A couple of months ago I had a private blood test done with the results that my TSH was way too high (14), my T4 was at the upper end of healthy and my T3 was below the low end of healthy.
Following a month or so on selenium and zinc supplements I have retested and my T4 is now too high, my TSH has now dropped from 14 to well within the healthy range and my free T3 is now within the normal range too.
The doctor who looked at my test results advised me to reduce my levothyroxine so it looks like the supplements did the trick
I am starting on a slightly lower dose of levothyroxine in the morning and will retest in a couple of months
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GosportNancy
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Why did he advise you to reduce your dose? If you do that, your FT3 will also drop - it doesn't sound like the magnesium and zinc have improved your conversion. If he wants to drop your T4, then he should add in some T3 to replace it.
The blood test results tell me that I have found my own solution to T4 to T3 conversion. That was my experiment and the result was exactly what I expected. I was on 150 mcg of thyroxine in June when I had the first test and 175 for the second test. I am very happy with the outcome
I'm feeling lots better...have stopped needing an afternoon nap and my blood pressure readings are not as low. My basal temperature is now hovering around 36.5 degrees where before I rarely reached 36 degrees and regularly had temperatures below 35 degrees.
Okay, so that tells us that the supplements have helped you - great! I'm still perplexed that you feel the need to reduce dosage at this time when you are doing so well currently (the old adage....if it ain't broke, don't fix it). Personally I would have waited until I started to show symptoms to make a change.
I wish you luck that you are headed in the right direction! Good thing is, one way or another you will know in a few weeks time.
Please keep us posted as this is a very interesting experiment. 😊
Oh, wait, just re-read your first response to greygoose and for the second test that showed better numbers, you were taking a higher dose of Levo. So, how do you know it wasn't that (and not the selenium and zinc) that has improved your overall wellbeing?
The higher dose takes me outside the healthy range. I have the symptoms of overactive thyroid but the low T3 symptoms have improved.
I need to have a lower level of T4 as it is dangerous to have normal levels of T4 with my heart condition. I have left systolic heart failure...had this since 20's and normal levels of T4 can trigger cardiac arrest and I don't want a repeat episode of that
I think I'm understanding now but not convinced the zinc/selenium have anything to do with your results. (They *could* but right now there's no real proof as you have another changing variable in the mix). I completely understand that you are performing an experiment and testing a theory. I've done similar things as well - it's the only way to find the correct protocol for you.
Your results *could* simply be from raising your Levo dose and also, being a poor converter.
At 150 mcg Levo, your blood results showed a super high TSH, high T4 (in upper range? Over range?) and T3 now in range (low? mid?). Without knowing actual numbers and lab ranges it's tough to adequately advise.
To me, your first set of test results seem to indicate under medication, and that must be also what your doctor thought since your Levo dose was increased.
So then you took 175 mcg Levo BUT also started zinc and selenium supplementation at the same time.
With the increase, you said you felt overactive symptoms. Test results showed improved TSH (it went down), and increased T4 and T3 (which for many, would also be good but for you, too high T4 is dangerous).
Your latest test results actually make sense in that, adding in more Levo should lower TSH, increase T4 and also T3 (by a certain percentage) depending upon how good or poor a converter you are. There's nothing here that really proves that the zinc and selenium are responsible. Hyper symptoms could be the result of too large a Levo increase. (My endo typically does a 10% increase which would have been adding 15mcg of Levo daily and not 25mcg).
By reducing your Levo dosage, (back down to 150 mcg?) I would expect test results to return to what you had in June UNLESS zinc/selenium are indeed having some effect as you suspect. Again, a very interesting experiment.
It *could* be that you are indeed a poor T4 to T3 converter and therefore, a little slo release T3 along with a reduction in Levo is what will actually do the trick.
Very interesting indeed. Please keep us posted on your progress, posting results (numbers and lab ranges).
I am not going back on T3 as our area has stopped providing this on the NHS. This why I have chosen to add selenium and zinc to the mix to help with conversion.
I chose to raise the levo myself as I don't consult with a GP except to ask for prescriptions when I want to save money.
I added the levo to make sure the T4 didn't get too low due to improvement in conversion.
Whatever the outcome of my experiment, I don't have the T3 option so am looking at other ways to improve my health without compromising my cardiac status
It's horrible that the NHS has removed T3 as an option when so many people do well on it and some actually require it to feel well. I read the woes of those who source it on their own from foreign countries - it just shouldn't be so damn difficult.
I sincerely wish you the best and do hope your experiment is successful! 😊
I dropped my levothyroxine to 125mcg as advised in the blood test notes and included 400mg of selenium as I wanted the T4 to go down (from way above the healthy range) and for the T3 to go up.
My blood test results from the test last week have arrived
TSH , T4 and T3 are all within the healthy range (T4 still a tad too high for someone with my health issues)
My basal temperature is a steady 37 degrees
I am very happy with these results and will update in January when my next test result is due
Strange result in January. Very low T4 and T3 and TSH through the roof. My anti thyroid anti-bodies are in the thousands which is way too high.
I spoke to my GP about the results so far and he said he wasn't interested because I had them done privately and he couldn't confirm their accuracy.
As a side note...I can no longer monitor my condition due to cost because I was refused P.I.P. despite an award of DLA for life. The judge refused an appeal so I am having to go through another claim.
I carried on taking the supplements as I wanted to see if anything had changed between blood test results as the previous one appeared to show things were on track.
I haven't been able to check anything since as I don't have the funds for private tests and the GP will only test TSH
Thanks for this. What about your diet? Did you change anything while you were doing this experienment or better saying, did you change anything on your diet before your last blood test that showed some out of the roof results?
I have no idea. This was back at the end of last year and this was 6 months ago. I eat a widely varied diet all the time. I was avoiding gluten for a while last year and feel better now that I pretty much eat whatever I like (including foods containing gluten)
Until I can find another income stream I won't be buying any more blood tests and have also had to re-evaluate my supplement intake too,
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