Help with my recent results please I have a underactive thyroid which was found in my early 20's as my body attacked the thyroid. At the moment I feel very run down like I'm constantly fighting sleep. I can't seem to shift a cold I've had since December and genrally just feel not fully fit.
I've not felt right since I had my baby 8 months ago and even though the gp says my results are normal I know my range has gone up and down but mainly to the higher half. I run weekly but have to push myself, I'm still carrying baby weight. I take iron, and B vits as well as vit D daily, along with selinium, magnesium and zinc before bed.
I take 175mcg TEVA levothyroxine ( dairy free ) and 150mcg on rotation daily, every morning before food. This was upped from 150mcg six weeks ago.
My results are as follows, sorry I do not have the ranges as the receptionist did not have alot of patience.
TSH 2.73 it was 2.4 early December on 150mcg. so why is it worse? back in October it was 2.1.
T4 16.8
T3 4.8
Iron 16, this was 10 in December
Ferritin 46, this was 52 in December and 61 in September so has gone down, I was on liquid iron from the doctors till September and they took me off it as class me as normal.
Any suggestions please help as I need a plan of action to talk to my gp again.
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Cheekycharlie1981
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Presumably you have autoimmune thyroid disease also called Hashimoto's diagnosed by high thyroid antibodies
Are you on dairy free diet? Or just on a Teva because you prefer it?
Also extremely important to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 regularly to see if supplementing enough to improve levels
Low vitamin levels are extremely common, especially if Thyroid antibodies are raised
Recommended on here that all thyroid blood tests should ideally be done as early as possible in morning and fasting. Do not take Levothyroxine dose in the 24 hours prior to test, delay and take immediately after blood draw. This gives highest TSH, lowest FT4 and most consistent results. (Patient to patient tip, best not mentioned to GP or phlebotomist)
Is this how you do your tests?
can you add the ranges on these results, esp FT3 and FT4 and ferritin
Your ferritin looks low
GP likely needs to restart iron supplements
Eating liver or liver pate once a week should help improve levels too. Plus daily vitamin C can improve iron absorption
Have you been tested for coeliac?
Have you tried strictly gluten free diet?
Do you always take Levo on empty stomach and then nothing apart from water for at least an hour after?
Many take early morning, on waking, but it may be more convenient and possibly more effective taken at bedtime.
I take Teva as I do not have dairy in my diet so it's the only brand in the uk I can have.
I always takes my thyroxine in the morning with just water and no food for over an hr.
I have been tested for Coeliac and it came back negative last time and I'm just waiting on another test.
Silly gp has not tested vitamin D but it was a bit low so I have been supplimenting it. I do take vitamin C with my iron and I also have a Cranberry suppliment which has it in as well as Acidophillus.
I've just called the gp back and here are the ranges;
TSH 2,75 (0.38 -5.50
T4 16.8 (10-18.7)
T3 4.8 (3.5-6.5)
Folate 16 (3.4-15.8)
Iron 16 (9-30)
Ferritin 46 (2.0-32
B12 667 (211-911)
Where should my TSH be are my T4 and T3 ok?
I had the test at 9.30 am and I'd not eaten or taken anything.
I do look after myself and my diets genrally good. I take all vitamins at the right times as got advise on here before.
New NHS England Liothyronine guidelines November 2018 clearly state on pages 8 & 12 that TSH should be between 0.4-1.5 when treated with just Levothyroxine
Dr Toft, past president of the British Thyroid Association and leading endocrinologist, states in Pulse Magazine,
"The appropriate dose of levothyroxine is that which restores euthyroidism and serum TSH to the lower part of the reference range - 0.2-0.5mU/l.
In this case, free thyroxine is likely to be in the upper part of its reference range or even slightly elevated – 18-22pmol/l.
Most patients will feel well in that circumstance. But some need a higher dose of levothyroxine to suppress serum TSH and then the serum-free T4 concentration will be elevated at around 24-28pmol/l.
This 'exogenous subclinical hyperthyroidism' is not dangerous as long as serum T3 is unequivocally normal – that is, serum total around T3 1.7nmol/l (reference range 1.0-2.2nmol/l)."
You can obtain a copy of the articles from Thyroid UK email print it and highlight question 6 to show your doctor please email Dionne at
tukadmin@thyroiduk.org
Suggest you also ask Dionne for list of recommended thyroid specialists, in case you can not persuade GP to increase dose.
As you are lactose intolerant it's more likely you need addition of small dose of T3
Definitely worth trying strictly gluten free diet too often
Sorry for the delay in response, thank you for all that information. Seems from what you’ve said the NHS and it’s guidelines for thyroid issues is very messed up.
We should not have to go to these lengths to be medicated we’ll and feel better.
The endocrinologist I saw at Barnsley when I was pregnant had me not at the optimal treated dose for pregnant women and I’d of thought since it affected two life’s I’d get better treatment.
And before that an endocrinologist at Huddersfield made me burst into tears as said I was fat and had a fat neck.
Anyway thank you I’ll shall continue my hope for wellness. I’m fed up of feeling faint and like I can’t wake up in the morning.
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