Printed blood results

[hethpet]

Good morning all. Can I please ask for your help deciphering my results? I am aware that the free t4 is high but what is the other result in bold. It's abnormal but no action required. I'm In week 2 of 50mcg of levothyroxin and feeling pretty rough but I'm persevering! Thankyou in advance 😊

[hethpet]

Sorry I meant TSH is high not free t4 😕

[Hidden]

Hello hethpet,

Your results are hard to read but I can decipher that TSH level of 17.8 is high.

This is called the Thyroid Stimulating Hormone and is actually made in the pituatry gland. This tells your thyroid how much T4 (thyroxine ) to make.

Your new meds are synethic T4 branded as Levothyroxine.

A good result would be a low TSH and a higher T4 which your thyroid meds will help accomplish and make you feel well again.

Unfortunately it takes time to rebalance disrupted hormones as the body will only accept and utilise small increments of extra T4 at a time. It takes about a week for the body to start to utilise your meds but upto 6 weeks for the body to be wholly saturated. In the meantime, just hang in there and believe you will get better soon.

hethpet, my health journey was much like yours with swollen glands as a kid and mild lethargy all my life until being finally diagnosed 4 years ago aged 47.

Having had an undiagnosed problem for so long can mean there is a lot of issues to be addressed but the good thing is you are now being medicated and so on the road to wellness.

I hope you feel better soon

flower007

[greygoose]

Your TSH is very high and your FT4 is very low, just 0.1 point over bottom of the range. You are very hypo.

FT4 is the storage hormone produced by your thyroid. When your thyroid is failing, it produces less and less hormone - T4 - so your TSH rises to tell the thyroid to produce more hormone, because you are becoming ill - you need thyroid hormone to live. But as your gland is sick, for one reason or another, it can't do that. So, you get a high TSH and a low FT4. It doesn't say 'no action required' is says 'to discuss with doctor'. But you are already on week two of 50 mcg of Levo (can't understand why they did a blood test after only two weeks). You wouldn't expect to feel much difference after just two weeks, it takes at least six weeks to feel any difference.

There is one other result that is in bold, Mean Corpus. Heamaglobin. That's to do with your red blood cells, I believe. But I Don't know anything about it. But as it's only 0.2 points over-range, it's nothing to worry about. I'm sure someone else will tell you what that is. Or have a look here :

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mean_...

You should go back for another blood test in four weeks time, to get an increase in dose. Get your test as early as possible in the morning - that's when the TSH is highest - around 8 am if possible. Leave a 24 hour gap between your last dose of levo and the test. Or it will skew the results. Don't have breakfast, either, because that will lower the TSH and you'll get a false reading.

Hugs, Grey

[shaws Administrator]

You are very hypothyroid - no wonder you feel awful but as you are only 2 weeks into levothyroxine, don't worry that's how most of us feel when first starting medication.

Make your appointment 6 weeks after beginning levo as it takes about that time to settle. The following should be your regime when beginning:-

Blood Test: Have the earliest possible appointment . Leave 24 hours since last dose of levo and test as it may skew results and fast. Take levo after test.

Take thyroid hormones on wakening and wait approx 1 hour before eating. Some foods interfere with medication. I leave 4 hours between levothyroxine and supplements which I have at lunchtime. Some prefer bedtime dosing, in that case you must leave 2 hours after eating before taking hormones (in that case you'd miss the night dose before blood test and take it afterwards). You can also take night dose as usual. If you've had a fatty meal it should be longer. Food can interfere with the uptake.

Ask for Vitamin B12, Vit D, iron, ferritin and folate to be tested. They should be towards the upper range.

Always get a print-out as you've done for your own records and so you can post if you have a query.

I hope you feel better quite soon. Be wary of a doctor who diagnosis how you are by only taking account of the TSH and not your symptoms. Hopefully your GP will be knowledgeable and you'll be given sufficient meds to make you well.

[Angel_of_the_North]

As others have said, you are very hypo. You are probably also veering towards anaemic - either low B12 (needs to be over 500), low folate (50% of range) or low ferritin (at least 70) or all three.

[hethpet]

Thank you for your replies guys, I read them this morning on the bus with tears in my eyes. I can't believe how long I have put up with this! Just to know someone cares & believes me when I say I am utterly exhausted

I told my boss today that she has no idea how I have struggled to keep going. I work in a card & gift shop & its not as easy as it sounds. I told her to imagine walking up a hill backwards whilst pulling a refrigerator along with you!!! That's what hypothyroidism does to you.

Thanks again for listening xx