Dr. Westin Childs Podcast: Thyroid | Weight Loss | Hormones

The TSH is probably the most standard way to test for thyroid dysfunction but it's certainly not the most accurate way. There are at least 5 different conditions which, if present, can alter how reliable the TSH test really is. These conditions include: #1. Low T3 syndrome. - The first condition is low T3 syndrome. People with this condition have low levels of free T3 or total T3 but their free T4 and TSH may stay relatively normal. Free T3 should take precedence because it is the active thyroid hormone. #2. high TSH but normal T4. - Many people look at the TSH reference range and think that if they fall anywhere on that range that they are "normal". The problem is that this reference range includes people who aren't 100% healthy. Instead of using the standard reference range look at a tighter range which is less than 2.0. #3. Partial thyroidectomy with falsely normal T4/T3. - If part of your thyroid has been removed or radiated with radioactive iodine then the remaining portion must enlarge to try a