Help with Results

[Tiredteach]

Hi there, I wonder if someone can help me with my recent results as the Dr has said no follow up needed. I don't even know if/ when I'm supposed to have another blood test.

I was diagnosed with Hashis in May this year and I am currently taking 75 mcg Levo and 6.25 mcg T3 (self medicating, but Dr knows) I have been on this dose since 21st August.

Blood test Oct:

TSH 0.13 (0.34-5.6)

T4 12.9 (7.5-21.1)

T3 was done Aug 21st and was 4.8 (3.8-6.8)

Blood Test this week:

TSH 0.44

T4 11.1 (7.5-21.1)

T3 5.2 (3.8-6.8)

What I want to know is why my T4 seems to have dropped. Do I need my levo dose upped?

Symptom wise, when I added T3 to my levo, my tiredness pretty much disappeared. I feel so much better in that respect. However, bloating and weight issues are awful and seem to have worsened.

Thanks in advance to anyone who can shed some light on this for me.

[Nanaedake]

I don't take T3 but reading lots of posts on here, it seems to be normal for FT4 to drop when taking T3 because if optimally dosed then the pituitary gland doesn't instruct the thyroid to release more T4.

If you're feeling bloated it's likely to be some gut dysfunction. SlowDragon Has good advice on how to heal gut function. Have you gone gluten free?

It's worth getting vitamin levels tested too as poor absorption can affect vitamin levels.

[Tiredteach in reply to Nanaedake]

Thanks. That explains a lot about the T4 dropping. So I don't need to be concerned?

[Nanaedake in reply to Tiredteach]

I hope someone who takes T3 will respond to confirm but I'm pretty sure it's ok to have low FT4 when taking T3 if your FT3 is good in range and yours looks good in results above. It's T3 that is the active hormone so if we have enough then I don't think it matters if TSH is suppressed or FT4 low in range.

[Clutter in reply to Tiredteach]

Tiredteach,

No, it's as Nanaedake said.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Hashimoto's affects the gut and leads to low vitamin levels. Low vitamin levels stop Thyroid hormone working

Obviously yours were dire and you are now improving

Did you have to have B12 injections?

Have they all been retested recently

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

You do not need any gut symptoms at all

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...

Personally I would want to test TT4. I found I needed higher FT4 and TT4, despite fairly high T3.

It might be worth trying increase in T4.

[Tiredteach in reply to SlowDragon]

Thanks that's great. I'll looķ into a re test of vitamins. When I asked last time, Dr said only needs to be done once a year so may get a private one done. Didn't have B12 injections as Dr said was in range, but people on here said I was low so I self administered larger doses of b12 and d.

[silverfox7]

I may be tempted to raise T3 a little as room for that to increase and that may well raise FT4 anyway as you probably don't need to make as much T3 from the T4.