Pads on fingers ...

[Cree]

Recently the pads on my fingers have turned wrinkly (like ive been in a bath too long) and feel slightly tingely to touch... Anyone else have this??

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Wrinkly fingers can be hypo symptom

Pins and needles low B12

Or possibly carpel tunnel (common when hypo)

Insist on last blood test results for TSH, FT4 and FT3

They are legally yours

[Cree in reply to SlowDragon]

It’s not pins n needles, it’s the skin feels different. All my bloods were ok apparently when they were done last month. Defo not carpal tunnel as I had that when I was pregnant and it’s nothing like that. I have gp appointment next month and going to ask for a print out of everything x

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Cree]

Always get copies of blood tests results. So often told its "normal" when it's right at bottom of range.

TSH should be towards bottom of range and FT4 towards top of range and FT3 at least half way in range

Official NHS guidelines saying TSH should be between 0.2 and 2.0 when on Levothyroxine

(Many of us need TSH nearer 0.2 than 2.0 to feel well)

See box

Thyroxine replacement in primary hypothyroidism

pathology.leedsth.nhs.uk/pa...

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 at

[e-mail]

[Cree in reply to SlowDragon]

Endo says there is room for me to up my levo but even taking a bit more sends me into hyper, racing heart, panicy and a bit aggressive. She says giving me any T3 would send me the same in an up and down level. I have osteoarthritis and now looking like I have rheumatoid arthritis so perhaps my symptoms are coming from that as rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune attcking thing too x

[Greybeard in reply to Cree]

My "osteoarthritis" suddenly got a lot better when my vit D levels were raised.