Latest Blood Results

[hilary33]

Hi all. I'd be very grateful for any observations re my most recent blood results.

TSH <0.05 mU/L (0.20-5.00)

Free T4 21 pmol/L (9.0-21.0)

Free T3 6.4 pmol/L (3.1-6.8)

Hydroxy Vitamin D 105 nmol/L (25-170)

Albumin 43 g?L (35=50)

Adj Calcium 2.51 mmol/L (2.20-260)

Serum B12 951.1 H pg/mL (195.0-771.0)

Serum Folate >20.00 H ng/mL (4.60-18.70)

Serum Ferritin 135.5 ng/ml (14.0-186.0)

TPO Antibodies 329.4 H iu/ml (9.0-34.0)

Got message from surgery to make an appointment, no doubt to reduce my Levothyroxine - he does not know I self-medicate with T3.

At present I am on 125 mcg Levo and 1x25 Uni Pharma T3.

I also requested RT3, but GP did not know what this was!

Thanks in advance of any comments.

Hilary

[Musicmonkey]

I hope someone knowledgable replies soon Hilary, but it would be useful to know how you feel?

[hilary33 in reply to Musicmonkey]

Hi Musicmonkey. Thank you for replying.

I really feel very flat; low mood, I don't sleep well, probably no more than 4 or 5 hours at night, but can fall asleep mid morning sitting on the settee!. The brain fog has improved, but my energy level has not and I am very lethargic (or maybe just lazy). I anticipated so much more from T3, but realise it doesn't suit everyone. I have ordered Thyroid S and am going to try that so see if that helps.

My weight has improved following the Slimming World eating plan and I have lost 1 stone 10 pounds since last November, slow but steady progress. I couldn't go on increasing as I was getting close to 12 stone and am only 5 foot tall. That was enough to depress me!

I think my bloods look pretty good on the whole, but am not sure about the TPO Antibodies level. I thought someone might pick up and comment on that.

Regards

Hilary

[Musicmonkey]

As I say I am no expert Hilary, but yr thyroid results look pretty good, although you do have Hashimoto's. I don't know much about that because I don't!

People who suffer with Hashimoto's find going gluten free helps. Is this something you have tried?

[hilary33 in reply to Musicmonkey]

Thanks Musicmonkey, I was unaware until getting my results back that I did in fact have Hashi's, so no I have not tried gluten free yet.

Regards

Hilary

[greygoose]

Yes, you have Hashi's. Therefore, you need your TSH suppressed. Resist all attempts to lower it! Your doctor is not there to dictate to you, just to advise you. You do not have to accept his advice!

But your Frees are good. As are your nutrients. So, it's difficult to understand why you Don't feel good. Are you supplementing B12 etc? Or is this just naturally you? lol

Do you have any other medical conditions? Are you on any medication? Do you eat soy? Remember, blood tests only test what is in the blood. Not what you are absorbing into your cells. Maybe there is something cause you not to absorb the hormone...

Oh, and did you have your test taken early in the morning, fasting, and 24 hours away from your last dose of hormone?

[hilary33 in reply to greygoose]

Thank you for replying Greygoose. I have taken your advice before and supplement Vit B12, Vit B complex, Vit D, Vit K2, Selenium,, Magnesium, Vit C, Boron. Also CoEnzymeQ10, gentle iron, Glucosamine Sulphate and until today Flaxseed (which I have just read is not good for your Thyroid!).

Other than Levothyroxine, I am prescribed Bendroflumethiazide and Amlodipine for blood pressure, Naproxen for Arthritic joint pain in my hands and feet, and Solifenacin for urge incontinence (I had a trans-vaginal tape fitted 5 years ago to combat stress incontinence which seems to have given up the ghost). GP is re-referring me to Urogynaecology for investigation. As for not absorbing the hormone, I asked to have RT3 tested which did not happen; GP did not know what this was, so don't know if that affected whether or not this was down to be tested!

I feel I am doing all I can to help my Thyroid and am just disappointed my efforts haven't improved my mood.

So back to the drawing board now as regards Hashi's. Does the 329.4 Antibodies count indicate it is not yet raging?

Regards

Hilary

[greygoose in reply to hilary33]

No, it doesn't really mean anything at all, as far as we know. Just that you have Hashi's. I'm not sure that Hashi's does rage, does it?

That's quite a list of drugs you're taking! It could be that some of them are making you feel bad. Amlodipine, for example, can cause fatigue.

I honestly Don't see the logic of giving you a duiretic, and then giving you a pill that will reduce the volume of urine. Seems to me that they cancel each other out.

