Good morning, I would be very grateful to anyone who can look over my new results;
TSH 0.404 (0.27-4.2)
FT4 19.8 (12-22)
FT3 5.43 (3.1-6.8)
TA 535 (0-115)
TPA 101 (0-34)
B12 164 (25-165)
Folate 8.76 (2.91-50)
Vit D 114 (50-200)
CRP inflam. 3.75. (0-5)
Ferritin. 279 (13–150)
The report says thyroid hormones all within ref ranges but high antibodies suggest autoimmune. High ferritin but I think folate& Vit D needs improvement. But this does not explain my debilitating symptoms. I am going to eliminate all gluten to see if my symptoms improve, worst are stiff, painful muscles/tendinitis, pins/needles in arms & hands, loud tinnitus, hairloss, weight gain, brittle, ridged nails. Should I get RT3 test too? Any other suggestions please?
So, do you have any sort of diagnosis of hypo? Are you taking thyroid hormone replacement? That's not clear from your past posts. At one point you say you 'were' taking 100 levo, but don't say if you still are. And, that affects any analysis of your results.
You talk about 'going straight to T3', but your results don't indicate a need for it. Your conversion appears to be adequate, and your FT3 level quite good. But, depends on your symptoms.
Your antibody tests do say you have Hashi's - I don't know why they will never come out and say that. And, as you have Hashi's, your results can fluctuate. They look good on this test, but on another test they could be higher or they could be much lower - which would explain your symptoms.
There's nothing wrong with your vit D. Nor your B12. But, your folate is on the low side. You could possibly benefit from some methylfolate. Are you supplementing anything else?
Your iron, on the other hand, is much too high, and that should be investigated.
Good idea to try gluten-free. A lot of people are gluten-sensitive.
Your painful muscles could be due to low zinc. Most hypos have low zinc, so try taking some, see if they improve. And most people in general are magnesium deficient, so you could try taking some of that, see if it helps.
Personally, I cannot see the point of testing rT3. There are people who say the test is essential, but they can't explain why. The thing with the rT3 test is that it will tell you if there is a problem, but won't tell you where it lies. Could be your FT4 is too high or your cortisol too low, or you don't eat enough calories… No doctor would be able to tell you what the problem was - most doctors have never even heard of rT3. So, there doesn't seem much point to me.
Thank you Greygoose for your swift response. Yes I was diagnosed Hypo about 2012 and dose settled at 100mcg until about 8 months ago when I asked for test due to palpitations and GP upped dose to 125mcg (I do not have those results). On follow up my result in early July TSH 1.9 (0.4 - 4.5) FT4 18.3 (10 - 24). Palpitations have gone away but all other symptoms remain. VitD was 32 (no ref) but understood this to be low so I have been loading on 10000 + K2MK7 and getting sun of course. I will watch this & reduce shortly but re test later in the winter.
I do not supplement iron so not sure why that is so high. is it a problem? I'm going to research this but if you have any ideas please let me know.
I started Thorne Mag Citramate, Selenium and Ingennus SuperB few weeks ago and will add Zinc.
The reason I said RT3 is because i have read that even with FT4/FT3 levels looking good, there can still be a problem with the cellular uptake if RT3 is high. I am clutching at straws to explain why I am so debilitated at 58 years of age, but hoping gluten free will provide a breakthrough.
OK, so your vit D used to be low, but it's fine in the results you posted.
I think high ferritin like that can be a problem, yes. In any case, it should be investigated, so do ask your doctor.
It used to be thought that rT3 blocked T3 receptors, so that T3 couldn't get into the cells. We now know that rT3 has its own receptors, so doesn't block T3 receptors. So, unlikely to be the cause of your problems. But, even so, some people do have hormone resistance at a cellular levels, and do need higher levels of FT3 to over-come it. Do you consume any soy?
To improve your low folate suggest you try a good quality vitamin B complex, one with folate in not folic acid. This keeps all B vitamins in balance. We are often low in other B vitamins like B1 and B5
This link explains how when we correct low vitamin D, we increase our need for B vitamins.
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
Hi Slow Dragon and thanks for your replies. I will read all the references you have kindly provided with interest. Since Greygoose's reply I have read quite a lot about hemochromatosis - worrying stuff. I did not think I had any liver issues as the GP test in July showed Serum ALT 12 (0-33) and Bilirubin 7 (0-21) and GP said he would be happy to have results like mine. But I now understand these may not mean I have a healthy liver. I am overweight (even tried Cambridge diet with very poor weight loss) and have severe arthritis in both hips, spine, knees and shoulders and I drink alcohol 3 - 4 times a week, it seems these are all linked to hemnochromatosis. I'm concerned - so its gluten free and teetotal from now onwards (and carefully avoid soy hidden in products) plus another visit to GP to investigate high ferritin. Thanks for all your help.
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