Dermatologist Dr. said

Showed him my hands how they are developing wrinkles.  I know we get saggy skin after weight loss and some wrinkles to a degree, but my hands look like fish scales. That's not Norm if you will!!!  I'm 54 Not 74. Well first thing he tells me is it's a sign and symptom  of a bad thyroid, I said , I had tests done  with the Ear Nose and Throat doctor because i am having trouble swallowing.said I have a nodule in my thyroid, Ok now a couple of months ago my primary doctor took blood sample to check my thyroid, which she said today that it ranged in the 1.3 level. that's to be the Norm. Would someone please tell me what their doctor told them the norm range is for a normal thyroid?  I should not be having these types of wrinkles..thanks, Wendy

Which test did you have? I have hypothyroidism and for the T4 free test I've always been within normal range at 1.1, but the other test, the TSH w/reflex to FT4  I test in the 3's now, anything below 4.5 is considered normal by my dr, but I take 112mg of levothyroxine to be there....at my worst I was a high 9 on that test

go see someone who specializies in thyroids. Dont remember what they are called
sorry. Primary care doctors dont always get the diagnosis correct. And your
dermatologist gave you a heads up. Go see a specialist.

Dani

Endocrinologist

Go to an endocrinologist and have them run a full thyroid panel. That should include TSH, Free T4, Free T3. 

TSH 'normal' per the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists is .3 to 3 although most people feel 'best' in the 1-3 range.   It's considered the 'gold standard' by many; however, its as much a measure of pituitary function as thyroid function. T4 is the inactive or transport hormone. It is converted to T3 the active hormone by two different enzymes in the pituitary vs. the liver.  You can have 'normal' or even low TSH levels if the conversion is being done properly in the Pituitary but low fT3 levels -- meaning low active hormone available to your cells -- if the conversion is not taking place properly in the liver. That's why all three need to be checked if you have clinical symptoms of hypothyroidism (always cold, muscle/joint pain, sluggish thinking, depression, high cholesterol, slow heart rate, low BP,etc).  Just testing TSH can completely miss hypothyroidsm at the cellular level which is where it really matters. 

You need an endo... HAve a full panel. I have hashimotos .. Which is my anti bodies eating my thyroid.. I was told so many times everything was just fine... NOT!!!!
Julie