Raised liver and kidney function

[Jennymiddle]

Hi guys. The doctors have increased my tablets today to 50mcg which im relived about as still having a lot of symptoms. She did say my kidney and liver test was slightly raised but nothing to worry about. The firt thing i did was worry with having health anxioty. I have looked up on line and it says they could be raised with thyroid problems. Just wondered if this is the case for anyone else.

[Clutter]

Jennymiddle,

Being undermedicated may be why liver and kidney levels are elevated. They'll probably normalise one you are optimally dosed on Levothyroxine.

[Jennymiddle in reply to Clutter]

Great thank you. I didnt get my results with it been xmas eve and didnt have a lot of time but i know my TSH was 3.5 after last blood test

[Clutter in reply to Jennymiddle]

Jennymiddle,

TSH 3.5 means you were undermedicated which is why your GP has increased dose to 50mcg.

[Jennymiddle in reply to Clutter]

Thank you clutter

[shaws Administrator]

I am assuming you were prescribed 25mcg levo before your 'increase' to 50mcg. If so, unless you are very frail with a heart problem, 50mcg is a starting dose with 25mcg increases every six weeks approx until your TSH is 1or lower. Many doctors/endocrinologists make the mistake of believing if our TSH is 'somewhere' in the range that increases aren't due. This is untrue.

Always ask for a print-out of your results with the ranges for your own records and you can post if you have a query.

You are now on a starting dose and you should have an increase of 25mcg every six weeks till you feel better and TSH is 1 or lower.

Ask GP to test B12, Vit D, iron, ferritin and folate at the same time as your next blood test. Everything has to be optimal.

All blood tests for thyroid hormones have to be at the earliest possible, fasting (you can drink water) and allow a gap of 24hours between last dose and test and take afterwards. This helps keep the TSH at its highest as doctors are apt to only take notice of the TSH. Ideally, a blood test of TSH, T4, T3, Free T4, Free T3 and thyroid antibodies would be more beneficial. If GP wont do them, you can get those omitted by one of our recommended private labs.

[Jennymiddle in reply to shaws]

Hi yes was on 25mcg before increase. That was my starting dose. Im not frail or have a heart problem. When i called last week for my resilts they said it was normal no further action but i still had so many symptoms so i went to see her today and she increased it to 50. My TSH was 3.5 not sure of anything else. I will get them after xmas. Thanks for your reply

[shaws Administrator in reply to Jennymiddle]

If we are diagnosed as hypothyroid it is usually because our TSH is above range. In the UK doctors are advised not to prescribe until TSH reaches 10 and many are unaware of the clinical symptoms. In other countries if the TSH goes above 3 we are diagnosed/prescribed.

After being prescribed levothyroxine, the aim is to get the TSH to 1 or lower with FT4 and FT3 towards the upper part of the range. Rarely are the Frees tested (FT4 and FT3). Many doctors are poorly trained in that they believe once the TSH is somewhere in the range that their job is done. I think you might tick more than a couple of symptoms on the link below:

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/about_...

[Jennymiddle in reply to shaws]

Thank you for your reply. My Tsh was 7 and had to wait 6 weeks to be tested again. I was then re tested and was higher so he started me on levo 25mcg but now after another 6 weeks i have been increased to 50mcg. But my liver and kidney function was slightly raised which im hearing maybe due to the thyroid problem. Its all new to me. I have had a look at the symptom check list and i do tick a lot of the boxes. Hopefully i will start to feel better soon. The doctor wants to repeat in 4 weeks but i thought u get tested after 6 weeks

[Mary-intussuception in reply to Jennymiddle]

I think 4 weeks for repeat is OK. I have seen it in NICE guidlines recently.

[helvella Administrator in reply to Mary-intussuception]

Mary-intussuception,

There are NO NICE guidelines for hypothyroidism, nor for hyperthyroidism.

There are Clinical Knowledge Summaries which were inherited by NICE - and have even been updated - but they do not constitute guidelines in my opinion.

Six weeks is often used because it can take that long for the blood test results to stabilise after changes. They will most likely have got close after four weeks. For initial dosing and "are we going in the right direction?", maybe four weeks is often enough. For "have we got to an acceptable end point?", I don't think four weeks is long enough.

[Mary-intussuception]

Yes. My Liver function tests were very much raised. They came back down to normal eventually.

50mcg is the usual start dose. Did you have any tests to check your Adrenals?

[Jennymiddle in reply to Mary-intussuception]

Im not sure if i did have them tested or not. Im not even sure what they are lol or what there for

[Mary-intussuception in reply to Jennymiddle]

You could ask after Christmas?

[Jennymiddle in reply to Mary-intussuception]

I will do thank you for your reply

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Jennymiddle]

Always get actual results and ranges on all tests

Ask for copies "for your records "

You are entitled to copies by law