just got results from blue horizon

[bd79og]

Dear all, just got the results of my blue horizon blood test. I have been looking into whether my extreme problems with food intolerances are due to thyroid problems in the hope that I can feel better (I feel rough and very tired and achy a lot of the time) and expand my diet a little if I take thyroxine. They are: Biochemistry

CRP 0.40 <3.0 mg/L

Ferritin 65.7 20 - 150 ug/L

Thyroid Function

Free T4 13.58 12 - 22 pmol/L

Free T3 4.85 3.1 - 6.8 pmol/L

TSH H 7.89 0.27 - 4.20 IU/L

T4 Total 87.0 64.5 - 142.0 nmol/L

Immunology

Anti-Thyroidperoxidase abs 9.4 <34 kIU/L

Anti-Thyroglobulin Abs 15.3 <115 kU/L

Vitamins

Vitamin B12 L 146 Deficient <140 pmol/L Insufficient 140 - 250 Consider reducing dose >725

Serum Folate 31.06 10.4 - 42.4 nmol/L

This TSH value is rather high and is worse than it was in July from my GP (5.91) and August (4.34) which I think will be useful to talk to them about. I was careful this time to take a fasting test and also had been back on the gluten for 10 days before taking the test and the anti bodies were higher than for the gluten free test which I did for the GP in August (only Anti-Thyroid peroxidase tested then) but not significant. I will look into finding a B12 supplement which I can take and also it is off the gluten now (sigh, the diet is really really hard!).

I hope it will be worth the £89 and great difficulty getting the blood out on the finger prick method (it took over and hour and I had to keep re-pricking my fingers to get anything like enough, very hot water was the most helpful thing to get the blood flowing!).

Lets hope that the GP will take some note and I can give the hormones a go! She contacted an endocrinologist who said that they would only consider treating if TSH showed a clear progression towards 10 with symptoms or went over 10 by which time I expect to feel really really bad!

Has anyone any references or information that I can take with me when I next go and see them in order to make a case for treatment with high TSH but all other things in range except B12. My particular really bad food issue is with salicylates (and amines and dairy and gluten and eggs and fermented things etc.!) which are known to increase the tissue resistance to thyroid hormones so that someone needs a higher level of hormone to feel OK.

[Heloise]

Hi BD, Your numbers look pretty good for having such a high TSH. Your thyroid is not producing nearly enough and yet you are converting well to arrive at such a good FT3 level. I've posted these videos by Dr. Clark stating there are 24 reasons for low thyroid. If you improve your low ferritin and B12, perhaps it will help. Iodine supplementation might even help since you don't have Hashimoto's.

This is #6 video regarding thyroglobulins and you can watch the rest of them on youtube if you find it helpful. It may help you figure where things are going wrong but none of the 24 seem to suggest a food intolerance so it may be another cause.

youtube.com/watch?v=IIX2Z_i...(Not working as expected?)

[Angel_of_the_North]

What is the point of the NHS even having "normal" ranges if they don't treat when you have symptoms and are outside them? I'd ask for a trial of levo (or an increase if you are already on it) as your FT4 is towards the bottom of the range and TSH is far too high (mode is about 1 - 1.5 in healthy people). In spite of low B12, you are converting T4 to T3 pretty well, but the high TSH show that your thyroid is struggling.

I'd contact Louise Warvill for the list of sympathetic endos and ask for a referral to one with a better attitude.

[bd79og in reply to Angel_of_the_North]

Dear Angel of the north

Thanks, I've just seen my GP who just says that the Thyroid is normal but she will retest in three months and it is dangerous to try treatment as it could send me hyperthyroid (I thought the whole point of TSH and feedback was to make this unlikely!). She didn't want to look at symptoms and I need to have the B12 retested to see if it will be within their very strict guidelines but it is likely to be due to my poor diet. The whole point of asking for thyroid treatment was so that I can expand my diet, instead all my poor health is being blamed as far as I can see on my exclusion diet which was the only way I could get my at one point daily asthma attacks under control (it has worked for this but I feel very very ill!!) Can't stop crying at the moment as it all seems so difficult!!! I will try and find a better endo but just needed to vent a little. I am doing my best and it seems unfair that the numbers on the paper are more important than how ill I feel.