Blood Results - Thoughts?

[canyouhearmeaya]

Suspect low T3 even though TSH and T4 in range (last test was 1.1 TSH 15 T4 same range, that was 4-5 weeks prior.)

FULL THYROID BLOODS HAVE ALSO BEEN DONE, results back in 10 days.

Tested was fasted at 8AM. Also took my temperature under tongue just now as bought a thermometer, came out at 97.5 Farenheit which I believe is also low?

Test was sports hormone with medicheck, doctors notes said nothing of issue however don't trust that as thats purely based on it being 'in range'.

Anything suspect looking here as far as thyroid is concerned?

HAEMATOLOGY

Red Blood Cells

HAEMOGLOBIN (G/L) 153 g/L 130.00-170.00

HCT 0.446 L/L 0.37 - 0.50

RED CELL COUNT 4.67 x10^12/L 4.40 - 5.80

MCV 95 fl 80.00 - 99.00

MCH 32.9 pg 26.00 - 33.50

MCHC (G/L) 344 g/L 300.00 - 350.00

RDW 12.6 % 11.50 - 15.00

White Blood Cells

WHITE CELL COUNT 4.9 x10^9/L 3.00 - 10.00

NEUTROPHILS 2.69 x10^9/L 2.00 - 7.50

LYMPHOCYTES 1.75 x10^9/L 1.20 - 3.65

MONOCYTES 0.29 x10^9/L 0.20 - 1.00

EOSINOPHILS 0.19 x10^9/L 0.00 - 0.40

BASOPHILS 0.01 x10^9/L 0.00 - 0.10

Clotting Status

PLATELET COUNT 236 x10^9/L 150.00 - 400.00

MPV 9.5 fl 7.00 - 13.00

BIOCHEMISTRY

Inflammation Marker CRP -

HIGH SENSITIVITY 0.18 mg/l 0.00 - 5.00

Kidney Function

SODIUM 141.9 mmol/L 135.00 - 145.00

UREA 4.8 mmol/L 1.70 - 8.30

CREATININE

98 umol/L 66.00 - 112.00

ESTIMATED GFR 84.97 60.00 - 250.00

Normal range: >60

Afro

-

caribbean ethnicity: Multiply result above by 1.21

Liver Function

ALKALINE PHOSPHATASE 63 IU/L 40.00 - 129.00

ALANINE TRANSFERASE 24.9 IU/L 10.00 - 50.00

CK * 241 IU/L 38.00 - 204.00 (Apparently normal for people who have over average muscle mass? I do)

GAMMA GT 1

3 IU/L 10.00 - 71.00

Proteins

TOTAL PROTEIN 66.7 g/L 63.00 - 83.00

ALBUMIN 41 g/L 34.00 - 50.00

GLOBULIN 25.7 g/L 19.00 - 35.00

Diabetes

HBA1C (MMOL/MOL) 32.72 mmol/mol 20.00 - 42.00

INSULIN 9.01 mIU/L 2.60 - 24.90

Iron Status

IRON 25.3 umol/L 10.60 - 28.30

FERRITIN

254 ug/L 30.00 - 400.00

BIOCHEMISTRY

Cholesterol Status

TRIGLYCERIDES 0.91 mmol/L 0.00 - 2.30

CHOLESTEROL 3.54 mmol/L 0.00 - 4.99

HDL CHOLESTEROL 1.5 mmol/L 0.90 - 1.50

LDL CHOLESTEROL 1.63 mmol/L 0.00 - 3.00

NON-HDL CHOLESTEROL 2.04 mmol/L 0.00 - 3.89

Heart Disease Risk

HDL % OF TOTAL 42.37 % 20.00 - 100.00

ENDOCRINOLOGY

Thyroid Function

THYROID STIMULATING HORMONE 2.22 mIU/L 0.27 - 4.20

FREE THYROXINE 17.4 pmol/L 12.00 - 22.00

Hormone s

FOLLICLE STIM. HORMONE 2.77 IU/L 1.50 - 12.40

TESTOSTERONE 16.4 nmol/L 7.60 - 31.40

FREE-TESTOSTERONE(CALCULATED) 0.366 nmol/L 0.30 - 1.00

SEX HORMONE BINDING GLOB 30.9 nmol/L 16.00 - 55.00

17- BETA OESTRADIOL 96.9 pmol/L 0.00 - 191.99

LUTEINISING HORMONE 4.92 IU/L 1.70 - 8.60

D.H.E.A. SULPHATE 10.600 umol/L 0.44 - 13.40

CORTISOL 405.000 nmol/l 133.00 - 537.00

HAEMATOLOGY

Vitamins

ACTIVE B12 148.000 pmol/L 25.10 - 165.00

FOLATE (SERUM) 5.98 ug/L 2.91 - 50.00

25 OH VITAMIN D 75.4 nmol/L 50.00 - 200.00

Interpretation of results: (think this is referring to vitamin D)

Deficient <25

Insufficient 25-49

Normal Range 50 - 200

Consider reducing dose >200

Mineral

MAGNESIUM 0.85 mmol/L 0.60 - 1.00

[greygoose]

Sorry if it's a stupid question, but if you suspect low FT3, why didn't you get it tested?

