I have been on levothyroxine 200 for many many years now. However I have just reduced them to 150, following these results. My GP does not seem bothered by theses results and has no belief in T3. I have asked to be referred to an endocrinologist, which has been done, I am awaiting an appointment. I have never felt well on T4. Any advice you can give will be much appreciated.
Many thanks
Written by
Lauren16
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
You were right to reduce your Levo on the strength of those results. Your FT4 was way over range and making rT3.
I would retest after 6-8 weeks on the reduced dose and see how your levels lie then.
Make sure that all thyroid tests are done as early as possible in the morning, no later than 9am, after an overnight fast - ie delay breakfast until after the blood draw but you can drink water. Also, leave off Levo for 24 hours. If you take Levo too close to the blood draw you will get a false high FT4, if you take it more than 24 hours away from the blood draw you will get a false low FT4.
When you get your FT4 back down into range, we can see where your FT3 lies and whether you are converting T4 to T3 adequately.
Your raised antibodies suggest autoimmune thyroid disease aka Hashimoto's, which is where antibodies attack the thyroid and gradually destroy it. The antibody attacks cause fluctuations in symptoms and test results. When the antibodies attack, the dying cells dump a load of thyroid hormone into the blood and this can cause TSH to become suppressed and Free T4 and Free T3 to be very high or over range. These are called 'Hashi's swings'. You may get symptoms of being overmedicated (hyper type symptoms) to go along with these results that look as though you are overmedicated. It may be possible that you were having one of these Hashi's swings at the time of the test which may account for your high hormone levels.
Dose adjustment is still appropriate at this time.
Most doctors dismiss antibodies as being of no importance and know little or nothing about Hashi's and how it affects the patient, test results and symptoms. This includes endocrinologists as most of them are diabetes specialists, not thyroid specialists, and tend not to know much about the thyroid. You need to read, learn, understand and help yourself where Hashi's is concerned.
You can help reduce the antibodies by adopting a strict gluten free diet which has helped many members here. Gluten contains gliadin (a protein) which is thought to trigger autoimmune attacks so eliminating gluten can help reduce these attacks. You don't need to be gluten sensitive or have Coeliac disease for a gluten free diet to help.
Supplementing with selenium l-selenomethionine 200mcg daily can also help reduce the antibodies, as can keeping TSH suppressed.
Hashi's and gut absorption problems tend to go hand in hand and can very often result in low nutrient levels or deficiencies. It would be a good idea to get the following tested:
Vit D
B12
Folate
Ferritin
and members will comment when you post the results.
I agree with you. It’s just very hard to retain the information. My D3 was very very low 3years ago, however it is now high so that is good. My B12 is good also, I have injections every 4weeks and it is at the top of the range. I will however include the folate and ferritin for my next blood test.
I have lots of joint and muscle pain, cramp in feet fingers and legs and I get very tired if I do anything on consecutive days. I’m trying to get off my antidepressants which I was put on before I was diagnosed with an underactive thyroid. I also take a good probiotic and turmeric as I had ovarian cancer 5years ago.
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
Thyroid Blood Test Results Interpretation
Blood results
Advice about way forward after private blood tests...
At Last RT3 Results
