Hi
A bit confused with results I am seeing hospital consultant later this week ( or representative ) according to letter for Hypercholesterolaemia . My test results show abnormal for serum TSH level
0.06 mu/L I believe the range is ( 0.35 - 5.50 )
and
Serum triglycerides 1.9 mmol /L ( 0.3 - 1.7 )
Anyone got a heads up on this type of result I recently had my Levothroxine increased to 150mg daily from 125mg and now take Atorvastatin 20mg
Any info appreciated 
Minxie27,
TSH is suppressed because you are taking 150mcg Levothyroxine which is a suppressive dose. If your doctor suggests that you are over medicated ask him/her to check FT4 and FT3. If they are within range you are not over medicated despite low TSH.
Statins should be taken 4-5 hours away from Levothyroxine thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/treatm...
Thank you , it also says on form T4 level 21.4 pmol/L and T3 4.9 pmol/L if that is relevant . I have never felt free of hypothyroid symptoms and really suffering with pains in my feet but GP not interested 
Minxie27,
I think they're more relevant than TSH. Do you have the lab ref ranges (the figures in brackets after the results)?
Did the pains in your feet start before or after you started taking Atorvastin.
T4 level 21.4 range (10.3 - 22.7 ) assuming that is within range
T3 4.9 " ( 3.5 - 6.5 )
The foot pain has been getting worse for last couple of years only been taking the Atorvastatin for about 10 - 12 weeks . Not keen to take statins but it was up to 8.4 and rising
I am not medically qualified but do know that a higher cholesterol level can be due to hypothyroidism and if on an optimum of thyroid hormones it can reduce without statins.
I shall give you a couple of links and I wonder if the Professional you are seeing would consider adding some T3 to your T4 on a trial basis to see if it reduces your cholesterol level. T3 is the only active hormone required by our receptor cells. Do you know your Actual Free T4 and Free T3 results as both should be towards the upper part of the range:-
ehealthme.com/ds/levothyrox...
Your FT3 is not quite mid-range - mid-range being 5 - so that could account for your high cholesterol. High cholesterol is a hypo symptom, but I've never yet met a doctor that knew that. Instead of giving you statins - for which, by the way, he gets funding points, he get's nothing for thyroid hormones - he should be reducing your dose of levo, and adding in a little T3. Now, I know that's not going to happen in the present climate, but it is something you could try doing yourself. Preferable to taking statins, I would have thought!
I recently saw a lady on TV about T3 and she had to pay £290 for a month supply as not available re manufacturing costs .. I have more chance of a vacation on the moon , the lady in question was sourcing it from Greece but concerned about quality. It's a dilemma for sure , thanks for your reply .
However much was she taking? That's very expensive, and I'm sure you wouldn't need to take that much a week. If you use a reliable source - i.e. one recommended on by member of this forum - then there is no need to be concerned about quality. I'm thinking she was buying it on a body-building side, where it is expensive, and of doubtful quality!
Hi Minxie, my sister in law is just back from Turkey and brought me 400 tablets of t3 back for me and they only cost £15.00. I was delighted.
Jo xx
Good afternoon grey goose, i have been feeling tired and sluggish since last week, went for my routine bloods before my apt with my consultant tomorrow . Im on 50mcg thyroxine do you think that they are starting not to work for me anymore and need a higher dose?
My thinking aligns closely with that of GreyGoose here. How recently was your Levo increased and were these test results before or after?
High Cholesterol may well be a symptom of your Hypothyroidism and once your dosage is optimal it may well come down in time. Has it gone up, gone down, or not moved while on your current dosage of T4?
I can understand your reticence with statins, for me they were not good at all. I found that the low fat diet recommnded by most doctors also pushed my cholesterol UP. Reverting to a low carb diet was far more successful. Adding a little oat bran to your cereal (if you eat it) can help to prevent you absorbing more cholersterol from diet.
It doesn't matter if you absorb cholesterol from your diet. Cholesterol is made in the liver - because it is an essential nutrient - we'd die without it. The more you get from food, the less your liver makes. But the less you get from food, the more the liver makes.
