Help!!!

[Rosieh1978]

Thyroid levels went from high to low to now normalising

Drs just want to leave it saying I've had thyroiditis????

I've gained weight am sore all over and am tired all the time and grumpy!!

Is this likely to all pass and sort itself out ????

Gp seemed kinda clueless but the specialist advised her

Sick feeling horrific and fat

[shaws Administrator]

You don't say whether you were given levothyroxine or the dose?

You need a full thyroid function test which is TSH, T4, T3, Free T4, Free T3 and thyroid antibodies.

Blood tests for thyroid hormones have to be the very earliest, fasting (you can drink water) and allow a gap of 24 hours between last dose and test and take levo afterwards.

Your doctor should also do the following tests if you haven't had them:-

B12, Vit D, iron, ferritin and folate and thyriod antibodies. You can say you've been advissed by the NHS Choices for help/advice with dysfunctions of the thyroid gland.

Get a print-out of the results with the ranges and put them on a new post.

[Rosieh1978 in reply to shaws]

Not been given any medication

[Rosieh1978 in reply to shaws]

Tsh gone from <0.01 to 0.03 to 10 then 5

T4 24,13,8,9

This was two months ago one month ago beginning of this week then 4 days later

No antibodies found

[shaws Administrator]

Those who have thyroiditis will respond. If it is short there may not be members who've had the experience of thyroidits but those who have will respond.

This is all I could find at present.

thyroid.org/thyroiditis/

Sorry I cannot be more helpful at present.

[jacgood63 in reply to shaws]

I had thyroiditis in 2013 - it took 9 months before thyroid function normalised and I started feeling better. Gradually over the next 4 years I slowly became subclinically hypothyroid TSH 7.8 and felt awful . I was lucky to get a 25 mcg trial of levothyroxine to which I have remained on since July of this year and now feel loads better . I was told the at least 5% of people who have thyroiditis and will go on to develop hypothyroidism ,

[shaws Administrator in reply to jacgood63]

I am glad you were given levothyroxine (I assume you are in UK) as some doctors wont prescribe until TSH is 10. I am glad you are feeling better with 25mcg of T3 which is extremely low. The aim is a TSH of 1 or lower with a Free T3 and Free T4 in the upper part of the range - the latter two are rarely tested but are very important.

When you next get a blood test to check thyroid hormones it has to be at the very earliest possible, fasting (you can drink water) and allow a gap of 24 hours between last dose of levo and the test and take afterwards. This method allows the TSH to be at its highest as doctors are apt to wrongly adjust dose according to the results which may not be accurate.

Ask GP to also test B12, Vit D, iron, ferritin and folate. Everything has to be optimal.

Get a print-out of your results with the ranges and post them on a new question for comments. As I said 25mcg is a very small dose usually used as an increment every six weeks after the initial dose until TSH is 1 or lower. If GP wont test FT4 and FT3 we have two private labs and either can test these for you. I shall give you two links and the first you can read about why the free tests are very important.

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/testin...

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/about_...

[jacgood63]

Thanks - I am in the uk and yes the Endo did every blood test going and I already take Vitamin D as that was diagnosed low some years back . I did expect my dose to be upped after 3 months, but with a TSH of 0.78 and T4 of 19.4 he said it was in the optimal range and said losing near 2 stone in 3 months probably helped a lot ( This was through Slimming World and exercise and a very positive mindset due to I feeling so much better on the small amount of thyroxine ) Feel really lucky I got the treatment - it's made so much difference !!

[shaws Administrator in reply to jacgood63]

That's good your feeling much better and weight loss is good. I don't think most doctors don't realise that unexplained weight gain is due to low thyroid hormones (hypo) and that thyroid hormones increase metabolism and weight reduces.

If you don't press the green reply button when you respond the person isn't notified and you may wonder why you've not had a response. Even though your Endo said 'optimal' that was only for TSH and T4. The optimal is Free T4 and Free T3 which is more revealing but these are rarely tested. I shall give you a link and you can read why. T4 is a prohormone (inactive) and has to convert to T3 but sometimes many don't have enough T4 to convert to sufficient T3.

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/testin...