Iv previously had overactive thyroid with goitre. Had RAI and now take thyroxine 100.
Had a urinary infection a few weeks ago. Got antiobiotics. Still feel terrible lethargic.
Got results from latest test. Anyone know why I'm feeling this bad? They look ok.
Free T4 18.9
Tsh 1.77
All looks well within range no???
Iv just been put on 5 mg folic acid. Can't stand thoughts of another week feeling like this. Convinced there is more going on!
Anyone any ideas or advice??
Perhaps you still have the urinary infection and this can make people feel very run down. Mind my asking what antibiotic you were prescribed?
Can't remember as thrown away. But they did send urine away to get tested in case I was on wrong one. Wasn't the usual one like amoxicillin etc! 5 days worth.
My personal view is that someone who has had their thyroid gland removed should be given more than levothyroxine alone. Levo is T4. T4 is inactive and it has to convert to T3. If our body doesn't have sufficient T3 entering our receptor cells our body cannot work efficiently. Research has shown that T4/T3 combination works better for many.
Always put the ranges of your results as labs differ and it makes it easier to comment.
I doubt you can produce enough T3 from your dose of T4 and the only way for you to know for sure is to have a Free T4 and Free T3 test. Gps will rarely do these or lab may not if TSH is in range. I will give you a link and you can have a private home test and make sure you are well hydrated a couple of days before and that your body is warm when you draw blood. Pin prick I believe.
thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/testin...
Your TSH is too high when the recommendation is 1 or lower. Some need a suppressed TSH to feel well.
Blood tests always have to be at the earliest, fasting and allow a gap of 24 hours between last dose of hormones and test and take afterwards.
Below is a link and look at FT4 and FT3 and you will see the importance of these tests when not feeling well.
Have you got recent test results to share for vitamin D, folate, B12 & ferritin. Common for all these to be low
Folate and B12 work together. Just supplementing folic acid may make low B12 worse. Also some people find folate better than folic acid
chriskresser.com/folate-vs-...
As shaws says, you need to know FT3. Medichecks Thyroid plus ultra vitamin or Blue Horizon Thyroid plus eleven will test vitamins plus all thyroid tests
Or if you have recent vitamin results just get basic thyroid tests done.
My thyroid test is above. GP hasn't tested for t3. And presume all other levels are ok for vits otherwise he would have left script out for more than the folic acid right? Il ask if I can get print off of all. And maybe see if can get appointment with him tomorrow to discuss. I just feel I need an referral to endicrinologist again to check everything and ascertain what's going on. My issues always stem from thyroid. The RAI treatment only killed off part so Iv still half functioning one there!
Also I started taking multi vitamins yesterday on top of folic acid. But as I'm meant to have all my vits checked again in two weeks maybe this isn't a good idea as will give false reading?!!
Never presume 'levels' are o.k. you must always get a print-out of the results with the ranges. The reason is that labs differ and have different ranges so it makes it easier to comment. We are entitled by the Law to get copies of our results.
You should always get your vitamins/minerals checked as 'normal' isn't always 'optimum' and we have to have optimum. Also if B12 is low you shouldn't supplement with folic acid as it can give a false reading if you might have pernicious anaemia which will remain undiagnosed with possible serious consequences.
B12, Vit D, iron, ferritin and folate should be checked by GP.
Just a pointer for future posts. It would be helpful if you could always put the ranges with your results as they differ from lab to lab.
Yes your results are probably in range but we need them in the top third of the range or even the top quarter to feel well
Multivits aren't usually high enough to make a difference and some cancel each other out if taken together so better to see what you really need and go on from there. Glad you are going to get a print out as doctors may test but many don't realise we need them to be high in the range so best to see any printout to be sure.
Thanks. Taking 5mg of folic acid after having them all tested.
Thyroid ranges - yes good point. Although it completely baffles me when labs have diff ranges! How's is that possible. Makes me cross that so many people use Google to diagnose or push docs!
I had post natal depression about 4 years ago. Docs ignored me until I was severe. But I'd already worked out what was wrong with me using forums! Tragic as I ended up very ill for first year of sons life. I also had a retained placenta on birth which they ignored for 4 days until I was bent over in pain. Ended up rushed to surgery! Going back to my overactive thyroid also I'd suffered for a year before doc would listen to me saying how I felt! Then an undeniable goitre appeared!!! They had told me it was stress and did no tests til that point.
So you can see why my faith in docs is not there!
Yes can u derstand that! Labs differ as they use different machines either different makes and I expect they can replace them from time to time but it's likely that calibration is different so you need the ranges that go with that machine. I've seen the most common ranges for FT3 being 6.8 T the top but my lab it's 5.7 so that's a huge difference. If my result was 6.4 you would be all telling me it's good but in actual fact it would be well over which FT3 should never be.
So you had half your thyroid removed, presumably due to Graves. If so have you had antibodies tested since. Some people can have Hashimoto's and Graves. Lots of us with Hashimoto's find gluten free diet really helps. Gluten free is suggested for Graves do too
chriskresser.com/the-gluten...
amymyersmd.com/2017/02/3-im...
You definitely need the actual vitamin results and ranges. Extremely common for them to be just in range (so GP won't flag it as an issue) but they need to be at good levels, not bumping along the bottom when we have thyroid issues
Multivitamins are not generally a good idea, at best a waste of money, if multivitamins have iodine in best avoided by anyone with Hashimoto's
Hopefully you have B12 test from before taking these, as it can take weeks for that to return to true pre-supplement level.
I have seen a couple of posts on here stating tailbone pain as one of their symptoms and it appeared both had low folic acid diagnosed. So that might be something to investigate further to relieve your symptoms.
Reflux, hypochlorhydria (low stomach acid) and breathlessness
B complex and folic acid
Folic Acid And Vitamin D Timings
Symptoms of low T3 and low ferritin levels 
Feeling low
