My thyroid results

[AnnieAxVale]

I posted a question a couple of weeks ago asking what it meant when there was enough thyroxine in your blood but yet your thyroid appears to be struggling.. someone suggested I get hold of my results and post them.. so this is them and this is the only information I was given in print out ..

Serum Free T4 Level - 16.6

Serum TSH Level 11.64 (+)

I have just been back to my doc this afternoon complaining of the usual symptoms when ones thyroid goes out of sync but as the last blood test was only done on 19th Jan I have to wait till beg of March to have it retested..

Can someone with a bit more nod than me on thyroid results tell me what they think of them please?

Many thanks

[shaws Administrator]

If your doctor hasn't prescribed levothyroxine, I think he should also have some tests as you are highly hypothyroid and he needs a refresher course. You should be given medication immediately.

You don't have enough thyroxine in your blood and it is causing your pituitary gland to work overtime thus the high TSH.

Phone the surgery and speak to the doctor and request and immediate prescription or an immediate appointment. Don't worry too much but they are failing in their duty. My TSH was 100 before diagnosis.

[shaws Administrator]

I have just looked at your profile and see you are on levothyroxine but you definitely need an increase. There's no way your TSH should be 11+. Ask if he will add T3 to your T4 and see if that helps you overall.

You certainly don't want to wait another number of weeks for a new blood test you need more medication.

[AnnieAxVale in reply to shaws]

Thank you.. yes sorry should have made it clearer in this post that I already take 2oomcg levothyroxine ..

What is T3 and what do you mean when you say add it to my T4..

Ask me about the autoimmune spectrum and I can grasp it but when it comes the thyroid.. its not so easy lol

[shaws Administrator in reply to AnnieAxVale]

T3 is also called liothyronine it is the Active hormone required in all of our receptor cells if we are hypothyroid. So yes, as Clutter suggested, he should check your Free T3 level (not just T3 level).

T4 is levothyroxine, and should convert to sufficient T3 but doesn't always do so.

[jimh111 in reply to AnnieAxVale]

If you are taking 200 mcg levothyroxine your fT4 should be much higher than 16. This suggests you are not absorbing the levothyroxine. Are you taking other medications or supplements which could interfere with the levothyroxine absorption? Also it's best to take your levothyroxine at least half an hour before food. Many patients will say you should leave one or two hours. Also, it's very important not to have coffee around the time you take levothyroxine, coffee can really hit the abosorption of levothyroxine.

If you are taking the levothyroxine away from other medications and food you need to ask your doctor to investigate why it isn't being absorbed.

[Clutter]

Annie, I think your GP should refer you to an endocrinologist. 200mcg Levothyroxine is a suppressive dose and your TSH should be very low. It's not possible to say for sure how good or not your FT4 is without the lab ref range. 16 is mid-range in most ranges and again I would expect FT4 to be higher, towards the top or just over range on 200mcg.

Pituitary increases TSH to stimulate the thyroid gland to produce more hormone when it detects low circulating hormone. I suspect your FT3 may be low so your GP should test this. The lab hasn't tested it so there's no reason for your GP to delay requesting it, your syymptoms will simply worsen. Low T3 is what causes hypothyroid symptoms. Good FT4 doesn't mean good conversion of T4 to T3. If T3 is low you will need Liothyronine added to Levothyroxine. If your GP won't test FT3 I think it may be worth you ordering a private test from Blue Horizon or Genova via thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/testin...

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/about_...

[Clutter]

Annie, I deleted my earlier response which was made prior to seeing you are on 200mcg.

[AnnieAxVale]

No worries.. its certainly something to bare in mind.. what with impending menopause and other autoimmune stuff going on.. one thing I don't need is docs messing around with stuff they don't really understand..