We are pleased to inform you...you are 'normal' - Thyroid UK

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We are pleased to inform you...you are 'normal'

Icicles profile image
29 Replies

Medichecks say that I am normal. I don't know whether to laugh or cry. Does this mean a life of asking everyone to repeat what they say because I can't hear, freezing cold til I have a hot flush, feeling tried all the time, not remembering anything of any significance, constipation, back to the 600 calorie diets (the only way I ever manage to lose any weight these days and completely unsustainable). I'll just drag myself off to work now...can anyone give my results the once over and just confirm this and I will shut up and never do this again. I would be so grateful, thank you.

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Icicles profile image
Icicles
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29 Replies
SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator

It's true everything is in range, but TSH is on high side and FT4 is right at bottom of range.

FT3 is also low.

On plus side you don't seem to have Hashimoto's as antibodies are low.

Did you do test first thing in morning and fasting?

Great pity you didn't get vitamins tested too.

You now need vitamin D, folate, B12 and ferritin tested.

You could get vitamin D tested via vitamindtest.org.uk £28

Or push GP to test them all

Or get tested via Medichecks if GP is unhelpful

Always get actual results and ranges on all tests

Icicles profile image
Icicles in reply to SlowDragon

Thank you SlowDragon, yes, I took the advice that I had seen on here on getting the tests and To do them early and before eating in the morning, I probably hadn't fasted for 12 hours now I think about it. Didn't do vitamin tests. I take a small dose of D3 anyway, having been found to be low on a test by GP. Maybe I should up that and have a test. I'll take more notice of the vitamin information on here and see whether I can make a difference with that. I'll do vitamin test though, I am seeing GP next week. I have high ESR every time I have a blood test which nobody has ever been able to explain, this doesn't seem to have anything to do with the antibodies here?

Thank you for taking the time, I will address the vitamin subject, you are very kind

Marz profile image
Marz in reply to Icicles

Maybe gut inflammation ? This could raise the ESR. So important to have good levels of B12 - VitD - Ferritin - Folate. What was your VitD result and what did the GP prescribe ?

Icicles profile image
Icicles in reply to Marz

Can't remember VitD result, will check, it was enough that she said to take a supplement. I just bought D3 and took one a day. Don't always remember so a bit erratic. I am half Burmese so I presumed that it might be that I wasn't getting enough sun (if you know what I mean). I have a dreadful time with my gut and need to really address that. I am taking pro and pre biotics, kefir water etc. I had a fantastic response to Optibac constipation relief at first and then I have resumed normal constipation. I will ask for full blood tests again when I see her next week. Should I increase my D3 now? I should probably wait to see what's going on first. Thank you Marz, for your input. I really appreciate your time

Marz profile image
Marz in reply to Icicles

You have not mentioned the VitD dose :-) If you were really low then you should have been prescribed loading doses and then a maintenance dose. When taking high doses of VitD then it is advisable to also take Magnesium and VitK2-MK7 as co-factors. Magnesium can also help with constipation - as can VitC ....

You can phone and ask for your results and say you will collect tomorrow - you are legally entitled to have copies so you can monitor your own health. Surgeries should now have results on-line - but sadly not all. I live in Crete - ( still low VitD thought :-( ) - and have to keep all my own Medical Records. At least I can see what has been missed !

GP's rarely prescribe enough VitD.

grassrootshealth.net

vitamindcouncil.org

Icicles profile image
Icicles in reply to SlowDragon

In 2014 my levels:

Serum 25-Hydroxy bit D3 level 42.8nmol/L no range

Serum ferritin 155ng/mL no range

Which prompted GP to tell me to take VitD supplement daily, no real dose mentioned I bought Swanson vit D3 5000IU no real change. Could ask for a repeat as now over 3 years? Thank you for your help

beh1 profile image
beh1

When my husband was exhausted, we checked his thyroid levels and they were similar to yours. His ferritin was fine but b12 and vitamin d low. He takes supplements for those now plus a good multivitamin with iodine and selenium in it. These boost a sluggish thyroid. Provided you don’t have hashimotos ( you don’t according to your results), these should help. See what others think, but it’s an easy thing you could do right now and it might help.

Icicles profile image
Icicles in reply to beh1

Hello beh1, thank you for this, what is a decent dose of these things, I have taken over the counter supplements on and off and never really seen any benefit. I think that I probably haven't taken enough of anything to make enough difference. Thank you, I'll definitely take this all on

Treepie profile image
Treepie

Yes "normal" presumably the view of their Doctor who will know as much or as little as most other doctors . Normal is within range. Optimal for you is very different.Your TSH needs to be 1 or below. and FT4 ,FT.3 in the upper half of the range .If you are on levothyroxine you are undermedicated.

