My background is that back in 2000 I was suffering all symptoms of low thyroid activity and although my doctor said it wouldn't be thyroid related blood tests were done. My TSH level was 6.2. I did not receive treatment as my doctor at the time said normal was anything up to 6 and that my thyroid could come right by itself.
Over the years I have had good periods and worse ones though not as bad as that first time and how I am feeling now. I have been prescribed vitamin d 3 times (very large amount this last time ... I noticed this affected my legs ... with like a stiffening?
Since April I have been suffering awful fatigue. I can feel exhausted by 11am and if I do too much one day then I'm no good the next. I am suffering from joint/muscle pain in my legs and hands. This is now waking me at night. I have hair loss, have gained 2 and a half stone and have difficulty walking and getting up from the floor and after sitting. I used to run 4-6k almost every day. Now I can't even walk down the street at a pace.
I now live in a different area where I am told normal TSH is 5.5. Over the last 6 months I have revisited the doctors (often seeing different ones as is usual in the practice. 2 months ago one doctor (frim another practuce) noticed that my TSH levels showed an increase every test. She arranged a test and this showed it had reached 4.65. I was just told my bloods were normal.
Symptoms got worse so I went back to doctors. I saw a very young doctor who told me lots of things could make me tired. I wept. She did some test involving me lifting my leg against slight pressure from her. I couldn't do it. I wept more. My eyes now sting and sight fuzzy.
I rang today ... again to be told tests are normal. I asked for more information but probably need to ask for full details.
TSH had lowered ... now 3.86
T4 13
Am I convincing myself it's my thyroid when it's not? Are my results normal.
Sorry it's so long... tried to get all information in there.
Please help.... Joanne
Written by
Jo444
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There are many posts on here where people have had thyroid blood tests only to be told they are normal.
What your GP means is that your results are within the lab ranges, that does not mean that you feel well with those results.
I see that you have not added the lab ranges to your blood results, and, you have not had your T3 tested either. Thyroid blood test should be TSH, T3 & T4.
What time did you have your Thyroid bloods taken?
You mention you are on vitamin D, have you any vitamin results.
Unfortunately until your TSH reaches 10 or above the NHS will not start treating your thyroid, hence why so many people end up self medicating.
It's important to test your vitamin levels, iron, Ferritin, B12 and vitamin D.
Have you been tested for antibodies? (auto immune disease).
Medi checks and Blue horizon offer all the bloods mentioned.
As Peanut has said, you need a full thyroid panel plus vitamins and minerals. Often private testing is the way to go to get everything done. You need
TSH
FT4
FT3
Thyroid Peroxidase antibodies
Thyroglobulin antibodies
Vit D
B12
Folate
Ferritin
Blue Horizon Thyroid Plus Eleven or Medichecks Thyroid Check UltraVit cover all these tests. If you don't need Vit D then go for Blue Horizon Thyroid Plus Ten or Medichecks Thyroid Check Ultra.
I have been prescribed vitamin d 3 times (very large amount this last time ... I noticed this affected my legs ... with like a stiffening?
This concerns me. If you have been prescribed a very large amount, that will be loading doses, only given when Vit D deficient, generally below 30nmol/L. Why prescribed 3 times? Has no doctor told you that you don't stop Vit D, once your level has been raised you need a maintenance dose to keep it there. The maintenance dose probably wouldn't be prescribed but you could be advised to buy your own.
What is your current Vit D level and what are you taking?
The Vit D Council, the Vit D Society and Grassroots Health all recommend a level of 100-150nmol/L. Once this level has been reached then you'll need a maintenance dose which may be 2000iu daily, maybe more or less, maybe less in summer than winter, it's trial and error so it's recommended to retest once or twice a year to keep within the recommended range. You can do this with a private fingerprick blood spot test with City Assays vitamindtest.org.uk/
Also, your doctor wont know, because they are not taught nutrition, but there are important cofactors needed when taking D3 as recommended by the Vit D Council -
D3 aids absorption of calcium from food and K2-MK7 directs the calcium to bones and teeth where it is needed and away from arteries and soft tissues where it can be deposited and cause problems such as hardening of the arteries, kidney stones, etc.
D3 and K2 are fat soluble so should be taken with the fattiest meal of the day, D3 four hours away from thyroid meds.
Magnesium helps D3 to work. We need Magnesium so that the body utilises D3, it's required to convert Vit D into it's active form. So it's important we ensure we take magnesium when supplementing with D3.
Magnesium comes in different forms, check to see which would suit you best and as it's calming it's best taken in the evening, four hours away from thyroid meds
You can ask for a print out of your results from your surgery's reception then post them on here for members to comment.
Also, for all thyroid tests in future, book the very first appointment of the day, fast overnight and drink water only (breakfast after blood draw). This gives the highest possible TSH which is needed for diagnosis.
Anti-smooth muscle autoantibody level (XE2ph) potentially abnormal positive 1/80. Follow up action .... Need to repeat test - I was not made aware of this
Haemoglobin. In 18.2.18. It read 38mmol/mol. Suggests low risk of diabetes melitus suggest retesting every 3 years. I was not made aware of this prior. The test done last week says .... regret Sample discarded in error.
The next are results from test 2.7.18 and were not tested in August:
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What do I do now? GP will not prescribe thyroxine.
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