Here’s a typical situation: A woman will tell me that she feels tired, has difficulty losing weight no matter how hard she tries and her digestion feels “off”. She has been to her doctor, but she’s told that everything is normal. She’s told that maybe she should go on a diet or get more sleep. Does this sound familiar?
So often, I work with women who don’t feel their best and they are looking for a different approach to their health. They are tired of being told that everything is fine when they don’t feel well. This is why functional medicine lab testing is so important. We are able to interpret labs differently and they can then tell a different story. Many times, I have had patients become emotional when we review lab work because they are being told for the first time that there are reasons for why they feel the way they do.
What is a thyroid panel?
A thyroid panel is a collection of lab markers that are taken by blood. There are some practitioners that just test TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone). In my practice, I prefer to order a full thyroid panel which consists of 10 different markers, including TSH.
Why get a full thyroid panel?
It’s a good question, but the reason is that it is a comprehensive way to determine how the thyroid is functioning. It can provide answers for those struggling with their health. It’s a lot of information and it’s important that the thyroid panel is read by someone who has been trained to interpret it.
What is included in a full thyroid panel?
The ten markers included in a full thyroid panel are as follows:
- TSH
- T4 (Thyroxine)
- Free T4
- T3 (Triiodothyronine)
- Free T3
- Reverse T3
- T3 Uptake
- Free Thyroxine Index
- Thyroid Peroxidase (TPO) Antibodies
- Thyroglobulin Antibodies
What will a thyroid panel show?
When the results of these labs are interpreted, we can see if there are low levels of thyroid hormone (hypothyroid) or high levels of thyroid hormone (hyperthyroid). It can show us how well the brain is signaling to the thyroid, how much free (or active) thyroid hormone is available for the body to use, if thyroid hormone is being converted to T3, and if there is autoimmunity towards the thyroid. It’s important to look carefully at the numbers and see how they explain why someone is feeling the way they are.
How to read a thyroid panel results?
It’s best to have a practitioner that’s trained in Naturopathic or Functional Medicine do this for you, but let’s start with the basics. First, look at the TSH. I like this between 1-2.5. This number has an inverse relationship to thyroid hormones. A high TSH means low thyroid levels and a low TSH means high thyroid levels in the body. Next, look at the T4 and Free T4 levels. The functional ranges for these are 6-12 and 1-1.5 respectively. Then, look at T3 and Free T3. I like these ranges between 100-180 and 3-4. Look to see if T4 is being converted to T3. If T4 levels look ok, but T3 levels are low, there may not be efficient conversion happening and this would need to be addressed. If Reverse T3 is elevated, this could be a sign that stress or inflammation is affecting the thyroid. We may want to investigate further to see where that inflammation is coming from. Looking at the thyroid antibodies can also be done. If these are elevated, then it could show an autoimmune response towards the thyroid.
So, let’s get back to the woman I described who feels tired, has difficulty losing weight no matter how hard she tries and tells me her digestion feels “off”. There could be a combination of reasons why she isn’t feeling well, but getting a full thyroid panel is a solid first step to determine if her thyroid is involved. The information that we find on this panel can help to determine what the next steps are and then we can create an individualized plan to support the empowering process of optimizing health.
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