Strange blood test results

[lilliput]

Before treatment in March:

TSH 7.7 FT4 10.2 Cholesterol 7.1 Given 25 mcg Levo Test was for diabetes (negative) as I have a cataract but have had borderline underactive thyroid results before, so a routine test was done.

July:

TSH 5.3 FT4 13. 7 Given 50 mcg Levo

October:

TSH 9.9 FT4 13.1 Dose now increased to100 mcg Levo

Sorry I don't have the reference ranges.

My symptoms come and go but I have felt rough for the last 10 days I felt OK on the day of the test. By rough I mean indigestion, morning sore throat, feeling of tightness, croaky voice at times, dry throat. Painful joints and stiffness. Tired.Think I may have been fighting a bug off as visited a friend who had the flu. I had pneumo and flu jabs a year ago and incredibly haven't even had a cold since. I also, however, no longer work in a school.; was ill 2/3 times a year with increasingly bad chest infections afterwards. Have given up smoking with no cravings apart from recently, still on the wagon and vaping.Stress levels recently have been higher. TBH I have become less disciplined re taking Levo away from coffee and my sleep is poor so I do not always take it at the same time of day.I didn't tell the doc this.

It seems a big jump in Levo Should I cut the tabs and go to 75? With water and alarm clock? Or are fluctuations like this normal? As far as I know my TSH has never been this high though T4 hasimproved.

[shaws Administrator]

Your GP was right to increase your meds as your TSH was rising, despite you being on levo. The aim is to bring your TSH down to a point where your symptoms diminish.

Always get a copy of your blood test results for your own records complete with ranges (as labs differ and it makes it easier for members to comment). If you haven't already had a Vitamin B12, Vit D, iron, ferritin and folate ask for these to be done as the first two are usually deficient in hypo.

[lilliput in reply to shaws]

Thanks for your reply Shaws. I'm feeling like kicking myself for not sticking to my regime. Just seems odd that my TSH is now worse than pre Levo and I feel worse.

[shaws Administrator]

I think your thyroid glands needed more meds so you should, hopefully, find you will slowly feel better with your increase.

Every cell in our body cannot function without sufficient T3, we have billions of cells and the brain has the most so hopefully you can convert T4 sufficiently.

[TraceyLE]

Hi Lilliput

I don't know if this has anything to do with it, but when I gave up smoking last year, my TSH went from 0.5 at the beginning of November to 2.8 at the end of December. I felt so awful that I started smoking again and my TSH was back to 0.8 in February.

I have now stopped again for Stopoctober, and will be retesting my TSH etc. mid November as I believe it is rising again as I have been getting swollen eyelids in the morning. I know a lot of people aren't convinced there is a connection, but I believe there is.

My next door neighbour gave up smoking last year and is now hypo.

When did you give up smoking in relation to your test results?

[lilliput in reply to TraceyLE]

I think there is a connection in that I use e cigs now.I found it easy but felt truly awful on other forms of NRT before being diagnosed. Having said that e cigs are a good product and its very similar to smoking. The downside,not tested but I believe there are politics here regarding the tobacco companies From what I've read the vapour is glycerine, water vapour and nicotine.The upside, they work and couldn't compete with the tar and other nasties in tobacco. It is a compromise not really giving up smoking but making it cheaper, more healthy, less smelly and there are less dangers of passive smoking.I started the e cigs in May