Received my results back from Medicheck last night and would really appreciate any comments

[elaine2447]

Good morning

I got my results back yesterday after a day but I am really puzzled by the numbers going up and down in the last couple of months even. I don't take any medication as "there is nothing wrong" and the antibodies "are a virus"!!!!

I do take sublingual B12 which contains B5 and folate but I didn't take it on the morning of the test or in fact no supplements. I also take magnesium, Vitamin K2, silica, boron two different types of probiotics. I recently started on selenium/zinc for about the last four weeks or so. I have severe osteoporosis but am inclined to have high blood calcium so no supplements with suspected primary hyperparathyroidism. Whilst I was having a second ultrasound to confirm parathyroid adenoma, this particular sonographer said he didn't think it was an adenoma but there was a lot of inflammation and suggested Graves and that I should have an antibodies test. The good old endo surgeon ignored this in March and instead wanted me to take high doses of Vitamin D to "stir up the parathyroid and calcium" After 12 weeks it didn't do hardly anything but vitamin D was 158 by July. Antibodies were very high.

So months on because I am not getting anywhere, decided to investigate myself and I went on a strict GF diet only about 5 weeks ago I also had a food intolerance test done by a lady at home. Well I don't know if it is coincidence but my antibodies have reduced by 150 since July (having increased a lot up until October) but they are still about 10 times higher than should be. The thyroglobulin antibodies have also gone down a fraction too from 122 to just under 115. I don't understand how I have a high B12 and pretty low folate and low ferritin level. I didn't bother having the Vitamin D test included which I think maybe I should have done. Anyway, this is what the results were and I would be very grateful for any comments . Thank you.

P.S. It goes without saying I feel pretty crap most of the time, really bad aches and pains in my back mostly not helped with torn rotator cuff and frozen shoulder but I have to say the last week or so I have felt a lot better mentally.

Thyroid Function

THYROID STIMULATING

HORMONE *4.62 mIU/L 0.270 - 4.200

FREE THYROXINE 14.27 pmol/L 12.000 - 22.000

TOTAL THYROXINE (T4) 81.2 nmol/L 59.000 - 154.000

FREE T3 4.42 pmol/L 3.100 - 6.800

Thyroid Antibodies

THYROGLOBULIN ANTIBODY 114.900 IU/mL 0.000 - 115.000

THYROID PEROXIDASE

ANTIBODIES *310.6 IU/mL 0.000 - 34.000

HAEMATOLOGY

Vitamins

VITAMIN B12 663 pg/ml 191.000 - 663.000

FOLATE (SERUM) 8.61 ug/L 3.890 - 26.800

BIOCHEMISTRY

Inflammation Marker

CRP - HIGH SENSITIVITY 1.7 mg/L 0.000 - 5.000

Iron Status

FERRITIN 29.48 ug/L 13.000 - 150.000

[Clutter]

Elaine2447,

TSH is over range on the BH results but you will need it to be over range at the lab your GP practice uses to get a diagnosis of hypothyroidism. FT4 and FT3 results are currently reasonably good. Arrange an early morning blood draw when you next have a thyroid test as TSH is highest early in the morning. Fast (water only) too as TSH drops after eating and drinking.

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/diagno...

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/about_...

Thyroid peroxidase antibodies are positive for autoimmune thyroid disease (Hashimoto's). There is no cure for Hashimoto's which causes 90% of hypothyroidism. Treatment is for the low thyroid levels it causes. Many people have found that 100% gluten-free diet is helpful in reducing Hashi flares, symptoms and eventually antibodies.

chriskresser.com/the-gluten...

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/about_...

B12 is high because you are supplementing B12. If you supplement a B Complex vitamin that will raise your folate.

Ferritin is optimal halfway through range. You can supplement iron with 1,000mcg vitamin C to raise ferritin. Retest ferritin in 6 months as too much iron is as bad as too little.

[elaine2447 in reply to Clutter]

Many thanks for your quick response. Yes you are right about GP surgery ranges and done later in the day. I cant remember exactly at what time of the day but on 10th October TSH was 2.18 possibly done later morning or afternoon and range is as you say different (0.35 - 5.5) and then due to a mistake over the antibodies tsh was done again on the 14th and was 4.16.

I will have to get a B complex and some vitamin C. It seems T4 has a different range of measuring as well.

Thanks again.

[elaine2447 in reply to Clutter]

I did pick up the advice a couple of weeks or so ago from this forum about having tests done first thing in the morning and so I did this Medichecks on Tuesday morning before drinking anything even with the cats looking on in horror lol but I did feed them first!

[Clutter in reply to elaine2447]

Elaine2447,

Well, of course, there's no need to starve your cats because you're having a blood test

[elaine2447 in reply to Clutter]

No, I had visions of them jumping up on the work top whilst I was trying to squeeze the blood out. They already looked bemused when I was trying to stand on a small foot stool so I could hang my arm down better lol.

[Ruthi]

I'd rather disagree with Clutter about FT3 and FT4 being good. They are in range, but in a totally healthy person they would be in the top quarter of the range.

However, you won't get much joy out of your GP for a while now.

[Clutter in reply to Ruthi]

Ruthi,

The FT4 and FT3 are typical of levels in someone not taking replacement. The TSH is having to work hard to maintain those levels though.

[Ruthi in reply to Clutter]

I would say typical in someone with a failing thyroid gland. Not typical of good health.

I can't remember now where I read it, but it was a discussion of the statistical niceties of ranges. The samples taken for the range should be from healthy asymptomatic individuals. But we all know that a) most labs take samples they already have from people who aren't reporting or suspecting thyroid problems and b)even if they were taking asymptomatic individuals some people start to report symptoms much earlier than others.

Because there are far more people with underactive thyroids than overactive in the population, the range is slewed by the as-not-yet-diagnosed in the sample. If you take a bunch of clearly healthy 25 year old sporty types then their TSH will be around 1, and their frees quite high in the range.

[Clutter in reply to Ruthi]

Ruthi,

We'll have to disagree. I understand TSH 0.5-1.75 to be naturally euthyroid, FT4 14-16 and FT3 4-5.

[elaine2447]

I've given up with the GP surgery altogether, they are possibly one of the worst in the country, overstretched and clueless about thyroid and parathyroid. I have spent a fortune on a private endocrinologist who was actually useless too and then went to an endo surgeon who was more interested in raising my parathyroid hormone than listening to his sonographer who he said was "world expert". So now I am fending for myself, hence the Medichecks blood test and I daresay I will have to go back to the last endocrinologist who was fine but wanting me to have Prolia injections for my osteoporosis. I am nervous because of side effects of that and he said at worst, skin, urinary tract or throat infections but at that time he didn't know about the antibodies. Now having looked again I see these infections are because Prolia can suppress the immune system so I don't think this would be a good idea with all the antibodies, am not sure and quite confused. I didn't have the flu injection because of this.