Good morning to you all. I have just received a new set of results; My Gp is concerned and she has gone off to gain some advice and guidance. I am currently taking 150 mg of Levothyroxine daily. My Gp has tried to get me to take another 25 mgs daily but the extra dose does not seem to help and I feel that I should be on T3 but that is not being pursued - surprise! MY TSH has been gradually creeping up. It is usually around 2/3,, but the GP does not listen to me when I report that it should be much lower than this. Please could you help me interpret these results.
Medichecks recommend a referral to Endo to discuss these results.
My Active B12 results are too high but I have ceased taking B12 supplements for months and months.
VIt D is too low; I had stopped using my 800 iu Vit D prescription during these last couple of months.
I originally posted on this site a couple of years ago and have been following all your helpful advice regarding gluten free diet; and vitamin supplements, so these results are particularly worrying. Thanks
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cheslee
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Do you take biotin or a supplement containing biotin? B Complex often contains biotin.
Biotin can interfere with lots of different test results, and any supplement containing it should be stopped for a few days before testing. Once blood has been taken the biotin can be started again.
You seem to have two problems. One is that even a high dose of T4 isn't suppressing your TSH sufficiently and the other is that what T4 you take in is not converting properly to T3. The FT4/FT3 ratio of 5.8 demonstrates this. So your pituitary isn't responding to the high T4 intake. Additional T4 will not work. All that will happen is that your FT3 will hardly move, and the excess T4 will be removed as the inactive rT3. This seems a classic case of taking T3 direct, at first in addition to T4 to see if you can both suppress TSH sufficiently, and improve health through a higher FT3 value.
Thanks diogenes; pretty much as I suspected, and my conversion ratio has always been too high, not the 4:1 ratio as Sunshine Susie advised way back in 2017. But try telling that to the GP or Endo!! Just scared to start doing this on my own. Cheers.
Hi SlowDragon, thanks for your helpful advice. I live in Worcestershire.
I have not helped myself and have let things slip!
I had been on a daily 800 iu maintenance dose of Vit D from the GP, after a huge boost in the beginning. I had also been taking Magnesium, Selenium, Solgar Vit B -complex 50 with folic acid and B12, and K2 MK7 pearls.
But felt really unwell all through the hot weather and gave the supplements up as I just seemed to be 'pill pushing' with no desired affects. I also stopped my Gluten free diet as I could feel no positive effects. Felt really exhausted for weeks.
My Endo had also recommended last year that I take Cytoplan Thyroid Support. First time round my results especially my antibodies improved, then I stopped as I hated taking that huge pill and I know it is controversial as it contains Iodine. Anyway I started on that again earlier this year and gave up taking Selenium, and magnesium separately. But I stopped that as well when felling so ill. It looks as if I shall have to go back to square one and make more of an effort. Luckily the autumn is here and it is cooler. Thanks.
Hi Slow Dragon, Gosh thank you so much for your detailed reply and very interesting articles. No the private Endo who I thought was quite sympathetic, did not test for Iodine levels and made no mention of any effects it could have on my Hashimoto's. When I asked about my poor conversion rates and prescribing T 3 he was not at all receptive. I saw him again and then my GP said she would take over.
Both my Antibodies initially went down after taking this for 3 months, plus an increased dose of Levo ; but then after time it increased. However my TPO has just slightly come down, but my Thyroglobulin Antibody remains at 4,000.
The trouble is I have now become muddled and quite disillusioned; instead of feeling better with all the supplements and going Gluten free, the reverse has happened. Thanks for all your help.
Thanks SlowDragon; Yes I did have a change in packaging way back in January when my GP added another 25 mcg tablet. I phoned up the pharmacist and she said the 150 mcg was still the same tablet but it was now being packaged by North Star; and the 25 mcg was Teva though. It was this dose that did not seem to suit me so I stopped taking it. I thought it was the extra strength that did not agree with me. I have just see that this has been changed again to one produced by Wockhardt.
Can a change of different brands upset my levels so much.
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