I had bloods done 2 weeks ago and although in range on the low side.
Tsh 0.02 (0.38 - 5.5)
FT4 13.5 (10.0 -18.7)
Serum free triiodothyrine 3.8 (3.5 - 6.5)
GP asled to see me re my results saying they were too low but they were only concerned about tsh! I know from greygoose that tsh is insignificent and its the t4 and t3 that is important and surprise surprise they are in range! Anyway my GP wont prescribe me t3 without a consultant.
So I am wondering if anyone knows of a good consultant in barnsley wakefield rotjerham or huddersfield please?
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Deborah64
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Why would you want to raise your TSH? It's not a problem in and of itself that it is low, it might just be a problem with the pituitary that the low TSH doesn't reflect the low Frees.
Another problem is, of course, that doctors automatically think you're over-medicated when you have a low TSH, and want to reduce your dose - even when the frees are low like yours! They may be in-range, but they're not high enough in range.
No, the question you should be asking is : how can I raise my Frees. Your FT4 is not quite mid-range, so you need an increase in dose, for sure. But your FT3 is even lower. It could be that you aren't converting very well, but you don't have enough to convert, really. An increase in levo might just do the trick.
But, to help your conversion, you need your nutrients to be optimal. Have you had your vit D, vit B12, folate and ferritin tested? If not, it would be a good idea to ask for those.
In the meantime, you could try taking selenium to help your conversion. You might not need T3 at all. But, if you do, and you can't find an endo to prescribe it, you could always buy your own. There are always several possibilities.
Sorry ive obviously misunderstood you re.tsh... but i know my vit d is low my ferritin and iron were ok (prolly in range but not optimal) so im going to get myself some vitamins. I did used to take t3 but GP stopped them 2 years ago. I have bought myself some t3 and have started taking 25mcg (what i used to take before) and have increased my thyroxine from 125mcg to 150mcg. My GP is referring me to a consultant but i need one that is good! I might have to go privately to see a good endo so if anyone knows of any please let me know! I will even see one in london .
What were your results for vit D and ferritin? You need to make sure you're taking the right amount. 'In range' means nothing. So post them in a new question and people will help you with supplementation.
Your B12 and folate could be low, too, so most important to get them tested, too.
Whatever you do, do not get a multivitamin. Only take what you need, not a bunch of stuff all mixed up together. And, remember to only start one supplement at a time. Leave about two weeks in between starting each supplement.
Remember to take supplements two hours after thyroid hormone - but leave four hours for iron, magnesium, vit D and calcium (although I doubt you want to take that).
If you are taking T3, there is no point in increasing your T4. It will always be low in range because the body does not need to hang on to as much for conversion, when you're taking straight T3. You're just wasting good levo.
I don't know what my levels are. All I know is that my vit D was low and was told to take supplementation, but I am very slack as I have not bothered! ( I hate taking tabs and have enough with taking my thyroxine) But having read up on here about the importance of taking supplements I need to get myself into gear and sort out the important vitamins to help my thyroid function.
I wont get a multi vitamin tab I will get separate tabs for each vitamin that I need.
I didn't know about only starting 1 supplement at a time so thank you for that.
Well, before starting anything, get your vit D retested - so you know how much to take - and get the vit B12, folate and ferritin done. No point in taking stuff if you don't need it.
Getting your FT3 optimal will help you lose the weight. But, in the meantime, no low-calorie diets, and no strenuous exercise, because that will just make things worse.
You can get your test results from your GP's surgery. Ask for a copy of them and the ranges. If the receptionist asks why simply state "It is for my own records and it is my right under the Data Protection Act 1998" They may charge you for the request but the max charge for electronic records is £10.
If you had tests this year and haven't been supplementing then the results may still be useful. (I was actually told to increase supplementation on tests 10 months old and it worked)
Be aware most GPs don't actually tell patients to take enough vitamin D mainly due to ignorance or fear that taking amounts over 2,000IU lead to toxicity. (It's actually amounts over 10,000IU especially in people who haven't been tested. )
If you want to get retested then you may have to pay privately for them as the GP may refuse to do them if you have had them in the past 2 years. The recommended test is Blue Horizon plus 11 finger prick test.
Finally it can take months for vitamin D and ferritin levels to rise.
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