I'm a newbie and I'm seeing my new GP (for the 1st time) on Tues. If anyone's able to offer any advice on my results I'd really appreciate it! Also, if there are any other nutrients I should be testing please let me know!
First blood test results (December 2017):
TSH 1.67 (0.27 - 4.2)
FREE T4 13.2 (12.0 - 22)
Total T4 89 (59 - 154)
FREE T3 5 (3.1 - 6.8)
REVERSE T3 17 (10 - 24)
TGAb 88.5 (0 - 115)
TPOAb * 476 (0 - 34)
CRP - HIGH SENSITIVITY * 13.0 (0.0 - 5.0)
FERRITIN 36 (13 - 150)
25 OH Vitamin D * 21 (50 - 200)
Active B12 135 (25.1 - 165.0)
My symptoms vary but mainly: fatigue, muscle/joint pain, coldness, hair loss, constipation, slow pulse, brain fog, headaches, depression/anxiety, weight gain, low immune system (catching everything going)
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TSH 1.67 is low-normal, FT4 is low-normal and FT3 is just over halfway through range. rT3 is halfway through range. Results are euthyroid (normal) currently. Symptoms can precede abnormal bloods by years but NHS will not diagnose hypothyroidism until TSH is over range or FT4 below range. You should make sure to have annual thyroid tests.
Thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPOab) are positive for autoimmune thyroid disease (Hashimoto's). There is no cure for Hashimoto's which causes 90% of hypothyroidism. Levothyroxine treatment is for the low thyroid levels it eventually causes. UK doctors will often say that euthyroid Hashimoto's is asymptomatic but my symptoms were extremely debilitating despite me being told they were non-thyroidal.
Supplementing 100-200mcg selenium may help support thyroid and delay progression to hypothyroidism. Many people have found that 100% gluten-free diet is helpful in reducing Hashi flares, symptoms and eventually antibodies. I would certainly have trialled g-f if I had known it might help reduce symptoms.
CRP is an inflammation marker. Yours is high. Your GP should do a full blood count to rule out infection.
Ferritin is optimal halfway through range. Ferritin needs to be >70 for hair regrowth. I would supplement iron with 1,000mg vitamin C to aid absorption and minimise constipation. Retest ferritin 4-6 months after starting iron.
Active B12 >35 is very unlikely to be deficient. Was folate tested?
VitD 21 is severely deficient and that is probably causing your joint pain. Your GP should refer to local guidelines or the cks.nice.org.uk/vitamin-d-d... Do NOT accept a prescription for 800iu which is a maintenance dose prescribed after vitD is replete >75. My GP prescribed 40,000iu daily x 14 followed by 2,000iu daily x 8 weeks which raised vitD from <10 to 107.
Thanks for the reply Clutter, that's really helpful. It sounds stupid, but when I saw the thyroids were within range I was actually disappointed, because I feel so awful that I was really hoping there would be a pill I could take which would change that, but I guess some things aren't that easy!
I went gluten free a few months ago because I suspected it was Hashimotos, but was confused when the thyroid results were in range. At least I know I'm not going mad and other people have felt the same.
I'll try the Selenium and Ferritin (then retest), and I'll take your Vit D info to the GP on Tues for supps, thanks! Folate was within range at 5.9 (>2.9) so ok I think.
I'll ask my GP about the inflammation, it'd be great to find a cause which I could treat which might help how I feel, fingers crossed...
"They also concluded, “…there appears to be an inhibitory effect of LT4 treatment on the ongoing disease process in Hashimoto’s thyroiditis patients. Early treatment of euthyroid Hashimoto’s thyroiditis patients with L-thyroxine may slow down not only the disease process itself but through its immune modulating events, it may also affect the course of other auto-immune disease which accompany.”
If doctors could treat people as soon as they know they have antibodies, the full blown hypothyroidism could be averted."
I felt the same when I was told my thyroid levels were normal. Normal = nothing wrong so no medical help = why do I feel so ill then & how long is this going to go on?
Eating more leafy green veg will boost folate.
Dr. A. Toft ex-president of the BTA says having positive antibodies should be treated as a mild form of hypothyroidism and that treatment with 25mcg is pragmatic. thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/about_... Email dionne.fulcher@thyroiduk.org if you would like a copy of the Pulse article to show your GP.
Unfortunately, most GPs treat hypothyroid guidelines like tramlines and are terrified to step outside the guidelines.
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