Results

[Rebecca13]

TSH 68.5 (0.2 - 4.2)

FREE T4 10.2 (12 - 22)

FREE T3 2.5 (3.1 - 6.8)

Hi I am new do I need to be back on thyroid medication. Diagnosed 4 years ago and was taking 150mcg levothyroxine before it was stopped. Thankyou

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Rebecca13

Yes, you do need to be back on thyroid medication.

Why was it stopped?

Please fill us in on your thyroid background and give as much information as possible

Do you have high antibodies - Hashimoto's?

Have your vitamins and minerals been tested - Vit D, B12, Folate, Ferritin?

[Rebecca13 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thankyou it was stopped because I wasn't feeling any better despite good results.

TPO antibodies 575 (<34)

TG antibodies >1200 (<115)

Ferritin 11 (15 - 150)

Folate 2.3 (2.5 - 19.5)

Vitamin B12 200 (190 - 900)

Vitamin D total 26.2 (25 - 50 deficient)

Taking ferrous fumarate 210mg and folic acid 5mg and vit D3 800iu

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Rebecca13]

Rebecca13

Thankyou it was stopped because I wasn't feeling any better despite good results

Was that yourGP or an endo? Whoever it was hasn't a clue. If you're diagnosed hypothyroid, you're hypothyroid and you need replacement thyroid hormone. If results are good (and that's a debatable point) and symptoms still remain, you investigate further.

TPO antibodies 575 (<34)

TG antibodies >1200 (<115)

These are a big part of your problem. Your high antibodies mean that you are positive for autoimmune thyroid disease aka Hashimoto's which is where antibodies attack the thyroid and gradually destroy it. The antibody attacks cause fluctuations in symptoms and test results.

This could be one reason why your results looked good but your symptoms remained.

You can help reduce the antibodies by adopting a strict gluten free diet which has helped many members here. Gluten contains gliadin (a protein) which is thought to trigger autoimmune attacks so eliminating gluten can help reduce these attacks. You don't need to be gluten sensitive or have Coeliac disease for a gluten free diet to help.

Supplementing with selenium l-selenomethionine 200mcg daily can also help reduce the antibodies, as can keeping TSH suppressed.

Gluten/thyroid connection: chriskresser.com/the-gluten...

stopthethyroidmadness.com/h...

stopthethyroidmadness.com/h...

hypothyroidmom.com/hashimot...

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

**

Hashi's and gut/absorption problems tend to go hand in hand and very often low nutrient levels are the result and yours certain are dreadful.

Ferritin 11 (15 - 150) T

aking ferrous fumarate 210mg

For thyroid hormone to work (that's our own as well as replacement hormone) ferritin needs to be at least 70, preferably half way through range.

You need an iron supplement and as your level is so low you should ask for an iron infusion which will raise your level within 24-48 hours, tablets will take many months.

You can also help raise your level by eating liver regularly, maximum 200g per week due to it's high Vit A content, and including lots of iron rich foods in your diet apjcn.nhri.org.tw/server/in...

Low ferritin can suggest iron deficiency anaemia, so you need an iron panel and full blood count. If iron deficiency anaemia is confirmed then the treatment is 2 or 3 x ferrous fumarate daily.

Take each iron tablet with 1000mg Vitamin C to aid absorption and help prevent constipaton. Always take iron 4 hours away from thyroid meds and two hours away from other medication and supplements as it will affect absorption.

**

Folate 2.3 (2.5 - 19.5) Vitamin B12 200 (190 - 900) folic acid 5mg

Were you checked for B12 deficiency? Check now - b12deficiency.info/signs-an... then you should post on the Pernicious Anaemia Society forum because a level as low as yours really needs investigating rather than just self supplementing.

healthunlocked.com/pasoc

Quote your folate/B12/ferritin results, any iron deficiency information/results you may have and any signs of B12 deficiency you may be experiencing from those listed in the link. Be aware that folic acid masks signs of B12 deficiency so you may have to think back to before you were taking it.

You probably need testing for Pernicious Anaemia, you may need B12 injections. Further investigations should be done before folic acid is started, and B12 also started before folic acid.

I have read (but not researched so don't have links) that BCSH, UKNEQAS and NICE guidelines recommend:

"In the presence of discordance between test results and strong clinical features of deficiency, treatment should not be delayed to avoid neurological impairment."

And an extract from the book, "Could it be B12?" by Sally M. Pacholok:

"We believe that the 'normal' serum B12 threshold needs to be raised from 200 pg/ml to at least 450 pg/ml because deficiencies begin to appear in the cerebrospinal fluid below 550".

"For brain and nervous system health and prevention of disease in older adults, serum B12 levels should be maintained near or above 1000 pg/ml."

**

Vitamin D total 26.2 (25 - 50 deficient) vit D3 800iu

You are 1.2 away from severe deficiency and you should be having loading doses, not 800iu as that is a maintenance dose for someone with a decent level to start with and will never raise your level. See NICE treatment summary for Vit D deficiency:

cks.nice.org.uk/vitamin-d-d...

