I have eventually managed to get results from doing the Thyroid 11 check fingerprick test from Blue Horizon Medicals.
There are a few results here that are looking scary to me but would really really appreciate some of your opinions as I know how good you all are at reading results etc.
I have recently been put on 125mcg/150mcg alternate days by my doc. You will see from my previous posts what the results were. The TSH when tested at last result was within the normal limits.
Biochemistry
CRP H 7.30 <5.0 mg/L
Ferritin 56.8 20 - 150 ug/L
Thyroid Function
TSH H 4.88 0.27 - 4.20 mIU/L
T4 Total 102.0 64.5 - 142.0 nmol/L
Free T4 17.50 12 - 22 pmol/L
Free T3 3.93 3.1 - 6.8 pmol/L
Immunology
Anti-Thyroidperoxidase abs H 202.0 <34 kIU/L
Anti-Thyroglobulin Abs H 438 <115 kU/L
Vitamins
Vitamin D (25 OH) L 33 Deficient <25 nmol/L
Insufficient 25 - 50
Consider reducing dose >175
Vitamin B12 390 Deficient <140 pmol/L
Insufficient 140 - 250
Consider reducing dose >725
Serum Folate 9.59 8.83 - 60.8 nmol/L
Thanks
Lynne
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lynnie0123
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Your TSH is above the top of the reference range, therefore you are classified as being slightly hypothyroid. Your antibodies are high (both types) so you have hashimoto's. This means you might (or might not) benefit from taking selenium or going gluten free. It also means your hypothyroidism is likely to be progressive, and you will need an increasing amount of medication over the years as your thyroid is increasingly damaged by the antibodies. Welcome to the club.
Whether your doctor will treat you or not (I assume you are in the UK) will depend upon whether you can get two blood tests, 3 months apart, which show that your TSH is significantly above the top of the range. Some doctors even want to wait until your TSH is over 10 before treating you.
I assume you know that you need to do your blood tests first thing in the morning when TSH is highest to have any chance of being treated adequately.
Your Vitamin D level is quite low. You can supplement for a few weeks with a high level eg 5000iu, then either have another test or drop back to 800iu (the normal adult maintenance dose). Your Vitamin B12 and Folate are becoming low (people recommend B12 is over 500), but I've seen much worse.
As @eeng has alluded it is worth seeing your GP with a copy of your test results especially if you don't feel well.
However be prepared for the GP to either do nothing (and blame it on your vitamin D level), repeat the test due to not being aware that Blue Horizon uses the same labs as the NHS, or to say you need a repeat test in 3 months.
So it's less than a month between dose increase and blood draw which isn't really long enough. Ideally you will wait 6-8 weeks after a dose adjustment before testing.
The goal of Levothyroxine is to restore the patient to euthyroid status. For most patients that will be when TSH is 0.27 - 1.0 with FT4 in the upper range. FT4 needs to be in the upper range in order that sufficient T3 is converted. Read Treatment Options in thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/about_... Email louise.roberts@thyroiduk.org.uk if you would like a copy of the Pulse article to show your GP.
Thyroid peroxidase antibodies are positive for autoimmune thyroid disease (Hashimoto's). There is no cure for Hashimoto's which causes 90% of hypothyroidism. Treatment is for the low thyroid levels it causes. Many people have found that 100% gluten-free diet is helpful in reducing Hashi flares, symptoms and eventually antibodies.
I would supplement 5,000iu vitamin D3 for 3-4 months and retest vitD which is optimal around 100.
Ferritin is optimal halfway through range to around 100. You can raise ferritin by supplementing iron with 1,000mg vitamin C to aid absorption and minimise constipation.
Vit D3 and iron should be taken 4 hours away from Levothyroxine.
CRP is high which indicates inflammation somewhere in the body. I would retest in 3-4 months and if it is still high ask your GP to do a full blood count.
Thank you. I will look shortly at introducing vitamins/iron and also research gluten free. I think I will wait around 8 weeks and make another appt with doc and present blue horizon results and see if gp will retest. If not will buy another kit. Thanks for your help!! Lynne
It looks to me that you aren't converting levothyroxine into sufficient T3 and that is the only Active hormone required in our receptor cells.
