Latest blood results, feeling fatigued and mild dizziness - GP wants me to try HRT

[SunsetLady]

Hi, I've seen my GP today as I'm still not feeling well - having to lie down after a couple of hours of gentle pottering about, mild dizziness at times, breathless when walking on an incline, weak legs and tingling hands.

Blood results taken yesterday show:

TSH 1.29 (0.27-4.2)

Free T4 14.9 (10-21)

Free T3 5.3 (3.5-6.5)

I am on 75mcg Levothyroxine and started sublingual B12 5,000 plus Basic B complex 4weeks ago when B12 was 230 (140-724) and Folate was 7.36 (3.89-26.8)

GP has asked for full blood count, ECG and chest x ray next week and also wants me to think about HRT. I don't have any hot flushes and still have periods so don't think thats the answer-just wondered if anyone could advise on this please.

Thanks

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

VP17 - HRT is not something I would have contemplated at all, but we each have to do our own research and make up our own minds. Look into bioidentical progesterone cream if you do contemplate it.

As for your thyroid test results, you are slightly undermedicated. The aim of a treated hypo patient generally is for TSH to be 1 or below or wherever it is needed for FT4 and FT3 to be in the upper part of their respective reference ranges. Your FT4 is less than half way through it's range and FT3 just over half way, so your conversion is good but you could do with more Levo to get that FT4 up into the upper third, FT3 will rise too.

[SunsetLady]

Thank you SeasideSusie, I didn't think I need HRT and am baffled as to why my GP keeps pushing it when I don't have symptoms other than fatigue!

I will see about getting an increase of levo, thats what I thought is needed, rather than HRT!

Thanks again

[greygoose in reply to SunsetLady]

Ask him why he thinks that's the answer. I'd be curious to know, myself.

[Lozzer66]

Did he even test you for perimenopause?I was offered it at 45/46 as my bloods showed perimenopause and was told I was too young to be going through it and i would need to protect my bones and it may alleviate my distressing symptoms to start the hrt (even though I was having periods!) ...however those same symptoms can be attributed to your thyroid not being optimally medicated.... .

[SunsetLady]

Hi Lozzer66, I has FSH tested and it was 26, taken 2 weeks into a 6 week cycle.

[thyr01d]

Hello VP17. I'm not medically qualified but from my own experience know those symptoms can be associated with low vitamin B 12 (tingling/fatigue) and low iron or ferritin (breathlessness/tiredness) and I think mild dizziness can be either. No doubt other causes but it might be worth having your ferritin and iron levels tested and, emphatically BEFORE taking any B12 supplement at all, your B12.

Others more knowledgeable will no doubt come up with other suggestions.

[SunsetLady]

Thanks thyr01d, l thought that too, l can't understand why GPS insist it's something else when us non medical people can see. It's great to know you all think the same as me so l'm going to avoid HRT and concentrate on sorting thyroid and B12 etc. Thanks again, hope you're doing ok