Bloating 100mg Levothyroxine/blood results

[3535]

Hi, I have posted before to see if anyone else experiences upper body bloating with either underactive thyroid or medication.

I now have my latest blood test results and wonder is anyone can interpretate them:

Serum free T4 - 15.6 pmol/L (9.0 - 19.0)

Serum TSH level - 0.26 (0.2 - 4.0)

I am not even sure what T4 and TSH level mean?

Thanks

[greygoose]

Hi 3535, yes, you have posted about this before, and people suggested things like low stomach acid, gluten intolerence and lactic acid intolerence. Did you follow any of those up?

Those labs do seem ok, but that's not the whole story, is it. You really need to have your FT3 tested.

As to understanding the tests, l'll try and explain :

TSH is Thyroid Stimulating Hormone, secreted by the pituitary, which tells the thyroid gland to produce hormone. If your FT3 is low, in theory, the TSH should rise. But it doesn't always work like that. So, the TSH is a diagnosis tool, along with the FT4 and the FT3, but is useless when it comes to dosing,

The thyroid, basically, produces two hormones T4 (Levo) and T3 (Tertroxine). T4 is basically a storage hormone which has to be converted into T3, which is the active hormone, which is needed by every cell in the body.

FT4 tests the level of T4 in the blood that is available to be converted into T3. The FT3 meansures the level of T3 in the blood available to be used by the body.

Your FT4 looks quite good, but it could be that you're not converting very well, in which case the FT3 would be low, making you hypo. Which is why it should be tested. But, the NSH, in it's wisdom, declines to test it! Most people have to have it done privately.

Have you had your vit D, vit B12, folate, iron and ferritin tested? If any of those aren't optimal, they will not only cause symptoms, but will affect the way your body uses the hormone you're giving it. You could very well have nutritional defficiencies being hypo, because we have trouble absorbing nutrients. So, it would be a very good idea to get those tested - if you haven't already - and supplement accordingly.

[3535 in reply to greygoose]

Thank you