My feet & ankles are swollen, hot and reddish color. I have high blood pressure, lupus, asthma, back problems, diabetic, fibromyalgia, and Padgett disease, an enlarged heart, and enlarged thymus gland.
1 Free T4 (Free Thyroxine) â considered a precursor hormone, T4 is converted to T3 as required by cells throughout the body; levels of T4 are generally much higher than T3.  Total T4 (Total Thyroxine) - Most T4 in the blood is bound to carrier proteins which make it biologically inactive. Total T4 includes unbound (free) T4 plus T4 that is bound to carrier proteins in the blood.
A) the steroid and peptide hormones must use the same biochemical mechanisms. B) the steroid and peptide hormones must bind to the same receptor protein. C) the steroid hormones affect the synthesis of effector proteins, whereas peptide hormones activate effector proteins already present in the cell.