Results in so must be Menopause making me feel rubbish

[lorilou107]

Hi,

As I have felt so unwell again recently I decided to do a medicheck blood test as my gp wouldn't increase my Levo.

I have got the results today and I was going to go back to my endo (privately) and see if she would try me on 125 mcg instead of 100 but looking at the results they are completely different to the ones I had done in May by a blood draw and suggest that all my thyroid levels are in the normal range so now I'm thinking there is no point seeing her as she won't increase it.

I am showing my results below so you can maybe confirm that there is no point me going to see my consultant.

May 2018

TSH 1.25

T4 13

VIT D, NOT TESTED

VIT B12 = 248 ( 120-900)

SERUM FERRITIN = 61 (15-300)

SERUM FOLATE = 7.1 ug/L > 2.5

BLOOD DRAW,

JULY 2ND 2018

MEDI CHECK - FINGER PRICK

THYROID LEVELS ONLY

TSH 0.6 (0.2-4.2)

T4 17 (12-22)

T3 4.4 (3.1-6.8)

TGA3 58 (0-115)

TPOAB 9 (0-34)

So these results suggest that everything is hunky dory however I stll feel much worse than I did about 2-3 months ago. I am getting (again) anxiety, weight gain, constipation, emotional outbursts, tiredness

I started a diet in February and had lost 9lb through hard work but now I have put on 2 again in about 1.5 weeks and I don't understand why. However I am also extremely constipated and haven't been able to go to the loo for about 2 weeks and am taking movicol sachets after prune juice stopped working for me.

I am 50 and I know I am going through the menopause (on HRT) so maybe that's why I'm feeling crappy and it's not my thyroid, but if that's the case why do I feel exactly as I did when I became hypothyroid last year?

And I'm guessing that even if my consultant did agree to let me increase by 25mcg it wouldn't make me feel any better.

Any advice you lovely people

Lori

x

[Angel_of_the_North]

Not really. Both free t4 and free T3 are too low in range - aim for >19 and >5.5. Folate and ferritin both look on the low side and B12 is awful - needs to be over 500.

[lorilou107 in reply to Angel_of_the_North]

Hi, thanks for your reply. So do you think my consultant would increase my levo if i did go and see her. I asked her about T3 and T4 last time but when I saw her in January my T4 was 19 and I felt so much better. If I needed T3 that's not in Levo is it? Would she prescribe me something else do you think?

Thanks so much for replying, I trust you guys more than I trust anyone else. The comments made by the medi check doctor said everything was completely normal and I should be pleased that my T3 and 4 were looking so good!

[Angel_of_the_North in reply to lorilou107]

impossible to say. But you could try taking a copy of the Dr Toft article. You TSH is still in range, so even a TSH-obsessed endo should see that there is room for an increase. I think the medicheck and BH comments are probably done by an AI algorithm (ie: in range = good). I always ignore them and just look at the figures.

[lorilou107 in reply to Angel_of_the_North]

thank you, I am going to increase my vitamin intake B and B12 and ferrous fumerate (iron?) which I was put on when I was first prescribed Levo but then told to stop it again a few months later. If I don't feel better after taking these for a couple months then I guess I could see if consultant will increase my Levo. I considered increasing it myself (as my gp won't) but I only have 100 mcg tablets and don't feel I could cut them into quarters accurately enough to increase myself. I just wish I knew if a 25mcg increase would be the 'magic bullet' and make me feel more like I did in January.

would say more than anything the brain fog (memory lapses) and mood swings are the most difficult to handle at the moment.

Oh didn't realise they were AI's doing the results on medicheck so it's really just a generic answer and not one tailored personally to me then.

[Angel_of_the_North in reply to lorilou107]

I'm not sure that they are AIs ;-), it just reads like that as it is so generic. I think a 25mcg increase is worth a try. If it's no better or worse after 6-8 weeks, you can always think again.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Your folate and B12 are both too low

Taking a good quality vitamin B complex daily, one with folate in not folic acid. Eg Igennus Super B or Jarrow B-right

If you are taking vitamin B complex, or any supplements containing biotin, remember to stop these 3-5 days before any blood tests, as biotin can falsely affect test results

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

endocrinenews.endocrine.org...

Perhaps also a sublingual B12 lozenge or B12 spray too if you have low B12 symptoms

b12deficiency.info/signs-an...

Essential to test vitamin D. Result needs to be at least around 80nmol, but around 100nmol may be better

Test yourself via vitamindtest.org.uk

Come back with new post once you have results

Your FT3 is too low. Needs to be at least over 5.

You may just need higher dose of Levothyroxine- as per Prof Toft here

Dr Toft, past president of the British Thyroid Association and leading endocrinologist, states in Pulse Magazine,

"The appropriate dose of levothyroxine is that which restores euthyroidism and serum TSH to the lower part of the reference range - 0.2-0.5mU/l.

In this case, free thyroxine is likely to be in the upper part of its reference range or even slightly elevated – 18-22pmol/l.

Most patients will feel well in that circumstance. But some need a higher dose of levothyroxine to suppress serum TSH and then the serum-free T4 concentration will be elevated at around 24-28pmol/l.

This 'exogenous subclinical hyperthyroidism' is not dangerous as long as serum T3 is unequivocally normal – that is, serum total around T3 1.7nmol/l (reference range 1.0-2.2nmol/l)."

You can obtain a copy of the articles from Thyroid UK email print it and highlight question 6 to show your doctor

 please email Dionne at

[e-mail]

Improving vitamins likely to help

Selenium supplements can help improve conversion too

Although you don't appear to have Hashimoto's you may still find strictly gluten free diet helps too. May be worth trying for 3-6 months

Only make one change or add one supplement at a time. Waiting at least 2 weeks to assess any results each time

Lastly do you always take Levo on empty stomach and then nothing apart from water for at least an hour after.

Many take on waking, but it may be more convenient and possibly more effective taken at bedtime. Many prefer it.

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

Many people find Levothyroxine brands are not interchangeable. Once you find a brand that suits you, best to make sure to only get that one at each prescription. Watch out for brand change when dose is increased and avoid Teva brand unless lactose intolerant