Medichecks Results, not thyroid! Any pointers please

[josiebloggs]

Hi, I've now received my results from medichecks and they show I don't have a thyroid problem. Can anyone see anything else obvious in these results?

TSH 1.89 (0.27-4.20)

FT 16 (12-22)

FT3 5.35 (3.1-6.8)

Rev T3 19 (10-24)

RT3 Ratio 18.33 (15.01-75.00)

Tagb <10 (0-115)

Tpab 15.4 (0-34)

Active B12 178 (25.1-165.00)

Folate (serum) 11.66 (2.91-50.00)

Vit D 52 (50-200)

CRP 2.67 (0-5)

Ferritin 52 (13-150)

Symptoms - Tinnitus, cholesterol level of 12.7, asthma, eczema, blepharitis, peripheral neuropathy, GERD, dizzy spells, all over pain and fatigue. I also have a swollen front of neck on the left side along to the clavicle and had an episode of hives just down the left torso, shoulder and arm 2 weeks ago. Oh, and high blood pressure but no signs of diabetes.

(Had cancer twice, 2013 and 2015). I've not taken any supplements for almost 5 months as I wanted proper tests.

I can see there's no obvious problem with my thyroid and no obvious allergies. My Vit D is well below the recommended 100, Folate is at the lower end of range but oddly, my active B12 is above range. Not by much but I think it could be significant as I'm not supplementing. Any ideas? I would also think that Ferritin could be improved but don't know whether that would help anything at all!

[SlowDragon Administrator]

You might find once you start supplementing a good daily vitamin B complex to improve low folate that this also helps with low B12 symptoms (despite apparently high B12 levels)

A vitamin B complex with folate in rather than folic acid. Eg Igennus Super B or Jarrow B-right

It does take about 4-5 months for B12 levels to drop to pre supplement level

Vitamin D is too low. Aim to improve to around

Yes ferritin is slightly low. Eating liver or liver pate once a week should help improve

You can have Hashimoto's without raised antibodies

hashimoto's no antibodies

If your thyroid is swollen push GP to get ultrasound of thyroid

Possible to suffer hypothyroidism after cancer treatment too, here's a couple of links

cancernetwork.com/oncology-...

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

[josiebloggs in reply to SlowDragon]

Thanks for the reply SlowDragon. I guess the dilemma is that I have symptoms of hypothyroidism but even the most detailed of tests don't show any thyroid problem. If people can't get medicated with a TSH of less than 10, how can I get medication with a TSH of 1.89 - and even if I could, would it be wise to do so? Then my options become just accepting what my doctor has offered to treat the symptoms (including statins which I don't want to take)

I had a hunch my supplements were covering problems and I was right but I don't know what to do about those problems except start supplements again. Doesn't that then become treating the symptoms not the cause again?

My gp has referred me to have my throat scanned. She's clearly not worried because there's a 12 week wait. I would assume that if she thought I had a cancer of some sort I'd be referred under the 2 week rule.

Can just having a swollen thyroid cause all these issues? If so, why doesn't anything show in bloods? It's all very frustrating!

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to josiebloggs]

Primary hypothyroidism is when Thyroid itself packs up. TSH rises, FT4 and FT3 fall

Secondary or central hypothyroidism can mean pituitary isn't working properly and then TSH doesn't rise.....but usually FT4 and/or FT3 are low

Low vitamins can mask issues so improving them is first step

Ultrasound may reveal more

Hashimoto's makes Thyroid appear granular

Ord's thyroiditis is when Thyroid shrinks or shrivels

But it could be result of your cancer treatments. Something to discuss with oncologist?

[josiebloggs in reply to SlowDragon]

Thanks again, I guess I'll have to wait for the scan. It is a bit of a worry that at the end of a long, hot summer my Vit D is so low - doesn't bode well for the winter!

[Mary-intussuception in reply to josiebloggs]

What scan? MRI? CT? Ultrasound?

I would ask for an Ultrasound scan of your Thyroid and Parathyroids asap.

Yes, you should be back on Vitamin D supplement.

[SilverAvocado in reply to josiebloggs]

Low vitamin levels can produce very similar symptoms to hypothyroid. Doctors will mutter over them as if a vitamin deficiency was a minor thing, but actually it is quite serious. You will almost certainly get a good improvement in symptoms quite quickly when these levels start raising.

[josiebloggs in reply to SilverAvocado]

Thanks for your response, much appreciated. Further tests done by my GP have raised the possibility that its a parathyroid issue not thyroid. I'm to supplement with Vit D and have further blood tests in 3 months. Also ENT for some sort of investigation into the lump in my neck. I think I'm getting somewhere albeit slowly

[josiebloggs]

Thanks, yes, I have an appointment with my GP Monday. It's all very frustrating though when you just want to move on with your life!

[josiebloggs]

Ha, that's what I think! I've seen a lot of ads recently proclaiming that more and more people are surviving cancer. My immediate thought is, what's the point if you don't deal with the ramifications of treatment? I've had 14 rounds of chemo, 20 radiotherapy, 2 mastectomies (after various small ops) and then had cataracts in both eyes due to steroids etc. I'm only 56! I was perfectly healthy before all this - vegetarian, non smoker, runner, walked everywhere. I feel like my body's been wrecked and then I feel bad for not feeling grateful enough to have survived. Still, we plod on trying to find the new normal

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Hi josiebloggs,

I have pretty much all your symptoms and my thyroid blood tests results are good. My vitamin D is above average (I live in Brazil) and B12 is at the high range. I’m also vegetarian but have never been treated for cancer. My cholesterol and triglycerides levels are high. My ferritin levels are slightly above average.

Maybe high cholesterol is the culprit? I’ve read a recent article on metabolic differences caused by

vegetarian diet. I’ll try to find it and post it here.

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Forgot to say... I'm 2 years post-menopause and my symptoms started last February. I'm in touch with many symptomatic peri and post-menopausal ladies who swear these symptoms are all from low oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone and high LH and FSH.