Thyroid results

[mistygrey]

Hi

Can anybody advise me if an increase in T3 to 10mcg per day from 5mcg per day and a decrease in T4 from 62.5mcg to 50mcg (as advised by Endo last week) would be a good idea with the following results I got back yesterday?:

T4 14pmol/l range 9-21 pmol/L

total T3 1.3nmol/l range unsure

TSH 0.98mU/l range 0.2-4.5 mU/L

Folate 12.6 range unsure but doctor wrote normal

B12 501 ranges 180-2000ng/l

Ferritin 47 ranges 15-200 ug/l

Iron 7 ranges 10-28umol

Vitamin D - 90 medichecks said it was over average so good

My iron on 22 March was 14.6 ranges 10-28umol/L

Gp said today because my Ferritin and FBC aren't low that my iron isn't too low at 7 even though it's low? It looks low to me and I feel rubbish 😂 Do I go ahead with Thyroid med changes or what? I am on 2x ferrous fumarate a day since March so iron shouldn't be 7...safe to say I am slightly confused 🤷🏻‍♀️

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

mistygrey

It depends on where you feel good with FT4. I'm on a combination of Levo and T3 and I can't function with my FT4 that low, yours is just under half way through range, I need mine to be nearer 75% through range, but we are all different. For me - and this is not advising you what to do - I would leave my Levo dose as it is and increase T3.

The problem is with your results that you do not have a Free T3 result, which you should have when taking T3. Your total T3 result isn't much use even if you have a range, it's Free T3 you need.

Can't comment on folate without a range.

B12 is on the low side with your range.

Ferritin is low, it would be better around 70 for thyoid hormone to work properly.

Iron is low but you seem to have hit a brick wall over that with your GP. I would want to know why it has reduced so much in 3 months.

Vit D at 90 is less than that recommended by the Vit D Council who suggest 100-150nmol/L.

[mistygrey in reply to SeasideSusie]

Hi Susie

You are right, I don’t feel great so probably the low FT4 isn’t helping me either.

I think I need to get a FT3 test done myself in order to see where it’s at, Endo has refused to test this saying it isn’t needed 😖

I might need to go back and ask the Gp in person why they think my irons so low and dropped but my periods are very heavy and also they keep saying my FBC is normal so I am not anaemia 😕

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to mistygrey]

mistygrey

If you're going to get FT3 tested privately, don't do it on it's own, get TSH/FT4/FT3 all done together. If that's all you need it's a basic bundle from Medichecks - Thyroid Monitoring or Blue Horizon - Thyroid Check Plus Three.

[mistygrey in reply to SeasideSusie]

Hi Susie I will try and get it done in a few weeks after I've made the dose change as I've just had the others tested.

Would you think doing my dose increase on T3 whilst my iron is so low will be safe to do?

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to mistygrey]

mistygrey

Would you think doing my dose increase on T3 whilst my iron is so low will be safe to do?

I introduced and increased T3 whilst working on my low ferritin, but I don't know what my serum iron level was at the time, so as I assume you mean your serum iron level then I can't really answer your question from personal experience.

[mistygrey in reply to SeasideSusie]

Hi Susie,

Thank you. It might be best I just go for the plunge and up the T3 and still work on my iron level to improve otherwise nothing will change and I might not get better!

[mistygrey in reply to SeasideSusie]

I forgot to say, if I up my T3 will my TSH go lower? It's at 0.98 just now.

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to mistygrey]

Mistygrey

Yes, I think it's very likely your TSH will probably be suppressed.

[mistygrey in reply to SeasideSusie]

Hi Susie

I don't really know what that means, is that a good or bad thing?

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to mistygrey]

mistygrey

Suppressed TSH is where it is below range, usually below 0.01. Your GP wont like a suppressed TSH, they like to see TSH in range. However, when on thyroid replacement the TSH is irrelevant as it's not a thyroid hormone, it's a signal from the pituitary. The pituitary checks to see if there is enough thyroid hormone, if not it sends a message to the thyroid to produce some. That message is TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone). In this case TSH will be high. If there is enough hormone - and this happens if you take any replacement hormone - then there's no need for the pituitary to send the message to the thyroid so TSH remains low.

Unfortunately, doctors don't appear to know this so they see a suppressed TSH and freak out.

[mistygrey in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thanks Susie. So it's at 0.93 at the moment my TSH that's with 5mcg T3 62.5mcg T4. Will I in your experience feel better or worse if my TSH is suppressed? I wouldn't want to feel any worse than I do now 😂 but I've been told too up my T3 as I mentioned before and lower the T4 but like you I am not sure if the T4 needs lowering or keeping it the same might be better with the T3 incrsase. It's just impossible to know what is right

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to mistygrey]

mistygrey

My TSH has been suppressed since I've been keeping a record of my results, so that's since 1994, what it was between 1975 and 1994 I have no idea. It's not suppressed TSH that made me feel unwell, it was poor conversion therefore low T3.

Personally, I doubt if suppressed TSH will make you feel worse. You need to find out what your FT3 is and use that as your guide. And as I said before, you don't need your Levo lowering.

[mistygrey in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thanks Susie,

That's good to know. I need to get the FT3 testing soon as I can get round to it!