I am new to this thyroid thing!!

[luv2seadue]

my tsh was 4.9, 6 months ago. Just was retested and it was 3.3. Dr said that was normal. She ordered ferritin which came back 55.3 and vit d 25 which came back 35. Are these numbers normal? My hair is falling out!

[shaws Administrator]

When you give results of blood tests, it is helpful to also put the ranges. Ranges are in brackets after the results.

When you have a blood test to check thyroid hormones it has to be at the earliest possible, fasting (you can drink water) and if you take thyroid hormones, you allow a 24 hour gap between dose and test and take afterwards.

If you are in the UK doctors have been told not to diagnose until the TSH reaches 10. In other countries it is above 3+ also taking account of clinical symptoms. TSH means thyroid stimulating hormone and is from the pituitary gland as it tries to flag the thyroid gland into producing more hormones.

Doctors diagnose by the TSH alone, and if it is within the range they will not diagnose.

If you wish, you can have a full private thyroid blood test (home pin-prick test) which will give you the whole picture. This would be:-

TSH, T4, T3, Free T4, Free T3 and thyroid antibodies.

Regardless of the results if antibodies are present he should prescribe.

He should also test B12, Vit D, iron, ferritin and folate as deficiencies also cause symptoms. Everything has to be optimal.

Always get a print-out from the surgery of your results and make sure Ranges are given as labs differ and it makes it easier for members to respond.

thyroiduk.org/tuk/testing/i...

There is two private labs who do home tests and Blue Horizon and Medichecks do all of the ones you request. Medichecks has a special offer of some sort every Thursday.