Okay guys, so I saw my new internist last week and showed her my previous blood work that had the low T3. She told me that she isn't concerned by it because it's TSH they look at and not T3, but she still sent me off to do another round of blood work just to double check and look at some other things too. We talked about my hair loss cycles and my MS-type symptoms.

I got a call today from her office informing me that my ANA was negative, but my CRP is elevated suggesting inflammation, and my B12 was borderline normal. She didn't test ESR, but it's always been normal in the past. I noticed she tested TSH + T4, not the T3, too. I'm going back in to see her in 2 weeks so she can go over it with me. I'm not familiar with all the blood work stuff, does anyone have an opinion on this? Does this sound indicative of something?

I honestly can't remember the difference in the testing. I know that getting them both tested helps in determining how your thyroid is working. But, again, I just can't remember. I do know that some people have to take a combination of T3/T4 medications and getting them both tested in helpful in determining which meds will be best for you. It wouldn't hurt to ask for a referral to an endocrinologist for further work up. An endocrinologist will be able to review your testing and determine if your symptoms are due to your thyroid functioning or to something else.

As for your CRP, obviously there is some sort of inflammation going on. It could be something as minor as allergies or a low grade infection or muscle/joint/tendon injury to something a little more serious. Is your dr. going to retest you in a month or so?

Inflammatory markers such as CRP and the ANA can be tricky when dealing with autoimmune diseases. They can go up and down. It would be hard to say if the reason for the elevated CRP was due to an autoimmune response or to something else such as heart disease.

"She told me that she isn't concerned by it because it's TSH they look at and not T3..."

That's sort of like saying it's the gas tank indicator they look at and not how much of that gas is actually making it to the engine to fuel the car.

T3 is an activated form of T4 and TSH is the pituitary peptide/hormone that tells the thyroid to produce more T4. Thus one can have normal levels of TSH and T4, which would indicate that the pituitary/thyroid glands as well as the axis between them are fine. Yet there could also be low T3 levels, which could indicate a problem with thyroxin utilization. That sort of problem often involves the metabolic axis between the adrenal glands, the pituitary and the liver (where the conversion is made).

Hormones and how they interact with each other is a very complex study. Given that there does seem to be something going on in that department, an appointment with an endocrinologist might be in order. I wouldn't let the brush off about your T3 levels (if it is severely low) that the internist gave you slide because it can produce all of the same symptoms of primary hypothyroidism.

Good luck.
Please keep us informed.

With love, Erika