Thyroid results - any thoughts?

[Qapl]

Hi just wondered if anyone had any thoughts about my test results received today. I am in 150mcg thyroxine for the past 10 years. Private test results are

FT4 18.3 ( 11.0 - 26.0)

TSH 1.53 (0.35 - 4.50)

FT3 3.7 ( 3.9 - 6.8 )

Just wondering whether increasing my Levo will make the necessary improvements. Am quite symptomatic which was the reason for seeking the private testing. Thanks

[greygoose]

I'm afraid you're not converting the T4 you're taking, to T3, which is the reason you're still symptomatic. Your FT3 is under-range, so it would take a very big increase to raise it to a comfortable level, which would mean you would have a lot of unconverted T4 in your system, converting to excess rT3. You really need to add some T3 to your levo.

[Hidden]

Any chance you also had nutrients tested also (ferritin, folate, Vit D, and B12)? We are often deficient and that can result in poor conversion and ongoing symptoms also.

Ever considered NDT? It contains all the T's :

stopthethyroidmadness.com/n...

[Qapl in reply to Hidden]

Thanks for your response. I did add a bit of ndt on top of my levo for a while but had to buy this from the internet and it wasn't under the care of my gp so when it got hard to get I stopped. I never had my levels tested when I was using it so I can't compare but I did get more migraines when using it. I got a bit nervous about the self sourcing and self prescribing. Do you know how much I should take if I went back to ndt and whether I should reduce my levo? I was thinking of buying T3 online but again concerned about the maverick approach without GP oversight , thanks

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Do you know if you have high Thyroid antibodies? Have they ever been tested to see if cause is autoimmune thyroid disease also called Hashimoto's

If Hashimoto's thennyou need to consider trying gluten free diet and read as much as possible about Hashimoto's (medics ignore it )

You need to also know levels of vitamin D, folate, B12 and ferritin - extremely common to be very low

Ask GP to test. It's common when hypo for these to be low and if they are they can really hinder conversion

Make sure to get actual results and include ranges

If GP is unhelpful then going to need further private testing

All thyroid tests should be done as early as possible in morning and fasting and don't take any Levo in 24 hours prior to test, delay and take straight after blood tests

If you decide to do full retest, one that includes reverse T3 might be useful. It is more expensive and has to be a blood draw rather than DIY finger prick test

Medichecks or Blue Horizon are the most popular. Both companies often have money off offers

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

[Qapl in reply to SlowDragon]

Hi, thanks for responding I had antibodies tested right at the start and they said that they were not present but I don't know if that can change - that was about 12 years ago now

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Qapl]

They can rise and fall. NHS only ever check TPO antibodies. The other is Thyroglobulin antibodies, can be high due to Hashimoto's or other things too (eg urticaria) so not as specific a test

[Qapl]

Hi would anyone have any recommended places to buy ndt or t3 online without prescription? Thanks

[Marz in reply to Qapl]

Best to put this into a new post and ask for replies by PM 😊

[Qapl]

Thank you I had no idea I could write a profile !! Everyday is a school day 😂😂