When you are hypo, the cholesterol builds up in the blood because the T3 is low and the body cannot therefore use the cholesterol properly, transport it round the body to where it is needed. The brain, for example, is mostly made up of cholesterol, and the adrenals need it to make hormones. It's sheer madness to take statins to try and lower it. In fact, you're more likely to have a heart attack with low cholesterol, than you are with high cholesterol.
You are preaching to the converted. With one exception. If your body cannot use the cholesterol your liver is producing, then reducing absorption is a small step to give the body some help.
No, because the liver will just make more.
Were the cholesterol low, yes it would and rightly so, there is not reason for it to do so in hypercholesteroleamia. Given that this argument is quite illogical, can you cite any reserchy whatsoever that indicates the liver randomly produces cholesterol because it's not in diet where hypocholesteroleamia is present?
While cholesterol is an essential nutrient, high cholesterol and doctors point out can have serious implications for the cardiovascular system. While more recent research does indicate that is more common with glycosylation of the arteries, with high free radical levels etc that does not making ignoring cholesterol this high at all sensible.
Further more recent research I have seen concerning large particle cholesterol proudction by the liver in both Hypothryoidism and Addison's disease has cited that TSH and ACTH are the culprits for over production of cholesterol at the liver rather than the levels of Thyroid or Adrenal hormones.
Nope, I can't. These are just things I've picked up from extensive reading. I'm not sure the liver knows how much cholesterol is in the blood.
Besides, cholesterol at that level is not a problem for the body. It doesn't cause heart attacks or strokes. That is Big Pharma propaganda to sell statins.
I did read that up to the 70's , when levo and the Tsh test became the wonder thing , the usual treatment for high cholesterol was NDT.
Really? I haven't read that, but I understand it!
link tot he full article : thyroid-info.com/articles/d...
David Derry: The thyroidologists have been looking for a reliable test for thyroid function since the beginning of the century. The first important ones were the Basal Metabolic Rate, the cholesterol and the creatine phosphokinase. (CK) . These were used mainly up to about 1960. If you had a high cholesterol in the first half of the century you got thyroid to lower it to normal. Details of using this method of treatment were still described in the 1950's. The Basal Metabolic rate became the fad in the 30s and 40s and almost every office had a machine to measure it. It was quite good but subject to difficulties of interpretation and interference by emotional factors. However it still remains the only test that actually measures the effects of thyroid medication on the human body. In the 1940's radioactive iodine became available from the Tennessee Valley Atomic Energy Complex. Hence the metabolism of iodine could be studied more closely. The radioactive iodine uptake by the thyroid became a frequently used test, which was said to be infallible like all the others when they first arrived. Every time there was a new test it was declared to be reliable for telling if a person was hyperthyroid or hypothyroid, but as with every previous test it turned out to not be clinically applicable in all cases. In the 1960's when I was studying medicine the PBI (Protein bound iodine) was heralded as the only test necessary, when it was low you had hypothyroidism and when it was high you had hyperthyroidism. This was written in some of the textbooks of the time. Eventually this test went the way of the rest -- useful sometimes-- but doesn't always agree with the clinical findings.
Hi , I did not see the previous results but the GP increased my levo and rollicked me for stopping previously with Simvastatin a couple of years ago . Diet did not seem to make any difference back then . Thanks for your reply
Ask your GP to come up with the research that says that statins help women. There is none. Do take time to read the links posted by shaws above. Dr Kendrick wrote the book - The Colesterol Con.
I agree with Marz and Grey Goose. read Dr Kendrick's books or google to find his blog. What is the real cause of Heart disease. 29 parts and counting. He is a practising GP with a specialism in Cardiology and has been advisor to the European Board of Cardiology and consultant for NICE re cardiology info, so to be respected.
Also go to Chris Masterjohn's facebook page or google for website. He is the researcher of researchers - does the research so you do not have to! He has hypercholesterolemia himself (sorry if that is spelt wrongly) he has lots of informative videos on his facebook page. Has done many this year, one definitely on hypercholesterolemia. Lots of data, facts and figures and research and answers your questions. At least on relatively new posts. He has answered mine. So full of respect for him and his work. Look up his 'Vitamin K2 Resource' guidelines - nothing else out there like it. You will see what I mean. He tackles everything to do with nutrition and is a total expert on fat soluble vitamins and chloesterol.
