New results - please help

[Mitsy123]

I have new results in. Can anyone tell me what they mean?

TSH 0.98 range 0.35 to 5 (was 2.5 in December last year)

FT4 14.2 range 9 to 24 (was 16.2 in December last year)

FT3 3.7. range 3.5 to 6.5 (first time had this test)

B12 190 range 200 to 900

Folate 7.1 range 2 to 17

Thank you x

[shaws Administrator]

Hi Mitsy123

There's no thyroid history in your profile so I assume you were only diagnosed and prescribed in December?

What dose are you taking of levothyroxine? Even tho' your TSH is o.k. and most of us feel best when it is around 1 or lower. Your FT4 is lower now and your FT3 is low and preferable if it is towards the upper half of the range. It would seem that you are not yet on sufficient thyroid hormones.

Your B12 one of the most important vitamins which is also a hormone rather than a vitamin is below range. What response did your GP make about this. Has he done a test for pernicious anemia, to exclude that before you take supplements? Pernicious Anaemia is another serious autoimmune condition and you get injections around every 3 months of B12. It can cause neurological and other problems if too low.

Someone will respond re your ferritin which seems low to me too. Did your doctor do iron and folate tests too?

[Mitsy123 in reply to shaws]

I'm seeing my doctor next week Wednesday; what is the test for pernicious anaemia? Does my low B12 mean I have pernicious anaemia? I'm a bit confused about this; still have brain fog. Thx again.

[shaws Administrator in reply to Mitsy123]

No, a low B12 doesn't mean you have pernicious anaemia. I believe they test for the 'intrinsic factor' which confirms whether or not you have P.A. It is a special blood test but nothing to worry about.

healthline.com/health/perni...

[Mitsy123 in reply to shaws]

I've just spoken to a duty doctor, my GP is on holiday, and he's giving me a blood form to test for the Intrinsic Factor and has also authorised six B12 injections over next 3 weeks. I'm thrilled! Maybe there is light at the end of the tunnel after all.

If it wasn't for Thyroid Uk's information pack, I wouldn't even know about B12.

Thank you, thank you x

[shaws Administrator in reply to Mitsy123]

That's great news and I am happy for you.

It's worth its weight in gold if you're a member of Thyroiduk.org and they had a great conference in October last year.

[Mitsy123]

Hello Shaws, thx for replying.

No, I first found out I was Hypothyroid in 2012, about a year after I had a left adrenalectomy to cure Cushing's Syndrome.

I was prescribed thyroxine, but never connected this condition with how ill I always was, because at the time, I was deliberately reducing my hydrocortisone replacement steroids to wake up my remaining adrenal.

My adrenal hadn't woken up after nearly 4 years of trying, so I made the decision to remain on a full replacement dose, to function normally again. I maintained a full replacement butstill had lots of health problems; the most debilitating being chronic fatigue. In the process of finding the cause for this, my new GP raised my Thyroxine to 100mg with a view to not raising it further. I've also been battling anaemia, resulting from very heavy periods (menopause and HRT), but my levels are coming back to normal now.

I requested these recent tests, after reading the information pack from Thyroid UK, so I could work my way through all the possible reasons related to my thyroid function which might explain why I still feel extremely tired all the time.

Sorry brain fog descending, will have to finish up.

Thank you x