Results can anyone shed light what is happening to my body

[MissT21]

Hi in January I had some bloods because I was lethagic, aching, put a lot of weight on, craving sugar, pins and needles down arms.

Results were:

THS level above range 6.3 (0.4 - 5.5)

Free T4 level 13.9 (11.0 -26.0)

Borderline hypothyroid results suggest check thyroid Antibody

Had blood test 5 weeks later

TSH level 3.9 (0.4 - 5 5)

Thyroid peroxidase Antibody Above range

122iu/ml (<50.0)

The doctor has said now I need to repeat in 4 weeks, what could be happening?

Can anyone shed any light?

Thanks in advance for any replies.

[Witchymp]

Ask for your T3 and reverse T3 to be checked. It sounds like you have my problem is, not converting T4. Good luck getting the medication though.

[greygoose]

What is happening is that you have Hashimoto's disease - like so many of us on here. And, your immune system is attacking your thyroid gland, slowly destroying it, until it cannot make enough hormone to keep you healthy.

Every single cell in the body needs thyroid hormone. So, if there's not enough to go round, then all sorts of things can go wrong.

There has already been some damage to your gland, as witnessed by your TSH screaming at it to produce more hormone, which it cannot do. That's why your TSH was 6.3 - which is not borderline hypo, it is overt - anything over three is actually hypo, but doctors Don't know that!

When you have a blood test for thyroid, make sure you always have it at the same time - before 9.0 am - because TSH varies during the day. Make it a fasting test, too, because eating lowers the TSH - and you Don't want that if you want to be diagnosed!

Your doctor should be treating you now, not waiting for things to get worse. You have antibodies, you have symptoms, your TSH is too high and your FT4 is too low. I think he must be a sadist! Go back to him and tell him you want treatment now, before things get too bad.

Also ask him to test

vit D

vit B12

folate

ferritin

When you have low thyroid hormone, you often Don't produce enough stomach acid, so you have nutritional deficiencies - no matter how good your diet. But you need optimal nutrient levels for you body to be able to use thyroid hormone. It's all inter-connected. And, pins and needles down one arm, suggests to me that your B12 is low. So, do get those tested.

Keep reading on here, and you will soon know more about all this than your doctor! It's very important to educate yourself when you have a thyroid problem, because doctors know so little about it.

Take care.

[MissT21 in reply to greygoose]

Grey Goose thank for such an easy to understand explanation.

The doctor did say he thinks the antibody is attacking thyroid and that is why my TSH was up then down.

Said it was easily treated, what treatment do you have to treat this?

Witchymp thanks for advice will ask for these tests.

[greygoose in reply to MissT21]

There is no treatment for Hashi's. All you can do is replace the hormone your gland can no-longer make.

If he thinks that's easy to treat, then I would be very wary of him! He is going to treat you by the TSH, and that is not the right way to do it. And if he only 'thinks' the antibodies are attacking your thyroid, then he doesn't know much about thyroid.

The first thing to try is Levo, which is T4. That may be just perfect for you, but you need to be on a high enough dose. And that's where most doctors go wrong.

But, early days. He needs to start you on 50 mcg - 25 is too low. You should be on it for 6 weeks, and then go for another blood test, and your dose will probably need increasing by then.

You can ask for your T3 to be checked, but it's very unlikely the lab will agree. And rT3 is never tested in the UK. It has to be done privately. I Don't know where Witchymp lives.