Exhausted!

[Mrst1982]

Hi I have a prolactinoma which I am usually medicated for! 3 weeks ago my endo took me off my medication as a trial my blood levels of prolactin quadrupled from 400 to 1600 in 10 days! I felt so ill I went to get my bloods checked and asked for my thyroid to be checked!

I am exhausted, body feels heavy, gaining weight really easily, feel cold, hair failing out, cracked hands and mouth, brain fog, dizzy faint, constipation!

They said other than my prolactin my results for my thyroid were normal! Although my t4 was 14 in the uk! Is this high enough? Could this me why I feel so awful? I can’t carry on like this! I ended up with septic tonsillitis this week my immune system is drained!

Please help

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK]

Afraid what we always have ask is this: What was the reference range for Free T4?

The reference ranges vary by laboratory - and the variations are very considerable.

I'd hope that in your case they also tested TSH and, even more hopefully, Free T3?

[Mrst1982 in reply to helvella]

I can’t remember my Tsh but it was in the middle but T4 was 14 with range 11-25 no T3 was not tested

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to Mrst1982]

Well, that FT4 would be too low for most of us. As with so many others, they simply do not do FT4 for me, but I'd have expected you to need it to be at least 18 (half way), more likely over 20. With TSH somewhere around 1.

I'd be interested in your TSH (and FT4) before they took you off the medicine for the prolactinoma. It is common for prolactin to rise when you are hypothyroid. I don't have the knowledge or experience to know what happens to TSH when you have a prolactinoma.

[Mrst1982 in reply to helvella]

Thank you I will go back to the doctor! Can a Gp medicate me or do I need to see a consultant?

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to Mrst1982]

A GP could prescribe but might be very unwilling to do so without at least communicating with your consultant.

[Mrst1982]

My tsh was 1.3 he said it was right in the middle of the range and he said my t4 was fine