All 10 Thyroid Lab Tests (Every Thyroid Patient Needs These)

Did you know that there are at least 10 different tests for your thyroid? Well, there are actually more but these 10 are by far the most important.

If you are someone who is still feeling poorly despite taking thyroid medication or if you are someone who has been told that they are "normal" even though you don't feel normal then this information is for you!

It's also helpful for pretty much anyone that wants to accurately assess thyroid function.

These lab tests help provide information no how well your thyroid gland is functioning, how much free and active thyroid hormone is floating around in your body, how well your body is converting thyroid hormone, what your thyroid gland looks like, and whether or not your other tissues are utilizing it.

If you've only been tested for your TSH or free T4 then I have good news for you! There are many additional tests that you can use and order which will shed more light on your thyroid function.

As a thyroid patient, you will want to get these labs checked at least one time (preferably more):

#1. TSH
#2. Free T3
#3. Free T4
#4. Total T3
#5. Reverse T3
#6. Sex Hormone Binding globulin
#7. Thyroglobulin antibodies
#8. Thyroid peroxidase antibodies
#9. Thyroid Stimulating immunoglobulins
#10. Thyroid ultrasound
#11. Your clinical symptoms

You don't need to continually get these checked every time you see your doctor but there's a good argument to be made for checking all of them at baseline to see where you fall.

Have you had all of these tests done? If not, do you plan on getting them done? Let me know below!

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Disclaimer:

This video is for general informational, educational, and entertainment purposes only. It should not be used to self-diagnose and it is not a substitute for a medical exam, treatment, diagnosis, prescription, or recommendation. It does not create a doctor-patient relationship between Dr. Childs and you. You should not make any changes to your medications or health regimens without first consulting a physician. If you have any questions please consult with your current primary care provider. Restart Medical LLC and Dr. Westin Childs are not liable or responsible for any advice, course of treatment, diagnosis, or any other information, services, or product you obtain through this website or video.
#thyroid #hypothyroidism #hashimoto's

[GinaR]

I've had over 30 doctors in 5 years and it's sad that you have to go to your doctor's ask questions Tell them things that you know ask them if they can change medication, ask them if you can stop medication because you found out a medication that you were given was banned in Europe because it causes cancer, They tell you to quit smoking but they're willing to give you medicines that cause cancer, when you start questioning your doctors, I just had a doctor tell me that I need to find a different doctor. That is what I deal with, when you start questioning your doctor so you can feel better because you haven't worked and over 4 years in your living on disability, instead of doctors helping you they write you off! 😪

[hometypist]

Thank You Doctor. What you say is absolutely correct. Doctor only check TSH and immediately prescribe medicine to lower without looking for CAUSE, even if the patient wants it.

[littleninja]

Thankfully have had all these tests over the years, unfortunately most of them too late to stop the damage of Hashi's - it took 10 years of having 'thyroid problems' before I understood enough to pursue further than a doctor just testing TSH and maybe T4. Even though it was too late for me to reverse or stop auto-immune thyroid disease, I have been able to gain a lot in terms of quality of life and prevention of other conditions that auto-immune thyroid can lead to (elevated cholesterol, sugar, heart disease, etc). Testing RT3 and having a doctor willing to treat to RT3 (more SRT3, less Tirosint) in the last 12 months is also allowing me to feel better, and also to address the hormonal changes (ahem, nightmare!!) of menopause more effectively because we're not fighting thyroid imbalances.
As always I will give credit to you Dr. Childs because your focus on providing patients with useful, actionable information is a game changer, and has changed my life for the better.

[bonnitabee]

I’m 65 - at age 37 I unfortunately was forced to radiating my thyroid as docters could not fix my hyperthyroid gland
Worst day of my life
My world fell apart and the last 30 years have been ….. just too too too terrible 😢 I’d much rather have lived and died from a hyperthyroid
You !!! Westin Childs are beyond brilliant, I am so grateful to have found you - one questions remains - have I got any thryoid left after radiation
No specialist has even suggested checking if I have any thyroid that could possibly still function- money has always been an issue because the docters charge a fortune as well as lists of blood tests that prove nothing especially in the hands on incompetent disinterested non caring a damn docters
Nightmare

[keylongo]

Excellent explanation. It would be most helpful if you would please write out on your tablet names of tests 7, 8, 9, antibodies. Thanks.

