Numb fingers - advice required

[foxrabbit]

Hello all,

I am new here but have had thyroid problems since I was a teenager. I was finally diagnosed with hypothyroidism (Hashimoto's) 2 and a half years ago (aged 30) due to symptoms of numbness in my little and ring fingers as well as feeling run down with low mood, weight gain, etc. I was prescribed 50mcg of Levothyroxine and my symptoms cleared up, although the brain fog always remained. Over the last year my medication was upped to 75mcg but recently the numbness and low mood set back in. I had my TSH level checked and it was within the range around the same value as it has been for 2 years now (around 1.8 with a reference of 0.5-3.5 I think but actual numbers are at home at the moment, I can post later if required) free t3 was quite low in the range though so I managed to persuade the doctor to let me try 100mcg. I'm 5 weeks in at the higher dose and the numbness is still there. I know that it is recommended to wait 6 weeks after a dose increase but this is concerning me as I don't think it took this long last time and my TSH was far higher at 14 when initially diagnosed.

My question is this, do any of you suffer from numb fingers, especially the little and ring fingers (I think this would be cubital tunnel syndrome) and also, how long would you expect this to take to clear up? I have read as much as I have had time to read over the years on the thyroid and the causes for symptoms etc but if anyone has further knowledge on how it causes numbness I would really appreciate it. The more scientific the better if possible!

I know the likely answers will advise b12 which I supplement with and was well over range in when tested 5 weeks ago. I don't, however, take a b-complex but am in the process of ordering some. I have been gluten free since initial diagnosis and I'm not over weight.

Your advice would be much appreciated, thank you.

[greygoose]

Did you have an active B12 test? Because, if not, as you are taking B12, the result won't be accurate. You have to stop the B12 for five months to get an accurate ordinary test.

It's low T3 that causes symptoms, so if yours is low, then that might be the problem. How well are you converting that T4 you're taking? Do you have FT4 and FT3 results from the last test?

Forgot to say, I did have two numb fingers on my left hand before I was diagnosed. The numbness went away when I started thyroid hormone replacement, and has never come back. I don't know any more than that, sorry.

[foxrabbit in reply to greygoose]

Many thanks for your reply.

I was lucky on the latest test that the doctor actually did the free T3 and T4 as they normally don't, I did do a conversion test that I came across in another post on here but I wasn't sure how to interpret it, as it didn't state what a good/bad conversion rate was and it was in a foreign language! I will post the proper numbers tonight.

With regards to the B12, I'm not sure, it was just the standard NHS test so I doubt it. Can you get an active B12 done on the NHS?

[greygoose in reply to foxrabbit]

No, I don't think you can. It's usually the ordinary blood test.

[foxrabbit in reply to greygoose]

Hi, my blood test results in May were as follows:

TSH 1.75 (0.35-3.5)

FT4 13 (8-21)

FT3 4.1 (3.8-6.0)

B12 >2000 (130-1100)

Serum folate 8 (2.7-15)

Ferritin 26 (23-300)

I take a sachet of spatone a day but have upped it to two.

When I put my values into the foreign calculator posted previously on this site it gave this:

FT4 38.46%

FT3 13.64%

Any further advice would be really appreciated

[greygoose in reply to foxrabbit]

Well, you are under-medicated. The TSH should be one or below. And, your FT3 isn't even mid-range, when most people need it up the top of the range to feel well.

I don't think you get a lot of iron out of Spatone, even with two packets. I think you should ask for further advice on that, because it's very low.

[Marz in reply to foxrabbit]

Supplementing B12 skews test results and are of little value ....

[foxrabbit in reply to Marz]

If supplementing skews the result Marz, how do we find out if we do actually have enough in our system? I'd always put the initial numbness I'd had when first diagnosed down to being low on b12, so I took high strength methylcobalamin mouth lozenges but it hadn't helped this time around. I'm now 7 weeks into a Levo dose change and have started a good quality b complex too and now the numbness is improving but I'm still having a few issues on my left arm and hand.

[Marz in reply to foxrabbit]

It is a bit like thyroid issues - better to go by symptoms. Have you considered injections - you can buy them on-line.

b12deficiency.info/signs-an...

b-s-h.org.uk/guidelines/

healthunlocked.com/pasoc/po...

Do you have any gut isues ? Have you been tested for PA ?

[bubbatetley]

Hi foxrabbit hope you're not suffering too much with this awful disease, it's so debilitating and has so many awful frightening symptoms , which the doctors really don't understand or even want to listen as they are too busy , so it's a quick in/out of consultation room. I've been through hell with this now for 7 years and am getting worse.. I've seen two Endocrinologist that are a heap of garbage, and not ready to listen to how you are feeling.. but ready to give out Levothyroxine regardless of if you're allergic to it or not, which in my case I am.. My symptoms are awful, losing my hair, loss of eyebrows,

Palpitations. insomnia, dry eyes, weak bladder and bowels and now over the past two weeks numb fingers in left hand espes little finger, numb legs, feet and now in my face.. I live in Yorkshire and have now decided I am going to see a professor Endocrinologist in Manchester, as a lot of these Endos DO NOT KNOW ENOUGH!!!!!!! You must RESEARCH!!!!

Good luck

take care

Bubba