help with my results please

[2pence]

Hi Everyone

I have a printout of my bloodtest taken in October and have attached this. I have also had a bloodtest this week and following a call this morning know that this shows low Vit D (it was forgotten on the attached printout) so have been asked to see my Dr. I was diagnosed hypothyroid in 2000 and do have a list of some of the TSH levels that are on my notes from 2003 which is when I presume they put everything onto computer. My then GP had queried hypothyroidism for at least 7 years previously. The TSH results vary from 2.4 to .44 but I had probably taken my Levothyroxine before most of the tests until finding this forum and would have been taken early in the morning.

I was always an average weight of about 10 stone until my GP queried hypothyroidism during which time I put on a couple of stone and even on Levothyroxine still continued to put weight on until I was about 17 stone. Two young children and walking a dog several times a day did nothing to stop this. I was started on 25mcgm which was doubled to 50mcgm and then doubled again by a locum who had known me in my twenties to 100mcgm. I started to lose weight without making any other changes at the end of 2010 which continued until August even though I had a knee replacement and I now know that my TSH .89. My TSH remained lower than 1 for a about 18 months and since then has risen along with my weight. The last three were 1.39, 1.29 and 1.22. 1.22 was after being on an increased dose of 112 for six weeks and since then I have been on 125mcgm hence the retest this week and the chance to get the Vit D tested.

You will see on the printout that I have handwritten in the B12 levels as these were blank on the original sheet but were given to me when the blood test was done. I specifically asked for B12 as my grandmother had pernicious anemia and injections for this.

I also have a diagnosis of Elhers Danlos Hypermobility which was made in 2012 and together with what I have learned on this forum made sense of many health things in my life. I always feel cold and my basal temperature is several degrees lower than average. I spent many years seeing a gynecologist as I couldn't get pregnant and filled in numerous basal temperature charts showing this over years but as he was in his little silo nothing was pointed out to say that there could be another problem contributing to the lack of ovulation. I do have three children (well adults now) and all have a diagnosis of Elhers Danlos Hypermobility with the middle one who is worst affected having recently been also been diagnosed hypothyroid and is on Levothyroxine.

I am seeing the Dr on Tuesday and want to stay on 125mcgm with a view to increasing the dose in the future but feel that the Vit D, ferratin, folate and B12 need to be raised first. Am I right in this? My Dr is new to the surgery and me and so I am going to take some photos showing what I was like in my 20's and 30's along with a recent sheet of my meals. I have already shown him what I eat as my partner is type 1 diabetic and we take a great deal of note of the content of what we eat.

Sorry for the long post but any insights will be gratefully received.

[shaws Administrator]

I am sorry you have been diagnosed with hypo 17 years ago and you were probably so before that, what with fertility problems etc. Female problems are one of the symptoms plus fertility plus unexplained weight gain. Even more with the fact that you are still not well.

As you say, when you were on an adequate dose of levo your weight dropped without an effort.

I would ask your GP to add some T3 next time to your levo and that may be helpful to you. This is a link and the main gist of it is that our dose of thyroid hormones is usually too low for us to feel well.

tinyurl.com/qcgqyyk

Before the blood tests were introduced, and levothyroxine, we were treated according to our clinical symptoms and medicated until our symptoms went and we felt well on NDT (natural dessicated Thyroid hormones). There were no synthetic hormones then (levo).

The above link says we are usually on too a low dose to keep our TSH 'in range' rather than taking into account our symptoms. This is another link for info.

hormonerestoration.com/Thyr...

I am sorry your children have problems too.

[Clutter]

Welcome to the forum, 2pence.

TSH 1.22 means there is some room for an increase in dose. Most people on thyroid medication are comfortable with TSH just above or below 1.0, you may be one who needs a higher dose to lower your TSH.

Read Dr. A. Toft's comments in Pulse Online thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/about_... Email [e-mail] if you want a copy of the article to show your GP.

Most here will supplement B12 when it is <500. Try 1,000mcg methylcobalamin sublingual lozenges, spray or patches. Take a B Complex multi vit too and this will boost your folate which is on the low side.

Ferritin is low. Optimal is 70-90. Supplement ferrous fumarate and take each iron tablet with 500mg-1,000mg vitamin C to aid absorption and mitigate constipation. Be sure to take iron 4 hours away from Levothyroxine.

[Heloise]

Here are the recommended lab values from STTM you should try to achieve.

stopthethyroidmadness.com/r...