I have been having problems breathing for the last six months which was originally put down to asthma but I was not responding to medication.
Eventually I had a hospital appt and it turned out that a thyroid cyst was pushing on my windpipe and causing the issue. This was drained (with rather a lot of blood coming from it) and relieved the breathing. I have now had this drained three times but it is still filling up with blood.
However, my question is whether this cyst would affect the way my thyroid is working as I have several typical hypothyroidism-type symptoms that I have also had for the last 6 months (severe tiredness, aches, dry skin to name but a few)
Following initial advice from some very helpful people on here, my doctor kindly arranged for a full thyroid gland function test, T4, T3 and TSH, also iron, ferritin and folate, B12 and Vit D.
Now, I managed to get a printout from the results and my readings all appear to be within the parameters of their tests but I wonder if anyone can check to see if there is any reading I should be worried about?
I have attached a small screenshot of all the results.
Thanks in advance
Mike
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Gentlemanmike
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It’s not whether the results are within the reference range that matters, it’s whether they are optimal and on that basis, your TSH and FT4 look to me to be a bit high and low respectively. When I had results like that, I also had a load of symptoms, many of which have now resolved on 100mcg levo.
I keep an eye on my basal body temperature and my blood pressure as well. Some argue that they are better indicators.
It’s not whether the results are within the reference range that matters, it’s whether they are optimal and on that basis, your TSH and FT4 look to me to be a bit high and low respectively. When I had results like that, I also had a load of symptoms, many of which have now resolved on 100mcg levo.
I keep an eye on my basal body temperature and my blood pressure as well. Some argue that they are better indicators.
Other members will probably be better able than I am to analyse these (and to correct me if I'm wrong!) But, off the top of my head, your TSH may be higher than is optimal (in certain countries 2.5 and 3.0 are now considered to be at the upper end of the "normal" threshold, so you'd be over that or very close depending on where you are geographically! Although, of course, it's possible to have a low TSH and still feel unwell.) Would it be possible for you to get your T3 and Reverse T3 tested? Sometimes production of T4 or conversion of T4 to T3 isn't the problem, rather it's the uptake of T3 by your cells, which may be "blocked" by Reverse T3 or compromised by another problem, such as adrenal insufficiency. Also, did you get your Vitamin D tested? Hope that's helpful. (BTW, I found it difficult to read the screenshot, even when I zoomed in on it. Is it possible to repost it at a higher magnifcation?) All the best.
Thanks, your findings tie in with the other replies I have had so at least I have something to go to the doctor with.
Regarding the screenshot; I tried it at different magnifications but it just shrunk it to fit the forum (I'm presuming due to the amount of information in it).
Hi Mike, I am afraid too ignorant to read your print out. However I agree with the above answer, also be sure to have the Free T3 test if you have not. Often it is only that that gives the true picture. Regarding the breathing, it can be a first symptom of heart disease, but I would look at other things first. Often the cause is either low ferritin /iron, needs to be clearly in range. Also B12, hormonal and autoimmune ( so strong thyroid association too). That needs to be high in range.I would also be asking about the reason for the cyst as it is an odd place to have one. Of course, if it drains OK obviously nothing sinister. but if you found the cause, it may help the treatment.I would also be wanting a thyroid ultra scan for nodules and enlargement, common especially with autoimmune thyroid disease. If nodules , standard to have a fine needle biopsy.
Thanks. Have already had an ultrascan and have had several biopsies to remove the blood in the cysts (it keeps refilling) However, the hospital are adamant that the cysts are not connected with my other symptoms and would not cause the hypothyroidism
Yes that sounds OK with the cysts but if it was me ,I would want an explanation, sometimes the body is more prone to cysts. Make sure thee other things are OK, then do some detective work. Doctors , especially GP`s are not very good, usually at diagnosing. Thyroid disease is known to often bring on an early on set of Atrial Fibrillation, breathing could be linked, if all else seems right,, A,F not too serious but needs diagnosis and drugs.. ECG no good, but other ways. if you think that is possible, get back to me and I will explain.
Best wishes,
Jackie
As others have said, "in range" or "Normal" means not a thing, it's OPTIMAL you want, unfortunately that's where the problem starts in getting Doctors to act.
In any case, you haven't GOT a full Thyroid function test... you have got what most of us get on the NHS now - TSH, with T4 chucked in if you are very lucky!
T4 is at the lower end of range, and less than I would want it to be but without knowing T3, then you are still guessing at that and TSH is certainly high enough to be indicative of some potential problems, but of course as it is below the top of the range here in the UK it will not warrant them testing it for T3: tell me about it!
Haemoglobin is in strange units for the UK, certainly not what I am used to - (I am presuming that's in normal range and equates to 14.9 mmol/L); and I also cant' see any Vit D either, Folate looks pretty low to me (I would think about supplementing it, but not with folic acid, I use a more easily assimilated type, see chriskresser.com/folate-vs-... for some info.)
Thanks. Funnily enough, I was just about to answer this post when the phone rang and it was the doctors surgery. Now bear in mind that the doctors had initially said that all the results were fine. They have just told me that my Vitamin D reading is low. Hmmmmmmmm
You won't likely get anything prescribed worth taking, they don't' have much choice of stuff they CAN prescribe!... often only with calcium too which you don't necessarily need at all! My tip is look for something say about 5000iu (try Amazon) and think hard about also taking vitamin K2 (NOT Vitamin K) which helps stop calcium migrating out of your bones and into you blood (not a good thing!) when you do take vitamin D! (look on Google... plenty info about)
Your TSH is slightly higher than is optimum. Anything above 2 is dodgy. Your T4 is also slightly low, I would say 15 is optimum. Also your HDL is on the low side it should be above 1.3 so perhaps top up on omega 3 from cod liver oil/olive oil/rape seed oil.
your free t4 is nearer the bottom of the range, when mine was that low I was very ill. Now that it is just above the lab range I am well. I don't know much about ferritin and cannot put my hand on my result at the moment, but I wonder if yours is low?
Well I went to the Doctor armed with all the information from the blood tests and from here and pointed out the high and low readings but was told flatly that they would not do anything for me as long as the readings were within the guidelines and that some of my symptoms could be to do with my diabetes. No amount of reasoned arguement seemed to make a difference.
The only other way that this may get sorted is that my thyroid cyst is not responding to draining so may have to be operated on and so I presume will my thyroid.
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