My name is Penny and I was diagnosed with graves disease in September 2017 with T4 levels at 42 (9-24) and thryroid Receptor Antibody at 3.6 (0 - 1.9) . I was put on 20mg Carbimazole which was reduced to 10mg at the end of December when my T4 was down to 13.6. I started to have trouble sleeping just as my T4 levels were coming down to the normal range and the doc ( a different one than normal) took a range of bloods last week to check what was going on. I have never had trouble sleeping before. I am normally fit and healthy. I have a good diet and exercise regularly. I am normal weight although on the lighter side.
My blood results are given below. The only result my normal doc commented on when he rang and left me a phone message on was the T4 and TSH. He told me to stay on the 10mg per day and have a further test for T4 and TSH in a month.
The results on 24/01/2018 were:
T4 16.3 (9-24)
TSH 0.02 (0.34 - 5.4)
Heamaglobin 150 (118 - 148)
White cells 3.9 (4.0 -11.0)
Lymphocytes 1.3 (1.5 - 4.0)
Alk Phos 134 (30-130)
Vit B12 552 (> 200)
Serum folate 19.2 (>2)
Ferratin 45 (30 - 480)
Plasma viscosity 1.52 (1.5 - 1.72)
I haven't listed everything - ony what I think is most relevant or things that seem particularly high or low. Can any one give me any idea of what it all means and why I am struggling to sleep? Should I be alarmed at all?
Penny
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Pensweetie
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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. This gives highest TSH and most consistent results
The GP couldn't do the Vit D test and said that if the endo wanted it they would ask. I don't see the endo again until end March. So private test is the only option.
I was prescribed Vit D (after I asked) but then wondered if it was the Vit D that was causing the insomnia (I have read that it can do if you are low in magnesium) so I stopped. I can't beleive I'm low in magnesium because I eat home grown veg and the soil is high in magnesium. I should probably go back to the Vit D.
It makes me nervous to go back on. I didn't get to sleep at all over 2 weeks a couple of times - and that's a long time to go without any sleep. I do agree that most of the evidence points to Vit D helping sleep so I should probably bite the bullet and go back on it.
We have a few things in common, I too was diagnosed with Graves, my overriding symptom when I went to the doctor were sore, gritty eyes and the inability to get to sleep, and therefore extreme tiredness. Was put on Carbimazole, this was way back in 2004/5 so sorry do not have any details. I do remember the doctor caution me regarding my white blood cell count being only 4 and that if I got a sore throat to go straight to A& E.
I am really here to say to you, please do not have radioactive iodine treatment - it was the only treatment offered to me by the NHS - but there are other treatment options - your thyroid is the victim, not the cause - Graves is for life - loosing your thyroid to this disease will probably render you hypothyroid as well - thereby giving you an additional illness to try and manage, and take it from me, from one Penny to another, it's not a simple or easy issue to manage.
Hi Penny and what a nice reply. I take it you had the iodene treatment? I have read that it can lead to other problems so I am very keen to avoid it if I possibly can. I am, though, worried about the white cell count which I can only imagine is being caused by the carbimazole. I presume options get quite thin if you rule that out.
From memory my white blood count was prior to Carbimazole - I wasn't given an option, post menopause it's the quickest and most cost effective method of treatment - this maybe true for the NHS but it is not necessarily the best option for the patient in the long term. Take good care, read all you can,
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