So ive got my results from my bloods this morning - Three things have been flagged up! Please can you help me read them and understand them? Thank you SO MUCH in advance! Marax
FER 6.8 (7.2-25.9) - This is the first flagged one
0.4mg (0.4 - 1.5)
Ferritine 24 (20 -204)
T3 Libre (FT3) 3.5 (2.6 - 5.7)
T4 Libre (FT4) 12.9 (9.0 - 19.0)
T.S.H Ultra sensible 5.045 (04.00-3.100) This is the second flagged one
Iron, d and b12 need a boost. Can you pls double-check if your tsh range is correct? I wonder if there is a decimal point in the wrong place (it goes from high to low rather than the other way around).
I think your third flagged result is your high antibodies. Are you trying to get diagnosed or are you already on medication?
Oh and my Dr said I could have a under active thyroid but he doesn't think I have, he said I'm 43 and it's what I should expect having two small kids, this was in January when it all really started. My new dr yesterday said I am depressed.
Err, this is an underactive thyroid. Your ABs are high and tsh low. But because your t3/t4 are normal they will call you subclinical and may refuse to treat.
'What I should expect' - well of course you should expect to be as healthy as you can be. That's a rubbish reply and you should 'expect' better.
I thought your doctor was a lady? Whatever, he's a moron! What a stupid thing to say. You've already been diagnosed and prescribed levo. Two small kids might make you tired, but they don't give you high antibodies, a TSH of over 5 and a rock bottom ferritin, do they.
Well, there's nothing much new, there, is there.
Your TSH is too high - you are hypo.
Your Frees are too low - you need an increase in dose.
Your antibodies are high - you have Hashimoto's Thyroiditis.
Your ferritin is way too low, and that is causing you to be fatigued.
Your B12 need supplementing, and is bound to be causing you a lot of nasty symptoms.
And your vit D3 could be higher.
And none of that is going to change unless something is done about it. I just hope one of the endos you're going to see has an iota of intelligence and actually does something.
'Fer' is iron, yes. But it's the 'Ferritine' you need to look at. And that is low. Ferritin is your stored iron. The body takes iron out of it and puts iron back in it, as needed. But, if your store is low, you haven't got much to play with.
OK, so you don't want to see that man again, do you! He's a sexist twit!
Frees are the FT4 - Free T4 - and FT3 - Free T3. There are two types of thyroid hormone : bound and free. Your body can only use the free hormone. So that's why you test the Frees, to see how much usable hormone you have in the blood.
Hashi's is no more scary that any other form of hypo - hypo is hypo. Hashimoto's Thyroiditis is where there's nothing much wrong with the thyroid gland itself, it's just that your own immune system is attacking it, for some reason. Your immune system slowly destroys your gland until it's all gone. And you are completely hypo.
However, there is the problem that the antibodies themselves can cause nasty symptoms - on top of the symptoms you get from having low levels of thyroid hormone. Plus, during the process of destroying the gland, excess hormone is periodically released, in what we call a Hashi's swing, and your levels go temporarily sky high. But, then, you go hypo again.
There is no cure for Hashi's - or any other autoimmune disease, for that matter - but there are things you can do to help yourself. You need to aim to get your TSH to zero - and there you might have problems with ignorant doctors! You can also change your diet - going gluten-free is a good way to start. Try it for three months - no cheating! - see if it helps. If not, try something else. And, you can take selenium, which is known - by patients, NOT by doctors! - to lower antibodies, and slow down the destruction of the gland.
Not good news, I suppose, but could be worse.
Don't try and cross your bridges before you come to them. You have three appointments with three different endos - what's the chances they will all be useless?!? During my early days, I saw four endos. One was useless (there are other words I could use for her, but I won't); one was worse than useless (and there my vocabulary fails me); and two were good, kind, understanding and helpful, and prescribed T3 on request. So, you're in with a good chance, seeing three!
I don't think you ought to ask for anything on your first visit. Just see how it goes, how receptive they are - they might even suggest it themselves! Who knows. You've got to play it by ear.
Your iron, on the other hand, is a more urgent matter. I think you should ask him/her if they thing maybe, as your iron is so low, you should be having infusions to bump it up. Just see what they say.
It's on the second visit, when you've done everything they've suggested, that you get down to the nitty-gritty, and tell them exactly what you want. At the moment, you're just sussing out the lie of the land.
Oh ok. I have a small fear re the iron. After the birth of my first child I had iron put into me via a drip into my arm. They didn't wash it thro after and the iron burnt my veins internally. It was sheer agony. Like really bad! Can they give it to me in any other format?
