Underactive thyroid

[Junglebooks]

Hi I'm New Here. Can anyone help me I have an underactive thyroid and I am being strict with my diet and I have cycled over 100 mile this week and I am still putting on weight, it's driving me crazy. I have just had my thyroid checked with a blood test and they say it's normal. I take thyroxine 150mg. My results are TSH 0.30 and my T4 20.6 can anyone tell me what this means as I think one is too low and one is high the Drs receptionist tells me mine is normal and no further action is required?????? I am not sure if this is right or not. Thanks

[shaws Administrator]

This could be the answer but please don't stop your dose of levothyroxine. You will have to look at getting - either a rise in your dose of levo to bring TSH to 1 or lower - or asking for T3 to be prescribed with the T4 (levo).

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Junglebooks

We need reference ranges for your results please. Ranges vary from lab to lab so we need your lab's ranges to interpret your results. They should look something like

TSH: 2.5 (.0.2-4.2)

Ask at your surgery's reception for a print out of your results. Don't accept hand written or verbal results, mistakes can be made, ensure it's a print out and that it includes the reference ranges. In the UK we are legally entitled to our results.

The aim of a treated hypo patient generally is for TSH to be 1 or lower with FT4 and FT3 in the upper part of their ranges if that is where you feel well. Your results look to be about right for TSH and FT4 (FT4 dependent on range).

But if you are still symptomatic then it's likely that your FT3 is low so you need that testing at the same time as FT4. Your GP may not be able to get FT3 tested with the others in range, so you may need to do what hundreds of us here do and that is private testing with labs recommended by ThyroidUK.

[Marz]

Is it possible you have low levels of B12 - Folate - Ferritin - VitD ? These all need to be optimal for you to feel good and for thyroid hormones to work well. Ferritin needed around 70 for good conversion of T4 into the Active T3 ...

[Naomi8]

Too much exercise can lower T3,which can be counterproductive.This certainly applies to the symptom of fatigue.

[redherring]

Following

[redherring]

PLEASE can you give me ANY suggestions as to best sympathetic useful Endocrinologist UK ( I am in Wales but ANYWHERE in UK for right meds)

I'm 20yrs Hypo on 150mcg awaiting latest bloods but suspect I'm not converting so would like T3/NDT docs are hopeless, rarely get to see same one twice & records are shocking with loads missing. ANY ADVICE of where to get good consult?