[canyouhearmeaya in reply to greygoose]

Blame the brain fog. First post edited.

I've had a full thyroid panel done but that comes back next week or so, this one was a quicker turn around! Doh. That includes t3, rt3, antibodies

[greygoose in reply to canyouhearmeaya]

OK, well, nothing really jumps out of those results, except that your testosterone and FSH are a little low.

Your TSH is a bit on the high side, but your FT4 is mid-range, so it's possible that your FT3 is a bit low. We shall see!

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Canyouhearmeaya

I can't comment on all of them but the ones that stand out to me are

FOLATE (SERUM) 5.98 ug/L 2.91 - 50.00

This should be at least half way through range.

25 OH VITAMIN D 75.4 nmol/L 50.00 - 200.00

The Vit D Council recommends a level of 100-150nmol.

[canyouhearmeaya in reply to SeasideSusie]

Could these interfere with t3 conversion?

Strangely my vitamin d on my doctors test 5 weeks ago came back right at top of range?! How odd?

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to canyouhearmeaya]

I can't say for definite, certainly low Ferritin would but you have no problem there. Wait and see what results the other test shows, then you will know how well, or not, you convert.

[SilverAvocado in reply to canyouhearmeaya]

Having low Vit D is 'good news', in the sense that you will likely feel an improvement in symptoms by raising it. Start with several thousand international units per day (5 or 6000) for a couple of months, and then go down to maybe 2 or 3000 long term. Get it retested in 6 months or so to make sure you're number is increasing. Also make sure you are taking vitamin K with it. I take thorne research drops, which contain both.

Folate I'm not sure on, you will have to search around. It seems strange to me for folate to be so low while B12 is pretty decent (they're both B-vitamins). But I don't know too much about B vitamins.

[SilverAvocado in reply to SilverAvocado]

Does make me wonder if this low folate is a clue about the overall problem.

[canyouhearmeaya in reply to SilverAvocado]

Is my D really that low then? It's strange because my NHS test 6-7 weeks prior came back right at the top of the range?

I will start supplementing it.

Although I suspect that alone can't be responsible for all of my symptoms? I'll have to look into it!!

[SilverAvocado in reply to canyouhearmeaya]

It may be that the NHS test has a very low range, or 100 may be the top and 75-ish got rounded up to top. The Vitamin D Council recommends levels much higher than the NHS, which tends to be completely useless on vitamins. They will give the impression you can't be ill because of vitamin levels, but actually these have a big effect on your body.

It possibly could explain your symptoms. Low Vitamin D has very similar symptoms to low thyroid.

I've actually lost track of your overall symptoms. Do you feel very fatigued? Are you still able to do weightlifting and other intense exercise or have you had to stop that?

[canyouhearmeaya in reply to SilverAvocado]

Having looked online at low vitamin d symptom, some line up (depression, fatigue) but ofc they are very general and can be linked to so many conditions. The more peculiar ones for vitamin d don't line up (excessive sweating, particularly forehead).

I'll definitely start supplementing to boost my levels, but equally I'd have to say I don't believe much of the problem will lie there, there are too many symptoms that would be explained by thyroid that vitamin d doesn't cover.

E.g. Dry skin, cold extremities, crazy fatigue and brainfog after eating goitrogens (this is the thing that really makes me think it's going to be thyroid, as I can't find any other explanation for that response), no sex drive.

But I'm sure if my D levels are not optimal it will not be helping matters!

My T3 arrived today (cytomel), as discussed previously I think I'm going to give that a go. Can I try it tho evening ? Or will it keep me up all night?

[canyouhearmeaya in reply to SilverAvocado]

Also in answer to the exercise question, I haven't been to the gym for 2.5 weeks. I've just lost my general drive for anything, doing anything feels like too much effort ATM! I think physically I could work out if I wanted to, but I just feel so flat and have lost any sort of sense of motivation, I haven't bothered.

It's not a sad feeling, im just flat and apathetic. It's simply frustrating because I know isnt how life is meant to be!

[SilverAvocado in reply to canyouhearmeaya]

Oh no, I just wrote a long reply to this, but my phone ate it

Short story:

T3 can either help with it hurt sleep. You can only try it it.

I suggest starting on a low dose, about 5mcg. You can always increase to tune it, but if you start high you won't kno whether to tune up or down.

