new results

[lindawales]

I have had blood tests results are TSH 3.53 ( 0.27 - 4.20 ) FT4 6.1 ( 11.0 - 25.0) due to see endo next week to review being on T3 would appreciate any advice.

[shaws Administrator]

There's no history in your profile so am assuming you are hypothyroid. Your TSH is too high and am assuming you're on some T3 as your FT4 is low, which is expected when on T3. They haven't done a Free T3 test which I would have thought they would have done.

The following link is from Thyroiduk.org.uk and read about why a FT3 test is necessary.

[lindawales in reply to shaws]

Hello, I am Hypothyroid and on T3. I only started T3 3months ago and due my first review next week. They haven't done a Free T3 test, the recent blood test was done by GP at my request but they refused to do Free T3 and Vit D. I will check the link, thank you for your help.

[shaws Administrator in reply to lindawales]

If you are taking T3 then I don't think FT3 test so important. They will not do more than the TSH and T4 usually. You need an increase so that your TSH will reduce to 1 or lower.

[lindawales in reply to shaws]

Thank you, I will hopefully address this at my review, fingers crossed they don't try to take me off T3.

[shaws Administrator in reply to lindawales]

Tell them you need more T3 as your TSH is too high and you know, through the NHS Choices for information on thyroid gland, that the aim is a TSH of 1 or lower.

(I am not medically qualified in any way. I have hypothyroidism and am on T3 only).

If they say your T4 is too low, say you expect that as you aren't taking any and if you were taking a combo T4/T3 your T4 will be lower too..

[shaws Administrator]

I have looked at your previous post and see that you were on 75mcg of levo and this was reduced to 25mcg of levo plus 10mcg of T3 (5mcg twice a day).

He/she has actually reduced your dose to the equivalance to around 55mcg of levo. 10mcg of T3 is around 30mcg of T4.

No wonder your TSH is too high it should be 1 or lower for you to feel reasonable.

[lindawales in reply to shaws]

I thought it appeared high, I am anxious about my review next week because the way I have been treated I worry they will take me off T3 but I do feel better in one way but I have other problems due to being under medicated... I just need to convince them of this. Thank you for your help.

[shaws Administrator in reply to lindawales]

T3 is the active hormone required in all our receptor cells. Levo is T4 only and its job is to convert to T3 but sometimes it doesn't do so sufficiently. Your T4 will be low but that because you're taking none and T3 also reduces the T4 if you were taking any.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Your post from 20 days ago - B12 was very low - have you addressed this yet? GP checked for pernicious anemia? Started supplementing B12? (Low B12 Can be caused by low stomach acid - a common hypo symptom)

Also you had never had vitamin D level checked - have you got GP to do this? If not can get this done for £28 via vitamindtest.org.uk

Extremely common to be very low

hypothyroidmom.com/92-of-ha...

vitamindcouncil.org/tag/aut...

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

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.

Do you have Hashimoto's? had your 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.

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

You do not need to have ANY obvious gut issues, to still have poor absorption or gluten intolerance

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.

[lindawales in reply to SlowDragon]

Hi, Currently my GP hasn't agreed to test me for pernicious anemia, actually after receiving my most recent blood results they requested an urgent appointment with the consultant (made me a little nervous). The GP did refuse to do the Vit D test so I now have to do this myself, thank you for the link.

I have seen lots regarding the vits and minerals but still trying to get my head around them. I checked my recent results for the TPO Ab and TG Ab, it doesn't look like I have been tested for this.

I will look into the Blue Horizon test thank you for this.

Unfortunately I keep trying to bring the information from this forum to use with GP and consultant to try and move things forward but it can all be a little overwhelming.

Thank you again for all the information and advice.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

If you do the Blue Horizon thyroid plus eleven it includes the vitamin D as well.

I know how you feel - I was extremely unwell for over 20 years, despite diagnosis of Hashimoto's - in the end enough was enough and decided to take control (with help of this support group) - I did Blue horizon test - turned out I had low vit D - gluten intolerance etc etc