Blood test results

[mrneduc]

I've finally got my recent bloods. In mid July my TSH was around 13. Four weeks later on 75 mag Levo it was as follows

TSH 2.33 (ref 0.34-5.6)

FT3 3.60 (ref 3.1-6.8)

GP was happy with these but T4 wasn't tested. I'm having more tests in 8 weeks but wondered if anyone could comment on results. Im still tired and putting on weight but feel better than before. This has consumed my life since my op in June and subsequent thyroid crash. TSH seems to have gone down quickly

I am concerned about my weight and keep reading that some carbs are needed to convert the Levo to T3. I prefer a low carb diet and wondered if anyone had experience of a keto type diet whilst on levothyroxine ? Sorry for all the questions but this group seems to have an amazing fund of knowledge

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

mrneduc Your GP may be happy with the results but they are far from optimal and you are still symptomatic. I imagine he wouldn't be so happy with them if he had to live with them.

The aim of a treated hypo patient generally is for TSH to be 1 or below or wherever it is needed for FT4 and FT3 to be in the upper part of their respective reference ranges when on Levo only. Ask for an increase in your Levo and to back this up show your GP the article in Pulse magazine by Dr Toft, leading endocrinologist and past president of the British Thyroid Association, where he states

"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)."

You can obtain a copy of the article by emailing [e-mail] print it and highlight question 6 to show your GP.

It's low T3 that is preventing weight loss. Once you are optimally medicated with FT3 in the upper part of it's range, then weight loss should start to happen.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Ask for vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 to be tested

If these are too low we can't use Thyroid hormones

Do you have high antibodies- this is Hashimotos or autoimmune thyroid disease

90% of hypo is autoimmune in UK but you need to know for definite if you have Hashimoto's

If you do then low vitamin levels are extremely common

You may need to consider strictly gluten free diet too

[mrneduc]

I had large benign thyroid nodule removed for suspected cancer about 11 weeks ago. Rest of thyroid not up to much at least not in first weeks . I don't know if that's linked to Autoimmune disease or Hashimotos