Blood tests fine, but I´m feeling exhausted

[SKS1]

I got diagnosed with an underactive thyroid 2,5 years ago, when my doctor diagnosed with lichen sclerosis and said that people with lichen sclerosis often had thyroid-issues, too. I´m on 125 mg levothyroxin per day, but am feeling exhausted most of the time. I take my medicine at the same time every morning, and exercise 2-3 times a week. I go to bed at 9.30 to get 8 hours sleep every night, but it´s never enough.

Have just had full blood tests done, and they came back normal despite how I´m feeling. I want to take control over my diet, but came unravelled at Christmas with too much sugar and crisps - and am still overindulging, finding it hard to stop.

Any tips? Any good books to read? Any diet advice?

[NatChap]

Can you post your test results? What doctors perceive as normal often are far from it!

[Hidden in reply to NatChap]

I couldn't agree more!!! If on thyroxine only, you should have FT4 levels close to the upper normal limit, and a TSH of 1 or possibly lower (not higher than 2, in any case). Many if not most doctors seem to consider "anywhere in range" fine, but that is far from the case. Please post your lab results, along with reference ranges used by the lab in question (as they vary from lab to lab), so that members can comment on them.

[SKS1 in reply to Hidden]

Will post as soon as I get my hands on them

[SKS1 in reply to NatChap]

Have left them at home, but can post them tomorrow morning - will do that. They were all in the normal range, but I don´t know if they were high or low within the range. Thank you for replying!

[Hidden in reply to SKS1]

Also, your FT3 levels are important as the T4 drug you are taking is supposed to be converted to T3 in the body. T3 is the truly active thyroid hormone. If your FT3 levels are suboptimal (and "suboptimal" does NOT equal "below range"), you will remain hypothyroid, no matter how "good" your other labs look. Many people taking T4 drugs only will have low FT3 levels due to insufficient conversion.

[SKS1 in reply to Hidden]

Had no idea about that - thank you!

[SKS1 in reply to Hidden]

Results posted - thank you!

[SKS1 in reply to NatChap]

Results posted

[SKS1]

I hadn´t taken levo for 24 hours, but had taken a multivitamin that morning. Otherwise had not eaten food, though doctor didn´t say anything about fasting, just about not taking the levothyroxin...

[SKS1]

That´s really interesting. I think everything was included - I know that B12 was, as I asked them to do that (producing some antibodies, so know that I will at some point in the future be deficient).

[SKS1]

Thank you so much for looking at this!

There were more results, but I think these were they ones you guys have mentioned could be important.

Results were (with ref. range in brackets)

S- TSH 0.36 (0,2-4,0)

S-F T4 15,7 (11-23)

S-F T3 4,2 (3,5-6,5)

S-Anti-TPO 34 (<100)

P-Homocystein 7,5 (5-15)

S-Vitamin B12 336 (170-650)

S-Folat 14,1 (>5,7)

MCH 32 (27-33)

S-Vitamin D 82 (50-150)

-Vitamin D3 82

S-Ferritin 34 (15-200)

S- Fosfatase alcaline 50 (<105)

[SKS1]

Got the results to hand now - have posted

[SKS1]

The blood tests also did iron, which were 17.9 (normal range 9,0-34).

Thank you so much for analysing for me! I know so little about this. Will up my intake of iron and then blood tests again in a few months to see if I need to up my dose of levothyroxine.

So very grateful for your feedback - means an awful lot to me. Thank you.