It's difficult buying any decent supplements in pharmacies and health food shops - and that goes for the UK, too! And, for god's sake do not ask the pharmacists advice on supplements!!! lol They are very ignorant.
Your best bet is Amazon.fr. They have a good selection, of good brands, at reasonable prices. No arguments, and no-one asks you why you want it! Something I can't stand! And, if you have Amazon premium - which is worth it if you're going to start buying supplements on there - it's delivered pretty quickly, too.
Morning greygoose . Sorry it's me again. My dr just called me about my blood results from yesterday. She said she's writing a prescription for iron tablets and she wants to up my Levo to 87.5mg. Do I do this? Or wait for endo? Marax
87.5 mcg! lol The woman's a joker! Does she really think that's going to help with levels like yours? lol
Well, it won't do any harm, that's for sure! The normal amount to increase or decrease by is 25 mcg. But, obviously she doesn't know that. Just go with it for now, and see what the endos say. They should be more clued up.
For the iron, it's ok to take it as she's prescribed it, just tell the endos what she's prescribed - you know that your notes don't follow you in France? So he will only know what you tell him. And let us know what she prescribes, because doctors are notorious for prescribing the wrong thing when it comes to nutrients! And, when you take it, take 1000 mcg vit C with it, to help absorption.
Thank you!!! I'm a little nervous re palpitations but cross that when I come to it right? Also do I take the iron in the morning with my Levo? She said the iron will make me feel sick......
Did she! lol Well, that's another bridge to cross if it ever happens! lol Shouldn't affect your stomach if you take the vit c with it.
But, what palpitations? I don't think you've mentioned palpitations before, have you? Palpitations are a symptom of under-dosing, as well as over-dosing. And, whilst disagreeable, are not dangerous.
As Margjean said, take your iron at least 4 hours away from your levo. And it might be best to take it at night - away from everything.
Hi Goose, yeah I got palpitations when they upped me to 75. I think you said that I got them Coz my iron was so low? Thus I need more iron to deal with more Levo?
I've another separate question too.... Sorry! Could all of this completely mute my tastebuds, like there's nothing there. No taste at all? I feel like a shadow of a person. It's very strange and quite low.
Oh totally, it was a really awkward conversation. I told her I've referred myself to the hospital to get as much help as I can and she just was silent to that. I think yesterday's appointment was a disaster and today after she read the results she realised that I'm not just some haggard mother who needs some help. I am haggard mother with extra issues!! Ok can I buy zinc from the pharmacy here along with Vit C? Sorry I keep loading questions on to you 😁
Nope. Don't go to the pharmacy, they will palm you off with just any old thing, if you don't know exactly what you want. And if you know exactly what you want, they won't have it! Believe me, I've had 16 years of experience in this! lol I've had so many fights with pharmacists in my area, that I daren't go in pharmacies anymore for fear of getting thrown out!
What you've got to understand about pharmacists in France is, they all think they're better than the doctors, and it's a continual power struggle. Even if you go in with a prescription they will question why you want it, and what you went to the doctor for, and... and... It's a nightmare! So, where supplements are concerned, it's just not worth the hassle. I even got into a fight trying to buy throat pastilles, because they didn't have any without aspartam, and the pharmacist was insisting that aspartam was exactly the same as sugar, and I shouldn't be so picky! lol
So, no, get your vit C and zinc on Amazon. It's so much easier.
Actually my pharmacy here in my village really question me when I get my levo. My prescription is always for three months but the refuse and only give me a month at a time.
Oh, I know! That's what I mean by a power struggle! They want to rule, and over-ride the doctor. I did mention that, once, when I was taking levo. I thought the woman was going to have apoplexy! She went red in the face and sort of swelled. lol Up-shot was, no, you cannot have your levo all in one go.
I think they like to have you keep coming back to the pharmacy in the hope that you'll buy something else, while you're there - something that you see on one of the displays. I was always tempted to buy some of that pale green cologne, that comes out of little glass barrels. But, I wouldn't, on principal! lol
Pharmacies went on strike a while back, when it was suggested that OTC things, like aspirin, should be sold in supermarkets, like in the UK. The pharmacists weren't having that! They marched, and they demonstrated, and they went on strike until the idea was dropped. So, even if it were just for that, I would buy my supplements on Amazon, rather than from them. But, the truth is, they just won't have what you want because there's not enough profit in something like a straight packet of methylcobalamin!
So I just picked up the prescription from the Dr for my iron and Levo. The iron is tardyferon 80mg and it says to take in the morning? The prescription is for 3 to 6 months.....