"Treat for Vitamin D deficiency if serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) levels are less than 30 nmol/L.

For the treatment of vitamin D deficiency, the recommended treatment is based on fixed loading doses of vitamin D (up to a total of about 300,000 international units [IU] given either as weekly or daily split doses, followed by lifelong maintenace treatment of about 800 IU a day. Higher doses of up to 2000IU a day, occasionally up to 4000 IU a day, may be used for certain groups of people, for example those with malabsorption disorders. Several treatment regims are available, including 50,000 IU once a week for 6 weeks (300,000 IU in total), 20,000 IU twice a week for 7 weeks (280,000 IU in total), or 4000 IU daily for 10 weeks (280,000 IU in total)."

Each Health Authority has their own guidelines but they will be very similar. Go and see your GP and ask that he treats you according to the guidelines and prescribes the loading doses. Once these have been completed you will need a reduced amount (more than 800iu so post your new result as the time for members to suggest a dose) to bring your level up to what's recommended by the Vit D Council - which is 100-150nmol/L - and then you'll need a maintenance dose which may be 2000iu daily, it's trial and error so it's recommended to retest once or twice a year to keep within the recommended range. You can do this with a private fingerprick blood spot test with City Assays vitamindtest.org.uk/

There are important cofactors needed when taking D3

vitamindcouncil.org/about-v...

D3 aids absorption of calcium from food and K2-MK7 directs the calcium to bones and teeth where it is needed and away from arteries and soft tissues where it can be deposited and cause problems.

D3 and K2 are fat soluble so should be taken with the fattiest meal of the day, D3 four hours away from thyroid meds.

Magnesium helps D3 to work and comes in different forms, check to see which would suit you best and as it's calming it's best taken in the evening, four hours away from thyroid meds

naturalnews.com/046401_magn...

Check out the other cofactors too.

When you start buying your own D3, as you have Hashi's you will be best buying an oral spray for better absorption, eg BetterYou who do D3 alone or D3/K2-MK7 combination.

**

Your thyroid hormone can't work if your nutrient levels are less than optimal, nutrients can't be absorbed when you have malabsorption caused by Hashi's. See the reply by SlowDragon to this post which has information and links to help

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

**

So with these results

TSH 68.5 (0.2 - 4.2)

FREE T4 10.2 (12 - 22)

FREE T3 2.5 (3.1 - 6.8)

what you need now is to make an appointment with your GP ASAP, ask for Levo to be reinstated at a dose no less than 50mcg (unless you are elderly or have a heart condition), retest in 6 weeks, an increase of 25mcg Levo, keep repeating testing/increasing until you feel well and your TSH is down to about 1 and free Ts in the upper part of their reference ranges, if that is where you feel well.

You will need to address the Hashi's - so gluten free and supplement with selenium.

You need to address the absorption problem as per SlowDragon's suggestions in her post linked to and then you need to optimise your nutrient levels but you must discuss your treatment for ferritin/iron deficiency/folate/B12/Vit D with your GP and get the appropriate treatment.

When you've spoken to your GP, please come back and tell us what he has said and what he is going to do.

[jaymieiris]

Hypothyroidism has 300 plus symptoms.... you are not crazy stopthethyroidmadness.com/

[shaws Administrator]

For goodness sake. Why on earth would they stop your levothyroxine when you were obviously hypothyroid. What was the reason for stopping it?

[Rebecca13 in reply to shaws]

Thankyou it was stopped because I wasn't feeling any better despite good results.

[shaws Administrator in reply to Rebecca13]

I also felt much worse on levothyroxine than before I was diagnosed and my TSH was 100. by then. I only began to improve when some T3 was added to the T4 and then eventually as I joined TUK before this forum began and I began to learn that there are other thyroid hormones as well as levo. I was also lucky to consult a doctor who'd prescribe levo, NDT or T3. I recovered my health and am on T3 only which I buy myself. My GP did prescribe it but about 2 years ago many who took the UK one complained as it wasn't right. I decided to get my own then.

My stopping your levo and not replacing it with either NDT or T3, he has put your health in danger.

Some people are very intolerant of levothyroxine. To not replace it with something is awful.

Your doctor should refer you to an Endocrinologist or if it was an Endocrinologist who was treating you he hasn't any clue. You can source your own NDT and I don't know how much it costs but it is the original thyroid hormone and many recover their health. Sometimes we have to try one or two but it contains all of the hormones a healthy gland would produce.

This doctor only took a blood test for the initial diagnosis thereafter he concentrated on relieving symptons but he wouldn't prescribe levothyroxine only NDT or T3.

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

web.archive.org/web/2010112...

[silverfox7]

Just think! Who needs to buy horror stories when you can read HealthUnlocked.com! Ok flippant remark but read some really sad, frightening and potentially dangerous posts today! God bless Thyroid Uk!