thyroid results

[Emerald6]

I am new diagnosed hypothyroid 2011 and take 25mcg thyroxine

what do results show please

thank you

THYROID PEROXIDASE ANTIBODIES 804.5 (<34)

THYROGLOBULIN ANTIBODIES >1500 (<115)

TSH 30.8 (0.2 - 4.2)

FREE T4 11.3 (12 - 22)

FREE T3 4.1 (3.1 - 6.8)

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Hi Emerald6 and welcome

I see from your profile that you were diagnosed hypothyroid in 2011.

What dose of meds are you on?

Your current results indicate that you are very undermedicated to have a TSH of 30.8 with a below range FT4 and low FT3.

Can you give us more information? Have you ever felt well, if so what dose of meds and what were your results at the time? Have you had dose reduced, if so what for and what were results/symptoms at the time?

Have you been told that your high antibodies confirm autoimmune thyroid disease aka Hashimoto's which is where antibodies attack the thyroid and gradually destroy it? Hashi's can cause fluctuations in symptoms/test results and you can swing from hypo to hyper and back again.

You can help reduce the antibodies by adopting a strict gluten free diet which has helped many members here. Gluten contains gliadin (a protein) which is thought to trigger autoimmune attacks so eliminating gluten can help reduce these attacks. You don't need to be gluten sensitive or have Coeliac disease for a gluten free diet to help.

Supplementing with selenium l-selenomethionine 200mcg daily can also help reduce the antibodies, as can keeping TSH suppressed

stopthethyroidmadness.com/h...

stopthethyroidmadness.com/h...

hypothyroidmom.com/hashimot...

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

Gluten/thyroid connection: chriskresser.com/the-gluten...

Have you had vitamins and minerals tested - Vit D, B12, Folate and Ferritin? If so please post the results, with reference ranges, for comment. All these need to be optimal for thyroid hormone to work and many of us Hypos tend to have low levels or deficiencies.

[Emerald6 in reply to SeasideSusie]

thank you

I take 25mcg thyroxine and I have never felt well at all. I had my meds reduced because the endo and gp are worried I will lose weight and I was taking 175mcg thyroxine and 10mcg t3

I have never been told I have hashimotos and I will post vitamin and mineral results now

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Emerald6]

I had my meds reduced because the endo and gp are worried I will lose weight

Surely that's not the only reason why your meds were reduced. When was the reduction in dose made, what were your test results at that time and what was your dose of meds?

[Emerald6 in reply to SeasideSusie]

thank you

the reduction in dose was made in January 2016 and I was taking 175mcg thyroxine and 10mcg t3

TSH 0.08 (0.2 - 4.2)

FREE T4 22.7 (12 - 22)

FREE T3 4.5 (3.1 - 6.8)

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Emerald6]

What happened here was that your doctor saw your suppressed TSH and your very slightly over range FT4 and panicked. However, your FT3 was low in range so no way were you overmedicated and you could actually have had your Levo reduced and your T3 increased. If you were reduced from 175mcg Levo/10mcg T3 down to 25mcg in one go that was sheer madness and your doctor is an utter sadist with no knowledge of how to treat hypothyroidism.

Have you been on 25mcg since January 2016?

Is this your first test since these results?

[Emerald6 in reply to SeasideSusie]

thank you

I have been on 25mcg since January last year and that was my first test since those results

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Emerald6]

Depending on whether this was the GP or the endo, get rid of them quickly! You need to find a doctor who understands hypothyroidism and Hashi's.

You desperately need an increase in your meds. The aim of a treated hypo patient generally is for TSH to be 1 or below or wherever it needs to be for FT4 and FT3 to be in the upper part of their respective reference ranges when on Levo only. Add T3 into the mix and you normally see a very low or suppressed TSH, FT4 can be low in range and FT3 should be near the top of it's range. As long as FT3 is in range you aren't overmedicated.

From thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/about_... > Treatment Options

According to the BMA's booklet, "Understanding Thyroid Disorders", many people do not feel well unless their levels are at the bottom of the TSH range or below and at the top of the FT4 range or a little above.

