Newbie

[Deb59]

Hi Both my daughter and I have under active thyroids. I would like to get your opinions on my daughters recent test results please.

Free T4 19.4

TSH 6.34

ferritin 59 (13-150)

Folate 4.2

B12 359

My daughter takes 125 thyroxine each day. Plus b12 jabs every 3 months (pernicious anaemia). (Diagnosed over 16 years, now 22 years of age)

She feels: fatigue, gained weight, swollen, hooded eyes.

[Clutter]

Welcome the forum, Deb59.

TSH 6.34 is high for someone on 125mcg Levothyroxine. Most people are comfortable with TSH just above, or below, 1.0 with FT4 in the upper quadrant of range. FT4 19.4 looks quite good but may be due to high TSH flogging the thyroid to produce hormone.

Read Dr. Toft's comments in Treatment Options thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/about_... Email [e-mail] for a copy of the Pulse article if your daughter would like to show it to her GP when she asks for a dose increase.

Ferritin is a bit low, half way through range is optimal. Supplement Ferrous Fumarate and take each iron tablet with 500mg-1,000mg vitamin C to aid absorption and minimise constipation. Take iron 4 hours away from Levothyroxine and retest ferritin 4-6 months after supplementing.

B12 is low. Your daughter may improve energy by supplementing 5,000mcg methylcobalamin sublingual lozenges, spray or patches when she feels the B12 jab wearing off. She should take a B Complex vitamin to keep the other B vits balanced and improve folate while she is supplementing B12 and having injections.

If vitD hasn't been tested your daughter should ask her GP to do it.

[Heloise]

Hi Deb, without ranges, it's hard to know for sure but her T4 looks good, so it must be a lack of conversion to FT3 (the active hormone) that might be causing symptoms. You absolutely need good iron levels and good cortisol levels to convert to free T3 rather than reverse T3. Since the ferritin is pretty low, that may be part of the problem. I hope you'll follow Clutter's suggestions. Is one injection every three months enough? But this is from a B12 forum on Phoenix Rising

Dosage

The dosage for clinical effect is 1500-6000 mcg per day. No significant therapeutic advantage appears to occur from dosages exceeding this maximum dose. Methylcobalamin has been administered orally, intramuscularly, and intravenously; however, positive clinical results have been reported irrespective of the method of administration. It is not clear whether any therapeutic advantage is gained from the non-oral methods of administration.

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Safety, Toxicity, and Side Effects

Methylcobalamin has excellent tolerability and no known toxicity.

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forums.phoenixrising.me/ind...

[Deb59]

Thank you Clutter and Heloise for your excellent advise. I am so glad I have joined this forum as Its been a never ending battle with our doctor..(have now changed). Both my daughter and I have high antibodies..... I presume we have hashimotos? ...Just was informed by the Dr we had hypothyroidism...I only found out we had antibodies as I now get private bloods done with blue horizon.

I was shocked with my daughters latest results as the Dr she saw told her she was in normal range and it was obvious she was struggling. Thank goodness for this site!