Help with blood test results please after GP reduced my tyroxine from 100mg to 75mg then 50mg

[marditart]

Hi all , as stated above my gp has reduced my tyroxine quite considerably, I feel pretty rubbish, tiredness, aching joints, inability to loose weight what ever I do and very dry skin. My results read as follows; Serum TSH level normal 3.1 Serum LH level normal 37.7, serum freeT4 normal 10.3 serum T3 normal 3.7, serum ferritin normal 60ng\ml serum vit D level normal 104.0nmol\l. Please advise do all these "normal" readings mean this is as good as it gets ?? can anybody offer any advice or tips please.

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Can you post the reference ranges as well as the results (numbers in brackets after the results) so members can advise.

If you're in the UK and the ranges are similar to the ones used by lab where I live then your TSH looks to be too high in the range (most people feel better when it's 1 or below), FT4 and FT3 (if it is free T3) both look low and all points to increasing your Levo. Was blood drawn first thing in morning before you took your Levo and before breakfast?

Ranges for ferritin and Vit D would be helpful as well.

[marditart in reply to SeasideSusie]

Hi seaside Susie, thanks for your comments much appreciated. looking at my results there don't appear to be any numbers in brackets ? yes my blood was taken before any meds or food. looking again there are numbers next to readings I gave yesterday just not in brackets , I posted f T4= 10.3 next to it it says 9.00--19.00pmol/L . and I posted ft3 = 3.7 again next to it reads 2.60--5.70pmo/L could they be the readings you meant ? My vit D 104.0nmol /L next to it the number reads 49.90nmol/L my ferritin level reads 60ng/ml and next to it is 5.00--204.00ng/ml. Do any of these readings help ? I have to admit I am completely baffled by the whole thing , but have reached point were I know I need to take it into my own hands to get to feel good again . Thanking you in advance. best wishes.xx.

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to marditart]

Hi Marditart

Yes, those numbers next to the readings are the ranges .

So your results are

FT4 - 10.3 (9.00-19)

FT3 - 3.7 (2.6-5.7)

TSH - 3.1 (you don't give a range but it's usually around 0.27-4.2)

Ferritin - 60 (5.00-204)

Vit D 104 (not sure where 49.90 comes in that lab's range but that could be the "adequate" point)

If you have previous test results it would be interesting to compare them with your present ones.

Basically TSH needs to be low in range, around 1 or below. FT4 and FT3 need to be high in range, in the upper quarter. You can see from your results that your TSH is too high and the FT4 is pitifully low, FT3 also too low. You need your Levo increased.

If the TSH has increased and the FT4/FT3 decreased since your last test then your GP should not have lowered your dose of Levo, he should have increased it. Did you feel OK on 100mcg?

Your Ferritin is too low, it needs to be at least half way in the range so you need to supplement with some form of iron to get it up to 100+. Iron supplements can be constipating so if you already suffer in that department you need a gentle form of iron and take it with a good dose of Vit C to help absorption.

Vit D - not sure because there are points where results are "deficient", "insufficient", "adequate", and labs differ. My first Vit D test came back at 15.4 and that lab had <25 = severe deficiency. After supplementing and testing at a different lab it was 202 "Adequate" where above 220 = High and increases risk of Vit D toxicity. I would guess you are possibly OK with Vit D but it would be best to know for definite. Is there a < or > against any numbers for that test which give status?

There are members who can help more than I can, I'm fairly new to the forum and I am only au fait with my type of hypo, i.e. I don't have Hashimotos/antibodies so have no knowledge of how to help with that.

Trouble with posts on this type of forum is that they drop off the first page quite quickly and don't come back to the top when anyone answers. Therefore, unless someone has already answered you or is following the post then only those people will be notified of any further replies and it wont get seen by a lot of people and gets lost.

If you have any more old test results, gather them altogether and make a new post with all the information and you should reach more people.

Hope I've helped a bit

[andyc7767]

personally, I would ask to see another doc. You know your body better than anyone else. My doc dropped my thyroxin, I felt exactly as you state so. I went back to the dose where I felt ok and told my doctor that the lower dose was making me much worse and he said ok ... If you feel your not right tell him and be firm.

All the best.

[marditart in reply to andyc7767]

Thanks for adviceandyc7767. I always end up a total wuz once I in that's dr's chair ! lol .

[shaws Administrator]

Doctors who adjust the dose of levothyroxine according to the whereabouts of the TSH should be ditched.

They make things far worse for the patient in trying to fit a square box into a round hole (i.e. TSH is from the pituitary gland). Once diagnosed it would be preferential for the patient if they didn't take the TSH at all and did the Free T3 instead. At least we would know one way or another if we had sufficient T3 to get into our cells in order for us to function.

All of these 'normal' ranges in my view should only be used for people who haven't been diagnosed whatsoever although many people have clear clinical symptoms but the TSH doesn't rise high enough to be given medication. No wonder people self-medicate.

Once diagnosed the aim is a TSH of 1 or below or suppressed. Not a TSH when on hormones of 3+. It's disgraceful and words fail me.

[shaws Administrator]

Some links for you which are sensible. Read the first two questions on the following link plus the one dated November 28, 2003:-

web.archive.org/web/2010103...

[marditart in reply to shaws]

Shaws thanks for advice and comments im about to read the articles you have recommended. Were can T3 be purchased privately ? thanks again.

[shaws Administrator in reply to marditart]

Where to obtain prescribed medications on the open forum is against the Guideline No.23 and can only be sent by Private Message.

[marditart]

Thanks shares I appreciate that but how do I get a private message ?