Total thyroidectomy

[Jazzylady27]

I have no thyroid, my TSH is low and my T4 high. They have just reduced my levothyroxine, they say I have hyperthyroidism but I don't have any symptoms to suggest that. I feel really well. I'm worried I will land up being hypo and gain weight. As it is I have been struggling to lose weight. Should I ask the doctor to test my T3? And should they be doing regular blood tests as they're mucking about with my meds?

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Jazzylady27 Well you can't be hyperthyroid, you have no thyroid so it can't be over active. You could possibly be over medicated, but let's see your thyroid test results and find out where your levels lie, include the reference ranges.

Definitely ask for FT3 to be tested. And when you have a dose change this should be followed by re-testing your levels 6-8 weeks later to see if you are now on the correc dose or whether it needs further adjustment.

[Jazzylady27 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Hi here are my test results, there aren't any ranges so I looked on Internet for normal ranges.

TSH 0.02 mu/L

FT4 26.3 pmol/L

The ranges I found were

TSH 0.4-4

FT4 9-25

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Jazzylady27]

Internet ranges aren't any good. Ranges vary from lab to lab so you need the ranges from the lab that did the tests.

Definitely your TSH is under range and your FT4 is likely to be over range but no idea by how much.

I still have my thyroid but from reading posts on here it seems that it can be useful when the thyroid has been removed to add some T3 into the mix. Ask for FT3 to be tested. You might be better on less Levo with the addition of some T3, but you'd need FT4 and FT3 done at the same time to see where your levels lie.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to SeasideSusie]

Funny how doctors are so inconsistent with terminology.

Hyperthyroid is thyroid making and releasing too much hormone.

Hyperthyroxinaemia is too much thyroid hormone in the blood (and should be too much T4 given the derivation). However that is caused.

Similarly for the hypo- words!

(Yes - I know we so often see the words used both ways. Including me doing so!)

[Jazzylady27]

Thanks. I will wait a couple of weeks to see if my useless doctors surgery contacts me for a blood test, if they don't which I suspect will be the case I will make an appointment to see my GP.

[Jazzylady27]

No I didn't have graves disease. I had my second largest goitre (nodule). The first was removed 20 years ago, then I was swinging between hypo and hyper, unusual apparently.

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When I had my thyroid removed in Oct 2015 I left with a letter from the surgeon stating that my TSH was to be kept at 1. or under it is now 0.08. I feel fine and the endos and doctors here in France don't seem bothered at all. My FT3 is high but not over range.

[SilverAvocado]

Yes, I think a freeT3 test is residential. If it's not too late to do so, refuse this does decrease until you've seen the freeT3 test. In general, don't allow your dose to be reduced based on a blood test if your symptoms are good.

FreeT3 is the most important of the three tests, as it's the active hormone in your blood. It may be that your freeT4 is high but freeT3 is still low-ish. This means you need to take T3 directly.

[LAHs in reply to SilverAvocado]

Or take Selenium one way or another to facilitate the catalysis of T4 to T3. Try eating Brazil nuts or take a supplement. Take care of your liver, that where the main conversion usually takes place.

[SilverAvocado in reply to LAHs]

Many people can't improve conversion, as they don't have the genetics for it.

[LAHs in reply to SilverAvocado]

True, but first give the catalyst a chance, it might be the problem.