Help with thyroid tests please

[Cara130]

Hi I am new and I am looking to get thyroid testing done privately. I am having symptoms which I think are low thyroid but can't be sure. Endo says these are not low thyroid symptoms.

Joint pain, stool that is hard to pass, feeling cold, losing hair, puffy eyes, swollen thyroid area, dry skin, weight gain.

Thank you

TSH 6.2 (0.27 - 4.20)

Free T4 12.6 (12 - 22)

Free T3 3.0 (3.1 - 6.8)

[lady_eve]

I am sure I will be the first of many here to say that you are clearly hypo, both symptomatically and on the strength of the results you've quoted. If your endo has seen these results, I'm not sure how your he/she can say otherwise. Many NHS endos seem to know only about diabetes - is your endo one of them? You should ask for a second opinion.

Wishing you well.

[Cara130 in reply to lady_eve]

Thanks yes he is a diabetes specialist

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Cara

If you are seeing an endo then you are very likely to be on thyroid meds. What are you taking?

You are undermedicated with those results, the aim of a treated hypo patient generally is for TSH to be 1 or below or wherever it needs to be for FT4 and FT3 to be in the upper part of their respective reference ranges when on Levo.

Have you had thyroid antibodies tested?

Have you had vitamins and minerals tested?

Please post results with reference ranges, and say if you are supplementing, how long for, with what and the dose.

Are you on T3, or had it prescribed and maybe removed again?

[Cara130 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thanks I take 50mcg levothyroxine diagnosed 2011 and TPO antibodies 875 (<34) TG antibodies 488.3 (<115) never had T3 before

[Cara130 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Ferritin 22 (30 - 400) ongoing iron deficiency anaemia

Folate 2.1 (2.5 - 19.5)

Vitamin B12 247 (190 - 900)

Vitamin D 25.9 (25 - 50 deficiency) taking 800iu

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Cara130]

Endo obviously useless

Yes your under medicated and has anyone ever explained you have Hashimoto's (high antibodies)

Low vitamin levels stop Thyroid hormone working

Your vitamin levels are dire. They must be improved for thyroid hormones to able to work

See SeasideSusie detailed reply on vitamins to similar levels here

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

You need Levo dose increase in 25mcgs steps, retesting after 6-8 weeks. The aim of Levothyroxine is to increase the dose until TSH is around one and FT4 towards top of range and FT3 at least half way in range.

Hashimoto's affects our gut

Poor gut function can lead leaky gut (literally holes in gut wall) this can cause food intolerances. Most common by far is gluten

According to Izabella Wentz the Thyroid Pharmacist approx 5% with Hashimoto's are coeliac, but over 80% find gluten free diet helps significantly. Either due to direct gluten intolerance (no test available) or due to leaky gut and gluten causing molecular mimicry (see Amy Myers link)

But don't be surprised that GP or endo never mention gut, gluten or low vitamins. Hashimoto's is very poorly understood

Changing to a strictly gluten free diet may help reduce symptoms, help gut heal and slowly lower TPO antibodies

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...

Dr Toft, past president of the British Thyroid Association and leading endocrinologist, states in Pulse Magazine,

"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)."

You can obtain a copy of the articles from Thyroid UK email [e-mail]. print it and highlight question 6 to show your doctor.

Plus ask for the list of recommended thyroid specialists too