Ranges! Please help me interpret.

Although feeling a tad better, still tiring too easily, slugess and heavy.

Any suggestions of advice would be gratefully received. Thanks xx

Serum TSH level: 0.5 mU/L. Range (0.30 - 4.20 U/L)

Serum free T4 level: 15.0 pmol/L (12.00 - 22.00pmol/L)

Serum free T3 level: 4.0 pmol/L (3.10 - 6.80pmol/L)

[PinkNinja]

Although your TSH is nice and low, your T3 and T4 are both near the bottom of the range. This would be why you are feeling bad. Can you persuade your GP to increase your dose?

Your GP needs to know that there has been recent research that shows that TSH is not a good measure of thyroid function in hypothyroid patients (even if it is in euthyroid and hyperthyroid patients). TSH really needs to be ignored and dosage adjusted according to symptoms and T4 and T3 levels. As long as your T3 remains in range, an increase in dose would be a good idea. You will probably feel best when T3 is above 5pmol/L although this isn't the case for everyone. Your GP can safely increase your dose until your T3 is at the top of the range provided you have no symptoms of having too much thyroid hormone.

It would also be a good idea to check your serum iron, ferritin (needs to be 70-90), vitamin B12 (supplement if in range but below 500), folate and vitamin D. All of these could be contributing to your symptoms.

I hope this helps

Carolyn x

[Hidden in reply to PinkNinja]

Thank you Carolyn, this is really helpful.xx

[Redditch]

First thing to remember that blood tests are completely pointlessly rubbish.... clinical signs much more useful.. If you think you're hypo, take your temperature before you get out of bed in the mornings for 10 days.. if you're colder than the average human, then you're hypo, no matter WHAT your blood tests say... see these links, and trust how you feel... Get your Vitamin D Iron and B vitamins tested.... are you being treated for hypothyroidism? If you're taking levo and your bloods are "normal" it could be that you're not converting properly. T3 may be better for you...

see links

This book is very good. Your Thyroid and how to keep it healthy by Dr Barry Durrant-Peatfield…

Even if you don’t read it and understand it all, you can throw it at your GP and shout “read the bloody book, will you?” when he tells you that you’re depressed or it’s all in your head.

youtube.com/watch?v=RXnE7tT...(Not working as expected?) is a youtube video about Armour the Natural Thyroxine versus the LEVO that they give you

youtube.com/watch?v=kExFRwQ...(Not working as expected?) is another youtube video about lots of stuff, it’s quite long.. but it should prove to you that your blood tests being “normal” don’t mean ANYTHING

[nobodysdriving in reply to Redditch]

you're right, however, temperature is not absolutely precise, Dr John Lowe always said (so did Dr Broda Barnes) that in 'some' people body temperature will still be low even when they are 'optimally treated' (ie they will have some improvement in body temp but may never reach the 'optimal' body temp). With some people it just never goes back to 37 (centigrades) so it is useless to go by temperature only (or to give it too much importance), you must assess 'all' your symptoms/wellbeing, temperature is a gauge 'up to a certain point'

[Hidden in reply to nobodysdriving]

We also found - in the course of our study - that even 'normal' people often don't have 'normal' temps!

L

x

[Hidden]

Thank you Redditch, I think I should take you with me next time I go to my 'useless' GP! X