Could someone help me with my lab results please? - Thyroid UK

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Could someone help me with my lab results please?

ecogran profile image
4 Replies

27.03.2013:

TSH 0.08, range 0.35-4.94

FT4 21.3, range 9.00-19.00

FT3 4.1, range 2.60-5.70

GP says I'm hyper and wants to reduce my levothyroxine only medication from 200mcg by 25mcg a day. I don't feel hyper, still have fatigue, brain fog, cold and heat intolerance, muscle weakness/spasm on exertion and my temperature is always around 96F all day, pulse regular at 60.

Since diagnosis with Hashi's 12 years ago I've struggled to get the TSH below 1 except for the times the FT3 was measured (only twice in all that time!) with similar results. I did try to get NDT prescribed (flat refusal from GP and Endo) 10 years ago, but gave up and have been muddling along ever since.

I've just turned 65 and decided to give it one more try in an attempt to pre-empt possible problems like CVD or osteoporosis – I'd be happy to give T4 plus T3 a go and am waiting to see my GP on 1st October to do battle with her. If I really am hyper then she won't be willing to try anything else until I've reduced my levo dose first…

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ecogran
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4 Replies
bantam12 profile image
bantam12

The symptoms you are getting can be due to too high a dose of Levo, the symptoms are the same as Hypo ones, especially fatigue and muscle problems.

ecogran profile image
ecogran in reply to bantam12

Thanks for responding hypohen..I've seen that hypo/hyper symptoms are similar and wondered if that was the case with me, as you suggest. I've been on 200mcg levo since 2002 and although all the physical signs of being hypo disappeared eventually, I've never felt "back to normal" within myself. Looking at my yearly lab results there seems to be a pattern - maybe not converting T4 to T3 properly? Might this explain my calf muscles becoming hard as rock and making walking impossible? Or having to "recover" for days following excercise? And what about my heart rate and body temperature? In this cooler weather (and I'm not looking forward to the frosts) I am cold and shivery all morning, regardless of any activity, then warm up for the rest of the day after an afternoon nap. I don't know - just feel like giving up.

shaws profile image
shawsAdministrator

My TSH is 0.01 and am fine. Dr Toft, in an article in Pulse online says it is o.k. to have a low or suppressed TSH or the addition of some T3. If you would like a copy to show to your GP email louise.warvill@thyroiduk.org.

This is a link from Dr Lowe and cursor to the second question for information.

web.archive.org/web/2010112...

Also cursor to January 25, 2002 for the answer to this question.

web.archive.org/web/2010112...

ecogran profile image
ecogran

Thank you for your response shaws, much appreciated. I've managed to read the info from both your links and wish we had someone like the late Dr. Lowe in this country...

For the time being, I'm going to hang on until my GP appointment on 1st October and see what the latest results are before making a decision about NDT or T4/T3 instead of the levo. I really feel that I'm wasting my time trying to inform myself on thyroid issues when I'm dealing with someone (medical expert, aka my GP) who's only interested the the lab results and particularly only the TSH!

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