Tsh is 1.40 and they have given me two cortisol readings, one of 1.35 and 3.35 . Strange thing is I don't know why the did the latter one as they said it had to be an am reading and they sent me away telling me to get a new referral form but hey ho!

NO t4 or t3 done though.

From what I gather the TSH is deemed 'normal' and someone has commented to me that with that result a thyroid problem will not be accepted apparently understandably.

This frustrates me - I thought the whole premise here was that what is 'normal' for some is not for others?

Anyway, during my appointment with the G.P he has asked me to do a couple of online depression assessments - I guess this is to rule out whether it is just depression realated or not but ironic as many of the articles I have read state that this situation is often mistaken for depresssion and previous DR asked me whether I felt depressed too.

He has now sent me for FSH but says if this comes back normal he will refer me to endo as he still thinks its hormone related. At the moment he is concerned I am pre menopausal!

Overall do u guys have any idea having had similar initial results and responses of what direction endo might/should go? I am concious I don't want to go down a long potentially unecessary road of tests when a lot of you guys discovered and had to guide health professionals to your own health problems before they were looked at/resolved. I guess I look to you as the Professionals as many of you have been there, done that etc

In addition to the unexplained weight gain, sympoms include such as heightened anxiety, extremely oily skin, deppressive modes, heightened PMT, weird periods, cold hands and feet, dry hair which seems to get finer and finer.

Hi

Certainly the symptoms you are describing point to hypothyroid. I had a similar result 6 months before I was finally diagnosed after a bout of flu that I just didn't recover from. I can tell you I had there symptoms for 6 years before the test result agreed with the symptoms.

I don't tell you this to discourage you but to help you keep on with this until you find a doctor/consultant who will treat you on symptoms and give you a trial on Levothyroxine. You are in a better place than I was as I just didn't have a clue what was wrong with me.

As your doctor has said he will refer you to an endocrinologist I would take him up on this.

Please join Thyroid Patient Advocacy forum which is run by a dedicated team lead by Sheila. She will advise you of good endocrinologist both NHS and private. They will also help with what you should expect on your first appointment. It can be helpful to write to the GP stating all your symptoms and requesting it to be put in you notes. Again Sheila will advise you what to put in your letter and who to address it too.

www.tpa-uk.org.uk/

Click on discussion forum

As your TSH would be classed as in normal range then the labs wouldn't do T4 or T3. It is so wrong as it doesn't give the full picture. Also ask for the ranges when you get test result as every labs is slightly different.

Can't help with the cortisol as different time of the day have different levels. Ihave the same problem with my cortisol test results, its like asking for the world to get a straight forward answer to what they mean.

Hope this helps someway and you keep going with this until you get the help you need.

Judy

What test and advice has a doctor given you on this?
I think you should only go with the doctors' suggested tests... T3, T4 is the general common test which everyone does and advises but apart from this special advanced tests can only be suggested by specialist doctors.

Sorry Richard but Judy was correct about this one.
Anyone reading this thread should certainly listen to her excellent information and advice - which is coming from personal experience.
Most family doctors will simply try to get away with doing a TSH test for suspected hypothyroidism. At best you will likely get TSH and T4 (thyroxine). These are only useful for diagnosing overt hypothyroidism and associated thyroid disorders; which may be serious and require further investigations. What is known as 'sub-clinical hypothyroidism' which is considered less serious - or not even worth looking into by many doctors - would need a T3 test to uncover (a simple blood test any hospital lab can do!). Sub-clinical hypothyroidism is a controversial condition but could be just as serious and disabling as regular hypothyroidism in many people. Normal ranges of TSH and T4 do not necessarily mean an individual doesn't have hypothyroidism - they may have ALL the symptoms of the illness - but the medical system prefers to rely on tests rather than physical examination, or listening to patients these days it seems. Any invisible illness patient will have picked up on this quickly!
So, to diagnose hypothyroidism most accurately a T3 test is also required. This is the active form of thyroid hormone whereas T4 / thyroxine can be considered the body's "storage" form. It is T3 however that binds to cell receptors and activates the metabolic functions the thyroid is responsible for regulating. The conversion of T4 to T3 requires enzymes reliant upon the essential nutrient minerals zinc and selenium; so a zinc and / or selenium deficiency can lead to hypothyroidism that would not be picked up by regular testing by your local doctor.
It follows then that to get a true picture of thyroid function from the thyroid gland itself all the way to the cells, we need to know our T3 levels are adequate.
The takeaway here is to always ask for T3 testing if you suspect you have hypothyroidism... and unfortunately you may have to be assertive and adamant to get it!