Help with results please

[Lauren1213]

Hi I am new am I undermedicated.

Thyroid peroxidase antibodies 201.5 (<34)

TSH 8.3 (0.2 - 4.2)

Free T3 4.2 (3.1 - 6.8)

Free T4 10.5 (12 - 22)

Taking 50mcg Levo, diagnosed 2012.

Thanks in advance.

[Nanaedake]

50mcg levothyroxine is not much more than a starter dose. Have you been on higher doses? Your TSH is too high. You are undermedicated and need to increase your dose by 25mcg and retest in 6 weeks and increase dose and so on until your TSH reaches around 1. What has your doctor said about these results?

You have elevated thyroid antibodies which means you have autoimmune thyroid disease otherwise known as Hashimotos thyroiditis. You can read more about it on Thyroid UK's main website.

It would be wise to have your vitamin levels tested as being hypothyroid they are probably low.

Ask for tests for

B12

Folate

Ferritin

Vitamin D

People with thyroid disease are often low in these. When you get results post them here. Doctors will often say fine when the results are bumping along the bottom of the range but it doesn't make us feel well. If you post them here people will give good suggestions.

[Lauren1213 in reply to Nanaedake]

Hi yes I was taking 150mcg levothyroxine and 10mcg T3 before

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Lauren1213]

Who stopped it and why?

Was it different endo from one that started you on it

You are now significantly under medicated and almost certainly have very low vitamin levels

Post results of vitamin D, Folate, ferritin and B12 if you have them

You need to increase dose back up. Normally in 25mcg steps, but you might be able to increase slightly quicker. Depends how long you have been on low dose and how bad vitamins are

Are you on strictly gluten free diet

We have seen 100's of similar T3 being stopped.

thyroidpharmacist.com/artic...

thyroidpharmacist.com/artic...

amymyersmd.com/2017/02/3-im...

chriskresser.com/the-gluten...

scdlifestyle.com/2014/08/th...

drknews.com/changing-your-d...

[Lauren1213 in reply to SlowDragon]

I had it stopped by my GP. I was under a very good endo before who identified me as having a clinical need for T3 but she then left the clinic then my GP got involved. Not currently gluten free as doing coeliac test.

[Nanaedake in reply to Lauren1213]

It's poor practice and irresponsible medicine if a doctor stopped your levothyroxine or reduced it to 50mcg when you were on 150mcg levo and 10mcg T3.

For one thing, more than a 25mcg increase or decrease in levothyrxoine will make a person feel extremely ill. and likely set off anxiety and other symptoms.

Removing T3 means that your T4 should be increased which it has not been.

Reducing your dose of thyroids meds so dramatically and leaving you hypothyroid is bound to have caused nutritional deficiencies and you are very likely to now have low vitamin levels..

Has your doctor or Endo tested your vitamin levels before or after T3 was removed?

What rationale and reason were you given for the reduction in thyroid medication?

What were your thyroid blood test results that prompted such a severe reduction of your thyroid medication? The doctor must have given you some reason for reducing your thyroid meds so severely so what evidence did they provide to you that this needed doing?

Most importantly, how are you feeling?

[Lauren1213 in reply to Nanaedake]

Thanks GP tested vitamin and minerals before and after T3 was removed. The reason given was overdosed results which were

TSH 0.07 (0.2 - 4.2)

Free T4 20.9 (12 - 22)

Free T3 4.1 (3.1 - 6.8)

Symptoms are sweating, swollen thyroid, dry skin, eye heaviness, cold intolerance, weight gain, breathlessness, heavy periods, memory loss, dizziness, joint pain, hair loss, fatigue

[Nanaedake in reply to Lauren1213]

These results were fine. You were taking T3 so your TSH is expected to be low. TSH is a pituitary hormone, not a thyroid hormone. It is low because your thyroid hormone is adequately replaced and your pituitary gland therefore does not need to signal your thyroid to produce more thyroid hormone.

TSH 0.07 (0.2 - 4.2) TSH low but not a problem if FT3 and FT4 is in range - which they are.

Free T4 20.9 (12 - 22) This is in range and where it should be toward the top of the range so fine.

Free T3 4.1 (3.1 - 6.8) This is in range although on the low side and could cause some symptoms. It's better to be in the top quarter of the range.

There was absolutely no reason to reduce your thyroid meds on the basis of these results. You Endo needs to retrain in thyroid care. He/she is making you ill. Get rid of them.

What are you vitamins results? Please post them here, both the before and after results.

[Lauren1213 in reply to Nanaedake]

Before T3

Ferritin 110.5 (30 - 400)

Folate 10.2 (2.5 - 19.5)

Vitamin B12 548 (190 - 900)

Total vitamin D 72.0 (50 - 75 suboptimal)

After T3 removed

Ferritin 44 (30 - 400)

Folate 2.3 (2.5 - 19.5)

Vitamin B12 226 (190 - 900)

Total vitamin D 35.5 (25 - 50 deficient)

[Nanaedake in reply to Lauren1213]

That's very interesting isn't it? After your T3 was removed it looks like all your vitamin levels plummeted. Were you taking any vitamin supplements at any point?

It looks like your dose reduction has really impacted your nutritional levels. Have you pointed this out to your Endo and GP? What did your Endo say about these results?

[Lauren1213 in reply to Nanaedake]

Finished a course of iron about a year after T3 removed

Taking 1000iu D3 since 2015

Taking 5mg folic since 2016

T3 removed August 2017

No one has said anything about levels

[Nanaedake in reply to Lauren1213]

When was your dose reduced to 50mcg levo?

Perhaps you ought to show your results to your GP and point out how your reduced dose has affected your vitamiin levels.

Considering you have been supplementing for a long time, you are very deficient. Is that why the GP is doing a coeliac test?

Has he also tested intrinsic factor to rule out pernicious anaemia? Your B12 has dropped so low and you really shouldn't supplement folic acid until excluding B12 deficiency as it can mask a B12 deficiency.

These are the guidelines for teating vitamin D deficiency if in the UK.

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

You need to take magnesium and K2-MK7 with vitamin D3 in order to absorb the vitamin D3 effectively. Magnesium citrate is ok but there are other choices for magnesium.

naturalnews.com/046401_magn...

Have you got symptoms of B12 deficiency because if so, I advise you to post your B12 and folate results along with an outline of your thyroid condition and symptoms, low ferritin etc on the HealthUnlocked Pernicious Anaemia forum healthunlocked.com/pasoc and ask their advice about what your GP should be doing to investigate and rule out pernicious anaemia.

B12 symptoms of deficiency

b12deficiency.info/signs-an...

B12 The Guidelines Doctors follow

onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi... l

You need ferritin to be at least 70 or mid-range for your own thyroid to function properly.

Iron deficiency anaemia NICE guidelines

cks.nice.org.uk/anaemia-iro...

The importance of vitamins and thyroid function

americannutritionassociatio...