Been feeling rubbish for the last couple of years, I’m 51 & have many low thyroid symptoms, worst being crushing fatigue, feeling cold all the time, raynauds in toes, hands (this is a big one for me, as until recently have always been able to walk around with bare feet, tshirt etc even in winter, now shivering constantly even though dressed appropriately)
Have low basal temp, internal shivering, high cholesterol & many more!
Last July my GP agreed to test TSH 0.83 so my worries were dismissed.
However, I’m now feeling worse, my basal temp is lower.
A couple of weeks ago I had a test done through Blue Horizon, all normal, but wondered if any of you think it’s worth going back to my GP with these?
Total T4 111 (59-154)
TSH 1.33 (0.27-4.2)
FT4 14.3 (12.0-22.0)
FT3 4.2 (3.1-6.8)
Thyroglobulin anti 11.3 (0-115)
Thyroid Peroxidase anti 8.0 (0-34)
I should be grateful that these are normal results, but I guess that I’m looking for a reason to explain how awful I feel & am fed-up with appearing as a ‘neurotic woman of a certain age’ to my doctor.
Many thanks,
Jilly x
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Happykins
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What time of day did you have the blood drawn? It is important to do this first thing in the morning because this is when your TSH is highest.
Your results do look normal but your T4 and T3 are rather lower than I would expect of someone who is "well".
It would be a good idea to get your GP to do the following tests, especially if they are saying that it isn't your thyroid;
serum iron
ferritin (needs to be above 70)
folate
vitamin B12 (should be above 400)
vitamin D
Any of these could be contributing to your symptoms. For example, B12 deficiency can disrupt communication between the hypothalamus and the pituitary so even if your brain is saying you need more thyroid hormones, your pituitary may not be getting the message to produce more TSH. This is why it is so important to get other things tested. Although your thyroid may be perfectly healthy, it may not be functioning properly because something else in the system isn't quite right.
I'll ask about the other tests, although heard that my GP refuses Vit D tests.
You were helpful, quite honestly any input is appreciated!
jilly x
>GP refuses Vit D tests
Deficiency is most likely in those with minimal exposure to sunlight. If you are at risk of deficiency, an over the counter supplement might be appropriate, at around 800 units per day.
I found I needed 5000 international units a day to get my vitamin D dose up. After taking that for a while I cut down to 2400, and my D fell again. So I rather assume my usual dose should be somewhere around 3600.
It might be because I am overweight, or some other reason, but my need is considerably greater than 800 IU per day.
There are also some people who would feel very ill taking even 200 IU.
Rod
Good evening,
I mentioned 800 units because it's a fairly standard dose for prophylaxis and for mild/borderline insufficiency. The probability of hypercalcaemia at this dose is less than 1%; other adverse effects are rare. 800 units is a sensible dose for those at risk of deficiency, and is the standard dose used to avoid deficiency is patients with osteoporosis. Except in patients with underlying conditions which predispose to hypercalcaemia (eg. sarcoidosis, malignancy, hyperparathyroidism) and those who need to be particularly careful to avoid it (eg. history of kidney stones), little medical supervision is needed with doses up to about 1000 units per day.
Confirmed deficiency is treated with many different regimens. 20 000 units once a week for 12 weeks has become increasingly popular. 50 000 units once daily for 7 seven days is sometimes used for those unlikely to comply with longer courses. Neither of these regimens is licensed in the UK. 300 000 to 600 000 units by deep intramuscular injection is another option.
The licensed products (Desunin and Fultium) are given at 800 to 3200 units per day, rarely 4000 units. It is uncommon to see doses of more than about 1600 units being used on a long-term basis... except in malabsorption (eg. in cystic fibrosis).
Your requirements seem pretty high - but if it's working for you, stick with it.
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