Just wondering why my endocrine consultant would say this with these bloods
TSH 9.1 (0.27 - 4.20)
Free T4 12.9 (12 - 22)
Free T3 3.2 (3.1 - 6.8)
And symptoms of hard stool, tiredness, puffy eyes, dry skin, losing balance, feeling cold and weight gain?
Taking 150mcg levothyroxine diagnosed 2014.
Thankyou
Sorry, Tammiv, your results are shouting out and loud "hypothyroidism" and your symptoms point in this direction, too.
Unfortunately, many doctors, to include specialist endocrinologists, identify any numbers within their ranges as normal.
Your TSH is way too high and your T4 and T3 are way too low on 150 mcg of Levothyroxine.
Just for clarification, have you been taking your Levo 4 hrs away from iron, magnesium, zinc, and Vit D, and estrogen? 2 hours from having food?
Thankyou I take my thyroid medication 4 hours from iron and magnesium and vit D and 2 hours from food. I don't take zinc or oestrogen
It was just for clarification, as said, to eliminate absorption issues. You could most certainly benefit from adding T3 or switching to NDT. Unfortunately, both may not be straightforward and the easier option is like most of us going down the self-medication route.
Another 'uneducated in hypothyroidism' doctor who is waiting till the TSH reaches 10.
UK must be the only country in the world who doesn't prescribe when the TSH goes above 3. No, in UK we must wait till it is 10.
Why bother going to see uneducated doctors - who is paying these doctors? - who helped pay for their medical training? Who pays their wages???????????????
You need an immediate increase in levothyroxine. In fact your dose of levo is quite high but it doesn't look as if you can convert it into the only Active Thyroid Hormone (T3). It is T3 that is required in our billions of receptor cells not T4.
I think, rather than develop other more serious complaints, I'd go it alone with the help of the members on this forum.
If you develop heart disease or more worse complaints he wont care. The fact that with such low FT4 and FT3 your body cannot function. You either have to take T3 only or add some T3 to your dose and I really wouldn't waste my time and hope with this useless person.
Three years since diagnosis is three years too long out of your life to be in illhealth and non-co-operation with the Endocrinologist.
I am sure now that many choose a Career to rise up the ladder while leaving a chain of unwell/undiagnosed/undertreated patients behind.
She is already on Levo - so this endo needs striking off they are so incompetent
Because the endo is a diabetes specialist and knows nothing about thyroid? His reasoning is "you are on a moderate dose of levo, therefore you must be fine thyroid-wise". If they are not thyroid related with way over range TSH and rock bottom Free t4 and Free T3, what are they? Usually the obvious solution is the correct one. You need a dose increase and also optimal levels of B12, folate, ferritin and D3 so you can use the hormones you are taking effectively.
This endo must be the worst of the day. Obviously knows nothing about thyroid
Email Louise at a Thyroid UK for list of recommended thyroid specialists louise.roberts@thyroiduk.org.uk
Dr Toft, past president of the British Thyroid Association and leading endocrinologist, states in Pulse Magazine,
You can obtain a copy of the article by emailing louise.roberts@thyroiduk.org print it and highlight question 6 to show your doctor.
"The appropriate dose of levothyroxine is that which restores euthyroidism and serum TSH to the lower part of the reference range - 0.2-0.5mU/l.
In this case, free thyroxine is likely to be in the upper part of its reference range or even slightly elevated – 18-22pmol/l. Most patients will feel well in that circumstance.
But some need a higher dose of levothyroxine to suppress serum TSH and then the serum-free T4 concentration will be elevated at around 24-28pmol/l.
This 'exogenous subclinical hyperthyroidism' is not dangerous as long as serum T3 is unequivocally normal – that is, serum total around T3 1.7nmol/l (reference range 1.0-2.2nmol/l)."
So what this means is you need 25mcgs dose increase. Retesting after 6 weeks. TSH should be one or slightly less and FT4 should be towards top of range and FT3 at least half way in range
Very likely you have very low vitamin levels as result of being under medicated, especially if you have Hashimoto's
Have you got test results for vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12? Post results and ranges if you have them. If not ask GP to test.
Do you have high antibodies? This is Hashimoto's also called autoimmune thyroid disease
All thyroid tests should be done as early as possible in morning and fasting and don't take Levo in the 24 hours prior to test, delay and take straight after. This gives highest TSH and most consistent results
If you have Hashimoto's then there's lots of other things can help improve gut too
Will add this if it's applicable later
Is this thyroid related?
Is this thyroid related?
Symptoms thyroid? Advice please
Interactive thyroid symptoms
Advice on symptoms related to T3 or not
