latest tests

[foxyeyes]

hi all would love some thoughts on my latest results has took me about 10 yrs to see endo last one asked me who told me i had a thyroid problem had words with him not been able to see one since till now,have had myxoedema for about 38 yrs had good times and bad times with it about 14 yrs ago my thyroid went overactive lost 4 stone which i needed as i could never lose weight they didnt know why it happened but sorted me out after about 12 months then it went wrong again doc said it was depression then menopause then my age, retired last year so then it was retirement low mood,have put on 5 stone doc said it could be bloatedness ???? changed doctor this one is just as bad would not do blood tests that i asked for so went private for them,went to blue horizon showed doc when they came back he reduced meds from 100mgs to 75 mgs as results showed was being over medicated dont feel any better have started having headaches have lost so much hair nearly bald at front no eyebrows no body hair its been years since my legs have seen a razor,took hubby with me insisted i saw endo which i did within 2 wks amazing what the presence of a man can do,went to see endo july she looked at my records and said i still had same symptoms as i did when i went 10yrs ago i said i thought it was down to change of thyroxine i was on eltroxine , these days i have any brand which is the cheapest i showed her one and she had never heard of it she didnt think it was that, couldnt believe what she thought it was, sleepapneoa (dont know if spelt it right) because of my tiredness had some bloods done she wrote to me to say every thing was fine and to continue with 75mgs and she would send me to see some one about my sleepapneoa so here are my results.

blue horizon

total thyroxine (t4) *158 nmol/l 59-154

thyroid stimulating hormone *0.15 mlu/l 0.27 -4.2

free thyroxine 21.7 pmol/l 12.0-22

free t3 4.7 pmol/l 3.1-6.8

thyroglobulin antibody *211.2 IU/ML 0-115 (NEGATIVE)

thyroid peroxidase antibodies 18.7 IU/ml 0-34

hospital results

tsh 1.79 mu/l 0.350-4.94

free t3 4.2 pmol/l 2.6-5.7

free t4 15.4 pmol/l 9.0-19.0

i have no idea how to read these so any help would be gratefully received thanks in advance.

xxxxx

[Clutter]

Foxyeyes, Your BH results are positive for autoimmune thyroid disease (Hashimoto's) which may explain why you went hyperactive some years ago.

When was your Levothyroxine reduced to 75mcg and when were your BH and hospital bloods done? Your BH TSH was low but your hospital TSH is a little high and your FT4 and FT3 have dropped.

Actavis, Mercury Pharma and Wockhardt are the 3 generics used in the UK. If the one you are using doesn't suit ask your pharmacist to dispense one of the others to see whether it suits you better.

[foxyeyes in reply to Clutter]

Hi clutter thanks for reply my Levothyroxine was reduced in march my BH bloods were done end of Feb and hospital ones 01 july was taking 50mgs of Actavis 25mgs of Mercury Pharma then in June pharmacist changed brand from Mercury Pharma to Wockhardt am concerned about weight as i cannot lose it doctor sent me to W/W but only lost 4lb in 3mths but its not only that its all the other symptoms i have, have spent last 2 days just lying on settee exhausted have joint pain get short of breath when walking lots of other symptoms but not going to go on will look Hashimoto's up see what i can do to make myself feel better .

Thanks again for reply.

xxxx

[shaws]

Hi foxeyes

I think you are undermedicated. If you are now hypo and one of the clinical symptoms is weight gain for some, and levothyroxine, also can cause weight gain if insufficient is given. It would be kinder of your doctor to add 20mcg T3for a reduced 50mcg of levo. I have read the the actual would be 20mcg of T3 to replace 60mcg of T4 but that would be difficult as levo is usually 25mcg, 50mcg, or 100mcg. It is hopeless to try to diet if our metabolism is too slow before you begin. This is a link:

web.archive.org/web/2010103...

and an excerpt from a link within the above one. They know that levo causes weight gain.

I’m referring to a study coauthored by Drs. Geoffrey Beckett and Anthony Toft—a biochemist and an endocrinologist who promote T4-replacement as tenaciously (albeit far more civilly) as Guttler does. Beckett and Toft commented on hyperthyroid patients made hypothyroid by treatment that destroys thyroid gland tissue. "Despite restoration of serum thyrotropin (TSH) concentrations to normal, many [hypothyroid] patients complain of weight gain."[11]

Beckett and Toft compared the outcome of the treatment of thyroid cancer patients with that of Graves’ disease patients. Thyroid cancer patients used TSH-suppressive doses of T4 to suppress further thyroid tumor growth. On the TSH-suppressive doses of T4, the now hypothyroid cancer patients didn’t gain weight. Graves’ disease patients used T4-replacement doses—doses that kept the TSH within the current reference range. They were matched with the cancer patients for age, sex, and severity of hyperthyroidism before antithyroid therapy. The patients on T4-replacement after becoming hypothyroid gained a significantly greater amount of weight.[11]

[foxyeyes in reply to shaws]

Hi Shaws thanks for reply i have thought the levo caused weight gain but you think it is replacing what your body lacks, may seem a bit thick but what do you mean by add 20mcg for a reduced 50mcg have read the links but will have to read them again for it to sink in.

xxx

[shaws in reply to foxyeyes]

I have amended my first response and eeng is correct in her response to you.

It's not so much replacing what your body lacks but how your body responds to specific doses. Some patients cannot convert levothyroxine to sufficient liothyronine (T3) and T3 is the active hormone needed in all of our cells.

[foxyeyes in reply to shaws]

Thanks shaws but don't think doctor will give me t3 he will listen to endo but willing to try do you think you could let me know where to get it from ?

xxx

[shaws in reply to foxyeyes]

Fortunately my GP prescribes. If you put a new post requesting a private message, a member may have info.

If you email [e-mail] and ask for a copy of Dr Toft's Pulse Online article and show to your GP. Question 6.

[foxyeyes in reply to shaws]

Thank you shaws will do.

xxx

[foxyeyes in reply to shaws]

Hi i have made doctor's appointment for tues see what he says.

xxxx

[foxyeyes in reply to shaws]

Hi shaws went to doctors today it was a new one he would not prescribe t3 said nhs did not prescribe it wouldnt even look at print off of Dr Tofts pulse online article was'nt surprised as he was very young just kept saying my results were okay so looks like its a bit of self help will do as you suggest and put a new post.

[shaws in reply to foxyeyes]

It is frustrating. We are forced to try to get ourselves well. You have tried your best. I hope you left the Pulse Online article with him anyway wand maybe he would read it all and get some idea how to treat.

Dr Toft will be very popular with the BTA today as his article must be popping up all over the country. They have probably been forewarned not to take notice of internet publications, regardless of who has written it. Even from the Queen's Physician when she is in Scotland! While we grasp it as if it was a lifeboat (and theoretically it is for some of us),

We are only taking a hormone in which we are deficient and our bodies cannot function without sufficient.

[eeng]

I think shaws meant add 20mg T3 for a reduction of 50mcg in your T4 dose. (T3 is Liothyronine and T4 is Levothyroxine). Correct me if I'm wrong.

[shaws in reply to eeng]

eeng, thanks for that as I did miss out T3. I have also amended the sentence as it wasn't strictly accurate.

[foxyeyes in reply to eeng]

Thank you eeng have had message from Shaws it was good of you to let me know so thanks again.

xxx