I heard Dr Harpham (Cambridge) speaking many yrs ago. Of how her colleague was at the European conference re cholesterol and statin introduction. Discussion included, what the level of cholesterol should be set, at which guidelines state Statins should be prescribed. There was much controversy - average cholesterol level about 7-7.5. This colleague during recess for lunch/ break overheard the discussion between 2 decision making panellists. One stated to the other that a decision at a figure of anything above 5 would mean that not enough people would be drawn into the net of target statin prescribing. She had no doubt after eves dropping on their conversation that what figure would be determined on to create policy. So A) just a made up figure with no evidential research behind it and B) determined on from self interest of pharmaceutical company/s involved in research and production.
You need to read Dr Kendrick's book 'Doctoring Data' fascinating and informative and I feel you will never look at our medical system the same again once having read.
Research proves no benefit to women ever, in taking a statin.
The reason, cholesterol can go up when hypothyroid is because the thyroid hormone is responsible for the functional pathway of creating LDL receptors on every cell. If you do not have enough receptors on cells, the LDL shipments cannot dock at the receptor and deposit it's load of cholesterol into the cell. So because of lack of receptors, your LDL particles will be left hanging about in the blood (just ready for your blood test) It obviously is not good for LDL particles to be left hanging about in the blood because they are then exposed to oxidative damage but the answer is not to use a statin but to sort out the root cause of the problem and that looks like hypothyroidism in your case as you presumeably have been diagnosed.
You could also look at why you have an underactive thyroid. And try and achieve as many positive approaches to help your thyroid as possible. Receptors for iodine on the thyroid cells are going to be occupied and blocked to receiving iodine by other sructurally similar halogens such as bromine (fire retardents in your mattress/furniture) chlorine (in tap and bottled water/ swimming pools. But absorb mostly from the steam in a shower) fluorine (fluoride/toothpaste).
Note: cholesterol levels fluctuate through the day, they do not remain static. LDL is so critical it is part of the arsenal of a functioning immune system. If your body detects it is under threat from pathogens then LDL will be held back in the blood to help neutralise the threat. If this is an ongoing threat, then LDL is going to be found high in the blood always. Is the answer a statin! No way is that going to help - working agains the body!
Also cholesterol levels need to be much higher as we age. Probably because function has been compromised over the years or more infections over the years have established their homes, hiding in biofilms of your own cells. What ever the reason is we need a higher cholesterol as we age, the body is trying it's utmost to keep us alive and does not work puposely against us.
If you believe any hypocholesterolemia is due to a genetic defect then I believe it would be prudent to be tested for the genes first to see if you carry them before resorting to a statin which has no positive endorsement in research for women.
And with the emerging science of epigenetics (influences above the genes ) lifestyle factors and diet and a healthy balanced microbiome will play a huge role as to when/whether genes are switched on and off.
If you have all this info and research at your disposal, you will be in a far better place to influence consultant and your own decision making
Hi I have been crippled by pains in feet and knees- burning/ stabbing for a year. Virtually housebound. Was just one of many chronic hypo symptoms Drs in three countries have misdiagnosed and mistreated. I dont have a thyroid after cancer treatment(13 years ago). My health i now realise was on the decline for 8 years and Drs and Endos kept mucking around reducing and increasing my T4. Thank God I found this forum when completely bedbound and unable to walk last Jan. GP insisting it was plantar faciitis. Saw a private Endochronoligist recommended here, started all the vitamins, supplements and leaky gut repair stuff AND T3 in Feb. Its a long slow recovery but the difference is miraculous- AND makes me SOOO angry no Dr ever said u need T3.
Pain was 8 now at most a 2, brain fog clearing, energy still fluctuating but much improved IBS dissapeared and cholestoral dropped.
Thanks again team Thyroid UK for all u do and Minx27 get some T3 we can help you! I get from Germany via private prescription- 60 euros for 6 months Supply very reliable source.
More blood test results
Blood test results help please
