Hi i have had thyroid tests 3 years ago and then 1 year ago and now ..from 1 year ago my Free Thyroid (sorry is that T4 ?) has dropped from 14.5to 14 which i would guess is not to bad but my TSH has gone up from 2.6 to 4.0 in the 12 months .when i went three years ago it was because i started sleeping 8 hours instead of my normal 5 which was how i had been all my life (im 48) now ive put on nearly two sone most of that in the last 12 months and it is still going up and im eating less. making me feel awful as i have never had to worry much about my weight . My one doctor said that was why i had put on weight (THS) levels and was willing to give me thyroxcine but i was trying vitamins and kelp at the time and wanted to give it another month,sadly i'm still gaining weight so i went to the other doctor last night and he has said that i'm fine and don't need anything and that IS NOT why ive put on weight..i'm so upset and don't know what do about it all .if it isnt my thyroid what is wrong with me ? very confused is anyone else had simular levels and gained weight..so sorry for how long it is but im very confused with it all
new to this need advise: Hi i have had thyroid... - Thyroid UK
new to this need advise
Hi Linda, welcome to the forum, but sorry you need to be here!
OK, so rule number one for getting your health back, is to always, always ask for a print-out of any blood tests you have. It is your legal right to have one, and I'm afraid you just can't take your doctor's word for anything. You need to see exactly what he's tested - half of them Don't do the right tests! - and what the numbers are. Doctors think that if a result is 'in range', it's OK. But that is far from the truth. Ranges are just guides, and it's where in the range you fall that counts.
It really does sound like you have the auto-immune version of thyroid disease - Hashimoto's thyroiditis - but impossible to say anything for certain without seeing the tests. It's probably that they didn't even test for anitbodies, which would be most remiss of them!
So, just because your last doctor said there's nothing wrong with your thyroid, doesn't mean it's true. They are very badly educated in thyroid, and half the time have no idea what they're talking about! lol
If one doctor offered you thyroxine, why didn't you take it? You cannot replace missing hormones with vitamins - that is a mistake so many people make! And, taking iodine is not all you need to do for a flaggine thyroid, like so many doctors think! In fact, it could do more harm than good!
Certainly a TSH of 4.0 is hypo, and that would be why you put on weight. And, eating less is not going to make you lose it because it's nothing to do with calories. Not eating enough calories could make you put on even more!
So, what I would advise is, go back to the doctor and get copies of as many blood tests as you can - all that you've had done since you first started gaining weight and went to the doctor's. Then, post them on here and let us see what's going on.
I know this is going to take time, and you are desperate to get well, but you can't hurry anything with thyroid, it all has to be done in order - you know the saying 'more haste, less speed'? Well, I'm sure that was invented for thyroid treatment! First we need to see the labs. OK? So, stop worrying, you've come to the right place. 
Thank you so much for replying so good that someone else agree's and doesn't think you are just being awkward it gets so frustrating when you know your own body and that it isn't working properly and the doctors don't or won't do the Tests that you need. I asked yesterday to have the T3 test but was told that i didn't need it. I'm going again tomorrow to see the lady doctor who offered the thyroxine to me i was being stubborn and not wanting to take medication i would have prefered to have the Amour but no one around here prescribes it .
I will ask for the antiobodies test as well ..thank you again it makes me feel so much better x
You shouldn't think of it as 'medication', it's not a drug, it's life-saving hormones. People Don't think twice about HTR at the menopause, but come over all awkward when it's thyroid hormone. Same difference. Whether it's synthetic or NDT, it's still hormone.
It's very unlikely you'll get Armour in the UK. Doctors either Don't know what it is, or they believe lies spread by Big Pharma that it's unstable and not to be trusted. The majority of people on here buy their own on-line.
I don't know why i got so stubborn about taking medication think i just didn't want to as it is for ever but guess its no diff to taking my all my antihistamine so i went to see the first doctor today and she has given me 50 thyroxine .
I did ask about Amour and that fell flat,she did suggest that i could ask at the chemist but i knew that was pointless.
i will ask for the other two tests that they didn't do last time when i go for more bloods in 3 months..
She did say that it could be a while before i noticed any weight loss.
could this also mean that i will go back to being a 5 hour a day sleeper like i used to be ?
thank you x
Well, there's good news!
Yes, she's right, it will take quite a while before there's any weight-loss. But I have no idea how it will affect your sleep. Everyone's different.
Did she tell you to go back for a test in six weeks? Because that's what you should do. And at that point you will probably need an increase.
On the day of your next test, leave 24 hours between your last dose and the test. Make sure it's early in the morning, and fast (but drink lots of water). Then, when you go back to the doctor for the results, make sure to ask for a print-out - it's your legal right to have one. Then you can post them here and we will explain them to you.
Did she tell you how to take the Levo? Either first thing in the morning, with just a large glass of water, one hour before eating or drinking coffee or such like. And leave two hours before any suppléments or other medication, four hours before calcium or iron. But you could take some vit C with it, to aid absorption. That way you'll get the full benefit.
Well its 12 weeks before my test but i might just go get it done a bit sooner.No she didn't say about taking them on their own that's going to trow me a bit always take vits first thing in the morning and a cup of coffee which is what gets me going in the morning . will have to take it as soon as i wake might manage an hour then before coffee .Thank you so glad i found this site you have been so helpful .I will get a print out next time and put it up here hopefully with more results than this time to work with..well at least it will be something if the weight stops gong up..hee's to fitting back int my clothes 
hello i'm due to have my bloods done 04 Jan my first re-test after starting on levothyroxine so i'm after advise on what test to ask foras last time it seems they didn't do as many as they should have.
If i have the same Nurse she said she would do the test's that i asked for (as the doctor said i didn't need any antibodies tests or) so if anyone could help me as to what would help in making sure they are getting my levels right i would be grateful as i still don't know the full extent on how this can affect your body.
New to this condition
Scared & Unsure- looking for advise on my levels and symptoms
Poor conversion from T4 to T3
Any advise please 
t3.. t4.....???????????????????
please can any one tell me what a normal reading of this sort should be and what all this t3. t4 mean
