Blood test results- please help

[tickeyland]

Hi all, I'm new to all this so please bear with me! Apologies it's a bit long! A bit of background info might be helpful (or not!)I an female , 42 years old . My mum and my sister are both hypothyroid.I have been very ill for approx 2 years. It began when I was hospitalized in 2014 for 4 weeks with a serious kidney infection and sepsis . When I left hospital I was unable to walk or eat. I believed (was told) that I would slowly get better with time. I continued with these symptoms along with nausea, dizzyness, hair loss for the next 6 months. I lost 4 stone in weight and was unable to work for the whole year due to chronic fatigue. Anyway I have improved in terms of being to eat again, but lots of symptoms persist including chronic fatigue, dizzyness, brain fog, dry skin, 4 stone weight gain, constipation, cold feet, low basal body temp, leg weakness. After 6 months of not recovering I was diagnosed with M.E. as they said they had tested me for everything else and all results were in the normal range. Stupidly it didn't occur to me ask what these ranges were.I am now barely functioning and am about to lose my job (and a 20 year career)due to absence.Having done some research and chatting with my mum it occurred to me I have many hypothyroid symptoms (and maybe adrenal insufficiency-I'm waiting for results on the saliva test) so i had blood tests done by horizon-Any advice/interpreting would be helpful . Many thanks.

Biochemistry CRP H 6.40 Range <5.0 mg/L

Ferritin 88.9 range 20 - 150 ug/L

Thyroid Function TSH 1.06 range:0.27 - 4.20 IU/L

T4 Total 130.8 range 64.5 - 142.0 nmol/L

Free T4 21.58 range 12 - 22 pmol/L

Free T3 4.25 range 3.1 - 6.8 pmol/L

Immunology Anti-Thyroidperoxidase abs 8.5 range <34 kIU/L

Anti-Thyroglobulin Abs 11.3 range <115 kU/L

Vitamin B12 374 Deficient <140 pmol/L Insufficient 140 - 250 Consider reducing dose >725

Serum Folate 29.29 10.4 - 42.4 nmol/L

[Coastwalker]

Hi tickeyland,

All your symptoms are classical listed symptoms of low thyroid.

Sadly Doctors are well known for missing or overlooking Hypothyroid symptoms (Low Thyroid) they would rather rely on the unreliable blood tests than look at the patients presenting symptoms.

Many get told their thyroid bloods are normal, then get classed instead with Fibromyalgia, Chronic fatigue Syndrome or ME, with no hope of then getting better. Many are then wrongly offered depression pills.

Good for you that you have your printed out blood results for other members to interpret.

I am not an expert on bloods, others hopefully will be along soon to help you, but I can see your FT3 is under half way in range which is not good.

Also your vitamin B12 is under 400, many thyroid symptoms mimic low/deficient vitamin B12, I wouldn't class your B12 result (374) as perfect. Many members on TUK also have B12 deficiency or Pernicious Anemia and will have more expert advice, don't supplement yet till you speak with them.

Japanese keep their people's vit B12's above 500.

Hair loss can be down to low ferritn levels or B12 deficiency.

Did you get your vitamin D blood done ? Low or deficient in Vitamin D can cause bone pain, chronic pain, leg, back pain and more and can go hand in hand with low Thyroid.

[tickeyland in reply to Coastwalker]

Hi Coastwalker thank you so much for replying! I have have a raft of blood tests done but never had my Vitamin D done, so that looks like next on my to do list! With my levels of T3 could I get this “up” with diet and supplements? Or would I need medication? Would a doctor even consider medicating as T3 is still in their normal range? Would I need NDT or would thyroxine do it? Sorry for so many questions. I think possibly my adrenals are also very low functioning-I was admitted to hospital 18 months ago as they thought I was in adrenal crisis- had a short synathen test for Addisons diseased but they said it came back normal. I feel like I’m coming to the end of the road and very scared of what the future holds.

[Coastwalker in reply to tickeyland]

Have you had bloods done recently at the Doctors before tickeyland ? Did you get a printout then ?

If no previous bloods were done I'd be asking for an appointment with my Doctor ASAP, ask Doctor to look at your 'presenting' Thyroid symptoms, mention your Sister and Mother also have Hypothyroidism too and insist you need (an early morning fasting) Thyroid blood Panel tests to be done.

