Thyroid results

[mistygrey]

Morning

Can anybody give me some advice on these recent test results from Medichecks. I am a little confused as my TSH still seems on the higher side for me even though I am feeling slightly better lately. I am on currently 62.5mg T4 and 5mg T3 daily. Unfortunately I didn't get my RT3 tested this time, also this sample was taken in the afternoon and not fasted as it's the only time I could manage to take a sample. Also for a giggle, the doctor who commented on these results said this at the bottom of the report:

'Your antibody levels show no sign of auto immune Thyroid disease' 😂😂 he is missing one minor detail, I am diagnosed with Hashimotos and have been since 2015 😅😅

[greygoose]

If your blood draw had been done in the morning, your TSH would have been even higher. But, not surprising, because your FT3 is still low. You're only taking a tiny dose, so perhaps you should increase it.

Your FT4 is quite high, so the odds are that your rT3 would have been high had you tested it. But, personally, I can't see the point of testing it. It might be an idea to reduce your levo slightly when you increase your T3.

As for your antibodies, I was going to say that your Tg antibodies are so high - although under the range - that you should maybe consider that you do have Hashi's anyway, given that antibodies fluctuate! lol

[mistygrey in reply to greygoose]

Thank you what do you suggest increasing it too? I struggled with palps whilst adjusting to this 5mg dose although now they are a lot better and don't get them so much. My Endo did suggest reducing the t4 to 50mg but I am guessing she meant to add another 5mg of t3 also.

I am feeling generally feeling abit better so I am surprised the tsh is higher than I expected it to be!!

Yes lol I think the doctor didn't notice the antibody part but I am definitely a Hashi person haha.. 🤗

[greygoose in reply to mistygrey]

You can only increase by 5 mcg at a time. More would be too much.

Never make assumptions about what your endo means and doesn't mean. There is no guarantee she meant adding another 5 mcg of T3! She probably just meant reduce the levo to 50 mcg!!! lol But, I doubt that would make much difference to anything, anyway. Not a bad idea, but you do need the increase in T3.

[mistygrey in reply to greygoose]

I definitely wouldn't want to increase by anymore than 5 at a time or I'd be crawling the walls 😂😂

I think in the Endos last letter she mentioned trying me on 10 or 15 mg t3 but slowly and getting there over time, so I think maybe I can try lowering the t4 to 50mg and adding the other 5mg of T3. Would you say I'd be best waiting to see her (I see her end start of June) and ask her about the doses? I wouldn't be sure how to add the 5mg in as currently I take half the 5mg in am and half at 330pm.

[greygoose in reply to mistygrey]

I think, quite honestly, that splitting such a small dose of T3 is a mistake. Because it means there is never enough to flood the receptors. But, as you've started that way, you could continue by taking 5 mcg in the morning, and 5 in the afternoon. You are taking them well away from food and other medication, aren't you?

[mistygrey in reply to greygoose]

That's a good point. It is quite a small dose to split.

Yes I have been taking them well away from my iron etc, they are usually at night and Thyroid meds first thing and 330pm. I see the Endo start of June, is it worth me waiting till then to see what she thinks about going down to 50mg T4 and trailing 5mg T3 in morning and 5mg in afternoon?

[greygoose in reply to mistygrey]

If you feel you can wait. But, if you can make the change yourself, now, I would do so, if I were you.

[mistygrey in reply to greygoose]

Are you on T3 yourself?

[greygoose in reply to mistygrey]

Yes, I take 62.5 mcg, all in one go! And 50 mcg levo.

[mistygrey in reply to greygoose]

I forgot to say, does it look like the small bit of T3 is even workkng as I wouldn't want to add more if it isn't actually helping?

[greygoose in reply to mistygrey]

Well, what do you expect 5 mcg T3 to do? It's not going to do much. Not having your previous blood test results, we can't tell if it's raised the FT3; and only you can tell if it's making you feel better.

But, T3 is a hormone, not a drug. It can't not 'work'. It's got to do something towards solving your problem IF your problem is caused by low T3. But, it's not going to do anything to help if you don't take enough of it.

[mistygrey in reply to greygoose]

I will get my last result and post here as I posted them awhile ago and let you see it 😊

[mistygrey in reply to greygoose]

I didn't think 5mg would do a great deal but I wondered if it was causing these palpitations as I've not had them on T4 alone. Obviously though I am aware I need to increase I just have a big sensitivity to drugs that's why my Endo started me on a little 5mg pill initially 😊

These are my last results and I can't find the FT3 annoyingly if I find it I can repost it later.

February results

T4 - 16 ranges 9-21

T3 - 1.5 ranges 0.9-2.4

TSH - 1.3 ranges 0.2-4.5

[greygoose in reply to mistygrey]

Your endo was right to start you on a small dose of T3. That's what everyone should start on. But he should have increased it since. T3 is not a drug. It's a hormone.

Palpitations can be a symptom of hypo. It could just be that your body recognises that 5 mcg is not enough. In any case, it takes time to adjust.

Without the FT3, those results are not much help. You can only compare like with like.

[trelemorele]

Honestly, in my opinion your blood tests look amazing, like from someone who's healthy and not on medication.

How you feel is,a different matter.

