PART 3 OF THIS THYROID SERIES:
WHICH TESTS DO I NEED TO GET A COMPREHENSIVE OVERVIEW OF MY THYROID HEALTH?
Unfortunately if you go to the doctor with concerns about your thyroid and related symptoms, they are likely to just run a TSH level (this hormone is produced by the pituitary to signal to the thyroid to release T3 and T4).
However, this is often not reflective of what is actually going on, just because the pituitary is sending signals to the thyroid, doesn’t mean that the thyroid is actually responding efficiently.
Your TSH could be ‘normal’ and let’s be honest you still feel like a sack of shit due to poor conversion or T4 to T3, raised thyroid antibodies, increased levels of reverse T3….. suddenly TSH doesn’t seem so indicative of your overall thyroid health anymore!
So what tests should we be doing?
Any comprehensive thyroid panel should include:
TSH
Free T3
Free T4
Thyroid antibodies (thyroglobulin antibodies and thyroid peroxidase antibodies)
If you can also include Reverse T3 then great! This will need to be done through a private lab but can sometimes be the missing piece of the puzzle, particularly for those with a history of caloric restriction, overtraining and chronic stress. Reverse T3 is an inactive thyroid hormone which mirrors (and blocks) active T3, sneaky!
Please consult your healthcare professional regarding testing or any abnormal results.
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The content in this article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding your health.