(Check you will be getting the same bloods as you did with Blue Horizon, Plus vitamin D, also the important FT3)

When you go back again to see Dr for blood results mention again your Mum and Sister and also again ask Dr to look at your 'presenting' Thyroid symptoms and ask for a trial of Levothyroxine.

* Important- Remember to ask for a printout of all your bloods done and post them up on here TUK.

If you have a thyroid problem it is best that it is registered first with your Doctor before you start to self medicate.

I had to keep pushing my Doctor to increase my Levothyroxine to get myself to optimum medication and wellness, I remember asking my Doctor to go by my 'presenting' thyroid problems, not go by my unreliable thyroid bloods. I was lucky my Doctor listened, but if I had not pushed each time for an increased dose of Levothyroxine (Thyroid medication) when I felt unwell again and relied only my Doctor looking at my unreliable bloods, I would still be under medicated and ill.

If you get nowhere with your Doctor, get back on here and post up again ASAP where others can help you forward.

[tickeyland in reply to Coastwalker]

Forgot to say I had a hair mineral analysis done 2 weeks ago, which is partly what led me get thyroid bloods, and adrenal saliva test done. There were 4 ratios that concerned me:

Sodium/Magnesium (Na/Mg) Ratio (adrenal ratio). My results was 0.43 (the range was 2.00-6.00.

Sodium/Potassium (Na/K) Ratio (adrenal) My result was 1.25 (the range was 1.40-3.40

Calcium/Potassium (Ca/K) Ratio (flags up thyroid issues?). my result was 31(1), the range was 2.20-6.20

Calcium/phosphorus (Ca/P) also high at 6.89, range 1.60-3.60

Does this mean anything to anyone??

[Coastwalker in reply to tickeyland]

Sorry tickeyland I have no knowledge of these hair mineral tests, I wish I did Interesting to see it has flagged up thyroid and adrenal issues for you though, I am sure there are others that know about these. Can always take it along to your Doctors for more evidence.

Maybe you could start another post so more members can see it ?

[tickeyland]

Hi Sandy12, thank you for your reply. Do you think with the levels of T3 that I have that a doctor would medicate this? I'm just worried they will say your TSH is in normal range so get over it. What kind of T3 is there available ? Could I self medicate or is that a bad idea? Many thanks x

[silverfox7]

I would try to do what you an first but taking supplements as these help conversion. Think help with that on Thyroid UK site. I was t converting well and got my levels up to scratch doing this but it does t happen overnight and add things one a week to make sure ther agree with you.

[tickeyland in reply to silverfox7]

Thank you silverfox7- I have started a regime of supplements and have cut out caffeine, alcohol, processed foods and foods with a high glycemic index (in case my adrenals are shot too!). Here's hoping !!

[tickeyland in reply to silverfox7]

Sorry forgot to ask-did you get your T3 levels up on supplements alone? If yes what did you take and how long did it take till you felt any improvement? Many thanks

[silverfox7 in reply to tickeyland]

Pretty good though Levo was failing me so went back to NDT-started on that when first diagnosed about 30 years ago.

Right will tr and remember them , zinc selenium B12 Folate D3 K2 sodium citrate sodium Glycinate , sodium Malate, Vit C with rose hips, B complex Sea Kelp and Milk Thistle. A few like Zinc and selenium I've always taken from day one and others added as ice gone along with weekly intervals to make sure nothing upset me. After about 6 months I could feel the difference, more energy, lost weight without trying, better defined body but Levo now needed to be taken with antihistamines as very itchy so I went back to taking NDT

[tickeyland]

Thank you Sandy12, what you say seems to be the general consensus. I am getting all the tests done I can afford to try and get an overview as to whats going on. I have changed my diet and am taking supplements as a starting point. I will try my doctor first as I would feel more comfortable taking medication under some guidance. However if push to comes to shove then I will definately be going down the self medication route. I have nothing to lose right now and if there's any chance of me improving or getting better I will do whatever it takes. I would do a deal with devil right now just to have 1 day feeling well again!

[tickeyland in reply to tickeyland]

Thankyou I have just seen your message- will have a look x

[maggie101]

sorry new to all this what does NTD stand for?

[helvella in reply to maggie101]

Many abbreviations are in this list:

dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u...

NDT = Natural Desiccated Thyroid