[mistygrey in reply to trelemorele]

Really? Wow thank you. I definitely don't feel amazing yet but slowly getting there, I think even the small dose of T3 has given me a lot more energy. My only issue is I still don't feel 100% but I'm better than I have been. Also, when I am climbing flights of stairs my heart seems to race and feel like it's coming out my chest which is slightly worrying,

Not sure if the T3 dose I am on would even cause that but it's been happening since I've went on the 5mg pill. It is mostly just when climing stairs or when I wake up suddenly in the night it will also race badly. Is this something I should be checking out? Had my heart checked a few years back and it seemed all fine from ecgs etc, I am also 33 and quite fit normally apart from when my Hashis gets a grip of me and floors me 😂☹️

[trelemorele in reply to mistygrey]

Well your blood tests indicate that at that point in time blood was taken you had hormones saturation akin to a healthy person.

Having said that, I haven't seen one person on hormone replacement bloods tests to be as perfect as a healthy one and feel perfect at the same time.

Usually people on meds get into upper or over t3 and t4 levels which in effect suppresses TSH in order to feel good.

I also don't think synthetic hormones are able to replicate nature 100%. For that reasons you probably don't feel your the best yet.

[mistygrey in reply to trelemorele]

Thank you, I wish they felt totally normal haha. I agree the synthetic hormones never make us feel 100% sadly. I think I need an up in T3 but just worried about the palpitations I have been having. It may be I am just adjusting to the T3 but at a small dose I am surprised if this is causing the palps at all.

[trelemorele in reply to mistygrey]

I don't really have advise re rasing t3 or not. You still have space to go up a little.

I usually and mostly have palpitations when I'm underactive.

And this maybe your case too.

Yeah if you feel it may help, try increasing and see if it helps.

[mistygrey in reply to trelemorele]

True it could be I am still undermedicating. I can see what happens if I up it, my T4 may need to go lower to accommodate but that's what I am not sure on yet

[trelemorele in reply to mistygrey]

Not necessarily. Your t4 is in good place.

I'd just add t3 as a second dose spread out evenly. I.e. 6am and 6pm or something like that

[mistygrey in reply to trelemorele]

Thanks, you mean add the extra 5mg to the current 5mg I am taking but one in the morning and one at night? Would you lower the T4? I take 62.5 at the moment which is two 25mg pills plus one half 25mg pill. Maybe you can't say on the doses but I might need to double check on that one

[trelemorele in reply to mistygrey]

Yup, 5mcg in the morning and 5 in the evening.

I wouldn't lower t4 if it was my dosing.

You're taking very little of t4 total in general which seems to be sufficient for you.

Adding t3 may help you find your sweet spot. But if you lower t4 you may end up with not enough hormone and in square one and then think - how come it's not working.

I'd keep t4 as it, add t3 and see your weekly progress.

You're taking such a small doses of both anyway I wouldn't panic if you're thinking you may overmedicate. Not yet, not on those doses.

[mistygrey in reply to trelemorele]

Thank you that's really helpful. I will try this then and see how I feel week to week 😄

Hopefully it will be what I need, thanks again!

[Angel_of_the_North in reply to mistygrey]

I find I feel better with free t4 at the very bottom of the range or slightly under and free t3 as high in range as I can get it. But that's me. If my free T4 gets to mid range, I feel less well.

[mistygrey in reply to Angel_of_the_North]

How do you get the free t3 as high in the range as you can - does an increase in T3 hell this? Also how do you get free T4 around mid range, what does mine currently show? Thanks 😊

[Angel_of_the_North in reply to mistygrey]

With extreme difficulty - it depends on the individual. More T3, a little NDT sometimes. Your free t4 is currently 76% of the way through the range and free t3 is 44.3% through the range.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

You could try adding the extra 5mcg at bedtime.

Palpitations can be due to low FT3

[mistygrey in reply to SlowDragon]

Will that not keep me awake? 😅

Is my FT3 above on the new results low or normal?

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to mistygrey]

Many of us find T3 improves sleep. Often noticeably.

Also taking Levo at bedtime can work much better

verywell.com/should-i-take-...

Personally I think FT3 needs to be above 5 or above 5.5 ideally

What supplements do you take and what are vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 levels like?

With Hashimoto's, are you gluten free?

[mistygrey in reply to SlowDragon]

Thank you 😊

How can I get my FT3 better, would the increase in T3 help achieve this?

I take ferrous fumarate x2 daily as my iron was low it's on the up now and I also take vitamin D, B12. I stopped selenium last month.

Due to retest iron start of June to see how they are and B12. Yes I am gluten and dairy free with the Hashimotos and have been for awhile now!

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to mistygrey]

Increasing T3 dose should improve FT3

Remember to take last dose of T3 approx 12 hours before testing and last dose of Levo 24 hours before

What about supplementing a good quality vitamin B complex, one with folate in? Recommended to help keep all B vitamin levels in balance. We can be low in other B vitamins, especially thiamine and/or B5

drgominak.com/sleep/vitamin...

But you must remember to stop any supplements with biotin in 3-5 days before any blood tests as biotin can falsely affect test results

endo.confex.com/endo/2016en...

endocrinenews.endocrine.org...

Do you supplement Magnesium?

articles.mercola.com/sites/...

Or vitamin K2 Mk7 as supplement vitamin D

articles.mercola.com/sites/...

[mistygrey in reply to SlowDragon]

Thank you Slowdragon thats very helpful.

I forgot to add I am taken a b complex that contains folate, it's a Natures Aid one from Bodykind online store it seems to be a good one. It does have biotin in it so I will remember what you said about that 😊

[mistygrey in reply to SlowDragon]

I don't take magnesium but I was considering adding that and zinc to my vitamin list, though I do take an Epsom salt bath a few times a week 😊

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to mistygrey]

The Epsom salts probably tops your magnesium up pretty well.

Yes adding zinc perhaps twice a week might help (Though I can't say I noticed any difference)