Help with blood results before speak to gp

[Irishbutterfly1]

Hello I would love some help with my Blue Horizon tests. I have hashimotos and 125 mcg daily. Not feeling well at all. I am not taking any suppliments at moment.

Vitamin B12 417 pg/ml 197 - 771

FERRITIN 72 ug/L

TOTAL THYROXINE(T4) 102 nmol/L 59 - 154

THYROID STIMULATING HORMONE * 0.10 mIU/L 0.27 - 4.2

FREE THYROXINE 17.6 pmol/l 12.0 - 22.0 FREE T3 3.8 pmol/L 3.1 - 6.8 25

OH Vitamin D 82 nmol/L 50 - 200

IMMUNOLOGY THYROID ANTIBODIES .

Thyroglobulin Antibody 26.3 IU/mL 0-115 Method used for Anti-Tg: Roche Modular Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies * 44.0 IU/mL 0 - 34

Thank you all

[greygoose]

You have Hashi's and a conversion problem - the two often go together. But don't be surprised if your endo denies/knows nothing about either.

[Hashihouseman]

It seems you may be suffering low T3 , T4 levels more than enough for a healthy system and yet the curse of a levothyroxine dependent system is there may not be enough T4 to drive higher levels of T3, which is why crass endocrinologists tend to overdose levothyroxine. Too much T4 can reduce efficiency of conversion to T3 so it can be a vicious circle because your TSH is suppressed by T4 yet your body could do better with higher tsh to maintain T3 levels that are more like those in a healthy system. I take 0.75 grains of desiccated thyroid with 75 micrograms of levothyroxine which gives a more physiological normal (euthyroid) ratio of T3 : T4. Levothyroxine monotherapy is not always the answer especially if a body isn’t a perfect T4 to T3 converter in all areas (brain and body). My own pet theory is that it’s such complex system that dumping all the replacement hormone in one lump and as T4 alone is so far from physiologically normal it's not suprising Some of us struggle. My endocrinologist thinks i'm a neurotic crackpot but I feel better splitting my levothyroxine dose and adding T3 by way of desiccated natural thyroid. It all takes a lot of care and attention and fine tuning. we are all different and our points of T3 and T4 for homeostasis are probably genetically set , lost when we become sick and need to be found for optimum treatment. To me it is inconceivable that Levothyroxine alone and in one massive daily dose can ever replace the dynamic subtleties of a healthy thyroid secretion.

[Irishbutterfly1 in reply to Hashihouseman]

Thank you for your help.

[Howard39]

Hi

Yes I totally agree your conversation is poor.

Are you gluten free given you have hashimotos? If not you should really be. Sugar and dairy not helpful.

Any folate info and what is the range please for ferritin( am guessing it’s 18-160 ) if so low there as well. Liver green leafy veg lamb beef nuts all contain it. Vit c helps absorbtion ( Sarah Myhill. com)

If it was me I’d introduce slowly some t3- you won’t get any in the uk so will have to source your own or consider ndt( stopthethyroidmadness.com)

B12 is for me still low so I’d supplement with sublingual tablets( I personally would find out my folate results) jarrow methylcobalamin are well liked or you can go for a timed release one. My friend has nutravita - and loves them.

The vitamindcouncil.org show you how to calculate your levels- divide yours by 2.5 and that’s 32 ng/ml so you are insufficient ( and at the bottom too) 50 ng/ml is your aim so it recommends 5000 ui per day of d3. You need to take k2-mk7 with the ( usual) soft gel capsule so there is not a build up calcium in your arteries etc. Most people take it with the fattiest meal of the day- I take it with a blob of organic coconut oil. It needs to be taken away from thyroid meds- some say 2-4 hours. I can only go off my training and what I do but given your stomach ( after an average meal takes 2 hrs to empty- it’s on google) then two hrs after my meds is ok for me.

There is a chance your gp could look at the low tsh and stupidly ( depending on their personal thoughts) reduce your thyroxine.

You know your gp better so can gauge their reaction- two are different in my surgery and they are married to each other. I have a poor conversation- my gp ok with me self medicating on t3( well he did stop it!!) ok with suppressed tsh but said ( my t3 4.1) you don’t have to reach the top of the range. I replied what’s it for then ? He laughed and said you’re a v funny girl. Err no I’d like it higher.

Good luck - ask if you need more

[Irishbutterfly1]

Thank you so very much. I will digest all this and try and take this on board. I am nervous to self medicate but will try and see if I can make dietary changes. I know i should be gluten free etc but just need to take myself in hand. My gp has seen my result and is happy to leave my Levo at 125 daily. I think I may lower the dose myself. I am about to undergo surgery for gynae problems and want to feel well again. I was great for years and want to feel well again. Thank you

[silverfox7]

If you are nervous to self medicate then try to improve conversion yourself. It is possible as succeeded myself. 4 things help your thyroid with the conversion, Vit D, B12, folate and ferritin. So if you get then yo optimal levels then conversion should improve. It does take time however depend where the problem/s lie and what you do to redress the issue. Doctors may admit that you are low but even then they have little idea of what to do about it.

Look at SeaSide Susie's posts as loads on where you are aiming to get and how best to do it.

[Irishbutterfly1 in reply to silverfox7]

Thank you Silverfox that is very helpful. I will check that out