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| Some people feel much better when taking thyroid hormones, even though some thyroid tests might indicate that they do not need it. For sub-clinical cases, a short-term thyroid trial is appropriate. The best lab tests to consider if low thyroid function is suspected are TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone), Free T-4, and Free T-3. Your doctor may or may not require lab testing before giving you thyroid hormone on a clinical trial basis, when symptoms indicate. Oral temperatures during the day are a reasonably accurate method of monitoring your thyroid status and the effectiveness of any thyroid medication. Your body temperature should be greater than 98.2°F (36.8°C). The timing of the test and when you take your medication does not make a significant difference on the test results. Expected Outcome The American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists officially stated in 2001, that a "TSH level between 3.0 and 5.0 µIU/ml ... should be considered suspect since it may signal a case of evolving thyroid underactivity." This is a dramatic reversal, as they have traditionally held that patients should never be treated with thyroid hormone unless the tests were clearly abnormal, above 5.5. This supports the belief that many patients have been misdiagnosed and undertreated in the past based on the lab tests and the arbitrary normal ranges. |
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