I am new here. Blood test came back T4 levels - 13.8 (satisfactory) and TSH level 4.22 (repeat test). The doctor said she would repeat the blood test in 6 months and the tingling in my feet and the exhaustion are a result of the peri-menopause but I am not so sure I just can't face another 6 months of exhaustion. I am on HRT
I have made an appointment to see a different GP, what should I be asking for?
My Mum and her 2 sisters all had thyroid problems.
Help please
Blood tests :
TPO (Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies )
Tg ( Thyroglobulin )
Free T4
Free T3
TSH
T4
Also nutrients levels of
Vitamin D
B12
Folate
Ferritin
Calcium
Go armed with a written list of your symptoms. Check temperature every morning, if low record and add to list. Remembering to add one if taking underarm.
Thank you,
Tingling is often low B12 (or low calcium) and nothing to do with menopause. You are hypo but the NHS won't treat until your TSH is much, much higher or your free T4 drops below range.
Also ask for TPO and TG antibody tests as you ahve a lever to ask for treatment if you have autoimmune thyroiditis but TSH hasn't reached the NHS's magic number of about double the top of the range
My vitamin B12, is high, I have been taking two supplements which contain it, so have dropped one. I will ask for the other blood tests, next week
If my B12 drops below 1000 I get symptoms (eye tic and tingling feet) so don't be too quick to drop it.
Mine was 854, I thought the range was up to 700? Very confused
Mine needs to be well over range to stop symptoms.
Do you take B12 methylcobalamin tablets.
No just through a Berocca style vitamin tablet and a over the counter mult-vitamin. My blood test the Vitamin B12 came out as 854 and the range should be 180 -700.00 ng/L. Am I reading it correctly?
Very unlikely that you will get much B12 from either of those. Multi-vitamins are never a good idea. Have a look at the labels and see how much B12 is in them, and is it methylcobalamin or cyanocobalamin?
Ranges are usually out of touch with reality. A B12 of 180 would be catastrophic, but your doctor would say it's ok because it's just about in-range. You doubtless need it a lot higher than that. The 700 cut-off is probably a number they've just plucked out of the air. In Japan, the bottom of the range is 500! But, what is your folate?
Serum Folate is 15.7
That should be ok. Depends on the range - needs to be at least mid-range. 
Range is 4.60 to 18.70,
OK, well, that's good then.
It does say above the result - (HC) satisfactory. Duplicate test: Vitamin B12 and folate profile, what does that mean?
I'm afraid I have no idea. Sorry.
Another question for the GP, I would try and get the previous blood test but they wanted to charge £5 for this one!!
They aren't allowed to make a profit on printing results, so point out that you can get a whole ream of paper for 2.50 at Asda and even the most aggressive printer/copier leasers shouldn't charge more than 1p per printed black A4 sheet. And if it takes more than a few seconds of a clerical assistant's time to print it, that person needs retraining ... You could ask to see the screen and jut copy the results down
The biggest fault in the UK is that doctors have been told not to diagnosed hypothyroidism until the TSH reaches 10. In other countries we are diagnosed at 3+.
thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/about_....
We have to read, learn and ask questions if we've to get well.
Doctors used to only diagnose by clinical symptoms - nowadays I doubt one doctors knows any at all.
thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/testin...
Six months is far too long when you are suffering especially as it runs in family as well. He should prescribe.
If GP wont or lab wont do the following, the ones they dont do you can get privately. Or you can get a Private Blood test who will certainly do far more than GP. Most are pin-prick tests but they also use a blood draw.
All blood tests for thyroid hormones have to be at the very earliest, fasting (you can drink water) and allow a gap of 24 hours between last dose (when prescribed) and the test and take afterwards. This helps keep the TSH at its highest as that's all doctors look at.
GP should definitely test B12, Vit D,iron, ferritin and folate as deficiencies can also cause clinical symptoms.
You need TSH, T4, T3, free T4, free T3 and thyroid antibodies.
So how much are private blood tests,
Hi - I would reply on your other post but it has been closed to comments. I don't see anyone advising you to see an endo and most endos are useless anyway. You actually don't need to see an endo as there is no suggestion in the results of any complexity in your case. Endos normally only handle those with hyperthyroid, central or secondary hypothyroid and those with really stubborn hypo when GPs have tried all normal treatment. They are extremely unlikely to agree to see you and even if they did, are extremely unlikely to take a different approach to your GP.
So for now, as others above have suggested, why not get yourself a comprehensive private test and then come back for advice? You may be able to get treatment quicker based on the results, otherwise you face the 6 month wait.
Blue Horizons thyroid plus 11 or Medichecks thyroid ultravit will give you what you need, each costs £99, but watch medichecks for Thyroid Thursday specials.
Forget the endo for now.
Gillian
Hi I thought I would update this post. Fially got to the bottom of a 4 year battle with my health. I saw the Menopause clinic in London on 12 December, and my eostrogen bloods came back as 221, where the normal rage is 300- 800 , this is even on HRT. Having low eostrogen can have an impact on your thyroid, which is why my levels have started to go up. Low eostrogen can present similar condition to low thyroid, my main sympton being fatigue and weight gain and mood swings. Thank you for your support
Blood Test Results
Repeat blood test - Subclinical hypothroidism?
Confused by blood test results
Medichecks Advanced Thyroid Blood Test Results
Borderline Thyroid test
