Advice please test results back

[Emits]

Tsh * 0.16 mIU/L 0.27 - 4.2

FREE THYROXINE 18.4 pmol/l 12.0 - 22.0

FREE T3 4.1 pmol/L 3.1 -6.8

I'm not feeling well still. Feeling better since last increase though. What do you think? Am I converting ok?

Can I increase dose of levothyroxine?

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Emits

FREE THYROXINE 18.4 pmol/l 12.0 - 22.0 - 64% through range

FREE T3 4.1 pmol/L 3.1 -6.8 - 27% through range

FT4 and FT3 generally should be in the upper part of their ranges and in balance. You would probably feel better with a higher FT3.

18.4 : 4.1 = 4.48 : 1

Good conversion takes place when FT4: FT3 ratio is 4:1 or less.

Supplementing with selenium can help with conversion, as can optimal vitamins and minerals with a minimum ferritin level of 70.

[Emits in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thank you!

Do you think it's a good idea to increase levothyroxine? To hopefully feel better.

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Emits]

Emits, increasing Levo will increase your FT4 and, to some extent, your FT3. Maybe not enough on it's own though. Optimising vitamins and mineral levels and supplementing with selenium can help.

How are your vitamin and mineral levels?

If you get all those in place and still have poor conversion then adding T3 could help.

[Emits in reply to SeasideSusie]

I am supplementing so now everything except ferritin levels are optimal. Last time 65

Do you think it's likely that Ok will need t3 added. Before diagnosis my ft3 levels were 3.8 (3.5-6.5)

So it seems that hasn't improved much...

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Emits]

Emits, ferritin is recommended to be half way through it's range, and a minimum of 70 for thyroid hormone to work and conversion to take place.

If you can add liver regularly to your diet that will help your ferritin level, it's actually a superfood and gives us far more than just iron chriskresser.com/natures-mo...

I would be wanting to add a bit of T3 to my Levo if I had your results.

[Emits in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thanks again for your reply!

Do you think it's enough to eat 1 or 2 Brazil nuts to get enough selenium?

How do you go about to try to get t3 prescribed? Or do you have to take the self medicating road?

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Emits]

Emits, getting the right amount of selenium from Brazil nuts is very difficult for these reasons:

To contain any selenium at all, they have to be grown in selenium rich soil.

The packet has to say they have been grown in selenium rich soil.

Different areas have different levels of selenium in their soil so you'd need to know where they were actually grown - honey-guide.com/2012/11/19/...

A small nut would contain less than a large nut.

So I always say that to ensure you know exactly how much selenium you are getting then take a supplement, eating Brazil nuts is guesswork at best, will give you no selenium at worst.

**

On the NHS, Endos initially prescribe T3, with ultimately your GP surgery funding it. There seems to be new guidelines which discourage, if not ban (not sure), the prescribing of T3 now due to the extortionate cost which has risen from just a few pounds to around £250 for 30 tablets. An unscrupulous, greedy, pharmaceutical company, the only one who supplies T3 in the UK, is wholly to blame for that. Some doctors don't agree there is a need for T3 bit try telling that to patients who can't convert T4 to T3 at all and rely solely on T3.

You may be able to get a private prescription by seeing a private doctor, but there is still the problem of cost, unless you find a pharmacy abroad who will fill the prescription at a more reasonable cost.

Then there is self sourcing T3 which at the moment is extremely difficult because there is a shortage in Greece where the main suppliers​ used by members are based.

Sorry, there's not much helpful information in this reply

[Emits in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thank you so much for trying to help!

Do you think that supplementing with selenium might be enough for me?

If not could GP prescribe T3?

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Emits]

Getting ferritin to half way through it's range, keeping all vits and mins at optimal levels, and supplementing with selenium may help with conversion. You just have to try it, there are no guarantees.

I have mentioned in my previous post about the prescribing of T3. It needs to be prescribed by an endo initially and your GP has to agree to fund it. Due to what appears to be new guidelines I think it highly unlikely you will get T3 prescribed on the NHS currently, but you could try.

[Emits in reply to SeasideSusie]

Once again thanks!