Feeling Cold with joint pain

[healthymarge]

On Eltroxin past 25 years. Recently feeling very cold with joint pains and heavy feeling in my legs and occasional sweats. Last bloods taken in November. Free T4 19.2 Free T3 4.22 TSH 1.93.Cholesterol 6.5* GFR 89*. Vit B12 419. Age 66. Any advice welcome.

[jamesal0]

Hi healthymarge. I know I sound like a broken record but you need to be on NDT, it contains at least 3 and maybe 5 different types of thyroid you need to be healthly and feel ok. Others will rant about availability, cost, dosage, finding a GP who will write a script, trouble with dosages but really it's your only life and if you want anything approaching normality it has to be NDT.

J

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to jamesal0]

A one-size-fits-all "solution" that would be as detrimental to some as levothyroxine monotherapy is to others. Let us not fall into a doctrine that is not justified by patients. We have a number here who cannot tolerate desiccated thyroid.

Also, please explain what NDT stands for the first time you mention it. (Natural Desiccated Thyroid)

[healthymarge in reply to jamesal0]

Thanks for reply. I have looked into getting NDT but it seems hard to get at the moment from the main supplier. Reluctant to start if not readily available. Some people in Ireland are panicking and driving all over the country looking for it!

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to healthymarge]

There are issues with Nature-Throid and WP Thyroid. mI thought the rest were fairly available- by mail order/internet?

[jimh111]

Were you OK over the past 25 years? Whilst some patients seem to need NDT it is a minority. How long have you been feeling cold with joint pains? If just a matter of weeks it could be an infection. If longer then it would be worthwhile consulting your GP to rule out other conditions.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

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

You may be poor converter to FT3 and/or low vitamin levels

If you have high antibodies this is Hashimoto's also called autoimmune thyroid disease

Are you in UK?

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

Link about antibodies

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

Link about thyroid blood tests

thyroiduk.org/tuk/testing/t...

List of hypothyroid symptoms

thyroiduk.org/tuk/about_the...

[healthymarge]

Now my TSH is 0.26. Gp wants me to reduce Levo from 100 to 75. Free T4 12.7. Lab won't do T3. Have palpitations and skipped heartbeats so referred me to cardiologist! So confused!😯

[jimh111 in reply to healthymarge]

Should do fT3 because it's possible the low TSH (0.26) is because your thyroid is flaring up and secreting extra T3. Also possible your TSH is just too low for your fT3, fT4. Only way to tell is to measure fT3. fT3 is also important from a heart point of view.

[healthymarge in reply to jimh111]

Thanks for reply. Free T3 was 4.22 (3.10-6.80) last October and Free T4 19.2 (8.5-22.0) in October. Free T4 now 12.7. Lab did not do Free T3 this time.