Low TSH

[Kazza8]

Sorry submitted wrong photo

[Scazzoh]

If your doctor believes you to be overmedicated, ask him to prove it by testing your FT4 and FT3 to see if they are over range. If they are within range, you are not overmedicated, so you should remain on your current dose. Your pituitary gland is not producing Thyroid Stimulating Hormone because you are replacing the T4 your thyroid can't produce with Levothyroxine - synthetic T4.

[Kazza8 in reply to Scazzoh]

Many thanks, yes my FT3/4 have reduced from last blood test which is why my symptoms have returned so I do feel I can increase NDT.

[Scazzoh in reply to Kazza8]

If you are taking NDT it is common for TSH to be supressed.

[Kazza8 in reply to Scazzoh]

Thank you, I forgot that, there is so much to take in with this thyroid business! But that is something else useful to say to dr.

[Angel_of_the_North]

Is anything being done about your high ferritin?

[Kazza8 in reply to Angel_of_the_North]

Well 3 months ago it was 253 (15-250) and now it's 340 (20-150) - very high. The only change is that I went gluten free, so I am a bit surprised and don't know what had caused it or what to do about it.

[Scazzoh in reply to Kazza8]

I've got high Ferritin, (406 (14-186) in June this year). My folate in normal. High ferritin is a marker of inflammation, but the problem is finding out exactly where that is coming from: infection, diet, heavy metal toxicity, another illness? I have been following the Paleo Autoimmune Protocol for one year and have just had my ferritin re-tested so hope it has gone down.

[Kazza8 in reply to Scazzoh]

Let me know how you get on, I will look at the Paleo Autoimmune Protocol.

It's just so strange as it got worse going gluten free yet my TPO antibodies and thyroglobulin antibodies have come down.

[humanbean in reply to Kazza8]

Your ferritin going up and your antibodies going down having gone gluten-free is what , under normal circumstances, is a desired result.

Going gluten-free is recommended on thyroid forums precisely because it often helps lower antibodies, which is a good thing.

For people who can't absorb nutrients very well, going gluten-free may increase absorption from food. My ferritin rose when I went gluten-free, which for me was a desirable thing, but yours has risen, was already high, and so wasn't a desirable thing for you.

The question, as others on this thread have mentioned - is why your ferritin is high in the first place. And to answer that more info is needed.

For example, if you have high ferritin and low serum iron the cause may be Anaemia of Chronic Disease, which is caused by inflammation or infection.

If you have high ferritin and high serum iron then you are absorbing too much iron from your diet, or you are supplementing iron that you don't need, or you could be heading for results suggesting haemochromatosis, or possibly other causes.

Without more info it is just guesswork. Your high ferritin isn't dramatically high. Doctors only really care about ferritin and testing for haemochromatosis when it gets much higher - say 800 to 1000 - but I don't know exactly what level prompts action.

You should ask your doctor for an iron panel and a Full Blood Count. Or you could pay for your own testing :

medichecks.com/tests/iron-s...

An additional test that is useful in addition to the Iron Status Check is a Full Blood Count :

medichecks.com/tests/fbc-fu...

If you can only get one of these done, go for the Iron Panel. Best of all, get what you can from your doctor!

Note - when testing for anything iron-related :

Have the blood drawn first thing in the morning, having fasted overnight, and delay breakfast. Drink plenty of water. In other words, conditions need to be the same as for a thyroid test.

Also, for anyone supplementing iron, stop taking it for 5 - 7 days before the test.

[Kazza8 in reply to humanbean]

Many thanks I will ask next week and if not from Drs will do it privately.

[Scazzoh in reply to Kazza8]

I will. Ferritin is a strange beast.

[Angel_of_the_North in reply to Kazza8]

I'd get a full iron panel done in case you have something like haemochromatosis - or try giving blood if they'll take yours.

[Kazza8 in reply to Angel_of_the_North]

Thanks I will look into that with my dr next week.