Need some advice please

[Caz7788]

Hey can I ask my doctors for t3 and t4 or do i need to get my thyroid tested for it I'm sure I'm due for a cheak up? Been readying about them and they sound like everything I have been missing out on.

[humanbean]

Doctors won't prescribe for hypothyroidism without blood tests first to determine whether or not they think you are hypothyroid.

Have you had any blood tests for the following

TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone)

Free T4

Free t3

Thyroid antibodies - 2 types - TPO and Tg

It would also help if you could ask for :

Iron/ferritin/haemoglobin

vitamin B12

folate

vitamin D

The chances of you getting them all are rather slim in these penny pinching days. But if you don't ask you definitely won't get.

If your doctor agrees to tests, make sure you ask for a copy of the results and reference ranges. Being told "normal" or "okay" isn't enough - you need to know the actual numbers. Once you have them write a new post and copy the numbers into your post and ask for feedback.

Signs and symptoms of hypothyroidism are here :

thyroiduk.org/tuk/about_the...

Signs and symptoms of hyperthyroidism are here :

thyroiduk.org/tuk/about_the...

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Caz7788 You would have to be diagnosed hypothyroid to be prescribed Levothyroxine (T4) and you wont get T3 on prescription here in the UK.

Do you have symptoms of hypothyroidism?

What makes you say T4 and T3 sound like everything you've been missing out on?

[Caz7788 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Sorry I'm not grate a explaining things. I have an underactavtive thyroid myself and I'm on lovothroixine but I have never thought that it helps and was wounding if the t4s would make difference.

[greygoose in reply to Caz7788]

Levothyroxine is T4.

Sounds like you could be under-medicated. If you can get hold of your test results, post them here, with the ranges, and let's have a look.

[Caz7788 in reply to greygoose]

Oh is it well you learn some thing new everyday my nurse dosnt tell me nothing about it but I will defo get a copy of my results and upload up thank you

[greygoose in reply to Caz7788]

Start a new question with your results, so that more people see them. This thread will be quite a way down the list, by then.

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Caz7788]

Levothyroxine is T4

Have you got your latest results to share? If you're in the UK you are legally entitled to them so if you've not got them ask your surgery for a print out. Post the results, with their reference ranges, for comment. They should look something like

TSH: 2.5 (0.2-4.2)

FT4: 16 (12-22)

FT3: 4.1 (3.1-6.8)

To get a full picture we need all those - TSH, FT4 and FT3. If you've had thyroid antibodies done even better, that's Thyroid Peroxidase (TPO) and Thyroglobulin (TG) as that will tell us if you have autoimmune thyroid disease aka Hashimoto's which is the most common cause of hypothyroidism.

Also very useful will be

Vit D

B12

Folate

Ferritin

All these need to be optimal, not just in range, for thyroid hormone to work. So if not done, ask your GP if he will do them.

Any missing tests can be done with a thyroid/vitamin bundle test at home with a fingerprick test, which lots of us here use.

ETA - sorry, just realised I've repeated all the tests Humanbean suggested!

And what dose of Levo are you taking?

[Caz7788 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Ok this is amazing to hear about all this because I will get a copy of my results from my gp and upload it. As it will be good to see what it says as they never tell me anything I'm only on a dose of 100 lovo but I just don't feel any thing changes thats why i know i need somethong eles so glad I found this page 😊