Understanding blood test

[Autumn_1]

Can’t work out tsh level 😳 Sorry, I might be being really daft but, I like to know my tsh level & always get a printout. My level has been 2.9 for sometime, however the last printout doesn’t give me numbers like that. I’m finding it hard to work out via google how they translate. My other tests are in storage at the moment so I can’t compare the litttle information I have. It reads

Serum free T4 level 16.7 pmol/L

Serum TSH level 0.87 mu/L

So what is my overall tsh level please? Does it mean it has dropped & 0.87 ? & this would be my new level?

I’m sorry if I sound daft, but I don’t understand & so many of you are so clever at this old malarkey , im hoping someone will explain & I won’t look like a 🤡.

This site has been so enlightening & helped me through the last few years since being diagnosed, knowing I’m not imagining symptoms or a hypochondriac has really helped me get through.Thanks 🍁

[jimh111]

TSH stimulates the thyroid gland to produce the thyroid hormones known as T3 and T4. The fT4 figure is the amount of thyroxine, one of the hormones the thyroid produces. An fT4 of 16.7 looks OK. Your TSH is 0.87, so it has dropped from 2.9. As your T3 and T4 hormone levels drop TSH rises, so your blood test is saying you have a little more thyroid hormone.

How do you feel? If you feel OK then these results are fine, nothing to worry about.

[Autumn_1 in reply to jimh111]

Thank you for such a quick reply. I was thinking I would need to increase my dose, prior to the test as I have had more fatigue, joint aches & my hair has definitely thinned recently. A little confused now, thinking I would feel great below 1. Maybe I do have Fibromyalgia symptoms & ME, as the Endo was trying to palm me off with, or so I thought. 😕 I take 75 mg of thyroxine, should it be less I wonder.😣

[jimh111 in reply to Autumn_1]

Your symptoms could be hypo or hyper thyroid, although most likely hypothyroid. Your TSH falling could be due to higher hormone levels (you don't have an fT3 result, it's very difficult to persuade doctors to request it and get it done but it is very useful). The drop in TSH could be due to higher fT3 and fT4 compared to last time or it could be due to your pituitary getting less stimulation to produce TSH. The latter can happen during quite bad illness, depression or restricted calorie diet.

You could just see how you do on 50 mcg levothyroxine, just skip your levo for a couple of days and then resume on 50. I'm pretty sure you will feel worse but it's an easy, safe and pretty painless way of ruling it out.

Assuming the reduced dose doesn't work I would ask for an increase to 100 mcg. Before either it is worth supplementing with magnesium citrate as fibromylagia like symptoms can be caused by low magnesium. It is also important to get good deep sleep, the magnesium may help a little.

[Autumn_1 in reply to jimh111]

Appreciate the advice & your time, I will consider all you have said. Already on magnesium citrate & I can sleep for England. 😴 Many thanks 🍁