Help with blood test results please😳

[skelly82]

I would like some help with the results of my recent blood tests. It was done early am, fasting, 24 hours after levo and 10 hours after t3. I am currently taking 100mcg of levo and 18.75mcg of t3. I reduced my t3 about 3 months ago after my previous blood test but it still looks high. Should I reduce it by a another quarter? I don't really understand why I should keep needing to reduce the t3, is it because my vits and minerals are more optimised? they were pretty abysmal on my first test results. Any help would be much appreciated. I think I feel quite good at the moment but I do realise that over the years of being hypothyroid I have lost track of what 'normal' feels like, so don't know if that feeling can be trusted 😳

[shaws Administrator]

Ideally, hormones should be adjusted by how we feel. If well I don't think I'd adjust. Doctors often adjust to the TSH which varies throughout the 24 hours. This link may be helpful:

web.archive.org/web/2010103...

[skelly82 in reply to shaws]

Thanks for the prompt reply that was very helpful.. I am quite nervous about reducing my t3 as it's taken so long to get this far!

[shaws Administrator in reply to skelly82]

The more I increased T3 and reduced T4 the better I became. I'm not saying that's for everyone.

[skelly82 in reply to shaws]

I have got my annual review at my gps surgery so have got to do a blood test for that. They only ever test tsh and nothing else so goodness knows what they will make of my tsh result! They don't know I take t3 so will probably want to reduce my levo so I might end up doing the same as you by default 😳

[shaws Administrator in reply to skelly82]

Remember - 24 hours between last dose and the test and take afterwards. Also test as early as possible, fasting (you can drink water). I've only given my GP a heart attack once when I took my full dose of T3 an hour before test. He believed me and allowed me to have another test a week later. Needless to say, I've not made that mistake again

You can remind them that it is o.k. to have a TSH below 1 and some of us need it suppressed.

[skelly82 in reply to shaws]

Thanks yes I will do that.. unfortunately they don't know I take t3 I haven't been brave enough to confess😞 It's all so complicated.

[shaws Administrator in reply to skelly82]

You don't have to mention anything at all. They may not even do T3. You aren't doing anything criminal. It is your hormone replacement.

If they did and you want to stay on the T3 just tell them you've added some to your T4 and have felt an improvement. You can say that new research by several researchers have shown that many feel better with T3/T4 and one of the researchers who is at the forefront of this research is an Adviser to Thyroiduk.org.uk

Also some of us need a TSH below 1 and some even a suppressed TSH and it isn't dangerous or any other fairytale they might tell us.

[skelly82 in reply to shaws]

Thank you so much for your encouragement I don't know what I would do without all the help of this website it's amazing. I would still be suffering in silence were it not for everyone's help on here!

[shaws Administrator in reply to skelly82]

If you aren't a member of TUK, you may like to be a member as it is they who are working behind the scenes to try to slowly change attitudes to how we are treated.

[skelly82 in reply to shaws]

That is a good idea, I will😊

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

skelly82 All your vitamins and minerals are at good levels now and it could be that your thyroid hormone is working better.

You could experiment, maybe drop off 6.25mcg T3, if you don't feel as well then add it back in. That's all we can do until we find the right combination where we feel best.

[skelly82 in reply to SeasideSusie]

I am quite nervous to reduce as it's taken so long to feel this well, but I don't like the thought of being over the top of the range either. No harm in reducing to see how I feel I suppose, I can always go back up as you said. I might even feel better😊

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to skelly82]

I think you'll know fairly quickly whether a change in T3 dose makes a difference, I don't think you need to wait the 6 weeks normally needed for a change of Levo dose to be fully effective. If you feel worse then put the dose back up, but I understand how you feel about not really liking to be over range, I'm very close to the top and still not right but a bit reluctant to increase T3.

[shaws Administrator in reply to skelly82]

Always go by how you feel rather than blood tests alone. If we feel ill add a small increase. If you feel pulse is going too fast or you feel too hot, drop back to previous dose. That's how it was done when we were given NDT only in the UK. No blood tests were available and we were given NDT on a trial basis if we had clinical symptoms which all doctors knew then. It was raised gradually until we felt well again

web.archive.org/web/2010103...

[skelly82 in reply to shaws]

Thanks, trial and error is the only way I think 👍🏻

[skelly82]

I'm waiting to see if my gp reduces my levo due to these results he doesn't know I take t3! I'm hoping to convince him not to but he will just go on my tsh result 😏 I will have to wait and see. It's my annual review but I don't know if I'm brave enough to confess to the self medicating. Why oh why does this have to be so hard. I so wish we could just get the medication we need from our gps like other people😞

[shaws Administrator in reply to skelly82]

I wouldn't bother mentioning anything. Levothyroixine converts to T3 anyway. Dont feel guilty as you are just hoping to improve your health. TSH will be low and some GPs try to keep it somewhere in the range which keeps patient unwell. We need TSH to be 1 or lower.

[skelly82 in reply to shaws]

Just thought I would update you on the GP and annual review. The results of the NHS blood tests were very similar to the medicheck ones but they only tested for TSH and T4 of course. I rang for the results and was told they were all fine even though my TSH was 0.013! Result! So hopefully they will leave me on the same dose of levo for at least another year, so pleased 😁

[shaws Administrator in reply to skelly82]

It's good he didn't have to much of a problem with your very low TSH as some would have adjusted.

Onwards and upwards

[skelly82 in reply to shaws]

I know I was very surprised. My T4 was 17.4 and top of range is 22.0 so you never know he might actually have diagnosed from the T4 result!

[dang]

Do you have any negative side effects from the T3? I think that's the most important thing.

If it were me I would try to reduce the T3 a bit and see if any hypo symptoms come back, personally I always try to take the smallest dose I need to get the job done. Also do you have Hashi's? Because in that case it's hard to really find a stable dose so long as your thyroid is still producing.

[skelly82 in reply to dang]

Thanks for your reply. I don't think I have any side effects at all. I think that reducing for a while is probably the best plan and see what happens. I am fortunate and don't have hashis. I had RAI about 5 years ago and have really struggled on levo until starting t3 at the end of last year.

[dang in reply to skelly82]

It's not a bad idea to try it. Luckily adjustments in T3 dose don't take as long as T4 to manifest. So if you do become a little hypo you can reverse it rather quickly and you'll know your lower limit for T3. If you can feel good with your T3 within range then it's worth it.

It's possible that you're converting better now. Maybe it's the vitamins, maybe it's the T3 itself.

Best of luck with it! Keep us updated I'm interested to know how it works out!

[skelly82 in reply to dang]

Well I've started taking just half a tablet today so we will see😊

[dang in reply to skelly82]

Ok good luck with it!

[shaws Administrator in reply to skelly82]

what dose of levothyroxine were you taking.

[shaws Administrator in reply to skelly82]

I believe everyone without a gland should have T3/T4 combo. I have my gland and T4 just makes me far more unwell.

[skelly82 in reply to shaws]

I'm taking 100 mcg of levo, and have reduced t3 to 12.5 mcg. It's only a week at reduced dose so early days , don't think I've noticed anything yet. Slight sore throat but might be coincidence.

I think so too I have struggled for 5 years on T4 only. So many symptoms and no help at all from gp. Such a waste of my life when I have young grandchildren and could have enjoyed them so much more. I was always so tired and didn't appreciate them. Trying to make up for it now 😊