Hi, I'm new and struggling

[Else75]

I am hypothyroid and feeling unwell with very low energy. My weight is slowly creeping up, I have gone from 8 stone to 8.12 in 2-3 months. I asked my doc for a copy of my recent bloods and I can't make much sense of it... he tells me that I am fine and that it is a psychological problem which I know is untrue due to having experienced depression for many years. He practically laughed at me the last time that I mentioned fatigue.

My HIGHLIGHTED results were as follows:

Serum Total Bilrubin (0-20) umol/L= *22 Apr and Jul

Serum Zinc (10-18) umol/L= *22.5 Jul

Serum Creatinine (55-100) umol/L= *52 Apr/ *48 Jul

Serum Adjusted Calcium (2.2-2.6) mmol/L= *2.18 Jul

Serum TSH (0.34-5.6) mIU/L= 0.10 March/ 0.16 Apr/ 0.62 Jul

Serum T4 (7.5-21.1) pmol/L= 9.90 March/ 11.20 Apr/10.30 Jul

Vit D nmol/L = 59 Jul

HCT (0.37-0.47) L/L= 0.35 Apr/ 0.36 Jul

MCHC (315-359) g/L= 360 Apr/ 338 Jul

Eosinophilis (0-0.5) = 0.6 Apr and Jul

Many thanks in advance for any advice you can give to me

[Treepie]

TSH and T.4 look ok, but you really need FT3 which often is not tested.

Cannot comment on the rest although some are below range but D3 looks low.Sufficiency is 75-200.

You should also have B12 , ferritin and folate tested.

[Else75 in reply to Treepie]

My doc hasn't tested for FT3 or folate... but I may go tomorrow to request it as he wants me retested for calcium.

Ferritin was 13 in Apr and 12 in July

B12 was 311 in July

I appreciate your reply, Treepie

[Treepie in reply to Else75]

Hi Else,

Your B12 is low,check the range ,my labs was 211-900 ,if yours is similar you need to supplement to get near the top of the range. Being Hypo depletes vitamins.Excess B12 is excreted in urine so cannot overdose.

Suggest try something like Jarrows methyl cobalamin sub lingual tablets. I take 2500iu twice a day using a pill cutter for 5000 IU tablets as I found taking the 5000 tablet made me nauseous.

[Else75 in reply to Treepie]

Thanks, I'll look at Jarrows..

I have just started on a high (5000iu) of D3 with 100mcg of K2 as well as a multi vit/mineral which includes 5ug (200%) of B12...

[Treepie in reply to Else75]

excess D3 can lead to toxicity so be sure to have it retested after a few months. Of course 20 mins of sun a day is best - if only!

I should also have said that if taking B12 you need B complex to keep the B bits in balance but your multi Vit may provide sufficient.

Although some posters reckon multi fits have too little of anything to be useful.

I take Nutri shield ,expensive but less then a broadsheet a day.

[Else75 in reply to Treepie]

A friend of mine gave me a multi Vit B supplement to take from Neals Yard which includes spirulina.

I have read that taking up to 10,000 is quite safe with D3 however, I may have a trial month at 5000iu and then lower.

I was diagnosed in Feb last year and I've received more info in the last 3 days... What happens when FT3 comes back low?

[Treepie in reply to Else75]

As I said ,you cannot overdose B12 but no point taking more than you need to be at the top end of the range.Only testing can tell you. But It seems also that the B12 test may not be of much use and only one hospital tests active B12. I admit that it's very confusing. I think FT3 needs to be at the top end of the range or it would suggest ,If FT4 is near the top , that you are not converting T4 to T3.

But like you I was only diagnosed last year ,in May with TSH of 102 ,and I am still learning so post results when you get them and some of these wonderful folk who know more then me will respond.

[Marz]

Your thyroid results are not telling us a great deal. As Treepie says we really need to see the FT3 - the ACTIVE thyroid hormone. I am suspecting your B12 - Iron - Ferritin - Folate are also LOW - so need to be tested. B12 needs to be around 800/900 - Ferritin round 80/90 - and Folate mid range. Being OPTIMAL with these building blocks of health will make you feel better. Maybe have the Thyroid anti-bodies tested - Anti-TPO and Anti-TG....

I am only a Hashimotos Girl so not medically qualified - just learn from others here that know more than me

[Else75 in reply to Marz]

Hi Marz,

My B12 is 311...and no idea with the others as not tested although they carried out extensive tests or so I was led to believe!

I am so glad that I have found this site as I have given up with the docs and I very much appreciate your reply.

Thank you

[Marz in reply to Else75]

...sorry but you need a higher level of B12. Less than 500 can produce neurological symptoms. Only 20 % of your result is available to be utilised at a cellular level where it is needed. Are you supplementing ?

b12deficiency.info/signs-an...

The tests I mentioned have to be requested and are not tested automatically.

[Clutter]

Welcome to the forum, Else75,

TSH is low, which is good, but FT4 10.3 is low in range which may mean you aren't converting sufficient T3. It's low T3 which causes fatigue and hypo symptoms. If you can't persuade your GP to order a FT3 test (some areas don't test FT3 unless TSH is suppressed <0.03), you can order private thyroid tests from Blue Horizon and Genova via thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/testin...