In any case, your high blood pressure, joint pain and incontenance could very well be due to your hypothyroidism, in which case, the pills won't help that much. I think you really ought to do your own research on them and then have a chat with your doctor.

I'm not surprised your doctor didn't know what rT3 was - most of them barely know what ordinarly T3 is! In any case, you can't get it tested on the NHS, it would have to be private. Have you tried going T3 only - or even just reducing your Levo a bit - to see if that helps?

Don't worry about the flaxseed - it isn't bad for the thyroid in the way you mean. It doesn't affect the gland itself, doesn't damage it, doesn't affect your thyroid hormone replacement. It would probably only affect someone who lived on the stuff and who wasn't on thyroid hormone replacement.

However, that doesn't mean it can't disagree with you for some other reason. Do you feel any better since you stopped taking it? If not, start taking it again.

[hilary33 in reply to greygoose]

Started taking Uni Pharma T3 mid-October last year. slowly increased by quarters while reducing Levo. Got to 4x25 T3 and got scared to go any further even though felt no improvement. Reduced back down to 1x25 T3 and increased Levo back to 125 mcg. Basal temperature has never increased beyond 36.2, and pulse normally 60 to 66 bpm.

I have ordered Thyroid S and intend trying that instead of T3 to see if that makes any difference.

Only read about Flaxseed today, so haven't stopped taking it yet, so will just continue.

[greygoose in reply to hilary33]

So, apart from the temperature, how did you feel on 100 mcg T3? If you are intolerant of T4 - as I am - you won't be well on Thyroid S, either. So, if that happens, you know you need to try T3 only again.

You Don't happen to have a copy of a blood test from before you introduced T3, do you? One with FT4 and FT3 on it?

[hilary33 in reply to greygoose]

I did not notice any marked difference on 100 mcg of T3, but did not try it on its own, always taking at least 50 mcg of Levo. Is more than 100 mcg of T3 safe?

On 30.09.15 Free T4 was 21.9 (9.00-21.0), Free T3 was 4.9 (3.1-6.8) and TSH 0.10 (0.20-5.00).

[greygoose in reply to hilary33]

It dépends what your labs are like. It's safe if your fT3 isn't way over range. You can't make judgements like that - although a lot of people do! We're all individuals with different needs. There are no absolutes.

Dr John Lowe used to take 150 mcg T3 - but he didn't take any Levo with it. At one point, when I was dealing with my absorpton issues, I was taking 225 mcg. At the moment, I'm taking 100, but think I'm going to reduce a bit as the weather gets hotter. And, I'm still alive! lol

Taking 50 mcg Levo with 100 mcg T3 will increase your T3 to a certain extend, but difficult to know by how much.

So, on 30.09.15, what exactly were you taking? Because you weren't converting very well, there. And unconverted T4 sloshing around in the blood can cause problems. How did you feel at that point?

Are all your nutrients optimal? What are you taking?

[hilary33 in reply to greygoose]

I have taken your advice before and supplement Vit B12, Vit B complex, Vit D, Vit K2, Selenium,, Magnesium, Vit C, Boron. Also CoEnzymeQ10, gentle iron, Glucosamine Sulphate.

I think at that time you advised me I did not appear to be converting very well. I was taking 100 mcg and not feeling good and so decided to try adding T3.

[greygoose in reply to hilary33]

Well, then, the nutrients should be quite good by now.

So, the next step is to try the thyroid S, and if that doesn't suit either, try T3 only.

[hilary33 in reply to greygoose]

Thank you for taking the time to reply again, I really appreciate it. I have an appointment tomorrow morning with the GP at his request following the blood tests.

Will have to decide whether to tell him about my taking the T3, although it has increased Free T3 from 4.9 to 6.4, it hasn't made much difference to how I am feeling! No doubt he would be pleased about that as he refused to let me try it.

[greygoose in reply to hilary33]

Well, you could just tell him you taking it without mentioning that you Don't feel any better. I doubt he'll ask!

[hilary33 in reply to greygoose]

GP had asked me to come in so that he could explain that all my blood results had come back improved!

I told him the T3 had improved because I was supplementing. He put his hands on his head and said I have become obsessed with this, however he did say I could continue if I felt better. I just left it at that and didn't tell him I am going to try Thyroid S, didn't want to upset him any more. Thank you for your encouragement and advice. I will post again when I have given Thyroid S a chance.

[greygoose in reply to hilary33]

Obsessed with getting well!!! How terrible of you! They really, really Don't get it, do they! Pft.