I've been getting sicker and sicker for the last few years. I put it down to side effects of medication I take for mental health and I have piled stones on.
In June, my sister who happens to be a nurse practically forced me to go to the GP. I made a list of my symptoms and they appear to be textbook hypothyroid. My mobility is also affected because of weakness, fatigue and pain I can't stand for very long or walk very far. My memory is shot and my husband says it's like having a conversation with a goldfish.
I had a full mot and all bloods were ok although I am on statins for cholesterol except the following which are my latest from last month.
Ferritin fine
Folate 5.3 range is 5.4+
vit d 10 nmol range is 75-100
TSH 7.72
Free T4 10.2 range is 11-22
He started me on Hux D3 20000 but I have to wait for yet another TSH and TPOX3??? before he will consider treatment.
Do I need to know/do anything? Is TPOX 3 the ab test?
Blimey, you need a loading dose of vit d, you need folate, you need levo and - how 'fine' is your iron? I bet you need that too. Betcha your b12 is also inadequate.
A daily supplement of d will not help you right now; you need to take enough to get it to stick, then when it is good you can go back to a supplement. Take the d with some fat. imperialendo.com/for-doctor...
To start with if you were given T3or NDT to treat the thyroid then you wouldn't need statins for cholesterol! Statins make you ill. I was in same boat, once I medicated myself on NDT (Natural Dessicated Thyroid) my cholesterol has come down. It's when T4 doesn't convert to T3 that cholesterol rises. So many people who are not medicated properly for thyroid end up with heart problems it's disgraceful.
Your TSH is far too high, you absolutely need thyroid meds. it needs to be under 1 for us to feel well and lose the goldfish effect!! Your Dr will think higher is ok but it's not.
Vit D low, Gel capsules are better as you'll absorb them properly.
Folate low, supplement
T4 low.
Yes get thyroid antibodies tested as you need to know if it's Hashimotos Thyroditis as then it's auto immune and there's things you'll need to do. Firstly go gluten free.
Also B12 hugely important and it's almost a given that you'll be low!
We need to be in the higher ranges for everything to feel well.x
The above link will take you to all the other conversations that have taken place on this Thyroid UK Forum about Statins. Just too much to write out again - but they are NOT a good idea. Of course you will feel weak as they can affect muscles.
If your B12 is below 500 then you could well be suffering from some of the neurological symtpoms - check out the link below and scroll down ... Do you have a result for B12 ? Your Folate looks low to me and as B12 and Folate work together in the body it would indicate a problem.
Good news is that now you know that your un-welll condition has a reason and can be helped with supplements and thyroid medication.
I'd say, go see another doctor asap, if this one does not realize that you must get help now. TSH will only get higher, and no point in waiting to feel worse. Also, try to get your free T3 tested.
Your doctor should be starting you on a trial of levothyroxine. He's obviously one of those GP's that slavishly observes the cruel "wait until the TSH hits 10" club. If they were in the same boat you can bet your bottom dollar they would be medicating themselves because they would probably be unable to work making judgements on a day-to-day basis as a doctor! This is because guidelines tell them to sing from the same hymn sheet and many of these guidelines are extremely outdated.
As others have said there are nutrients that become low when we are hypothyroid and you are pretty much rock bottom as far as Vitamin D goes. Despite its name it's actually a prohormone and vital for a huge amount of bodily functions both mentally and physically.
I'm afraid there are many doctors and specialists in this field who are woefully not up to speed on the latest research into thyroid problems and their treatment. Medical school only brushes over thyroid and many endocrinologists are so overwhelmed with dealing with diabetes that thyroid gets plonked on the back seat.
It will be of help to find out your antibodies score as even though you cannot be "cured" of the antibodies that attack your thyroid you can do things with diet etc. to lessen the severity of the attacks. Again a lot of this and the nutritional side GP's are not taught, it's more a branch of functional medicine but many people find these tips of taking certain supplements helps enormously.
There is so much information and help and support here including how to approach your doctor and some stuff to print out to give to him to read.
Thanks for all your replies everyone!
In addition:
Vitamin B12 419 (range 181-910)
Ferritin 244 (range 10-291)
As I said I am on Hux D3 20,000 and have just finished the loading dose and will continue to take them. What other supplements should I be taking?
This is the 3rd GP (senior GP) I have visited in the practice in relation to these problems and he did say that he would be willing to bet that my next tests will show that I am hypo and start me on levo then. Their policy is a TSH of 8 :/
Your Ferritin looks quite high - usually a result halfway in range is suggested. Do have your Anti-bodies checked - they could be causing inflammation and raising the Ferritin .... just a though.
A B12 supplement would be good too - around 1000 mcg Jarrow Methycobalamin perhaps - available on-line.
My TSH was 9.28 in a range of 0.2-4.2 when I was treated. What was your TSH range?
My TSH on 50mg of levo got down to 2.6 but has crept back up to 5.6 and I feel like death, I am now on a higher dose of 75mg. Your FT4 is under range, you really should be on thyroxine.
Glad you are on vitamin D as your level is so low..
My b12 was 212 and is now up to 477 but at 1000 I feel much better, I got it up to there in the summer last year.
Your ferritin is quite high, but seems to be in range.
Have you had thyroid antibodies checked? I would advise you have a full check private. Thyroid bloods should be taken by 9am and fasted to get an accurate result. Anything after this time and after food and TSH drops, it does in us all as the day goes on. My TSH a year ago on the NHS, taken at 2pm after 2 meals was 3, GP said I was fine. I wasn't. A month later I did it orivate first thing in the morning and it was 6.8.
Medicheck do private tests, as do Blue Horizon. I use Medicheck as they're really fast at getting the results over to me and a good price. They do TSH, FT4 and FT3 on Thyroid Thursday for £29 and a little extra for antibodies which I think you need checking to be honest to rule out hashimotos.
My GP accepts private results too so I'd get yours tested and send your GP the results. Then monitor your thyroid yourself with the £29 test every 2 months. The NHS won't do this, they will just test you every 6 months if you're lucky. I do mine private and my GP accepts them and treats me.
I feel exactly like you minus the pain. I am so brain fogged, weak thighs all the time, my body feels fatigued, eyes heavy and brain feels just bogged down and exhausted which has led to me being pretty much housebound and anxious. I am too tired to think some days. It's horrible.
Good luck.
Julie
I am beginning to suspect that once my treatment for hypo kicks in I won't need statins, sertraline, mirtazapine, propranalol, depakote (bipolar since 2001) or diazepam (just to face people)!
Here are all the past TSH results I can access via patient online:
14 Dec 05Serum TSH level2.96 miu/L0.34 - 6.9miu/L
31 Mar 11Serum TSH level2.93 miu/L0.2 - 6miu/L
05 Oct 12Serum TSH level5.99 miu/L0.2 - 6miu/L
11 Mar 14Serum TSH level1.85 miu/L0.2 - 6miu/L
16 Jun 16Serum TSH level7.32 miu/L Abnormal result0.3 - 5miu/L
09 Jan 17Serum TSH level7.72 miu/L Abnormal result0.3 - 5miu/L
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