Can someone help me understand my blood results please.

[bullybear]

"Serum TSH Level" 4.89 mu/L (0.0 - 5.0)

Will be filled as: 4.89 mU/L

"Urea and Electrolytes"

"Serum sodium" 140 mmol/L (133 - 146)

"Serum potassium" 4.9 mmol/L (3.5 - 5.3)

"Serum urea level" 5.2 mmol/L (2.5 - 7.8)

"Serum creatinine" 67 umol/L (60-120)

"Glomerular filtration rate"

"GFR calculated abbreviated MDRD" >=90

I really hope someone/anyone can tell me what this all means as I have no idea. Beginning of the year my Thyroxine was put up to 125mg. These are the results of my latest bloods, taken 2 weeks ago. xx

[puncturedbicycle]

Your tsh is v high for someone on meds. Do you feel well? On the basis of these tests is your gp proposing to raise your meds? Some people don't feel better until their tsh is less than 1.

[bullybear in reply to puncturedbicycle]

I've been told that my bloods are totally fine. To be honest I feel tired all the time, noticed my hair has come out etc.. I've been on Thyroxine for 7 years and have never 100% felt great. I think i'll ask for a copy of my blood test results from last October just to compare. Thanks for your reply

[puncturedbicycle in reply to bullybear]

Your tsh is much too high, only a smidge within range. No wonder you feel tired. To give you some perspective, in the US your tsh would be well outside the normal range. On treatment most people feel better when it is lower, maybe between 1 and 2, but some people only feel better when it is below 1.

I can only imagine that before your increase at the beginning of the year your tsh must have been even higher.

In my experience, even though I don't like to get into it with my gp, it is worth pushing for better treatment because you can feel absolutely brilliant when you're on the right dose of the right meds. It is unconscionable keeping you on too little medication if you don't feel well. Do you have other symptoms? How is your cholesterol?

[bullybear]

My cholesterol is high i'm definitely going to query my blood results with my GP. I'm doing everything I can to improve my health.. It just astonishes me how all the Doctors I've seen have zero interest in my symptoms etc. Last year I had to give up a job that I worked so hard for as I was having bad symptoms of depression, which made no sense to me. Then my partner said could it be your thyroid. So I went to my GP January 2013, had bloods and was told they were fine. It's only until January this year when I saw a new GP, he looked at my blood tests from last year and decided to put my Thyroxine up from 100 to 125.

My symptoms consist of aches/pains, tiredness, hair loss, find it hard to get my brain into gear. I don't know if this is a symptom of hypothyroidism but I get really itchy. God it's nice to have a moan lol x

[puncturedbicycle in reply to bullybear]

Yes, lots of people here are itchy and high cholesterol is also a symptom. I shudder to think what your tsh was last year if this new gp put your dose up of his own accord based on year-old test results.

I think they are less likely to be interested in symptoms than in an argument based on the numbers because symptoms can always be attributed to emotions (stress, depression, anxiety) whereas if you present them with medically-sanctioned arguments about test results it is harder for them to argue.

Have you heard about Dr Toft's book? There's a page where he states that some people need their tsh to be below 1 before they feel better, and if that doesn't help then a trial of t3 is not unreasonable. I think someone can email you the text so you can bring it to the doctor if they try to fob you off with 'normal'. See if you can find it and if not I'll see if I can.

And feel free to moan! It is one of the good things about being here - that you can moan and a lot of people will appreciate exactly what you're on about! xx

[eeng]

All your symptoms, especially the high cholesterol and depression, are signs that you are under medicated.