Blood results

[claudo]

Hi

I am 32 years old, female. I have been getting a lot of symptoms which are slowly creeping in as time goes on - pain at the back of my head, fatigue, arm and leg weakness, dizziness as if drunk/spaced out, sudden pins and needles in feet, periods varying in flow (usually heavy, previous one was scanty), low libido, stool difficult to pass, very abrupt weight gain, depression. And when I tilt my head back I can see my thyroid stick out more in the mirror. Possibly swollen? I feel no closer to feeling completely better and I was diagnosed when I was 25. I take 150mcg levothyroxine and for some reason my results are just not very good. Many thanks for any advice on what could be causing my results to be still bad (they look bad to me anyway!)

THYROID FUNCTION TESTS - GP COMMENTS - SATISFACTORY

! SERUM TSH - 4.24 MIU/L (0.2 - 4.2)

SERUM FREE T4 - 17.1 PMOL/L (12 - 22)

SERUM FREE T3 - 3.6 PMOL/L (3.1 - 6.8)

[greygoose]

There's nothing satisfactory about your results! Your TSH is too high - should be 1 or under - and your FT3 is too low. You are probably under-medicated and need an increase in dose.

How do you take your levo? Do you take it on an empty stomach and wait at least one hour before eating and drinking? Do you take any other supplements or medication at the same time as your levo?

[claudo in reply to greygoose]

Thank you for replying, I take my Levo the following way:

On an empty stomach and I wait about an hour and a half before eating and drinking.

I take supplements and medication but not at the same time as Levo

I take the Levo at the same time every day, before 9am when I come into work.

If on a weekend I take the Levo upon waking between 9am - 10am and leave about two hours before eating and drinking.

[greygoose in reply to claudo]

That's good.

I've just read your response to Heloise. And once again, I am marvelling at the sheer incompetence and ignorance of endos! Has he even bothered to test your antibodies? Looks very much like Hashi's to me.

[claudo in reply to greygoose]

Yes I believe I have Hashis. The endocrinologist has not commented on the antibody readings. They were done by Blue Horizon.

*THYROGLOBULIN ANTIBODY 480 IU/ML (0 - 115 negative)

*THYROID PEROXIDASE ANTIBODY 64.3 IU/ML (0 - 34)

[greygoose in reply to claudo]

Yes, you have Hashi's. And that's why your results swing around like that. And, as you've probably noticed, these gormless endos know nothing about antibodies and/or Hashi's, and that's why they don't comment on them - they have no idea what they are!

So, what can you do about Hashi's? Well, there's not cure for it. But, you can try adopting a gluten-free diet, which might make you feel better, and could lower your antibodies. And, you could try taking selenium, which might lower antibodies and improve conversion. But, to stop results swinging around like that, you need to get your TSH to zero, and keep it there. But doctors know nothing about that, I'm afraid.

[Heloise]

Everything seems to be equally low. Is there any reason why you cannot increase your Levo? You can't produce enough T3 (which would make a difference) when your T4 is just mid range. It needs to be higher.

[claudo in reply to Heloise]

Thank you for replying, the endocrinologist has said he did not like my results back in November 2017 where I was on the same dose and my results did this:

! SERUM TSH - <0.02 MIU/L (0.2 - 4.2)

! SERUM FREE T4 - 26.1 PMOL/L (12 - 22)

SERUM FREE T3 - 4.7 PMOL/L (3.1 - 6.8)

Then in January 2018 my results did this on the same dose:

! SERUM TSH - 4.69 MIU/L (0.2 - 4.2)

SERUM FREE T4 - 14.7 PMOL/L (12 - 22)

SERUM FREE T3 - 3.6 PMOL/L (3.1 - 6.8)

The endocrinologist told me he consulted with the rest of the endocrine and diabetes team and they have all questioned my taking of the Levo because of the results changing a lot of the time. My endocrinologist has said he has never seen results change so much like mine before.

[Beata_s in reply to claudo]

I joined his site to help my hypo dog - and her results last 2 years were all over the place ! Could not figure out why .

I don’t mean to be rude or insensitive comparing to a dog - but they suffer the same way with same symptoms - and we discovered skemthjng wrong with nutrition - pointing to iron deficiency , suspected zinc deficiency and copper also . Waiting for more results for her but she hugely improved in iron copper and zinc tablets plus omega 3,6 .

Have you had your iron status checked including ferritin ? Maybe worth looking at that ?

All the best I hope you feel better soon ; I hate this disease ( I don’t have it myself ) but I see what it does to my dogs it’s hearbreakjng and seeing am dreading how much people suffer here and don’t get help from doctors

[claudo in reply to Beata_s]

Thank you, my ferritin is 22 UG/L (30 - 400)

[claudo in reply to Beata_s]

IRON - 8 UMOL/L (6 - 26)

TRANSFERRIN SATURATION - 14 % (12 - 45)

RBC - 4.41 (3.8 - 5.8)

WBC - 4.34 (4.0 - 11.0)

! MCV - 77.5 FL (80 - 98)

MCH - 28 (28 - 32)

HAEMOGLOBIN - 120 G/L (115 - 150)

HAEMATOCRIT - 0.42 (0.37 - 0.47)

PLATELETS - 252 (140 - 400)

[Beata_s in reply to claudo]

You have iron deficiency judging by these results but doctors won’t do anything until you are anaemic 😐 my dogs also have low MCV/MCHC but h less hemoglobin drops it won’t get treated

Have oh got problems with hair growth also ?

Are you taking any iron supplement ? If not I would definitely talk to your doctor about that

If you do take iron or will take ; please remember to take zinc also and copper ; as iron competes with zinc and zinc competes with copper so you could end up creating deficiencies you don’t have by supplementing incorrectly

Raising iron might help and symptoms of iron deficiency mimic hypo

[Beata_s in reply to Beata_s]

Protein deficiency ( and the lack of essential amino acids ) can also impact thyroid function

[claudo in reply to Beata_s]

Thank you, I had my iron infusion done yesterday for anaemia. This is the third one I have had. No iron supplement.

[Beata_s in reply to claudo]

Blimey - is it that hard to replete iron stores ? I am trying to raise mine from 50 towards 100 ; I have t had my retest yet ; but tolerating high doses or iron supplement ( 3 x 65mg elements iron sulphate ) really well - so I guess my body needed it ( helped my I cry scalp and energy levels and mood hugely )

I know it’s slow proces to raise ferritin . Levels

Can you not take supplements also ?

[claudo in reply to Beata_s]

Unfortunately I'm not supposed to supplement any iron after an infusion unless my MCV goes below range - which it did back in Feb 2017

Thanks

[Treepie in reply to claudo]

Try eating liver once a week .