results

[vivienneferreira]

hello does anyone know if my results are very low i don't understand the list

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Jeez, the comments on that form say

"Result - Abnormal

What you need to do - No further action"

What planet are these people on 😠.

Your TSH is 18.1 with a range of 0.35-5.5 and your FT4 is 10.4 with a range of 9.0-22.7.

It even says on the form that an above high reference limit TSH combined with a borderline low/normal FT4 is consistent with hypothyroidism.

What bit of that doesn't your doctor understand? Or maybe she can't read!

Have you been diagnosed? Are you on any medication?

If you haven't been diagnosed you are definitely hypothyroid and need to start medication.

If you have been diagnosed and are on medication then you need an increase.

I would seriously consider changing doctors if I was you. This one isn't doing you any favours.

[vivienneferreira in reply to SeasideSusie]

she started me on 50 I've been taking them 5 week but feel no beter and itchy so I went back today to see if my dose was right and she sed had to wait 3 months

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to vivienneferreira]

Three months is too long, six weeks is usually the norm. I would imagine there has been some improvement by now, possibly a decrease in your TSH and an increase in your FT4, which is what should be happening. Depending on the result of the next test you will possibly get a rise on your dose of thyroxine and then you'd need another test after another six weeks to see if any further adjustment is necessary depending on those results and how you feel.

Can you see a different doctor in the practice? The itching could be something in the fillers in the brand of thyroxine you are taking, ask for a change of brand and see how you go.

[vivienneferreira in reply to SeasideSusie]

I've got a new prescription I was on activas and changed to wockardt to see if that helps ,she sed it takes 3 months to get in my body properly and if the dose is raised now I could go over

[humanbean in reply to vivienneferreira]

25mcg will never send you over when the starting point is a TSH of over 18. I would expect your final dose to be 100mcg or more.

It would be interesting to know what your TSH was when you were first diagnosed and first treated. Were you made to wait another three months before you were finally treated?

[vivienneferreira in reply to humanbean]

Yes I was borderline for 18 months until finally the results went lower

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to vivienneferreira]

OK. What about showing her what the British Thyroid Foundation has to say

"At the start of treatment your doctor will carry out blood tests usually every few weeks. The results will help to fine-tune your treatment. You will normally have less frequent tests when you are stable on your treatment. In hypothyroidism, a TSH test once a year will check that levels are within the reference range. In hyperthyroidism the usual tests are TSH and FT4; how often these take place will depend on the treatment."

That is on their website here btf-thyroid.org/information... and scroll down to "How can blood tests be used to manage thyroid disorders?". There are probably other quotes you could find by other organisations.

[humanbean in reply to SeasideSusie]

(This reply was in response to SeasideSusie's post.)

Seconded!

I bet your Free T3 is in your boots as well.

[vivienneferreira in reply to humanbean]

what's free t3?

[humanbean in reply to vivienneferreira]

T4 is the major hormone produced by the thyroid. Free T4 is the bit of that T4 that the body actually has available for use at the time of the test.

T4 is not the hormone that makes us feel well. Instead its main purpose is to be the raw material needed by the body for making T3.

T3 is the active hormone. If people have too high a level they will feel hyperthyroid (overactive) and if they have too low a level they will feel hypothyroid (underactive - which is the problem you have).

Doctors don't consider T3 to be important (believe it or not) and it is rarely measured by the NHS, they just go by the TSH usually. You have low levels of Free T4, so you don't have much raw material for making T3. So the chances are very high that you have very poor levels of T3. And it is T3 that you need to feel well.

[vivienneferreira in reply to humanbean]

where do I get that

[vivienneferreira in reply to vivienneferreira]

she really didn't seemed interested in my symptoms ,I explained my digestion seems to be even slower on this dose and I'm still very tired she just sed wait for the next test

[humanbean in reply to vivienneferreira]

It probably won't be necessary to get T3. Most hypothyroid people do just fine on levothyroxine once they get up to a sufficient dose.

The body converts T4 to T3 automatically, as and when needed.

It is remotely possible to get prescribed T3 (and getting harder to get all the time) but you are far too early in the process to consider it.

It is also possible to buy it, but again, that is fraught with difficulty too. And again I would say much too early to worry about it.

Just as a point of interest... Now that you have a diagnosis of hypothyroidism have you been told that you can apply to get free prescriptions? There is a form you have to fill in and your GP must sign for you to get an exemption certificate or card. Each card is valid for a set length of time - a few years - and it has to be renewed promptly.

[vivienneferreira in reply to humanbean]

No they didn't mention that but I'm going to ask fir it

[humanbean]

Read this page, print it out, and highlight the bit I've copied below :

cks.nice.org.uk/hypothyroid...

"The treatment target is a thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) level within the reference range (typically 0.4–4.5 mU/L).

If the person is younger than 50 years of age:

Start with a dose of 50 micrograms to 100 micrograms once a day (taken before breakfast).

Higher start doses may be used if the person is post-thyroidectomy.

Adjust the dose by 25 micrograms to 50 micrograms every 2–3 months according, to TSH levels."

(I'm assuming you are younger than 50 and don't have any other major illnesses.)

I would suggest writing to your doctor enclosing a copy of the above. Point out that you could have been started on twice the dose you are on and still been within the prescribing guidelines from NICE. And also point out that you could have a raise in dose after two months and still be within the guidelines, rather than being forced to wait for three months. Say how long you have been ill for and how you feel now. Be specific and give some of the worst of your actual symptoms - you might find this list helpful - mention that your list is incomplete :

hypothyroidmom.com/300-hypo...

And then ask again for a higher dose prescription.

[vivienneferreira]

thanks il take that to a different doctor there ,I'm 54 but have no other ilness

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

vivienneferreira you are very new to thyroid disease and still finding your way around all that it entails. We have to educate ourselves in order to help ourselves or we are at the mercy of our doctors possibly keeping us unwell because they don't really know enough about thyroid disease.

Have a look at ThyroidUK's main website thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/ and start reading. Start with "About the Thyroid" and read everything from then on.

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

vivienneferreira By the way, just to complicate things a bit further, it's necessary for conditions to be right for thyroid hormone to work properly. You need your Vit D, B12, ferritin and folate all to be at optimal - not 'normal', 'fine" or 'OK' or whatever phrase your doctor likes to use, but optimal and members can advise on that. If you get those tested and post the results with reference ranges in another post members will help.

[vivienneferreira]

yes I read about those vitamins I was a bit scared to ask my doctor today to test them .I've heard iron can be a problem to take with levothyroxine? maybe I should take a supplement of d and 12 to make sure?

[humanbean in reply to vivienneferreira]

Iron is a problem with levothyroxine. The simple solution is to take levo and iron at least four hours apart.

[humanbean in reply to vivienneferreira]

Don't take vitamin D and vitamin B12 without knowing what your current levels are. And don't forget folate.

If you are only mildly deficient you could probably get levels up quite quickly with a relatively small dose.

But if you are very deficient you would need much higher doses for much longer, possibly even permanently.