My thyroid has always came back as they put it as normal. Even though it’s always been the higher end of margin. Today I got a call to tell me doctors need a chat and will ring me tomorrow and that my results are
T4 12.3. 12/22
Tsh 6.72 0.27/4.2
No others have been tested only these.
Any advice.
Shaza-1970 With an over range TSH and FT4 just scraped into range, you really should be started on Levo.
Take your Levo on an empty stomach, one hour before or two hours after food, with a glass of water only, no tea, coffee, milk, hot chocolate, etc., for an hour as they affect absorption. Take Levo away from other medication and supplements by two hours, some need four hours.
Make sure that you get regular thyroid tests with increases of 25mcg Levo every 6-8 weeks until your symptoms abate and you feel well. The aim of a treated hypo patient generally is for TSH to be 1 or below or wherever it needs to be for FT4 and FT3 to be in the upper part of their respective reference ranges when on Levo.
When booking thyroid tests, always book the very first appointment of the morning, fast overnight (water allowed) and leave off Levo for 24 hours. This gives the highest possible TSH which is needed when looking for an increase in dose or to avoid a reduction. This is a patient to patient tip which we don't discuss with doctors or a phlebotomist.
It would be very useful to have vitamins and minerals tested, we Hypos need them to be at optimal levels (not just 'in range') for thyroid hormone to work. Ask for
Vit D
B12
Folate
Ferritin
and it would be a good idea to ask for thyroid antibodies to be tested as well to rule out (or in) autoimmune thyroid disease.
Thanks SeasideSusie
I should have said I’ve been on 100mg of Levothyroxine for a couple years now.
Is there anything causes the figures to change so drastically
Shaza
If you're talking about TSH then time of day makes a difference.
TSH is highest very early in the morning (12 midnight to 4am) and lowers throughout the day. So if you have an early morning blood draw you will get a higher TSH than if you have an afternoon blood draw when it's lowest - see first graph here healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
Also, eating lowers TSH so if you've had a meal your TSH will be lower, if you've fasted TSH will be higher.
For FT4, if you take Levo before your blood draw, you will be measuring the dose you've just taken and FT4 will be higher than if you leave off Levo for 24 hours.
It's best to always make sure conditions are the same each time, as outlined in my reply above, so that results can be compared.
If all your tests have been done under the same conditions and results still fluctuate, it's possible that antibodies are present confirming autoimmune thyroid disease (Hashimoto's). The antibodies fluctuate and cause fluctuations in test results and symptoms.
You haven't said what your other results have been like, so how 'drastic' is the difference?
This is the thing the doctors would never tell me. Just said normal. The test was done with nothing to eat and at 9:00 in morning. And not Levothyroxine take from day before. Once doctors ring me tomorrow I’m going to ask for a printout of results. As I did get a print out once before but it was over two years ago.
I’ve learned so much from this site. A lot more than what my doctor has ever said to me. As I always get the same response, it’s normal for u and within range. But this is the first time ever they’ve came to me and rang saying it’s not right. I hopefully will get other results tomorrow also. Thanks again for ur input.
Sometimes it's best to just pop into the surgery and ask at reception for a print out. Some doctors get funny about giving you results, they think they know best and we patients don't need to know. I just ask at reception, my results are printed there and then with no charge, as long as the doctor has already seen them.
So if you've never been told previous results, you don't really know if the change is drastic. It could be they were at the very top of the range before and now they've tipped over the top.
Your GP should tell you tomorrow that your dose is being increased. Be prepared if he doesn't do that - ask for the reference range for TSH and if your result is over range then point out to him that it should be in range, preferably at the lower end.
Thanks. I shall do. I’d asked receptionist today but she said she couldn’t print it out and I can get it tomorrow after chatting to the doctor.
I’ve never felt great for years now. And can’t shift weight no matter what I do. Diet or gym 5 days a week nothing is working. So u could well be right and that would be a reason for it all.
Under active thyroid 
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