New to this! Can someone help me with blood test results.

[widders]

I have been feeling ill for so long and recently some symptoms have got worse. A cousin with a Thyroid condition suggested I look at the check list on the the Thyroid UK site and I ticked off 38 on the list. I went to my GP and asked to have Thyroid function tested. I had to really put my foot down about it.

I had routine blood tests in May 2015 and the TSH was 1.1mU/L [0.35 - 4.94] which he said was fine and behind his reluctance to do TSH, T3 and T4 this time.

Anyway I have my results, and they were listed as 'normal range, no action'.

Levels are:

TSH 0.91 miu/L [0.27 - 4.2]

T4 14.6 pmol/L [12 - 22]

T3 4.18 pmol/L [3.1 - 6.8]

something called GFR was below range - 82mL/min [90 - 200]

Serum C reactive protein level was above range - 6.3mg/L [<5]

I'm posting those because I'm not sure what they mean and if they have a bearing on anything else?

I would appreciate any advice. Are these results OK and I need to look for other reasons why I'm feeling so bad, or do I need to push further with my GP?

[shaws Administrator]

Many of us have clinical symptoms (except we are unaware that they are inter-connected) for a long time before being diagnosed. I would be apt to accept your friends suggestion because doctors only appear to diagnose us on the TSH alone.

When you have a blood test for your thyroid hormones it should be the earliest possible and fast (you can drink water). If taking thyroid hormones leave about 24 hours between the last dose and the test. Get copies with the ranges for your own records.

These are another couple of links from Thyroiduk which may be helpful:-

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/diagno...

Extract:

The 2006 Thyroid Function Test Guidelines state, “There is no evidence to support the benefit of routine early treatment with thyroxine in non-pregnant patients with a serum TSH above the reference range but <10mU/L.” which in layman’s terms means that patients who have a TSH of less than 10 need not be treated because it doesn’t help. However, they also state that, “Physicians may wish to consider the suitability of a therapeutic trial of thyroxine on an individual patient basis.”

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/testin...

Ask for antibodies to be tested:

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/testin...

Others will respond to your other queries. I'm not too good at blood tests.

"I am not a medical professional and this information is not intended to be a substitute for medical guidance from your own doctor. Please check with your personal physician before applying any of these suggestions"

[Clutter]

Widders, thyroid results are normal for someone not on Levothyroxine. Perhaps you could ask your GP to test ferritin, vitamin D, B12 and folate. Deficient/low levels can cause musculoskeletal pain, hair loss, fatigue and other symptoms similar to hypothyroid symptoms.

eGFR is a kidney function test and is explained in labtestsonline.org.uk/under...

C Reactive protein is an inflammation marker indicating you may have some inflammation somewhere in the body. The elevation is mild and not likely to be significant if the rest of your full blood count was normal.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

I am not a medical professional and this information is not intended to be a substitute for medical guidance from your own doctor. Please check with your personal physician before applying any of these suggestions.

[widders in reply to Clutter]

I don't have a Vit D result (but have been taking 3000miu sub-lingual since Sept).

Others were as follows.

Ferritin 45.2ng/ml [13 - 150]

Folate 7.3ng/ml [3.6 -18.7]

B12 456ng/L [197 - 771]

Those levels have raised since last tests in May 2015.

[Clutter in reply to widders]

Widders, ferritin is optimal >75-100 so you could supplement iron and take each tablet with 500mg-1,000mg vitamin C to aid absorption and minimise constipation.

B12 is optimal top of range, PA Society say >1,000 so you could supplement methylcobalamin 1,000mcg plus a B Complex vitamin to keep the other B vits balanced. Folate is fine but there will be a little folic acid or methylfolate in the B Complex vit.

_______________________________________________________________________________

I am not a medical professional and this information is not intended to be a substitute for medical guidance from your own doctor. Please check with your personal physician before applying any of these suggestions.

[widders in reply to Clutter]

Many thanks. Will try this and give it some time. Hopefully will see an improvement.