Underactive thyroid

[Harrispat]

Hi there me back again I have been suffering for along time with irregular heart beat palps sporadic high blood pressure I still believe it's my thyroid Meds I have experimented for the last twelve months lowering and upping my Meds I have had about three blood tests and no matter what I do my doc tells me your results are fine I have underactive thyroid but my symptoms are more like overactive I am sweating getting flushes i am 74 years of age not overweight very active ,but now getting pains in legs feel like l can't walk ,doc thinks it's muscle pain ,I just don't know what to do for the best,anyone help ,pat

[galathea]

'Fine'. - ha! Thats an opinion, not a blood test result. It woukd appear from your symptoms that you are not 'fine'. I think you should ask for copies of all thyroid blood tests done over the past three years, so you can find out exactly what your doc has been measuring.

You are entitled by law to have these results.. When you get them, post them on here and we can work out what the doc is basing his opinions on....

Xx. G

[puncturedbicycle in reply to galathea]

Harrispat galathea makes an excellent suggestion which would give you an overall picture of what's been going on for the last three years. If they give you any aggro about older tests, you'll still be equipped to see what's what if you get the recent ones, and they should be free if done within 30 or 40 days I believe.

[shaws Administrator]

I agree with Galathea you need to post your results with ranges. Often GPs are ignorant about clinical symptoms and you may need a rise in meds.

[Harrispat in reply to shaws]

Thanks a lot will be seeing the nurse on Friday hopefully will get some results to what's happening

[shaws Administrator in reply to Harrispat]

Any blood test for thyroid hormones must be at the very earliest and fasting. You can drink water. Also leave about 24 hours from your last dose of levo and the test and take it afterwards. This allows your TSH to be highest as it drops throughout the day.

You take levothyroxine first thing with one glass of water and don't eat for about an hour. Or you can take it at bedtime as long as you've had a long gap since last eating about 2.5 hours. Food interferes with the uptake of levo.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

If they have not been done ......Suggest you ask GP to check levels of vitamin d, b12, folate and ferratin. These all need to at good (not just average) levels for thyroid hormones (our own or replacement ones) to work in our cells

Also have you had thyroid antibodies checked? There are two sorts TPO Ab and TG Ab. (Thyroid peroxidase and thyroglobulin) Both need checking, if either, or both are high this means autoimmune thyroid - called Hashimoto's the most common cause in UK of being hypo.

Make sure you get the actual figures from tests (including ranges - figures in brackets). You are entitled to copies of your own results. Some surgeries make nominal charge for printing out.

When you get results suggest you make a new post on here and members can offer advice on any vitamin supplements needed

If you can not get GP to do these tests, then like many of us, you can get them done privately

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/testin...

Blue Horizon - Thyroid plus eleven tests all these.

This is an easy to do fingerprick test you do at home, post back and they email results to you couple of days later.

Usual advice on ALL thyroid tests, (home one or on NHS) is to do early in morning, ideally before 9am. No food or drink beforehand (other than water) If you are taking Levo, then don't take it in 24 hours before (take straight after). This way your tests are always consistent, and it will show highest TSH, and as this is mainly all the medics decide dose on, best idea is to keep result as high as possible

If you have Hashimoto's then you may find adopting 100% gluten free diet can help reduce symptoms, and lower antibodies too.

Best advice is to read as much as you can. Vitamin and minerals levels are very important, but standard NHS thinking, doesn't at the moment seem to recognise this. You will see, time and time again on here lots of information and advice about importance of good levels of B12, folate, ferritin and vitamin D, leaky gut and gluten connection to autoimmune Hashimoto's (& Grave's) too.

Low vitamin D is extremely common with autoimmune conditions. This often causes leg pain. We seem to need, or use, more vitamin D. Most find that we need levels at around 100. Many find when vitamin D is tested it is significantly below that.

vitamindcouncil.org/tag/aut...

chriskresser.com/the-gluten...

If/When supplementing vitamin D, you may find this informative.

drgominak.com/vitamin-d-hor...

[Marz]

if you are still on 50mcg of T4 then that could well be the problem. Also your GP reduced it from 75mcg to 50 - why ? We really do need to see those results before anyone can be helpful. I am assuming your GP went by your symptoms and that is why your dose was reduced.

Well heart palpitations/blood pressure issues can also be caused by LOW thyroid treatment. Also LOW Iron can be the cause - so do ensure you have the following tested - FERRITIN - FOLATE - B12 - VITD. Oxygen is carried around the body by attaching to iron in the red blood cells. So Low Iron = Low Oxygen - which your heart senses and beats faster in an effort to have more oxygen circulating.

LOW B12 can also cause many problems within the body - including leg pains. Also LOW VitD can cause all sorts of aches and pains. So now it's time to make a shopping list of the tests you need and obtain your last results from the Docs and lets make some progress.

Looking back over your previous posts we seem to be going over the same topics - so do please try and help us by giving us more information - and then we can help you

I am not a Medic - just a fellow sufferer of Hashimotos - Crohns and a serious B12 issue. I am just 5 years behind you in age - and feeling fine - after following lots of advice from people here. We have to follow the suggestions in order to improve matters and read the links given and the books suggested - so its all about taking control of our OWN health.

Your B12 needs to be around 1000 - Ferritin around 80 - VitD around 100. Also it is so important to know your T3 result - I am betting it will be LOW in range.

b12deficiency.info/signs-an...

Scroll down in the above link to read about the Signs and Symptoms of LOW B12. As we age it becomes a serious issue due to lower stomach acid.

Wishing you good progress and I will look out for your results with ranges - in a new post ....

[jacrjacr]

b12, b3, serum ferritin level------deficiency? even low normal can be a deficiency in women especially...i learnerd the hard way.........and drs usually ignore.... but makes a world of difference...

and have you had your 4 times a day saliva test done to see if you have high cortisol ?