Introduction - I'm new here

[Shufflebunnie]

Hi, I was diagnosed 10 years ago with an underachieve thyroid due to my cholesterol being high. Since then I have also been diagnosed with Ménière's disease and have a low GFR, so now take:

Betahistine 16mg tablets 3 times a day

Ramipril 10mg capsules 1 per day

Levothyroxine sodium 100microgram tablets 1 per day

With the exception of the Ménière's disease and the Betahistine which was prescribed by an ENT, I have only seen my GP. I have asked on a number of occasions why I have both underachieve thyroid and issues with my kidneys, but they seam not to want to look into anything further.

Recently I went to a private doctor as I was having real problems with sleeping, being hot and then very cold, lack of libido and heavy periods. She has identified that I am peri-menopausal and has prescribed:

Utregestan Progesterone 30 capsules 100mg

Although I feel better now, I still sleep a lot - if I can 9 hours per night and have gained weight again over the last 3 years - 10kg.

I don't know if I should argue for further testing as it just seams all small things going wrong and not connected.

Thanks

[shaws Administrator]

Welcome to our forum,

At a guess, I wonder if you've not been undermedicated all these years maybe due to too low a dose of levothyroxine. I assume you take levothyroxine? What dose?

Tick off the following and I think you will be able to tick more than one.

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

Female problems are rife when hypo and sometimes it is the first sign that something isn't quite right. Many sufferers may have unnecessary hysterectomies due to heavy bleeding etc.

I would suggest you make an appointment to have all your thyroid hormones checked:-

TSH, T4, T3, Free T4, Free T3 and thyroid antibodies. Plus B12, Vit D, iron, ferritin and folate.

The blood test should be at the very earliest possible, fasting (you can drink water) and allow a gap of 24 hours between your last dose of levo and the test and take it afterwards. This gives us a better result and it isn't skewed by taking hormones before it.

If doctor (or lab) wont do all of the tests, you can have a private test and we have two labs which do home pin-prick blood tests. You can tell him you've been advised by the NHS Choices for information etc about dysfunctions of the thyroid gland, Thyroiduk.org.uk.

If we are not on an optimum of thyroid hormones, everything in our body is out of whack.

web.archive.org/web/2010103...

Always, from now on, get a print-out of your results with the ranges for your own records and post for comments.

[Shufflebunnie in reply to shaws]

Thanks for the info. My dose of Levothyroxine is 100 microgram daily.

My last tests for Thyroid were:

Serum free T4 level - 17.8 pmol/L

Serum TSH level - 2.1mU/l

Results were on the 1st Sept - but this is all they test for my thyroid.

Previously I paid for a blood test to be completed, march 17, but this only gave me:

TOTAL THYROXINE(T4) 102 nmol/L

THYROID STIMULATING HORMONE 2.38 mIU/L

FREE T3 3.6 pmol/L

FERRITIN75 ug/L

25 OH Vitamin D95nmol/L

IRON23.8umol/L

I think I will need to repeat this and ask for the extra information. Also interesting that I have always taken my thyroxine on the morning of the blood test as no one has advised me not to.

[shaws Administrator in reply to Shufflebunnie]

Your TSH is too high. We need it to be 1 or lower and some need it suppressed. Taking hormones before a test will reduce the TSH.

Most doctors think that 'somewhere' in the range is o.k. but we don't. We need TSH 1 or below with Free T4 and Free T3 towards the top of the range. These are rarely taken and they take more notice of a pituitary result (TSH) than essential thyroid hormones i.e. FT4 and FT3 and antibodies. Your FT3 looks low but we need the range.

Members need the ranges to be quoted because labs use different machines and therefore different results, just to complicate things.

Doctors seem to be unaware that taking levo before a test skews the results and appear to only look at the TSH and if that's in range they are happy whilst patient is unhappy. This results from doctors being unaware of any clinical symptoms.

[Shufflebunnie in reply to shaws]

H, Thanks for the response. I've question the range before and have been told by my doctor that as long as I'm with in range that there is nothing they can do as that is the guidelines. So really not cure where to go from here apart from getting a private referral.

For the Free T3 the lab range was 3.1 - 6.8, so at the 3.6 I'm more towards the bottom of the range.

Thanks for your help as this is making things clearer now.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Medichecks Thyroid plus ultra vitamin or Blue Horizon Thyroid plus eleven are the most popular private blood tests

Both companies often have money off offers

Essential to know your vitamin levels and also if you have thyroid antibodies as well as Ft3

Always do any thyroid blood test as early as possible in morning and fasting and don't take any Levo in the 24 hours prior to test delay and take straight after

All thyroid medication should be taken on empty stomach and then nothing apart from water for at least an hour after

[Shufflebunnie]

Thanks for the info. Just ordered my Blue Horizon Thyroid plus eleven. So hopefully now on the way to sorting things out.