Hi. Just thought I would let you know that latest update....the hospital called to say they got my letter and have booked to see me 8th DECEMBER!! Wow!! Would hate to think what they would do if I was 'really' I'll. So now I wait for the 30th October........😊
You'd wait an awful lot longer for an appointment if you lived in the UK! Months and months. OK, so you've got three appointments now? And the first one is on 30th October?
How are you doing with the iron? I've always found Tardyferon very gentle on the stomach. Are you taking vit C with it?
Blimey. It's so scary how long you can be ill for!!
My very elderly father is here visiting me for two days so I decided not to start the iron untill Thursday as I was too worried about feeling 'worse' for his visit. Make sense?
How long can you be ill for? Years and years and years! I was hypo for about 50 years - with varying levels of symptoms because I have Hashi's. Nobody ever thought to test my thyroid - neither here, nor in England, where I lived for the first 29 years of my life. They just told me I was fat, greedy, stupid, lazy, etc and to get on with it!
It was just when I happened to go to see a new doctor on moving to my present location, who had this thing about fat women. I went about my bad back, but he was only interested in my weight. So, he said, you need to see a nutritionist (yeah, right! lol) and gave me a number to ring. Me, all innocent, rings the number, and was told the guy I wanted to see was no-longer in the area. And I was given another number to ring. Went along to my appointment and the woman turned out to be an endo - don't ask me how! I have no idea!
Well, she saw straight away that I was hypo (no eyebrows! lol) and did blood tests etc. When I went back to the GP, with my results, he was shocked to the core. He had never thought of that! Of course he hadn't!!! It's so much more fun to blame the patient!
So, that's how I got diagnosed. Unfortunately, the endo that diagnosed me so easily, then had no idea how to treat me. She under-treated me terribly, and I felt worse than I had before my diagnose, and was putting on even more weight! She told me it was because of my 'negative attitude'! So, that's when I realised I had to learn about my disease and take charge of my treatment. Before that, I didn't even know what a thyroid was! But, once I knew all the symptoms, I recognised that I'd been suffering with it for most of my life.
So, 50 years wasn't enough to kill me. You'll be alright for two months! lol x
Wow greygoose that's a mind blowing story and I'm so sorry that this has been your life. Not gonna lie its brought a tear to my eye. Are you 'well' now?
And I'd like to add...... That your knowledge and calm and kindness and time has been very overwhelming for me and I can never ever thank you enough. You 'met' me about ten days ago, you are like my angel. I totally feel your support, as does my family. I hope you know how appreciated you are. ( now it's my turn to blush). X
Thank you. That's very kind. I'm glad to be of help. In my early days, learning, a lot of kind people helped me, so I always promised myself that, when I could, I would help others. After all, we're all we've got!
Hi Greygoose. I've a bit of a silly question I guess but thought I should ask.....so all my vitamins have arrived today. Just now I've taken 1000mg of VC with 80mg of the iron. I also have Zinc 15mg and Selenium 200mg should I also take now the latter two? As in is it ok to pop all four in one hit? Thank you as always.... Marax
You should only start one supplement at a time. Leave about two weeks before starting the next one.
Also, iron should be taken on its own - apart from vit C - not with other minerals, like selenium and zinc.
In a perfect world, you would take all the minerals separately, about 2 to 4 hours apart. But, when you have a lot to take - plus taking thyroid hormone replacement - that isn't always possible. Iron should be taken four hours away from levo, and the other two at least two hours away. Plus, you have to take into consideration if they should be taken away from food - it's not easy.
You'll have to take all those things into consideration and draw yourself up a timetable. To make it easier, you could do things like taking zinc one day, and selenium the next, something like that.
Have a think about it. We're lucky that Tardyferon can be taken with food. Most irons can't!
Not a reliable way of supplementing selenium. Most Brazil nuts, these days, contain very little. Much better to supplement, and then you know exactly how much you're getting.
Greygoose, I actually experienced the same thing when I told my mom that shoe should not take a Levothyroxine with her breakfast and her calcium magnesium supplement. She was going to the pharmacie and ask the pharmacist who told her it made no difference. When I challenged her to check at least in a reputable medical site on the internet she told me to mind my own business. I showed my mom in the Internet what was said about Levo and the need to wait a miminum of one hour and she told me maybe in Canada the medication was different and that she trusted the pharmacist. Lol! and yet, not lol! It is pathetic!
Btw, I love reading your posts, you seem to be very knowledgeable. Thanks for your very informative post.
Btw, needless to say that my mom has been experiencing a lot of health issues starting with lots of body pains and aches and insomnia for many years.....
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