Icicles profile image
Icicles in reply to Treepie

Hello Treepie, I am not on any medication, but I am going to look at the possibility that I have some vitamin deficiencies. Thank you for your reply, I am going to keep an eye on things and see my GP next week

Treepie profile image
Treepie in reply to Icicles

Then you will be unlikely to get it until TSH is 10+. Re vitamins ,look up Seaside Susies responses to folk with low vit results.

Icicles profile image
Icicles in reply to Treepie

Thank you. Will do

Icicles profile image
Icicles

Hello beh1, thank you for this, what is a decent dose of these things, I have taken over the counter supplements on and off and never really seen any benefit. I think that I probably haven't taken enough of anything to make enough difference. Thank you, I'll definitely take this all on

Marz profile image
Marz in reply to Icicles

Have B12 - Folate - Ferritin - VitD tested before supplemneting more than the VitD .... it can take a long time for vitamins to work - and you need a good quality one too !

Icicles profile image
Icicles in reply to Marz

Ok, I'll get my old results and request new ones, might even get Medichecks to do one, I might just bump up my VitD, I'll have a look and see what I'm taking. But I won't do anything til I have had a test because I don't want to skew the results. Thank you for all this, I feel a bit more hopeful now

greygoose profile image
greygoose

It all depends on your definition of 'normal', doesn't it. If, by normal, you mean in-range, then yes, you're normal. But, as treepie says, that's not the same as optimal.

In fact, I think it's rather abnormal to have a TSH that low, with such low frees. And, I do wonder about Central hypo. That is when the problem is with the pituitary or the hypothalamus, rather than the thyroid itself.

However, whilst your Frees are just scraping into range like that, doctors are rather unlikely to consider that - unless you find an exceptional doctor! Therefore, it's important to keep testing your thyroid levels, to see if those Frees drop any further. If they go under-range - which seems likely - then you have a good case to go back to your GP with, and ask for a referral to an endo - your GP is unlikely to have even heard of Central hypo! Just don't give up.

And it's very important that you don't give up. Why? Because the pituitary doesn't just make TSH, it makes all sorts of other hormones. And, if the problem lies with the pituitary, then those other hormones are likely to also be too low. So, you really should get an endo to test them, too. :)

Icicles profile image
Icicles in reply to greygoose

Thank you very much, Greygoose, it's very kind of you to take the time to consider my results and let me know. I know that I have symptoms and will keep an eye on it, my TSH was higher this time last year, so they definitely move around and I'll make sure that I get my vitamins checked, which look a bit expensive on Medichecks, so I'll see if my GP will do them. Thanks again

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply to Icicles

If your TSH moves have you had your antibodies tested? Or, it could be that you don't always have your tests done at the same time, early morning, and fasting. What's the highest it's been?

Icicles profile image
Icicles in reply to greygoose

I had a test done last year it was

3.13 miu/L (0.27-4.2)

FreeT4 13.9pmol/L (12.0-22.0)

that was done at 4pm, not fasting.

This time I had antibodies as in pic on first post, that was 8.30 with no breakfast.

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply to Icicles

OK, so, at 4 pm, it would have been at it's lowest. Therefore it would have been more than 3.13 at 8 am.

Yes, sorry, I didn't notice the antibodies in the picture. They don't look suspicious, but still not proof of not having Hashi's. Antibodies fluctuate all the time, and some Hashi's people never even have high antibodies.

So, we can't really come to any conclusions, at the moment. As I said before, you should just continue to keep an eye on it, and get retested from time to time. :)

Marz profile image
Marz

greygoose will not have seen your reply 😊

Icicles profile image
Icicles in reply to Marz

Thank you *newmember*

Icicles profile image
Icicles in reply to Marz

here are results from 2014, which I have managed to find

Serum 25-Hydroxy bit D3 level 42.8nmol/L no range

Serum ferritin 155ng/mL no range

I'll get them done again and get back to you, if that's ok

Marz profile image
Marz in reply to Icicles

You need to be taking at least 5000 IU's of D3 with the co-factors as mentioned above ....

Ferritin looks a little high ? - inflammation could be the cause .

Icicles profile image
Icicles

Could explain ESR always high?

Marz profile image
Marz in reply to Icicles

It seems everything starts with the health of the gut :-)

shaws profile image
shawsAdministrator

This might be far more helpful to you:-

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

Icicles profile image
Icicles in reply to shaws

Ah, thank you, I remember that now, I said to myself that I must look at that when my results came through, and then forgot, thank you for this.

Icicles profile image
Icicles in reply to shaws

By these measures I look to be hypothyroid. How many anti bodies are enough?

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