9 weeks result back and upcoming Dr. visit.

[HypoSpark]

Hi all, so after patiently waiting for the 9 week mark to get my bloodwork done, in the hopes of an increase (25mcg to 50mcg) my test results came back.

TSH is down to 3.640 from 7.690. I'm feeling better as I increased my dosage and method of B12, but i am still frustrated about not loosing weight. The increase in B12 has picked my energy up and taken away brain fog.

I have an appointment to see my Dr, next Friday, I was told that they will not be increasing my dosage. Since I'm feeling better should i ask for an increase? I am frustrated because of the weight, i walk, exercise and eat right. My blood sugar seems to be on the rise due to the increase in belly fat.

I just don't know what to do, I'm also wondering if I didn't bring this on myself. I follow a fairly strict plant-based diet and cause they were "on-sale" got 500mcg B12 oral tablets. The lady that did my bloodwork yesterday said that only approx. 10% of b12 is absorbed and it's a water soluble vitamin. I'm thinking that cause i was on such a low dose and that i exercise and sweat regularly that i have somehow become b12 deficient. So I'm also curious, if i fix this by taking 5000mcg of the dropper style b12, if my thyroid #'s will come down on their own. Any thoughts, and what kind of test should I have my Dr. run if my only remaining symptom is weight loss?

Thanks

[Aurealis]

Hi Hypospark, You didn’t give the range for your tests? If your only remaining symptom is excess weight I wouldn’t seek to increase dose. Treatment is about feeling well.

Enrol at Weightwatchers, control what you eat and measure weight loss over three weeks. If you haven’t lost any weight by then return to GP with concrete evidence of inability to lose weight.

Of course it’s also possible that although well on this dose that you would be better still on next dose up? Or you may feel poorly on it? Perhaps your TSH is too high (what is the range?) What is your T4 and T3? Good luck

[greygoose]

At 3.6, your TSH is much to high - it's certainly not in any way normal. We don't need a range to tell you that - a TSH is a TSH is a TSH. But, it doesn't tell the whole story. Does your doctor not test your FT4 or FT3?

I would say you definitely need an increase in dose. But, do not go on a low calorie diet because that will just make you more hypo. Get full labs done privately, if you can. You need :

TSH

FT4

FT3

TPO and Tg antibodies

Have you also had your vit D, folate and Ferritin tested?

I very much doubt you brought anything on yourself, B12 is bound to be low if you're strictly veggie, so you do need to keep an eye on it. But, I doubt that optimising your B12 will bring your TSH down. For that, you need a decent dose of thyroid hormone replacement.

[CrazyKatie in reply to greygoose]

Curious as I have just been to the doctors and I mentioned my TSH level at 3.7 being close to the high side of the range, she dismissed it and said the normal range is up to 4.5! I'm on 25mg, she said it wasn't thyroid causing the problem and offered HRT /depression tablets! I'm on Bit D tablets now and feel better fur taking them but still feel something is a miss. Guess I will have to go private to find out T3/4 and the others you mentioned- Grrr

[greygoose in reply to CrazyKatie]

Well, she obviously doesn't know that her TSH is around 0.8 to 1.25, if she's euthyroid. But she's probably never had it tested. Just because the range goes up to 4.5, doesn't mean you're going to feel good with a TSH that high. She is just thyroidally illiterate.

You don't have to go private in the sense of seeing a private endo, or whatever, you can just have a private test from one of the companies mentioned on ThyroidUK:

thyroiduk.org/tuk/testing/p...

And tomorrow is Thyroid Thursday, when it's possible to obtain reductions on some tests. So, look for the post from Blue Horizon on here tomorrow.

[CrazyKatie in reply to greygoose]

Thank you, will take a look

[greygoose in reply to CrazyKatie]

You're welcome.

[HypoSpark in reply to greygoose]

Thank you for the response. The only other test she did was my Free T4 and it was 1.2.

[greygoose in reply to HypoSpark]

I'm afraid that result means nothing without the range. Ranges vary from lab to lab, so we need your range. But, it does look low.

[DeeD123]

I had a doctors appointment that was similar. As I was years into being treated badly and very ticked off by feeling unwell and prob a bit belligerent by this time I pointed out that the range had a bottom as well as a top and maybe they should be looking at that as a marker to getting me feeling better. You could try asking the same question politely but firmly. If she says going low can harm you just say you don’t want to be under just lower. The range is a guide and doesn’t have your name on one spot in fact you will probably go up and down in it quite a bit before you find that spot where you feel best. Good luck and I hope she listens, if not see another doctor.