A few blood test results

[Pippycat89]

Hello everyone

I put my first post on here a couple of weeks ago. I thought I had many signs of hypothyroidism (and have been 'unwell' for a couple of years?) GP didn't agree despite me having an out of range TSH of 5.1 (0.40 - 4.5mu/l) and FT4 on the low side 10.1 (7.00 - 17.00 pmol/l). The GP suggested menopause, gout or fibromyalgia. They reluctantly gave me a trial of 25 mcg of levothyroxine. I have now been taking this for two weeks.

The GP said it was unlikely to have any effect. After reading the posts on here I was of the same opinion, but not because I thought it may not be my thyroid after all. I thought it wouldn't work because the dose was too low and because it takes ages to have any effect. Whilst most of my symptoms remain pretty much the same (particularly the tiredness, depression, lack of interest, brain fog and painful shoulders and wrists), I did find that after only one or two days the crippling pain in my knees and feet (which developed after rest) seemed a little/lot better. I wasn't imagining it and it couldn't have been a placebo effect as I wasn't expecting the levothyroxine to work. I am no longer hobbling like a 90 year old. Of course it may just be coincidence. It would be useful to know if anyone else on here has experienced anything similar.

I have a repeat NHS blood test booked for the 13th July (I will have been on levothyroxine for four weeks by then). They will only be looking at TSH, FT4 and thyroid peroxidase antibody. I was not aware of this forum when I went to see the GP, so didn't know about asking for FT3, other antibodies or vitamins.

There is such a plethora of excellent help and advice on here, that I decided it would be best if I got a private blood test so that I could assess my baseline vitamin (and other) levels. I could then decide which, if any, I needed to supplement. I ordered the Blue Horizon Medicals Thyroid Eleven (finger prick) test. Unfortunately it was a complete disaster for me. I bled sufficiently but the blood went everywhere except in the tube. I was only able to collect a miniscule amount and just ended up with sore fingers! It seems I am not the only one that has had this problem!!

I sent the sample anyway thinking they might be able to at least get something and they did manage to get a few results (posted below). I contacted the company and they are sending another kit for me to have another go (no charge - which is brilliant). I was quite upset when the first test didn't work - annoyed because I had wasted £100 and would not be getting the results I needed. Anyway, it all turned out ok in the end and hoping I will have more success second time around.

Here are the results they managed to get:

Ferritin 111.0 (13 - 150 ug/L)

TSH 4.05 (0.27 - 4.20 mIU/L)

T4 Total 94.2 (66 - 181 nmol/L)

Free T3 5.16 (3.1 - 6.8 pmol/L)

Anti-Thyroidperoxidase abs 10.8 (<34 kIU/L)

Anti-Thyroglobulin Abs <10 (<115 kU/L)

Vitamin D (25 OH) 63 nmol/L

(I have deleted all the results listed as insufficient blood for testing).

My TSH is now within range and has come down from 5.1 to 4.05 after taking 25mcg for 2 weeks. The results 'may' be a little unreliable as it took me ages to get a very tiny sample. I will repeat and post the next lot of results when I have them (as well as the NHS test results).

I have posted this in case anyone else is going though a similar thing.

I still don't know if I have a thyroid problem, but everyone on here has helped me so much to learn and understand all about the thyroid. What a brilliant forum

[greygoose]

You're hypo as soon as your TSH hits 3. So, yes, you are hypo. But, doctors hate diagnosing people as hypo, and will set you up to fail on a false 'trial' of levo. If he knew it wasn't going to have any effect, why didn't he put you on 50 mcg? It's most dishonest of him. So, play him at his own game, go back all bright-eyed and say, oh, yes, it helped a lot, but you feel you need an increase in dose - with a sweet innocent smile - but teeth ready to be bared in a snarl should he dare refuse!

[Pippycat89 in reply to greygoose]

I've read that 50mcg is the starting dose for a trial unless you are over 50 years old or have heart problems. I am 57 - so maybe that's why...plus the fact that the GP didn't think my symptoms sounded like hypothyroidism. I will go back and say I feel there has been an improvement

[greygoose in reply to Pippycat89]

That's a new thing, this over 50 business. And, I'm willing to bet it's just another ill-advised cost-cutting exercise. 18 years ago, I was diagnosed at the age of 55, and started on 50 mcg.

As for symptoms, I doubt your doctor has a clue what hypo symptoms are. They don't 'do' symptoms in med school.

[Pippycat89 in reply to greygoose]

Who knows what is going on.

Terrible (criminal even?) to think that cost considerations are given priority over patient well being. That seems to be the way things are these days and it's very sad.

If I was a GP and a patient came in saying they thought they had thyroid issues, and they had symptoms that were unknown to me - I would go away and do some research. That way I would be better informed to treat the next person.

I guess they don't have time to research everything. You would think with thyroid dysfunction being so common, that there would be a wider knowledge of symptoms amongst GPs - they must see it quite a lot.

[greygoose in reply to Pippycat89]

They don't see it as often as they should because they refuse to see it. They refuse the tests and put the symptoms down to anything they possibly can other than thyroid. They simply hate diagnosing thyroid, for some unknown reason. They just don't want to know.

[Angel_of_the_North in reply to Pippycat89]

Ah, but if the GP just follows NICE guidelines and you die, he's home free. If he does his research, treats you appropriately but not according to NICE guidelines (eg TSH not over 10) and you die, he's in deep doo-doo. So best to let you suffer or put you on anti-depressants (which are also worth money to the practice). And he gets paid whether you are well or not.

[Pippycat89 in reply to Angel_of_the_North]

The whole system is a bit rubbish