I've been having some issues since I went to the doctor in July due to 10-15lbs of weight gain in 2 months, and extreme fatigue. At the time, I tested positive for pernicious anemia (although that's changed), which explained the fatigue but not the weight gain. My GP said that my thyroid was normal. Towards the end of July, these were my results:
Now, my TSH is 3.23 and T3/T4 allegedly in normal range (my doctor didn't provide those for some reason) and I tested negative for the "thyroid antibody." My doctor sent these results by email, so I don't have further details on that. I haven't gained any additional weight, but I also haven't been able to lose weight, no matter how I change my diet, which is really frustrating. Because the fatigue hasn't gone away, I haven't really been able to exercise.
I know that my TSH in July was in the 95th percentile of healthy people, as some really helpful people on here pointed out before. It's gone up again, and seems farther from a true normal, even though my doctor said it's still in the normal range. I don't know how my T3/T4 have changed, although again my doctor said those were normal.
Has anyone experienced this? Or have any thoughts on if this increase is normal? My GP wants me to come back in another 6 months to retest these, but I'm nervous I'll gain more weight or feel worse.
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hummingbird88
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TSH can vary by 75% over the course of a day, so you can only compare tests done at the same time of day under the same conditions. Your previous results showed FT3 just over halfway through range and FT4 only about 1/3 of the way through the range. Higher relative T3 and a TSH over 2.5 is usually a sign of thyroid struggling to keep enough T3 to keep you going. If you are in the UK you are entitled to your full blood results, not just "normal", so insist. You might have central hypothyroidism, when the TSH never really rises, but GPs don't understand it, so you'd need an endo referral
For full Thyroid evaluation you need TSH, FT4, FT3 plus TPO and TG thyroid antibodies and also very important to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12
Important to test BOTH TPO and TG antibodies
Private tests are available. Thousands on here forced to do this as NHS often refuses to test FT3 or antibodies or vitamins
Medichecks Thyroid plus ultra vitamin or Blue Horizon Thyroid plus eleven are the most popular choice. DIY finger prick test or option to pay extra for private blood draw. Both companies often have money
All thyroid blood tests should ideally be done as early as possible in morning and fasting. This gives highest TSH and lowest FT4. (Patient to patient tip, not to be mentioned to GP or phlebotomist)
If antibodies are high this is Hashimoto's, (also known by medics here in UK more commonly as autoimmune thyroid disease).
About 90% of all hypothyroidism in Uk is due to Hashimoto's. Low vitamins are especially common with Hashimoto's. Food intolerances are very common too, especially gluten. So it's important to get TPO and TG thyroid antibodies tested at least once .
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tsh changes in result but no change in medication.
What does it mean to have normal TSH and Free T3, but have high free Thyroxine (T4)?
TSH low the rest normal
High TSH, normal/high FT4 and high TT3? What is going on?
What is a 'normal' variation in TSH levels? NHS chart needed!
