Please help decipher Hypothyroid blood test results :-)

[Abi-Abster]

Hi, so as per my previous post, these are the blood test results my GP got cross about as they showed I’ve been taking T3. I’ve been taking it for 6 months in addition to my usual T4.

I have ME/ CFS, Hypothyroidism and ADHD (less of the H these days - for obvious reasons!).

My GP said that judging by my blood tests below I was over with T3 and under with T4, but that I shouldn’t change my T3 or T3 doses for now.

I’m not feeling remotely HYPERthyroid, but I am feeling in more pain than usual. So imagine I am actually a bit hypo. Perhaps you guys can clarify for me?

I’m prescribed 75mcg Levothyroxine and am currently taking 50mcg because I was feeling a bit hyper a few months back and, rightly or wrongly, preferred to drop the T4 dose over the T3.

I’m taking 25mcg T3 in the morning and half of that at about 3pm. It’s changed my life for the better!

So, should I increase my T4 back by 25mcg or...based on my blood test results below, what would you Lovelies suggest?

Thank you so much - as ever - for your help.

Abi

PS: My legs have been more wobbly and thrummy recently, which is why my GP ran the extra tests. Not sure what they mean!

TSH 0.03 0.035 - 4.94

T3 3.9 2.6 - 5.7

T4 7.4 9 - 19

CRP 1 0 - 10

Cardiac enzyme 51 25 - 200

Liver -

ALT 22 5 - 40

AST 22 5 - 40

Total alliate phosphatase 54 30 - 130

Bilirubin 14 0 - 21

Albumin 37 35 - 50

ESR 9 1 - 14

Full blood count -

Globin haemoglobin 134 120 - 160

White blood 5.4 4 - 11

Platelets 207 150 - 400

Red blood count 4.7 4 - 5.8

Haematocrit 40 35 - 48

MCB 86 80 - 99

MCH 28.8 27 - 32

MCHC 335 300 - 340

Red blood cell distribution width 11 %

12 - 16%

Neutrophil 2.8 2 - 7

Lymphocyte 1.9 1 - 4

Monocyte 0.5 0.2 - 1

Eosinophil 0.2 0.1 - 0.6

Bafothil 0.0 0.0 - 0.1

Thank you!

[Marz]

Cannot see any results for B12 - Folate - Ferritin - VitD - sorry have not had time to read your other threads. Do you have any recent results with ranges ?

[Abi-Abster in reply to Marz]

Thanks Marz.

Not this time round, I’m afraid!

But I am supplementing with all of the above

Abi x

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Did you leave 12 hours prior to test for T3 and 24 hours for T4?

Your FT3 is nowhere near top of range.

Obviously FT4 is a bit low. You might try increasing that first.

[Abi-Abster in reply to SlowDragon]

Thank you. Yes I did: I left 28hrs for T4 and over 18hrs for T3.

Should I try T4 for a bit and then more T3 in a month or so, if the T4 doesn’t kill the Hypothyroid pain?

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Abi-Abster]

Personally I need T4 at reasonable levels as well as high T3. But we are all different!

I've only just discovered all T3 is not the same. I found Mercury Pharma was pretty useless. Morningside and Uni Pharma both very good.

[Clutter]

Abi-Abster,

How long did you leave between last T3 dose and blood draw?

[Abi-Abster in reply to Clutter]

I left 28hrs for T4 and over 18hrs for T3.

[Clutter in reply to Abi-Abster]

Abi-Abster,

You can extrapolate FT3 by +15% 18 hours after last dose so normal circulating FT3 can be estimated as 4.4 which is just shy of the upper third of range. There is scope to increase dose if you are still symptomatic as long as you keep FT3 <5.7.

FT4 is low because you are taking T3 direct which obviates the need for high T4 for conversion to T3, and because you are taking a proportionally high dose of T3 than T4. It's not important as long as FT3 is good.

CRP is an inflammation marker and 1.0 is low which is good.

ESR is also an inflammation marker. Ideally it will also be low in range.

Your other blood test results are all within range (normal).

[Abi-Abster in reply to Clutter]

Thank you so much for your detailed input.

So, would it be sensible not to increase the T4 as it might also increase FT4s, or at that low level might it still be useful to add T4 anyway? Or am I misunderstanding how it works?

It’s good to know I’m not hypER: the way my GP was going on about my T3 levels I thought I was, even though I still feel hypO!

[Clutter in reply to Abi-Abster]

Abi-Abster,

As I said, it doesn't matter whether FT4 is low as long as FT3 is good. Increasing Levothyroxine dose will raise FT4 and FT3 whereas increasing T3 dose will raise FT3 only. You can do either but only one at a time.

I suspect your GP was confused about TSH being suppressed and FT4 being below range which are very odd results for someone supposedly taking 75mcg Levothyroxine.

[Abi-Abster in reply to Clutter]

Haha, yes; not confused but cross, as from what he said on the phone this morning he suspected the T3 straight away - and it meant he caught me red-handed!

Thank you again for your reply

[Clutter in reply to Abi-Abster]

Abi-Abster,

Bit arrogant to get cross with you trying to make yourself feel well when he refused to trial T3. Don't let him make you feel as though you have done something wrong. You are entitled to take control of your own health if you want to.

[greygoose in reply to Abi-Abster]

Caught you red-handed? What is this talk! It's your body, you do what you like with it, and he's not there to tell you you can't take T3, he's there to advise you. If you don't chose to take his advice, that's your busines. You don't have to react like a naughty child.

If he doesn't know enough about thyroid to treat his patients correctly, he should expect them to take matters into their own hands!

[Hidden in reply to Abi-Abster]

I would not worry about what he thinks as long as you get well.

I self medicate and have private bloods test now and after 18 months am now fine.

I obtain all of the information required from the good people on this site and followed their expert advice.

[Abi-Abster in reply to Hidden]

Me too!

Thanks and so pleased you’re better

[Abi-Abster in reply to Clutter]

Thank you again Ladies for your support

And finally Clutter, what does ESR mean in terms of inflammation, and how do I reduce it?

[Clutter in reply to Abi-Abster]

Abi-Abster,

labtestsonline.org/understa...