I might get somewhere now but would love comments on my bloods and a few questions answered.

[Pixelpup]

So, I have just accidentally deleted the long post I had just written so i'm starting again! I had my bloods done a few weeks ago and posted on here. I went in to see my dr today and found out they had missed one paper so I have even more results. Happy days. I'm going to start over with everything in a new post. Seems easier Also, it looks like I have landed myself a caring doctor! Young and inexperienced but keen. She had never heard of RT3 so I'm hoping she is sitting on her computer tonight reading Thyroid Uk's web site I told her too.

She called me back tonight after having talked to other dr's in the surgery etc but they can't run RT3 unless I'm on certain drugs. The lab simply wont do it! She is however, happy to help with private tests and try to get the surgery to take the bloods even though the reception said no. Can't afford it right now anyway. She also asked if I would like to increase my Levo by 25mcgr from 150 to 175 and re test in 6 weeks and see if it helps. Also, we are running bloods and x rays to exclude heart probs as I have breathing probs and swollen ankles. Unless something gets done I will have to pack up my business before I'm 50! Between the ankle / general pain and constant weight gain among everything else I am really finding myself getting more and more immobile as time goes on!! Not how I want to live

My Cholesterol was up for the first time ever. 5.0 mmol/L (<5.0) Calculated to be about 1.5 on their scale of high risk so I'm right at the bottom.

My FT4 was 18.8 (12-22) almost the same as before.

My TSH was 3.32 (0.27-4.2) Use to be about 1.8 before so gone up a lot. Did a little educating of my doctor there as she said " Thats ok. It's with in range". Probably why she came back to me to suggest to increase Levo a bit

No T3 done.

My Vit D was low at 38 (50 - 120) She agreed I should supplement.

Vit B12 was 312 ( 197 - 771)

Folate was low at 2.6 (>3.9) She agreed I should supplement it too.

Ferritin was 41 (13 - 150) I told her I thought it was low with in the range. She did not agree but said I could supplement if I wanted.

Serum C reactive protein 4.1 (0 - 5) What does this do? I see it on the private BT's for thyroid.

I also had some general bloods done that all came back with in range.

I was on Levo 175 mcg until I started supplementing about 2 yrs back. I was then reduced to 150 mcg and have stayed there for a long while now. I have taken less supplements as I didn't want to over do it so I'm hoping by going back to what I did before I may be able to go back to 150 mcg in the future but at least putting the dose up for now may make me feel better in the mean time.

Did I read somewhere that Levo should be taken with Vit C to help absorption??

And last but not least, How do you tell if you are not converting well by running FT3 and RT3? Can anyone explain pls?

Thank you all wonderful people on here for your help and knowledge on this subject.............as always xxx

[greygoose]

I'm curious to know why you hope to be able to lower your levo. What difference does it make if you take 150 or 175, as long as you feel well?

Your B12 is much too low, as well, it should be at least over 500.

If your FT3 is low, and your rT3 is high, then you aren't converting correctly. But, that's a bit of a red herring. I really wouldn't worry about rT3 at this point, if I were you. The best test to see if your converting is to compare your FT3 to your FT4, both taken at the same time. The FT3 should be higher than the FT4 in their respective ranges, if you're converting well.

Serum C reactive protein is a measure of inflammation. Yours isn't too bad.

[Pixelpup in reply to greygoose]

Thanks Grey goose.

With regards to the Levo dose - I just would like not to have to take so much medications. I feel it would be nicer to if the thyroid can be supported to do some work itself if it is still producing T4 that's all.

Sorry but you put FT3 on both re converting (typo) so does not make sense

Thanks

Last time I had both T3 and T4 done at the same time was March. T3 was 4.3 (3.1 - 6.8) and T4 was 26.2 (12 - 22)

[greygoose in reply to Pixelpup]

Typo fixed.

Well, it's very unlikely that it's ever going to work like that. Taking levo does not support the thyroid in any way, it just replaces the hormone that the gland can no-longer make. And it's very unlikely that the gland is going to start working better. The supplements possible improved your conversion, but wouldn't have helped the thyroid itself.

[Pixelpup in reply to greygoose]

Ok

[silverfox7]

Correcting a thyroid proble isn't one thing fixes all its getting or giving your thyroid help for whatever it needs to get you well again so what your individual dose is ( within reason) what is good for you as an individual.

Your dose looks too low for you but just throwing more Levo at it isn't always the answer. You say you don't like taking supplements but if your body needs them that's what you must do. Thyroid patients tend to be low in many things but I've shown how my health turned around by taking more supplements and boosting the ones I was already taking B12, Vit D and folate need to be much higher than they are at the moment B12 at least 500 and nearer a 1000 could work much better. Has you doctor suggested any help with D3 and Folate? Your D3 needs to be at least 90, more like 100-125 but you need a booster dose to get it up there then a maintenance dose there are ViD and B12 groups so it would be worth looking st those and asking questions. Folate is also low and although your rage doesn't give an upper limit when mine was as low as yours it took me at least 8 months to get it to a decent level, for my scale that was about 16 but I now supplement every other day to keep it there but may be your doctor could give guidance as to a level to not go over.

These should help your thyroid to work better just throwing more Levo at it isn't going to help at the moment. Your FT4 is higher in that range that FT3 is in that so as T3 is the active hormone that needs to be higher but it does t seem to be getting much help from the T4 available so you need to supple as you have a inversion problem and I'm sure getting that tight will help such a lot

I had the same problem and I gotcthere in the end it doesn't happen overnight but over several months and you don't stop when things improved or you will quickly slip back again. My 'sideeffect' was that I lost half a stone without trying, not a great deal of weight but my body became better defined so I looked better as well. Keep testing things to see where you are when you are converting better you may not need to add anymore Levo but check your reading and see what you feel like It does take time though when on the correct dose for all your symptoms to disappear remember it took a long time to feel like you are feeling so it will take time for your body to get things back to where they should be as well

[Pixelpup]

Thank you Silverfox. That was very helpful. Dr didn't want to re test but I thought when she said that I would leave that battle for another day. How often do you suggest re testing vit values? Going back in 6 weeks or so for T4 etc. Will make sure they do T3 again then too. Xx