Please can somebody help with my latest results I went to gp with lower leg and feet pain and tingling it was an afternoon and unexpectedly she took a thyroid blood test...I normally have a morning blood test. I currently take 100mg of Levo at night and 25mg of T3 3 times a day at 5, 10 and 3 o clock with this dose I am able to work 30 hrs per week and exercise, i still have lack of concentration and muscle aches mainly in legs and swelling of eyes hands and feet and some days anxiety the gp said I have a hormone imbalance which is the cause of leg tingling.
TSH 0.02 RANGE 0.30 = 4.50
T4 7.7 RANGE 10.0 = 22.0
T3 12.1 RANGE 3.1 = 6.8
Written by
printer
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
So, presumably, you'd taken your 3 o'clock dose just before the blood draw. Which explains your high FT3. Does your doctor know what and how you're dosing? If so, it was very stupid of her to do a test at that time. There should be a 24 hour gap between the last dose of levo and the blood draw, and 8 - 12 hours for T3. Plus, being the afternoon, the TSH would be lower than in the morning. Those bloods are worthless, I'm afraid.
Thankyou for your reply the GP doesn't know I take T3 i am worried she will refuse to treat me if she knew but when i was taking levo only i was a walking zombie and gained a lot of weight which is why i sourced my own T3, she has asked me to stop taking all vitamins for 6 weeks (which i am reluctant to do) and retest as this could be causing the high T3 when it gets near to 5 hours between doses my heart starts pounding i get a pulsing in my thyroid area and I feel totally drained.
It’s possible that you’re taking a bit too much T3 and once it’s absorbed is causing the heart pounding and weakness. If you tried reducing one dose slightly you could see if symptoms reduced. If successful, reduce others one at a time. There’s lots of individual variation but 60mcg T3 is sometimes said to be a full replacement, but you’re taking more than that as well as Levo. So you’re on a very high dose there with symptoms of overtreatment.
If you were taking B vitamins or any supplement containing biotin, the test is invalid anyway for most labs, as biotin in the vitamins affects the biotin used in the assay.
Many labs use a method of testing the bloods (called an assay) that uses biotin. If you take biotin as a supplement within 3 or 4 days of the bloods being taken, you can get false results which usually make you look overactive when you are not, but sometimes it goes the other way. Don't expect GP to know whether the lab uses an assay that is affected by biotin. Blue Horizon, for example, tells you not to take biotin before the test in its T&Cs
It might have made no difference, but I get the tests redone in the recommended way (fasting, early am etc) and stop B vits etc about 3 days before test.
You may well have to come clean about taking T3 as results are always different and she should spot that. I was told that TSH will be suppressed, FT4 can drop down in its range and FT3 should be high in its range but never over though yours looks it I suspect it's because the spike after your recent dose.
Have you had your B12, vitamin D and folate tested? Low B12 is a very common cause of tingling in low limbs and brain fog - far more likely than a hormone imbalance (whatever that is) - and low Vit D is a common cause of muscle and bone pain.
However, it looks as though you might be taking too much T3 (unless you had taken it just before the test). But that blood test isn't worth the paper it would take to print it out as it's probably showing either your 10am T3 or your 3pm dose and TSH will be lower anyway because of time of day AND the GP probably only knows how to read blood tests for those on levo only.
Thanyou i used to supplement vit d but last test I had showed too high and doctor told me to stop and only take in the winter, as i take vit d3 with k2 mixed i havent restarted the vit d only do you think I should?
My doctor has tweaked my meds several times to get the right dosage. I still am always low on vitamin D. I wouldn't be hiding meds from my doctor. It takes time to calibrate the proper dosage. My doctor told me it takes two years to get the body fully adjusted to the meds; and that is about what it has taken. Jumping leg nerves and difficulty walking were what finally got me to the doctor for the low thyroid diagnosis.
Thank you I was taking 25 levo only and doctor would not increase it that was for 2 years even though I told him I could not think and I was like a zombie and my work was affected I had severe anxiety and he gave me antidepressants I took for 1 month and stopped them as I felt dreadful I was advised by a friend to try a small dose of t3 and I immediately felt better than I had but ever since taking levo my lower legs have been swollen and painful with a strange tingling sensation, I have my legs massaged once a fortnight for relief, do you think this is caused by thyroid meds not been optimal?
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
Thyroid nodules
Vit B12 deficiency or Thyroid?
Could anyone check my thyroid results please? Am desperate and getting nowhere with GP
