Test results back - what to make of them?

[frizzfrazz]

My Medichecks test results are in... (range in brackets) EDITED with more health background.

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NEW RESULTS

Time: 8am, fasting

TSH: 3.59 mIU/L (0.27 - 4.20)

FT4: 23.20 pmol/L (12.00 - 22.00) High

FT3: 4.26 pmol/L (3.10 - 6.80)

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OLD results, Dec at GP:

2018 11.16am

(had breakfast)

TSH: 1.0 (0.2-4.5 mU/L)

Free T4: 17 (9-21 pmol/L)

Thyroid antibodies by GP: “satisfactory” – I’ll get the printout on the 25th Jan

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My ferritin was low on a previous test and GP gave me iron pills late Dec and I feel I've had a bit more energy since the start of the year, but still all other symptoms, listed here: healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

FYI, Dec vitamins & minerals:

Vit D: 85 (25-162 nmol/L)

Vit B12: 484 (180-2000 ng/L)

Serum Folate: 12.8 (2.7-20 ug/L)

Ferritin: 13 LOW (12-200 ug/L)

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I think my next step is maximising vitamins & minerals to help thyroid function and re-testing in April. Should I also push GP for underactive thyroid treatment or wait until I've re-tested?

I was diagnosed with "chronic pain" in 2010 and since then have been on a cocktail of painkillers (co-codamol, gabapentin & amitriptyline) to stay as mobile as possible. However, new symptoms over the last 18 months and from Oct - Dec last year more prolonged flareups/low energy + even more new symptoms that don't fit under "chronic pain" are being investigated. All of them, except the vibrating/internal tremors, are on the hypothyroid list.

I'm hoping to reduce the worst of my pain & other symptoms, so I can reduce the numbers of pills I'm taking eventually.

I'm going back to GP on 25th Jan to get 2nd test results of hormones LH, FSH, Prolactin & Oestradiol + thyroid antibodies and discuss further options.

Any advice or feedback on the new results would be amazing - thank you!

[Nanaedake]

You need the thyroid antibodies results to clarify thyroid status. At the moment your thyroid blood test results are within normal range. You do not want to take levothyroxine unless you really need it.

Why are you taking so much pain relief? You might be getting side effects and lack of iron may be affecting your body's ability to use thyroid hormone. Have you had a full iron panel done?

[frizzfrazz in reply to Nanaedake]

Thanks for replying. I'll ask my GP about a full iron panel next week. Unfortunately the pill side-effects lists don't really tell you if they deplete certain minerals/vitamins.

I didn't want to post a massive long post with all my symptoms! So I put a link to my last post above, which explains a bit more about my health & medical history. I'll see if I can edit my post above with the essentials.

I've been diagnosed with "chronic

pain" since 2010 and would probably have very limited mobility now if I hadn't been given those strong painkillers so I could increase my mobility, strength and energy. "Chronic pain" really doesn't cover all the health issues I have! Due to new symptoms over the last 18 months and a worsening in my health from Oct - Dec last year, my GP recently did lots of blood tests and referrals. A friend also suggested checking out thyroid issues and down this rabbit hole I fell!

I was told that TSH above 2.5 would class me hypothyroid in the USA & some European countries, but I know it's not as simple as that. I'm very new to all this and still getting my head around all the thyroid info.

Ideally, I wouldn't be taking so many meds, but I'd honestly be heavily bedbound otherwise. This way, I can work from home & participate in family events, etc. I know it'll take months/years, but I'm hoping to experiment with and explore more options with the longterm goal of reducing my painkillers.

Thanks again!

[Nanaedake in reply to frizzfrazz]

Sounds like a good plan to find a way of reducing pain killers and prescription medicines if possible and safe. It might be a multi strand approach of exercise, nutrition, therapies, relaxation and so on but I don't know your situation. Hopefully you'll soon get clarity on antibodies.

I agree that I would not put too much credence on the reference ranges abroad. Labs vary and I've seen a few people's UK thyroid results who do not have a thyroid condition or antibodies and they are often around 2.5 and do fluctuate a little with iron deficiency or other deficiencies or anaemias, sometimes up to 4.0 but still within the lab range. This seems to normalise when deficiency is addressed.

I've no medical knowledge, this is just based on my experience viewing other people's lab results and ranges. You have to see a doctor to understand what condition/s results might indicate.

[vocalEK]

Amitriptyline is not a pain-killer. It is an anti-depressant, often prescribed when the doctor suspects that being depressed is causing you to feel as if you are experiencing pain (but maybe not). Personally, I can't take the stuff, due to its anticholinergic effects. In my case, my resting heart rate jumped up to 110 BPM and my problem of sleeping 12 hours per day was exacerbated by adding 4 more hours to my sleeping. Worstpills.org says "We list this drug as a Do Not Use drug because it has more adverse effects than related drugs."