My GP says my thyroid is normal and that I'm suffering from anxiety and stress. I'm not anxious or stressed .....

[Surehope]

But I have felt ill for the past couple of months. Hair loss on scalp (years been using minoxidil) and body, peeling and ridges on nails, waking up suddenly for no reason with a racing mind and recently fatigue that's so bad its painful. Bad tempered and intolerant. Not to mention frequent UTIs

So I had private blood tests with Blue Horizon. Showed them to my GP who clearly didn't understand them and said she would put them on the system. That was it! Can someone help me make sense of these results. Does my thyroid need help?

TSH 1.22 (R) 0.27-4.20 mlU/L

T4 Total 90.7 (R) 64.5-142.0 nmol/L

Free T4 15.23 (R) 12-22 pmol/L

Free T3 3.48 (R) 3.1-6.8 pmol/L

CRP 1.30 (R) <5.0 mg/l

Ferritin 81.0 (R) 20-150 ug/l

Anti-Thyroidperoxidase abs 11.7 (R) <34 klU/L

Anti-Thyroglobulin Abs 12 (R) <115 kU/L

Vit D (25 OH) 85 Deficient <25. Insufficient 25-50. >175 consider reducing dose

Vit B12 High 1077 >725 consider reducing dose.

Serum Folate

37.22 (R) 8.83-60.8 nmol/L

GP doesnt know why b12 is so high as I'm not taking supplements

[Jazzw]

Ask your doctor to do some liver function tests and check out kidney function. When B12 is high for no reason it sometimes points to problems with the liver and/or kidneys. Unfortunately, many GPs don't know this sort of thing these days.

Your FT3 is low, but it may well be that your body is down-regulating because it "knows" you're not up to doing very much.

[humanbean in reply to Jazzw]

A good article on B12 being high when no supplements are being taken :

academic.oup.com/qjmed/arti...

There is a PDF link near the top of the page if anyone wants to download it (which I think is worth doing).

[Jazzw in reply to humanbean]

Thanks HB. I still can't get over the fact that my other half's GP had absolutely no idea - probably still doesn't - that high B12 without supplementation was a red flag for liver problems.

[humanbean in reply to Jazzw]

It is shocking. The very first sentence in that link I gave is :

"Hypercobalaminemia (high serum vitamin B12 levels) is a frequent and underestimated anomaly."

I imagine doctors in the UK don't come across it very often because they hardly ever test B12 levels.

[Jazzw in reply to humanbean]

Ain't that the truth...

[Jazzw in reply to Jazzw]

I should add that I told her that I'd read that, and she pulled a face and said, "No, I don't think so..."

[humanbean in reply to Jazzw]

Well, it would have hurt her ego to have a patient (or a patient's partner) knowing more than she did on anything. And since that thought couldn't be allowed to linger she just dismissed it.

A bit of humility wouldn't come amiss from so many doctors.

[Surehope in reply to humanbean]

Thank you

[Surehope in reply to humanbean]

Thank you HB for the link to the article. I'll print it and take it to show my GP.

[Surehope in reply to Jazzw]

Thank you. As I'm reading these God-sent replies the fog seems to be lifting. Now I feel that I can go to my Gp more informed.

[Surehope in reply to Jazzw]

Thank you. I'm getting those tests you suggest. I told the gp I was going to get them done privately, thinking she would refuse but she agreed to send me for them. Think she's picking up on the seriousness of this.

[Surehope]

Thank you. Yes I've had IBS for years. And I've also been using Minoxidil for about three years under the Dermatologist. It really isn't effective but I'm scared to stop in case it actually gets worse. Thanks for the advise onnot using aluminium cookware

[ThyroidObsessed]

Have u had a change of brand of levo at all??..

People are having problems with the teva (new formula) makong people feel ill and anxiety, i suffered wifh severe anxiety attacks when my levo was changed to teva new formula last october.. im just now recovering now that i have been back on the actavis brand 6 weeks ago..

[Surehope in reply to ThyroidObsessed]

I'm not on any thyroid hormones as gp say my thyroid is normal. I need to see her again.

[Surehope in reply to ThyroidObsessed]

Hello Kez1984. Nothing has been prescribed because I'm in the 'normal' range. My GP is oblivious to my symtoms, they seem to go under her radar and she only responds to the nhs lab results which don't test T3. Now I'm beginning to understand the thyroid a bit I need now to educate myself about the pros and cons of synthetic -v- natural and the different brands. Not forgetting the battle to get the GP to listen and engage with me. Thank you.

[magsyh]

The problem with docs and blood test results is really they cant read them and they have no idea what they mean. Its an absoloute joke. Thats why they dismiss private ones! You see when they order blood tests they rely on the labs to pick up on abnormalities. If the lab says they are fine and within range the doc marks them no attention required. Its scary, they know nothing!! If you question anything they bluff their way through it. I recheck everything, question everything and believe nothing! Xx

[bonnyaus in reply to magsyh]

Me too!!!

