Query about blood test results TSH & T4

[littlerobot]

Hi folks, sorry to query on here but I can't find my book. Just got blood test results back that show my tsh is 0.169range 0.4 - 5.5) and Serum free T4 is 18.2. (range 11.5 - 22.7). Can someone tell me what this means . my weight had suddenly shot up which I am assuming is due to menopause - other than this I have had no significant lifestyle changes

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Your TSH is below range and your FT4 is slightly over half way through range.

The aim of a treated hypo patient generally is for TSH to be 1 or below or wherever it needs to be for FT4 and FT3 to be in the upper part of their reference ranges if that is where you feel well. So there is room for an increase in your Levo to get your FT4 to be higher in range if you are symptomatic, but that would lower your TSH and your GP won't like that.

[eeng]

It would be very useful if you had an FT3 result to see whether you are converting the storage hormone FT4 into the active hormone FT3. Unexpected weight gain can be due to low FT3 levels. Problems converting can be genetic, but can also be due to low levels of Ferritin, B12, Vit D and Folate.

[littlerobot in reply to eeng]

Thank you - is it expensive to get T3 tested. My GP said that they cannot do it .

[eeng in reply to littlerobot]

It is easy to get done through either blue horizon (£49.15 upwards) or medichecks (£39-£99) depending on what you want checked. These labs are often the very same ones that the NHS use, although for some reason GPs don't like to accept the results of private tests.

medichecks.com/thyroid-health

bluehorizonmedicals.co.uk/t...

There may be other places too, but these are the two mentioned most often on this forum.

[littlerobot]

also just had colonoscopy yesterday and now diagnosed with diverticulitis. Advice mainly given is re diet - increase fibre, healthy diet etc.