If you're starting with T3, a good book is: Recovering with T3 by Paul Robinson

[canyouhearmeaya in reply to SilverAvocado]

The T3 arrived, however they've sent me Tiromel!!! Even though it specifically said cytomel online.. grr. I've heard some people say Tiromel isn't as good - have you had any experience with it? Do you have a UK source for Cytomel without script?

I've heard a lot about that book, I think I need to check it out.

[SilverAvocado in reply to canyouhearmeaya]

I dont think you can ever buy from the UK without a prescription. They're all overseas sites. I haven't tried any of the non-uk T3. But most people get on fine with all I think, it's only some people who find they're very sensitive to brands.

[canyouhearmeaya in reply to SilverAvocado]

Ah yeah overseas I meant. Maybe the tiromel will be fine, hopefully as I got 100 tabs vs the 30 you get with cytomel.

I took half a tab (as no pill cutter and it has a half break line l) so 12.5mcg 20 minutes ago . Nothing to report yet. Now I pray!

[helvella Administrator in reply to canyouhearmeaya]

Most sites that sell liothyronine/T3 without a prescription use the name "Cytomel" - I assume that the majority of those searching type that in as a search term.

Some even quite clearly show a photograph of the make they will supply - I've seen that particularly with Grossman Cynomel. That is, I don't think they are meaning to be deceptive - just to get the web traffic.

Some will, of course, will simply be lying.

And few will actually be selling Pfizer Cytomel.

[canyouhearmeaya in reply to helvella]

It's funny because it clearly said 'Greek Cytomel'.. I emailed the guy and asked why I'd recieved Tiromel. His response was "I sent you the better one, Tiromel is twice the price" and went on to say he can exchange it for Cytomel if I want..

What a joker lol. I forgot that in effect drug dealers were so generous these days, and actually wanted to cut their profits to help customers they've never dealt with before!

It's been 2 hours since I took 12.5mcg, I'm not sure I've felt any effect. Possilbly mild, possibly placebo.

Does this mean its unlikely to be low T3 as my issue? Or is it just that sometimes T3 takes longer to respond in some people? I was hoping I'd been one of those people that takes it, and then suddenly feels the symptoms lift 30 minutes later!

[helvella Administrator in reply to canyouhearmeaya]

I'd have expected "Greek Cytomel" actually to be Uni-Pharma liothyronine!

Sorry - no personal experience of liothyronine - of any make. But we are all different so I'd not be too concerned or surprised. Just don't go mad and decide that as 12.5 did so little you will try 50... Slowly, carefully, patiently.

[canyouhearmeaya in reply to helvella]

Now I'm confused... I thought Uni-Pharma was Cytomel? Or is it not?

Is Liothryonine T3? The Tiromel I have is "LIOTHYRONINE SODIUM".

I will try 12.5mcg again tomorrow, totally fasted, and see if I notice anything. And then maybe try another 12.5mcg 6 hours later?

[helvella Administrator in reply to canyouhearmeaya]

Liothyronine (most often liothyronine sodium but sometimes liothyronine hydrochloride) is the active ingredient - also called T3 or triiodothyronine.

As a medicine, King Pharmacuticals Inc. (KPI) were makers of a brand of liothyronine sodium called Cytomel (they bought another company but I cannot remember their name!)

Pfizer bought King.

Cytomel tablets are marked with KPI on one side because of that link.

There are some other branded liothyronine products: Sanofi Henning Thybon, Sanofi Cynomel, Grossman Cynomel, Abdi Ibrahim Tiromel as examples.

There are other generic liothyronine products from many companies.

In some countries, Pfizer do not own the brand name Cytomel so other companies sell their product under that brand name. (I think the Netherlands is one such country.)

If it doesn't say Pfizer Cytomel - and probably also claims it as a product from the USA - it almost certainly won't be Pfizer Cytomel.

Don't be so impatient!!!!! On your second day you are thinking of doubling your dose? And doing so on the basis of six hours of experience tomorrow morning.

I wrote: Slowly, carefully, patiently. I did that for a very good reason.

[canyouhearmeaya in reply to helvella]

Sorry, I'm just feeling so crappy and desperate. I'll stick to 12.5mcg again tomorrow.

I've also just ordered Regenerus's adrenal test, as I think that would be wise to check also.

[helvella Administrator in reply to canyouhearmeaya]

We have seen so many people feel just like that - a bit more, a bit faster, it can't be any worse than I am feeling now. We have also seen so many people wish they hadn't gone mad and raised their dose too quickly.

I just don't want to see another person coming back and say they wish they hadn't gone so fast.

[canyouhearmeaya in reply to helvella]

I know you're right.

Will Regenerus send me the result directly do you know? I just ordered the test and hadn't thought - or do they require it to be via a practioner?

[helvella Administrator in reply to canyouhearmeaya]

Sorry - I do not know.