[tfqlzhl]

Hello - to those of you who commented below on this speaker going way too fast! Amazingly you can adjust this for yourself. I often need to do this because of head injury. Look at the bottom of the video screen on the right for the "settings" icon which looks like a gear (or a flower). Click on it and locate "playback speed" . I use the custom option and find that slowing him to .85 or .9 is just about right for me. Hope this helps. Happy Easter.💜

[arlenegarcia]

Thank you so much, Dr. Childs. You are so brilliant.

[mariacb]

Hi Doctor, I have a question: does levothyroxine cause less nutrient absorption? My nutrients were HIGHER without medication.

[helenacena]

Thank you Dr Childs this is very helpful
God bless you

[ceciledelrosario]

Thank you for sharing your knowledge and skills doctor. GODBLESS YOU MORE🙏

[teeski]

What should the balance be between bound to protein vs free T3 or T4 ? Is it 50/50? What’s ideal?

[Solot]

This is excellent but a whiteboard would have aided in this video for some of us who are visual.

[susanshaver]

I am so irritated. My Doctor refused to test anything but TSH ! He said they don't do the other ones anymore!

[Sauron]

Also talking about ‘Doctors’ I personally have 100% totally lost faith in the NHS Dr’s here in the U.K. when dealing with hypothyroid/Hashimoto’s sufferers like myself.

Had one appointment with a Dr (This is before I started self medicating), he asked ‘How much T4 are you taking?’ I replied ‘250mg’, he replied you should be on 225mg, drop ya dosage, get another test in say 14 days and we’ll go from there’ so that’s what I did. Took the test after the 14 days, rang for my results and the receptionist said ‘Your levels are fine’ even though I was still feeling like death. I asked for a phone appointment and when he rang me he said ‘Your levels are slightly off, what I suggest is up your dose to 250mg and come back in 6 months’ … I mean what a pile of rubbish!! Is that how any Dr should approach ‘investigative medicine’?? Absolute crock of shit and just wanted to fob me off!! … Wrote a complaint and then I was told that the GP in question had already retired. I told them that I don’t care if he’s retired, I’m complaining about his conduct when he was practicing and therefore I demand an explanation … They came back with bent truths etc about the 2 appointments etc …. That’s what we have to deal with in the U.K.

[JosephSherry-eiob]

Love your show and have learned a lot! Thank you for this. Curious have you ever considered a side hustle? You speak faster then any auctioneer!

[hazelpearson]

Drs only treat the symptoms without looking further as to the cause. BIG PHARMA !!! Tests are expensive & most Drs don't want to take the time😢😢

[Sauron]

Had to take matters into my own hands a few years ago due to my GP making my situation worse!! .. Was always feeling rotten, going back and forth to the Dr’s to sort it out.

Took a private blood test that showed I had elevated, above range TSH, elevated T4, low T3, very high RT3 and high anti-bodies .. So what was happening is that the Dr was piling me up on T4, this was getting converted to RT3, blocking the uptake of T3 and therefore keeping my TSH high .. I was on 250mg of T4 and I was still under active and feeling like crap! I have since been self medicating on Liothyronine which has purged my RT3 and allowed me to lower my dosage of BOTH T3 & T4.

[pammcclure-hamlett]

3 months ago, my physician completed this battery of thyroid lab tests upon my request. He told me that everything looked good. However, several results were outside of the normal range, including T3 at the bottom of normal, free T3 well below normal, TSH had dropped substantially in 6 months. He said that my tsh was within the norm, so that means my thyroid was good. So, I don't really understand what my result indicate. At that time, I watched your session on how to take thyroid meds. So, I began desoloving my levothyroxine under my tongue. Now 3 months later, I have thick 1in hair growth around my hairline & the handfuls of hair loss I had been experiencing for years has virtually stopped. I'm now interested in what my thyroid labs might look like now. Should I have them repeated? I'm glad I found! Thank you!

[tonyanthonyironman]

This video is God Send. I am so asking my Doc to have me checked those asap. My Endo might decline but surely my main Doc wont. All the Test i am Getting are TSH FT4 and randomly FT3 but never Ever and i mean Ever on the 20 years ive been cursed with this thyroid Disgrace, have they checked all the others. I am excited about having those checked

[hometypist]

Doctor, thyroid should never be removed, it's a symptoms and not the CAUSE.