Private blood tests any advise please

[Shazbrett]

Hi This is my first post. I take 100mcg of thyroxine I have had an underactive thyroid for 8 years and I have hashimotos. I would be grateful for any advise about the results. Thyroid stimulating hormone 2.42 range 0.27-4.20

Free thyroxine 23.14 range 12.00-22.00

Total thyroxine 133.4 range 59.00-154.00

Reverse T3 37 range 10.00-24.00

Free T3 4.36 range 3.10-6.80

Reverse T3 ratio 7.67 range 15.01-75.00

Thyroglobulin antibody 87.620 range 0.00-115.00

Thyroid peroxidase antibodies 547.1 range 0.00-34.00

Vitamin B12 380.5 range 140.00-724.00

Folate (serum) 10.66 range 2.91-50.00

Vitamin D 65.32 range 50.00-200.00

CRF high 2.1 range 0.00-5.00

Ferritin 110.5 range 13.00-150.00

I think that I would benefit from T3 but all help and advice is welcome. Thanknyou Sharon

[Treepie]

I know nothing about reverse T3 .I suggest you try posting again with " high rT3" as your heading. B12 looks low in range and should be near top.

[eeng]

I think you are right about the T3. Your FT4 level is over range but your TSH is still high for someone on thyroxine, so your pituitary/hypothalamus are noticing that you need more thyroid hormones. Your FT3 is low in the range. Do you have a doctor or endocrinologist who would be happy to prescribe T3, or do you intend to self medicate?

I wonder whether you are one of the people who have a genetic variation that prevents you converting FT4 to FT3 properly.

[Shazbrett in reply to eeng]

Thanks for your reply I have mentioned T3 to the dictor but shes not interested I intend to self medicate.

[startagaingirl]

Hi - vit d, folate and b12 are all a bit low and you have Hashimotos - are you gluten free? atking selenium? but your bigger problem is that you have high rt3 levels. Rt3 is your body's natural braking system that works by blocking t3 receptors and hence slowing everything down. It can also be high when you have extra FT4 that the body cannot use to make t3 and instead converts it to rt3. A site that I keep hearing recommended in relation to this is StopTheThyroidMadness. Maybe that would be a start-point? And yes I believe the solution is linked to high levels of t3.

Gillian

[Saggyuk]

Hi Shazbrett

Yes something not quite right about your tsh levels. It is possible in central hypothyroidism to have a tsh that doesn't respond to hormones but I think you are clearly showing that you are not a great converter too. This means that you are over medicated in regards to T4 which is why your T4 level is high and why RT3 is high as it is converting T4 into rT3 instead of t3. Having high Rt3 will also stop conversion possibly so maybe you do need to lower your meds to stop so much T4 - maybe.

Your T3 is still on the low side so yes, you may well be better off on T3 as well.

However, there are other issues that can prevent or can be involved in conversion so also need to be looked at to check all else okay and not adding to the problem.

Having optimal nutritional levels will help - are you supplementing or are these your normal levels. Ferritin can be deceiving so you should get a full blood count to check properly for iron anaemia. Thyroids also need many other things like selenium/iodine from your food intake but high levels of these can also cause thyroid issues and so on.

Low calories can cause your body to stop converting T4 into T3 so just to check, are you eating enough (2000 calories and certainly not much under 1750/1500). If you are on a sustained very low calorie diet for example, your body will stop conversionof T4 into T3 on purpose as a protective measure. This can also effect blood glucose levels (or these can be a problem if unstable for other reasons or diabetic) which can then lead to high cortisol/adrenal issues which in turn can also cause issues with thyroids and you can end up in a loop.

It would be good to have a good look at everything to ensure nothing else involved as well as looking at T3

[Shazbrett in reply to Saggyuk]

Hi Saggyuk

Thank you I will get a full blood count and check my cortisol and adrenals. I do not take any supplements at the moment just celadrin for osteoarthritis.

I eat healthy not sure of my calorie count so will check that too.🖒☺

[Saggyuk in reply to Shazbrett]

Hiya - if you don't skip meals and eat balanced enough, you might be fine. Just many are either on very low calories through habit or trying to lose weight and if sustained for long enough, will have an effect so always worth mentioning.

Your vit levels aren't optimal though so maybe you could increase some of them in your diet and supplement others but others on this site are better at saying what to take. Any digestive/stomach issues might impact vit levels too.

You could always get a cheap three day testing pack of blood glucose levels to monitor over the day to see if any issues there. IF blood sugars are stable and not going low and then high, then unlikely to be the issue?