VitD59 is suboptimal, replete is 75-200 and most people are comfortable around 100. Supplement 5,000iu softgel capsules or spray for 6-8 weeks to boost level and then reduce to 5,000iu alternate days. Take vitD 4 hours away from Levothyroxine.

Labs flag blood results low/high for the GPs attention. One-off high/low results aren't usually significant when all the other results are within range and possible causes of 'high' levels in the links below generally mean levels considerably elevated above range, not just a couple of points over range.

If that is the first low calcium result ask your GP to retest in 3 months.

yourhormones.info/endocrine...

Low HCT (Haematocrit) can indicate iron, B12 or folate anaemia so ask your GP to test ferritin (stored iron), B12 and folate.

MCHC one off raised level isn't significant especially as MCHC is now within range.

Low Eosinophil Numbers are normally low in the blood. One or an occasional low number is usually not medically significant

This link explains what the full blood count tests are and what low/high levels means. labtestsonline.org/understa...

Creatinine: labtestsonline.org.uk/under...

Bilirubin: labtestsonline.org.uk/under...

Zinc: labtestsonline.org.uk/under...

[Else75 in reply to Clutter]

Hi Clutter, many thanks for your reply and welcome!

I will see my doc tomorrow to ask for FT3 test as they want me to retake calcium anyway as well as ferritin, B12 and foliate.

I will look into the links you have given. I have Vits D3 5000iu combined with K2 100mcg, I'm on day 2 with these plus I also have multi vit and mineral caps.

Many thanks

[Clutter in reply to Else75]

Else, ferritin 12 must be bottom of the range. Optimal is halfway through range and at least 70-90. Supplement Ferrous Fumarate and take each iron tablet with 500mg-1,000mg vitamin C to aid absorption and minimise constipation. Take iron and vitamin D 4 hours away from Levothyroxine.

B12 311 is very low, optimal is 1,000. Supplement 1,000mcg methylcobalamin sublingual lozenges, spray or patches and take a B Complex vitamin to keep the other B vitamins balanced. The 5mcg B12 in your multi-vitamin isn't enough. B12 is water soluble and excess is excreted in urine so you can't overdose on it.

[Else75 in reply to Clutter]

Thank you, I will be able to present my doc with some facts that I hope will help achieve a better picture of my health.

Can I just ask, if I am 'out' of optimum ranges what would the docs or remedy be, esp. for underactive FT3?

[Clutter in reply to Else75]

Else, If TSH is a bit high, FT4 will usually be a bit low and FT3 a bit low. A Levothyroxine dose increase will lower TSH and raise FT4 and FT3. Most people are comfortable with TSH just above or below 1.0 with FT4 towards/in the upper quadrant of range and FT3 towards/in the top third. Read Dr. Toft's comments in Treatment Options thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/about_...

If TSH is low, FT4 high and FT3 low, it indicates poor T4 to T3 conversion. Some people need suppressed TSH <0.03 with FT4 over range to convert enough T3. Others won't convert sufficient on Levothyroxine only and will need some Liothyronine (T3) added. Some CCGs insist GPs have an endo recommendation before prescribing T3.

[Else75 in reply to Clutter]

Ok but I didn't think that it was prescribed here in the UK...but thanks again!

I am going to get all the info together to present to my doc

[humanbean in reply to Else75]

The only reasons that T3 is so rarely prescribed in the UK is :

1) Cost

2) Cost

3) Cost

4) Doctors don't know how to interpret thyroid function tests for patients taking T3 in any form, particularly if they are taking T3 alone.

T3 is very expensive in the UK :

28 x 20mcg tablets in the UK cost the NHS £152.18

In some countries in Europe you can buy :

30 x 25mcg tablets for a couple of euros without a prescription.

So, as you can see, there is some rampant profiteering going on at the expense of the NHS and patients.

If any doctor tries to tell you T3 is illegal (a common thing for doctors to say, apparently) point out that it is listed in the BNF (British National Formulary, the reference doctors use for prescribing, dosages and interactions information). If it is listed in the BNF then doctors can prescribe it.

evidence.nhs.uk/formulary/b...

[Else75 in reply to humanbean]

Excellent info.. I'm feeling much more positive now ! I have to get better, I am a mother to two children, 6&8 and they are desperate to have a healthy mum. Many thanks

[humanbean]

Your vitamin D is too low. It is about the same level that mine was and I got noticeable reduction in muscle and joint pain when I supplemented with D3 to get it up to about 100 nmol/L. I see that you are taking vitamin D3 supplements which is good.

Supplementing with vitamin D3 will increase calcium for many people, so you may not need to supplement calcium - but I'm not an expert on the relationship between vitamin D3 and calcium. Please note that being high in calcium should be avoided. If you supplement with calcium please get re-tested every few months.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyper...

[Else75 in reply to humanbean]

Hi humanbean,

my results say Calcium 2.2 but Adjusted Calcium is highlighted at *2.18...my doc has requested that I have it retested but I want to make sure that I get all tests relating to thyroid, as advised on this forum, as they have never done them.

Many thanks for your reply

[Else75]

UPDATE: Hi all, I have just found blood test results from April...my ferritin was at 13...within the range of 11-336 and not mentioned by my docs.