For the last month I have started to feel rubbish, I get very stressed for silly reasons, sleeping not good again, or though very tired all the time, headaches most days, my joints wow very painful ! Palpitations, tinnitus is really bad at the moment, tight chested, forgetful And to top it all I have put on 7 kgs in 5 months! My eating has not changed, still reasonably healthy, and I walk every day between 1 to 2 hours. So I decided to get my bloods done at the doctors which she says are all normal ! I disagree as in France my TSH was always kept below 1.00 and T 4 around 14 please find below my results
Value Range
TSH 1.09 0.30-4.20 mU/l
FT4 21 10.60-23.20 pmol/L
FT3 4.4 3.10-6.80 pmol/L
Anti-CCP antibodies < 0.5 0.00-2.90 U/ml
Vit D 101 >50 nmol/L
B12 627 197.00-771.00 ng/L
Folate 6 3.90-26.80 ug/l
Ferritin. 193 13.00-300.00 ug/l
Serum Iron. 10.6 10.00-30.00 umol/L
Serum C reactive protein. 2. 0.00-5.00 mg/L
I am taking 125 mg L-Thyroxin Henning , ( which I’m told I can’t have here) have no thyroid total thyroïdectomie over 10 years ago due to nodules no cancer. Have high cholesterol since op, and no I refuse any statins! Am over 55 menapausal women
Any thoughts is the doctor right? If so why do I feel so rough ?
Written by
Nellups
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Your conversion of T4 to T3 is poor as shown by your high in range FT4 and low in range FT3. Good conversion takes place when FT4 :FT3 ratio is between 3:1 and 4:1 and yours is 21÷4.4 = 4.77 : 1
You may benefit from the addition of T3.
However, before considering that, your nutrient levels should all be optimal and your results show low in range Folate (recommended is at least half way through range) and supplementing with a good B Complex such as Thorne Basic B or Igennus Super can help.
Although your Ferritin is good, your serum iron is very low in range.
Painful joints can be due to low Vit D. Yours is just within the recommended range of 100-150nmol (according to the Vit D Council, the Vit D Society and Grassroots Health). You could try getting that a little higher and see if it helps - I need mine at the top end of the range.
Also, supplementing with selenium l-selenomethionine can help conversion.
One other thing the doctor actually mentioned, was my white blood cells have dropped just below the normal, never had that before ! Is this something else going on?
If you are suffering I’d go back to the doctors and state that your symptoms such as forgetfulness, weight gain tiredness are affecting your daily life and that your results are not how they usually are and that you do not get these symptoms when your results are different or how they have been before. Your hormones may be affecting you somewhat too. If you’re menopausal and have high cholesterol this may have an impact on ttiredness and palpitations. Maybe adjusting your diet may help a little too, such as reducing calories a little, or introducing a vegetarian or vegan diet may help. I’m currently hypothyroid and taking 125mg. My weight has increased over the years but I’ve recently started a KETO vegetarian/pescatarian diet and consume mainly healthy fats such as avacados, nuts, salmon, olive oil and mackerel as well as leafy greens. I don’t eat meat and just each a lot more healthily . This has helped me to loose some weight and sleep better. I stay away from refined sugar/carbs/preservatives etc and eat only wholesome optimal nutritious foods. My belly has been like a huge water balloon but it’s now changing slowly. I’d definitely go back to the doctors to say you are not happy with your thyroid results and get your meds sorted. Looking at your diet/nutrition/more exercise and water intakw may help a little bit too.
Your folate is low, and while your B12 result is high enough it cannot work effectively without a good level of folate. You could treat this with Folic Acid available over the counter.
Nellops something has changed in you and I doubt you could get yourTSh below 1 and T4 at 14 again. YOu T4 would get even higher as you TSH lowers.I lot of people o this forum do well on a hormone supplement called NDT.It especially seem to help people who have no thyroid as it contains all five thyroid hormones rather than just the T4 which you have been taking. There is a list of more helpful doctors obtainable re website. You do need you vits improved as per seaside susan and that might help without having to change meds.
Thank you everyone, Doctor was not interested in my symptoms just said we have referred you to an endo !
My tablets were changed from Levo by merek end of last year because of the change in formula in France, which was making me ill, was fine on the new ones until as I said the last month. Doctor said also my vits were all perfect, I finished a three month course of high level liquid vit D from France in May this year as it had once again dropped below 20, first time it was at 2 ! I’m struggling because of moving to Northern Ireland after 28 years in France getting my head around the system here, and the first doctor I saw was awful didn’t even check me over just order the bloods ! In France the doctor always checked my throat inside and out blood pressure, skin and hair. And when I asked for a prescription for L- thyroxine she told me don’t do that here, so told her I can get it from France or Germany and will pay for it myself she refused said she wasn’t allowed !
Not very much I can add to what the others have said.
It's possible that your conversion has become worse, for some reason. Certainly with your FT4 that high, you will be converting more to rT3 than T3. So, your FT3 will be lower. But, do you know what it was when your FT4 was 14? Also, what was the range when it was 14, because it won't be the same range in Northern Ireland as it was in France.
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