Lindarose: Hi am new am 59 yrs in august 2017 had... - Thyroid UK

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Lindarose

LindaRose58 profile image
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Hi am new am 59 yrs in august 2017 had TT for cancer in Nov had radioactive iodine and scan got all clear so relieved my sister died of it I have lost 2sisters and my dad to cancer and my older sister has fought it 3 times now my first blood results from Dr is TSH 0.02 MU/L .T4 22 pmol/L range7.80-21.00pmol/L. B12 202pmol/L. Iron 9 ug/L. Serum folate 3.8 ug/L am on levothyroxine 125g was on 150g Dr reduced it go very depressed and weight gain and shaking always crying brain fog don't understand results thank you all for letting me join the forum xx

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LindaRose58
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Nanaedake profile image
Nanaedake

Welcome to the forum Lindarose

I'm so sorry you've had thyroid cancer and so sorry to hear about the loss of family members. It reminds us all that cancer is not trivial, no matter what kind of cancer it is.

People will be able to help interpret your results if you add the lab ranges to them. So for example

TSH 0.02 (0.25 - 4.5)

Without lab ranges it's hard to interpret as lab ranges vary from lab to lab and country to country.

Do you have a vitamin D result too?

LindaRose58 profile image
LindaRose58 in reply to Nanaedake

TSH 0.02 range 0.35-4.70mul/L.T4 22 pmol/L 7.80-21.00 pmol/L.B12 202 pmol/L 115-1000.00pmol/L hope that's ok not very good on computers lol thanks for your help

shaws profile image
shawsAdministrator in reply to LindaRose58

I am sorry you had thyroid cancer and that all your relatives also died through cancer.

The fact that your thyroid gland was removed suggests to me that you need T3 added to T4, to enable you to feel much better. Scientific reports have found that many feel much better, especially when their gland has been removed, when on a T3/T4 combination.

I have my gland and levothyroxine did me no favours but when some T3 was added it was a revelation in that, even not as good as I am today, there was a great improvement.

LindaRose58 profile image
LindaRose58 in reply to Nanaedake

Don't have vitamin D but i take tablets for it because I have chronic kidney disease stage 3B and vitamin D is always low

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator

You need to have FT3 tested as well, but NHS refuses to do so

Just because you have very low TSH and high FT4 does not mean you necessarily have high enough FT3. You can be poor converter

Especially if vitamins are too low

Your B12 is low and folate is probably low (no range)

You say your vitamin D is always low. How much do you supplement? Have you been retested?

We see hundreds on here been taking just 800iu daily and level remains far too low as they need higher dose

Vitamin D should be around 100nmol

Have you had ferritin tested?

For full evaluation you ideally need TSH, FT4, FT3, TT4, TPO and TG antibodies, plus vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 tested

See if you can get full thyroid and vitamin testing from GP. Unlikely to get FT3

Private tests are available

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/testin...

Medichecks Thyroid plus ultra vitamin or Blue Horizon Thyroid plus eleven are the most popular choice. DIY finger prick test or option to pay extra for private blood draw. Both companies often have money off offers.

All thyroid tests should be done as early as possible in morning and fasting and don't take Levo in the 24 hours prior to test, delay and take straight after. This gives highest TSH, lowest FT4 and most consistent results

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 print it and highlight question 6 to show your doctor

please email Dionne:
tukadmin@thyroiduk.org

Prof Toft - article just published now saying T3 is likely essential for many. Note especially his comments about inadequate treatment for thyroidectomy or RAI patients

You may need a TSH suppressed and high FT4 or alternatively addition of small dose of T3

rcpe.ac.uk/sites/default/fi...

LindaRose58 profile image
LindaRose58 in reply to SlowDragon

Hi ya my vitamin D i buy over the counter 1tablet says 12.5 ug my ferrite Dr said it was low at 9ug/L and i take ferrous fumarate 2tablets a day just started them, go for blood test in five weeks just got these results last week first ones I've had feeling low that's why dr did them don't go to see ENT until April

shaws profile image
shawsAdministrator

You should request GP to test Vit B12, Vit D, iron, ferritin and folate. Everything has to be optimum.

All blood tests for thyroid hormones have to be at the very earliest possible (fasting) and allow a gap of 24 hours between last dose of levo and test and take afterwards. This helps keep TSH at its highest as GPs can reduce dose according to the TSH alone and causes problems for patients

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

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