[jgelliss]

Surehope , your symptoms all point to hypothyroid . Are you on any T3 /NDT ? If your not and your on T4 only try to get some T3 into the mix . T3 and T4 gives us energy and hair grows fuller and nails get stronger . Selenium helps with conversion T4 to T3 .

Endo/Dr have to start reexamining the way they treat thyroid patients. Thyroid patients don't want to be treated with some lab results only but with symptoms FIRST .They have to start listening to patients .So that patients could feel optimum .

[Surehope in reply to jgelliss]

Jgelliss. That's really helpful thanks. I can see now that I need to tackle the T4 and T3 problem. Are there choices? I've been reading about dessicated thyroxine from pigs and synthetic ones? Are they both available on the nhs? What are the differences in terms of effectiveness and safety? And at the same time I needed to get the tests to show the cause of my elevated b12. Thanks

[jgelliss in reply to Surehope]

Surehope sympathy and prayers to you . Try to find a good Endo/Dr that listens and cares . That's for starters .

My experiences have been that a combination of both synthetic and either synthetic T3 or NDT from porcine is what works best . It mimics healthy thyroids . Personally I need more T4 (synthetic) and a small mix of NDT for my T3 . Some need more T3 less T4 . For me it was reverse . High T3 for me caused lethargy brain fog and anxiety . It's really trial and error . And it's not one size fits all .

Wishing you a fast and great resolution .

[CSmithLadd]

Asking a conventional doctor to help you with vitamins and minerals is a mistake. They have no clue!

B-12 blood tests are notoriously unreliable as far as giving you a fair picture of the Active B-12 in your body. Usually the Total B-12 is what is represented in the blood test. That is not helpful at all. What you want to know is how much Active B-12 you have. Knowing this, one can see how a B-12 deficient person gets a normal reading; or a B-12 deficient person can get a high or even very high reading!!

Source: b12patch.com/blog/why-b12-blood-tests-are-an-epic-fail/

If it is true that you do have high B-12, it's probably due to a problem with the MTHFR gene mutation (Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase genetic mutation) as it's really quite common.

"Almost everyone has an MCV Level done on every lab test. Look at your lab test and if the level is high, you have a condition called Macrocytic Anemia. You can also ask your doctor for a homocysteine level; if it's high, this is called Hyperhomocysteinemia. If either of these tests are abnormal, it's a good reason to suspect you have MTHFR."

Source: easy-immune-health.com/mthfr-gene.html#ixzz4fCOtfNh5

Many of the symptoms for B12 deficiency mimic those of hypothyroidism.

I'd bet you are not B-12 deficient at all. You really need to make sure all your vitamin, mineral, and hormone levels are optimal. That means not going by the meager reference ranges of the lab. Any doctor who does so shouldn't be a doctor!

If your doctor won't follow up with appropriate testing to prove whether or not your B-12 is actually high, then please see an integrative doctor who understands the importance of accuracy when testing for vitamins and minerals. An Active B-12 test is in order for you.

Good luck to you. Healing hugs too!!

[Surehope in reply to CSmithLadd]

CSmithLadd. Thank you SO much! I can't tell you how helpful this information is. I'm going to write it all out and draw up a plan of action for my Gp. I could not have done this alone. The T3 and T4 thing I'm beginning to get handle on but the implications of the elevatrd b12 I have to admit is really frightening. Thanks

[CSmithLadd in reply to CSmithLadd]

Correction: I meant to say that I would bet you perhaps don't have high B-12 -- not that you were "not deficient." As you certainly could be! Seeing your Active B-12 will tell the tale.

So sorry about that!!

Glad this is of help to you, Surehope.

Hugs!!

[Surehope in reply to CSmithLadd]

Yes I guessed that's what you meant. At least it's something to explore

[Surehope]

Thank you. I'm trying to cut gluten sugar red meat and carbs and swoping my non-stick pan for a cast iron one. The sugar thing is hard as I get cravings but I'm going to really give it a go.

Also taking some probiotics in Kimchi and Krut

[LH44]

Hi, apologies on jumping in here but I wondered how these results tell you T4 isn't converting to T3 correctly, e.g. is there a particular pattern? I ask as mine are very similar, I have tpoab too. Thx

[LH44]

Thanks for clarifying ☺

[Surehope]

ReallyFed123

Thank you for the clear and uncomplicated eating plan suggestion. I was avoiding the red meat because of bowel cancer risk but that's to do with processed red meat with nitrates isn't it? Anyway this type of eating seems really do-able. Many thanks