Book written by Dr Anthony Toft for the British Medical Association, past president of the British Thyroid Association and leading endocrinologist, and available from pharmacies and Amazon for about £4.95

Also,

Dr Toft states in Pulse Magazine,

"The appropriate dose of levothyroxine is that which restores euthyroidism and serum TSH to the lower part of the reference range - 0.2-0.5mU/l.

In this case, free thyroxine is likely to be in the upper part of its reference range or even slightly elevated – 18-22pmol/l. Most patients will feel well in that circumstance.

But some need a higher dose of levothyroxine to suppress serum TSH and then the serum-free T4 concentration will be elevated at around 24-28pmol/l.

This 'exogenous subclinical hyperthyroidism' is not dangerous as long as serum T3 is unequivocally normal – that is, serum total around T3 1.7nmol/l (reference range 1.0-2.2nmol/l)."

A copy of the article is available from [e-mail] print and highlight question 6 to show your GP. Please not that the article refers to being on Levo only. But it's a start to get you back on a decent dose, then later on we can see if you are converting T4 to T3 properly and whether or not you need T3 added.

You need to make an appointment with your GP (or a new one if this GP is responsible for keeping you so ill on such a stupidly low dose) and ask for an immediate increase in your Levo of 25mcg. Get a retest after 6 weeks to check your levels, then another increase of 25mcg, then another test after 6 weeks and another increase, etc, until your levels are where they need to be for you to feel well and if necessary in accordance with Dr Toft's suggestion.

When having thyroid tests, always book the very first appointment of the morning, fast overnight (water allowed) and leave off Levo for 24 hours (take after blood draw). This gives the highest possible TSH which is needed when looking for an increase in dose or to avoid a reduction.

Follow the advice about addressing the Hashi's with a gluten free diet and supplementing with selenium.

Once stable on an optimum dose of thyroid meds, testing should be done annually.

[jgelliss in reply to SeasideSusie]

SHEER MADNESS !!!! utter sadist with no knowledge of how to treat hypothyroidism VERY WELL PUT SeasideSusie . I may add very very irresponsible . I would fire this Dr and run as far as possible . I hope you find a new Dr who has a great handle of how to treat thyroid patients and thyroid meds the RIGHT WAY .

[jgelliss in reply to Emerald6]

Emerald6 My sympathy for you . I don't know why your Dr lowered you from a higher dose T4 to a much lower dose T4 in one shot . SeasideSusie is so right . You probably did not need to be lowered with your T4 . It's great that your supplementing with nutrients because that's very important and helpful with our thyroid meds to work they way it should . Keeping a journal of your symptoms will help you also to figure out if your thyroid levels need tweaking . Symptoms are cellular and labs are serum . Cellular are more telling . Learn to trust what your feeling . Running labs 8-12 hours is best . Preferred first thing in the morning before any eating drinking water is allowed . I just learned this myself from this great thyroid forum . I used to run labs 2-3 PM . Now I know why my TSH's where always low even without dosing with T3/NDT . I've learned so much and continue learning from this GREAT THYROID GROUP . This group has helped many of us to be empowered and to teach our Dr's one or two things . Hope you find your right dose and "SWEET SPOT".

[SlowDragon Administrator]

You need a rapid dose increase, well probably several. But you may well need to increase up in 25mcg steps, wait 6-8 weeks, retest and increase again until back where you were before

You never needed a dose reduction, as SeasideSusie said - you probably needed to tweek T3 up and T4 down, but GP just freaked at very low TSH

You have Hashimotos so going gluten free should help improve symptoms and may reduce hashi flares/swings

Have you got recent vitamin tests too - they are likely very very low and probably need supplementing to help thyroid hormones work

Ask GP for coeliac blood test and if they will do endoscopy. Unlikely to agree and as only small percentage with Hashimoto's are coeliac, but the majority find gluten free diet helps and eventually can lower antibodies - just try it

Don't expect endo or Gp to be aware of gut and gluten connections to Hashimoto's other than as coeliac

amymyersmd.com/2017/02/3-im...

thyroidpharmacist.com/artic...

[Emerald6 in reply to SlowDragon]

thank you

yes I have results of vitamins and minerals