hypothalamus. tsh kind of controls the whole thing 'ish. that's why it's the primary indicator for treatment, at least for the providers i'm around. i was dx'd hypo 5 years ago and take 137 mcg synthroid daily.

So I should check just TSH to see if I have any problems, and if I do, than go and check free T3? Or TSH and free T3 right away?

 

[JMedic79]

i dunno. what does google say?

 

[Night_Wolf]

i dunno. what does google say?

TSH and free T4.

It said someone can have normal TSH but low free T4 so when if you check only TSH and is normal that doesn't mean you are fine.

One more thing, do I have to do tests on empty stomach or something? Never checked thyroid, sry if question is noobish

 

[overburdened]

Hey guys, I want to go get my thyroid checked but don't know what tests to do: TSH, T3, T4, Free T3 or Free T4. What is the most important as I suspect I have some thyroid problems, want to check that out. I'm assuming TSH and maybe T3? Or is only TSH enough?

full metabolic panel will have all that plus t4/t3 ratio

 

[JMedic79]

TSH and free T4.

It said someone can have normal TSH but low free T4 so when if you check only TSH and is normal that doesn't mean you are fine.

One more thing, do I have to do tests on empty stomach or something? Never checked thyroid, sry if question is noobish

nope. you can eat. unless you do a full panel with glucose and lipids. if it's just tsh/t4 then you can eat