Hi everyone. I have recently joined here and am hoping someone can help me to interpret my latest full blood panel. I was diagnosed hypothyroid in October 2015 and was prescribed 50 mcg of Levo which improved my symptoms enough to go back to work but not enough to feel well again. I went downhill again in autumn 2016 and my dose was upped to 75 mcg in early Jan. I now feel even worse and I am really struggling with chronic fatigue, memory loss etc etc. My GP requested a full blood panel in Jan and these are the results:
FT3 2.9 (down from 4.1 in Jan 16)
FT4 16.7 (up from 12.2 in Nov 15)
TSH 1.19 (down from 7.5 in Nov 15)
Anti-TTG 1 U/mL
Plasma Viscosity 1.64 mPa
Vit D 58 nmol
B12 511 ng/L
Ferritin 63 ug/L
Folate >20 ug/L
Alkaline Phosphatase 24 U/L
Serum Albumin 36 g/l
Serum Calcium 2.32 mmol/L
Serum adjusted calcium 2.38 nmol/L
9 am Cortisol 3,03
FSH 13.0
LH 10.7
Apologies for such a long list. I have even more but I don't know if they add anything. I want to know if I can move off Levo onto an alternative such as Nature Throid. I appear not to be converting T4 to T3 and suspect I need a T3 element to any meds I take. All advice very gratefully accepted! Many thanks.
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Lynnesleepy
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Vit D is low. Recommended level is 100-150nmol/L. You can supplement with D3 5000iu daily for a couple of months and then retest. If you've reached the recommended level then reduce to 5000iu alternate days as a maintenance dose. Retest once or twice a year to keep within the recommended range.
When taking D3 we also need it's important co-factors
Vit D aids absorption of calcium from food and K2-MK7 directs it to bones and teeth rather than arteries and soft tissues. D3 and K2 are fat soluble so should be taken with the fattiest meal of the day. Take D3 four hours away from thyroid meds.
Magnesium comes in different forms, check to see which would suit you best and as it's calming it's best taken in the evening, four hours away from thyroid meds
B12 is best at the top of range, even 900+1000 according to the Pernicious Anaemia Society. You could supplement with Solgar sublingual methylcobalamin lozenges 1000mcg daily. When taking B12 we also need a B Complex to balance the B vits. As B vits can be stimulating they're best taken no later than lunchtime.
Ferritin needs to be at least 70 for thyroid hormone to work properly, recommended is half way through it's range and for females I've seen it said it should be 100-130. You could successfully raise your ferritin purely by eating liver once a week rather than faff about with iron supplements which, again, must be taken four hours away from thyroid meds.
Your conversion is poor. Good conversion takes place when FT4: FT3 ratio is 4:1 or less, yours is 5.75 : 1. Adding T3 to Levo is more flexible than NDT as you can tweak Levo and T3 amounts to suit. However, many members use NDT successfully.
PS - have you had thyroid antibodies TPO and TG tested?
Many thanks for all that information, SeasideSusie! I will look into the Vit D, B12 and magnesium situation. Misleadingly, my GP only flagged my folate level as unusual (higher than normal). I will check out the liver too. I have indeed had my antibodies checked but that was last year and my GP told me they were normal and that I tested negative for Hashimoto's disease. I suspect that adrenal stress was a key driver in me developing hypothyroidism.
In future when you post your test results put the ranges in brackets next to the result. This is because ranges vary from lab to lab and from country to country.
For example I cannot tell if your alkaline phosphatase level is low. However due to mine being low before and based on the labs that have measured mine ranges, I think yours is. The main reason alkaline phosphatase is low is because you have a nutrient deficiency e.g. vitamin D, ferritin. Mine falls low if my vitamin D or iron (haemoglobin or ferritin) level is low.
In your case your calcium could be low but without a range no-one can advise you whether you need to request a repeat test, then if it is still low further investigation.
Welcome to our forum and sorry to hear you are feeling unwell.
Many members do not function best on T4 mono therapy and require a little T3 in order to feel well again as this is the active hormone required to achieve well being.
Your Vit D and B12 is low. Have you had thyroid antibodies TPOAb and TGAb tested ? ? Some members struggle in introducing NDT if antibodies are high or iron, etc is deficient.
Sometimes just correcting deficiencies in iron and//or nutrients may be enough to get thyroid meds working properly.
Posting results complete with ranges (numbers in brackets) will help members give better comments.
Apologies for not adding the ranges. I thought they would all be standard - how I am learning!
Once more, with ranges:
FT3 2.9 (down from 4.1 in Jan 16) (3.1 to 6.8)
FT4 16.7 (up from 12.2 in Nov 15) (12 to 22)
TSH 1.19 (down from 7.5 in Nov 15) (0,27 to 4.2)
Anti-TTG 1 U/mL
Plasma Viscosity 1.64 mPa (1.50 to 1.72)
Vit D 58 nmol
B12 511 ng/L (180 to 900)
Ferritin 63 ug/L (30 to 470)
Folate >20 ug/L (2.5 to 19.5)
Alkaline Phosphatase 24 U/L (30 to 130)
Serum Albumin 36 g/l (35 to 50)
Serum Calcium 2.32 mmol/L (2.20 to 2.60)
Serum adjusted calcium 2.38 nmol/L (2.20 to 2.60)
Serum Creatine Kinase 103 U/L (25 to 200)
Serum sodium 139 nmol/L (133 to 146)
Serum potassium 4.3 nmol/L (3.5 to 5.3)
Serum Creatinine 78 umol/L (45 to 84)
9 am Cortisol 3,03 (don't know range yet)
FSH 13.0
LH 10.7
I had antibodies tested a year ago and was told they were 'normal' and I don't have Hashimoto's. Does anyone know what might have caused my vitamin deficiencies? Is it best to sort these out before attempting to get a change in meds? Am very grateful for the knowledgeable replies I have had so far. Brilliant after 15 months of trying to work stuff out myself and just getting very confused.
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