Free T4 17.50 12 - 22 pmol/L
Free T3 3.93 3.1 - 6.8 pmol/L
Doctors have no clue and it is clear yours isn't aware that once diagnosed with hypothyroidism/hashi's that the aim is a TSH of 1 or lower.
You have hashimoto's so have an Autoimmune Thyroid Disease called Hashimoto's. I have read that going gluten-free can reduce the attack on the thyroid gland but treatment is the same as hypo.
Your B12 is too low, if under 500 changes can occur in the cerebral spinal fluid so the aim is a B12 of around 1,000 which can also help prevent dementia/alzeimers (i.e. if B12 is too low it can increase the homocysteine level which isn't good.)
Supplement with B12 sublingual methylcobalamin and I find Amazon has a variety (use the Amazon Affiliate link and TUK office will get a small sum towards their expenses).
Others will respond re the other results, especially Vit D. B12 and Vit D are pro-hormones so very important to be optimal.
Thank you so much for your help. Will look into the vitamins and gluten free options. Hopefully if I can get vitamins correct absorption may be improved too. Lynne
CRP H 7.30 <5.0 mg/L - high CRP can be due to inflammation or an infection
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Ferritin 56.8 20 - 150 ug/L - ferritin needs to be half way through it's range. You can either supplement with iron tablets (take each one with 1000mg Vit C to aid absorption and help prevent constipation) bit take them four hours away from thyroid meds and two hours away from any other medication and supplements as it affects their absorption. Or eat liver once a week, maximum 200g, and include lots of iron rich foods in your diet
Vitamin D (25 OH) L 33 - recommended level is 100-150nmol/L according to the Vit D Council. You could buy some D3 softgels 5000iu and take 10,000 for 6 weeks then reduce to 5000iu daily. Retest after 3 months then when you've reached the recommended level reduce to a maintenance dose which might be 5000iu alternate days, it's trial and error and when supplementing with D3 it's recommended to retest once or twice a year to keep within the recommended to.
When taking D3 there are important cofactors needed which you can read about here
D3 aids absorption of calcium from food and K2-MK7 directs the calcium to bones and teeth where it is needed and away from arteries and soft tissues where it can be deposited and cause problems.
D3 and K2 are fat soluble so should be taken with the fattiest meal of the day, D3 four hours away from thyroid meds.
Magnesium comes in different forms, check here to see which would suit you best and as it's calming it's best taken in the evening, four hours away from thyroid meds
Vitamin B12 390 - anything below 500 can cause neurological problems. The recommended level for us Hypos is very top of the range, even 900-1000. You could buy some sublingual methylcobalamin lozenges 5000mcg and take one daily. When the bottle is finished buy some 1000mcg strength and take one daily as a maintenance dose.
Serum Folate 9.59 8.83 - 60.8 nmol/L
When taking B12 we also need a B Complex to balance all the B vitamins. If you buy a decent quality brand containing 400mcg methylfolate this will help raise your low folate level which is recommended to be at least half way through it's range.
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Anti-Thyroidperoxidase abs H 202.0 <34 kIU/L
Anti-Thyroglobulin Abs H 438 <115 kU/L
These confirm autoimmune thyroid disease aka Hashimoto's which is where antibodies attack the thyroid and gradually destroy it. You can help reduce the antibodies by adopting a strict gluten free diet which has helped many members here. Gluten contains gliadin which is a protein thought to trigger antibody attacks. Supplementing with selenium L-selenomethionine 200mcg and keeping TSH suppressed can also help reduce antibodies.
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.
You are under medicated and need an increase in your Levo.
Your conversion of T4 to T3 could be better and that could very well improve once vitamins and minerals are at optimal levels and with supplementing with the selenium which not only helps reduce antibodies but helps with conversion of T4 to T3.
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I haven't checked any of your previous posts so not sure if I'm repeating information already given.
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