Latest blood test

[Charlyboy]

Still struggling with my GP so decided to go private and see an endo.Had what I think is a fairly complete set of blood tests and would welcome your opinions.

Been suffering yet again with air hunger and was hoping the results would maybe shine some light on why.

The endo didn't seem to think any of the results would cause the hunger and to be honest I sort of got the impression that she didn't feel there is a link at all to hypothyroidism.

Anyway hopefully you good people would do me the courtesy of taking a look at my results and offer an opinion if you have one.

Sorry 1 half of the test is here and the other further down the thread

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK]

Splitting results across two posts causes no end of confusion.

I have turned off replying on your other post so that you don't end up splitting replies between two threads:

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Far better to add the second image to a reply to yourself on this post/thread.

[Charlyboy in reply to helvella]

Sorry I couldn't work out how best to do it. Apologies

[greygoose]

Oh, these useless endos!

All she tested related to thyroid is the TSH. And that is useless on its own. It doesn't tell you anything.

But, your cholesterol is slightly high, which suggests that your FT3 is low. And low T3 certainly could cause air hunger because air hunger is one of the major hypo symtoms.

Other results suggesting that you are under-medicated are:

Low B12

Low folate

And disasterous vit D!

Your sodium is also low/under-range.

No ferritin? That would also cause breathing problems.

So, she didn't do half the useful tests, and what she did do, she doesn't understand the results of. And you're paying this woman good money? Give her her marching orders!

[TiggerMe in reply to greygoose]

They were there GG... strangely jumbled up though

Free T4 (fT4) 18.7 pmol/L (12 - 22) 67.0%

Free T3 (fT3) 4.6 pmol/L (3.10 - 6.8) 40.5%

T4:T3 Ratio 4.065 

[greygoose in reply to TiggerMe]

Well, it's strange I only saw the TSH and not the others. I must finally be losing it! 🤣🤣🤣

So, as I thought, the FT3 is low, which is why the cholesterol is high.

[TiggerMe in reply to greygoose]

😏 I find some of them very hard to follow... but like you say you are spot on with the low fT3 and all the other lows... and the less than useful Endo!!

[Charlyboy in reply to TiggerMe]

Yes I don't think I'll be going back

[Batty1 in reply to greygoose]

What does low sodium mean for hypothyroidism people?

[greygoose in reply to Batty1]

Same as it means for everyone else. But, most importanly for hypos, it lowers stomach acid even further than being hypo, and it negatively affects the adrenals who need good amounts of salt to function.

[Batty1 in reply to greygoose]

Interesting because my last labs showed my sodium levels dropped significantly from the previous lab.

I found this about low sodium and hypo.

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

[greygoose in reply to Batty1]

Well, it's not really relevant whether low sodium causes hypo or hypo causes low sodium, the important thing is that the body needs salt, you can't live without it - not for very low, anyway. So, something needs to be done about it.

I would say low sodium is usually caused by this fixation people - especially doctors - have about salt being bad for you. At the right amount, it isn't. So, if your sodium is low, increase your salt intake.

[Batty1 in reply to greygoose]

True doctors do have and fixation on salt but I have done nothing different as far as salt intake is concerned.. its interesting all the same.

[greygoose in reply to Batty1]

Maybe it's due to low stomach acid. I don't know, but you could try increasing your intake. That might increase your stomach acid level and help with other absorption problems.

[Charlyboy]

Hopefully this appears where you can see.

Text for blood test results

[Charlyboy]

She prescribed a combined calcium and vitamin d supplement called adcal d3.Should I be thinking foliate, b12 etc.

[TiggerMe in reply to Charlyboy]

Hi, you need to 'aim' your reply at someone if they are to see it by pressing 'reply' beneath their comment... I'll tag in  greygoose as I'm guessing this is for her 😉

[Charlyboy in reply to TiggerMe]

Thank you

[TiggerMe in reply to Charlyboy]

I'd look at adding more salt to your diet too as low sodium is something that makes you feel really spaced out and fatigued

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Ft4 has room for dose increase

Ft3 is too low

How much levothyroxine are you currently taking

Push hard for at least 12.5mcg daily increase on top of current dose

meanwhile

vitamin D, folate and B12 all too low

You need to start a daily B12 and after 7-10 days add a separate vitamin B complex

Low GFR (very poor kidney function) very strongly linked to low Ft3 levels

Chest tightness (in earlier post) suggests low iron/ferritin

Get full iron panel test for anaemia

There’s nothing on your profile

Is your hypothyroidism caused by autoimmune thyroid disease, also called Hashimoto’s

Have you ever had thyroid antibodies tested

[Charlyboy in reply to SlowDragon]

I'm currently taking 150mcg.I was taking 175mcg but after my yearly blood test 2 months ago and my TSH being 0.3 my GP in her wisdom insisted the dose was reduced.

I'll get a iron panel test from Thriva.

Also I assume I can get a thyroid antibodies test from them also.

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Charlyboy]

we tend to recommend Medichecks, Blue Horizon or Monitor my health for testing

Thriva has odd way of displaying results make it more confusing for patients to understand their levels

Many many members have very low or suppressed TSH on replacement thyroid hormones

The most important results are ALWAYS Ft3 followed by Ft4 and essential all four vitamins are tested and maintained at optimal levels for good conversion of Ft4 to Ft3

Low Ft3 leads to low vitamin levels

Low vitamin levels results in low Ft3

It becomes a spiral downwards, especially if dose levothyroxine is reduced inappropriately

Work on improving low folate B12 and vitamin D

Get full iron panel including ferritin

get small increase in levothyroxine

Then retest thyroid levels in 6-8 weeks

Test early morning, before 9am, only water to drink between waking and test and last dose levothyroxine 24 hours before

[Charlyboy in reply to SlowDragon]

Thank you so much, I'll use one of the labs you suggested and follow your recommendations. My GP is a waste of time and the endo a waste of money.

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Charlyboy]

Full iron panel test

Test early morning, fasting. Don’t eat iron rich foods night before test.

Never supplement iron without doing full iron panel test for anaemia first and retest 3-4 times a year if self supplementing. It’s possible to have low ferritin but high iron

Medichecks iron panel test

medichecks.com/products/iro...

[SlowDragon Administrator]

previous post shows that recent results are much worse

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...