TSH Results: Hi everyone, I'm hoping some of you... - Thyroid UK

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TSH Results

LoveandHappiness profile image

Hi everyone,

I'm hoping some of you can give me some feedback. Here are my results:

I did these tests twice: TSH is: 6.67 and T4 is: 14.5 (9.0-19.1 pmol/L) I couldn't find the results for my T3. Thyroglobulin is 9.19 (1.40-78.00 ng/ml) and anti-thyroglobulin is 0.9 (0.0-4.1). My tests do mention this: high level of erythrocytes : 5.96 and MCV is 66.7 and MCHC is 21.3 they did not explain the meaning of these results...

I'm going to do some research and I will also try to support others dealing with these symptoms...I'm soooooooo tired!!!!

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LoveandHappiness
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20 Replies
Redditch profile image
Redditch

Hello Do you have some medication now? You will hopefully start to feel better after a few weeks. It does take a few months to get your medication right. It might be worth getting a spreadsheet going listing all of your symptoms band scoring them 1-10 with 10 as the worst they can be. So fatigue brain fog weight gain joint pain hair falling out, etc

Then add one for temperature

Take your temperature every morning when you wake up.

Keep a track of your total symptom score and your temperature.

When your symptoms ease off and your temperature is humanly normal then you know the medication is starting to work.

Good luck

LoveandHappiness profile image
LoveandHappiness in reply toRedditch

Thanks for your reply! The doctor has not put me on medication - she didn't want me to be on any and I did not see an endocrinologist ( the doctor I saw was an internist and before her I saw a GP).

silverfox7 profile image
silverfox7

Your TSH is high and your FT4 is low so you are undermedicated. Are you sure they checked FT3? Many don't but it is the important one. I would suspect it would also be low.

LoveandHappiness profile image
LoveandHappiness in reply tosilverfox7

The problem is that the doctor won't agree to place me on medication! I'm still trying to figure this whole thing out... so many of us have these awful symptoms.

Redditch profile image
Redditch in reply toLoveandHappiness

I would be interested to know what the doctor's thinking was. A symptomatic patient with a TSH of 6.

....... nope.... I can't work out what thought process led to

No medication

Maybe when your next test is TSH 8? Or 23?

shaws profile image
shawsAdministrator in reply toRedditch

Unfortunately as the guidelines from the BTA state a TSH of 10 should be reached!! Mine got to 100 (no blood test ever taken but plenty of 'meds' for the symptoms).

LoveandHappiness profile image
LoveandHappiness in reply toshaws

Wow! I can't imagine how horrible you must have felt!

shaws profile image
shawsAdministrator in reply toLoveandHappiness

In the USA and probably most other countries they would prescribe if TSH is around 3+. The BTA really have to look at the misery they cause by patients being denied a prescription due alone to their TSH while ignoring the clinical symptoms.

Let's get back to the 'old-fastioned' diagnosis and treatment. Doctors take account of the clinical symptoms of patients and prescribe NDT. (natural dessicated thyrid hormones).

Stourie profile image
Stourie in reply toshaws

Shaws, why do they still have a reference range when it is nearly always ignored?

Jo xx

shaws profile image
shawsAdministrator in reply toStourie

I believe doctors are told that TSH and T4 are sufficient and they diagnose/adjust according to the TSH. They don't realise that we need TSH around 1 or lower.

It would seem from the posts on here that's true. The labs have to state the ranges as machines differ so do the ranges.

It is on the forum that we have realised that FT4 and FT3 are important as stated on the TUK website, so we, the patients, have to 'Learn it Ourselves' when not improving under the doctor or endocrinologists care. Many find both Frees are low, despiite being on levothyroxine on a dose GPs deem optimum despite patient's still compalining.

The fact also is tha many seem to be well on levothyroxine but it those that don't and many are actually worse on levo (myself) or aren't given sufficient are ignored or prescribed anything else but an option.

activelazy profile image
activelazy

Hello love and happiness,

I think you already had some great advice on your TSH through your previous post. Have you made another appointment with your GP? You need to see them again and get your numbers of free T4 and free T3.

Other than that, your doctor should talk to you about high erythrocytes. I think the the report might be talking about ESR - Erythrocytes sedimentation rate - which is marker of inflammation. If there is any inflammation in the body, it goes up. Doctor should investigate source of your inflammation. Your symptoms may be able to help find it.

Your MCV and MCHC are below range which is likely caused by your thalassemia trait. However, there is still a possibility that you may be iron deficient at the same time. To rule out, iron deficiency anaemia, ask your doctor to do a full iron panel as well as ferritin level.

Without knowing the results of these tests, you should not take iron supplements. What is your Hb?

With low MCV and MCHC, doctors blindly prescribe iron supplements which is not very good for someone with thalassemia trait. More investigation is needed in terms of iron and ferritin as I said before.

Good luck!

LoveandHappiness profile image
LoveandHappiness in reply toactivelazy

Thanks for your reply! Yes actually I tried to speak to the GP but only got through to the answering machine...I'm searching to find the right doctor because I felt uncomfortable with the one I had ( I felt that my symptoms of fatigue weren't taken seriously). Plus, I barely got an explanation of my results!

activelazy profile image
activelazy in reply toLoveandHappiness

Keep trying. What is your Hb?

LoveandHappiness profile image
LoveandHappiness in reply toactivelazy

Thanks - I will have to verify as I'm not home and don't have my results with me.

Katepots profile image
Katepots

I would be feeling horrendous with a TSH of 3 let alone 6. Are you medicated? You definitely have hypothyroidism

TSH should be under 2. Ideally for us under 1 to feel well.

a low MCV count indicates the presence of smallerthan-average red blood cells,

MCV blood test is designed to calculate red blood cell size, also known as Mean Corpuscular Volume.

A long-term decrease of iron in the body can cause low MCV levels. Amemia can also cause a low MCV level amongst other things.

Low mchv also points to anaemia. Talk to the Dr

No wonder you feel so tired, the TSH alone would wipe you out!

Definitely get your Folate,Ferritin, B12 and Vit D tested.

Come back with results and what the dr says.

LoveandHappiness profile image
LoveandHappiness in reply toKatepots

Thanks for this info - I will try to get as much info done and get as many tests as needed. I really hope I can eventually help others as well some day. I did not think we were so many dealing with this.

Katepots profile image
Katepots in reply toLoveandHappiness

Yes sooo many of us. This site is invaluable. We are pretty much on our own with the medical service but all together here 😀

Katepots profile image
Katepots

Seen the other replies. Hadn't realised you had thalassemia.

Do you have treatment for that? Regular blood transfusions? That can help you not become anaemia. Other than that a bit beyond my knowledge! You really need to be seeing a specialist as you're feeling so unwell. insist on it!! Just say to the dr to refer you and if he won't just ask him if he wants to be held responsible if you get very sick and insist again that you want to see a specialist.

Good luck.

LoveandHappiness profile image
LoveandHappiness in reply toKatepots

Thanks to your reply! Apparently I have the trait only for thalassemia therefore no meds...

shaws profile image
shawsAdministrator

A couple of links:-

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/about_...

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/testin...

I suggest you go back to GP and say you've had advice from the NHS Choices Thyroiduk.org.uk and you should be given thyroid hormones. Show her the copies and tick off your symptoms.

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