Help, advice needed please: I've had low energy... - Thyroid UK

Thyroid UK
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Help, advice needed please

I've had low energy levels, excessive sleepiness, feeling freezing most of the time, bad memory to name a few for a while now. I went to the doctors 4 years ago deciding that I had an under active thyroid but my TSH result was 1.5 so I was normal. The doctor thought perhaps I was depressed-I was by the time I came out. My symptoms have gradually got worse since then and having being an hour late picking my son up from school because I had fallen asleep after blanketing up because I was so cold, I thought perhaps it would be a good idea to go back.

So now my TSH level is 3.5, with no other testing done as this was within their normal 0.3-5.5 range. Having done a lot of research I decided to get some private tests, the results being - free t3 5.01 (3.1-6.8) free t4 15.77 (12-22) total t4 114.0 (64.5-142) B12 258 (<140defficient, 140-250 insufficient) serum folate 15.66 (10.4-42.4) CRP 2.8(<3.0) ferritin 110.2 (20-150) anti thyroidperoxidase abs 10.1(<34) anti thyroglobulin <10.000(<115)

I've included the ranges I got with my results, they do seem to differ having looked them up, I just don't know which ranges to go by. Having researched B12 as it looks like I'm just above being sufficient, it seems that it's not sufficient at all.

Both my grandmothers had and my dad has Hypothyroidism.

I'm making an appointment with my doctor to discuss my results, any advice I can go in armed with would be much appreciated,

Thanks

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11 Replies
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Depletedenergy,

Welcome to our forum and sorry to hear that you are not feeling well.

Your symptoms sound typical of hypothyroidism but your results look fine except for B12 which we advocate to be over 500 so may require supplementation..

Perhaps other members will find something.

Also what is ...[.. anti thyroglobulin <10.000(<115)...] ..? ?

Do you mean anti thyroglobulin 10.00 (<115) ? ..

If you are experiencing such awful symptoms then it requires further investigation.

You can email louise.warvill@thyroiduk.org.uk for a list of sympathetic endos/doctors that members have had positive experiences with.

I have deleted your other identical post ( which had no replies).

Flower

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Disclaimer: 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.

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Reply

Thank you for your reply

The <10.000 is exactly what was typed in my results!

So if the range that came with my results for my free t3 is used, my level looks fine but on the thyroid uk website it states a range of 4-8.3 therefore making my level look quite low. Then I read earlier about optimal levels, I'm so confused with all the different ranges!

I pressed submit probably at least 20 times and nothing happened and then suddenly it disappearedand and I thought I'd just wasted the last half hour!

Thanks

Reply

DE,

Then I presume your TGAb result to be less than 10.0 which is fine as the range is less than 115.0

Each lab uses their own ranges and that's why it is important to include the range when supplying test results. There is no standard range.

The site is having problems tonight .... hence you pressing 20 times. Have patience.. all will sort in time. .. :o)) ..

Flower

Reply

If you press submit and nothing happens press F5 - I've had problems for weeks. It is so frustrating. This is from Thyroiduk.org which you will find interesting:

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

Reply

I have seen that already thank you, I have read so much! Does it make a difference that when I had the private tests done my TSH went down to 2.66 ( 0.27-4.20)?

Reply

TSH varies with time of day, so I wouldn't get too excited about variations. Your thyroid isn't happy, but with that level of T3 its probably not the source of your symptoms at this stage.

In Japan they supplement B12 less than 500. Your folate isn't wonderful, so a look at diet (more greens!) would be good. But it hasn't at this stage translated into low iron. I think you could do with being tested for PA, and supplementing B12. Are you by any chance a vegetarian?

Reply

Thanks, I'm not vegetarian, I don't eat many vegetables, having never liked them and being forced to eat them by the dinner ladies and then being sick. However I do now eat a few select ones. What is PA?

Reply

PA stands for Pernicious Anaemia. It is a condition with debilitating symptoms like tiredness, tingling/pins and needles in arms and legs etc and is characterised by the inability of the body to absorb Vit B12. Google it. There's a forum here for it too.

(I'm not an expert, so what I said might not be 100% accurate)

Reply

This is from Thyroiduk.org.uk - once upon a time (before blood tests) we were given NDT on a trial basis acording to our clinical symptoms. Nowadays they don't know one clinical symptom from another and let patients suffer until TSH is 10. Many countries prescribe when TSH is over 3 with symptoms.

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

Reply

Sounds familiar. I was told that I was now on the high side. I am losing my hair, exhausted no matter how much sleep I get, couldn't lift my head off the pillow, stressed, emotional and lots of joint pain. In fact inside of a 14 month period I broke 2 bones.

Reply

i was diagnosed with hypothyroidism 4 months ago with a TSH level of 7. something. i got blood work done after being on 50mcg of levothryoxine for a month and my numbers were back down in the <normal> range. i still feel so so so tired all the time along with other symptoms. im currently admitted as an out-patient for a mental-health adolescent program at a hospital for other reasons but they decided to look into it further. a couple days ago i got an ultrasound of my thyroid done.. my nurse couldn't tell me anything but i heard my paediatrician is referring me to an endo. whatever they saw on the ultrasound couldn't of been seen in my blood labs. i havent got my results yet, really anxious to know if they're onto something. i suggest getting an ultrasound done to rule out the possibilities of maybe having nodules or anything like that that could be affecting the effectiveness of your medication

hope you the best :)

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