I do not understand my results!

[Brummy]

Hi please could you have a look at my blood test results. I take 200mcg levo thyroxine and had a thyroidectomy 27 years ago. I am 4 stone overweight with high blood pressure and high cholestrol.

many thanks

[Peanut31]

Hi

For your protection, can you edit your post as it shows your name & date of birth.

Best Wishes

Peanut31

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Brummy

I have removed your picture to protect you from identity theft due to your name and date of birth being visible.

Please resubmit your picture but can you please zoom in on the test, result and ranges, because the original picture was quite dark and there were so many results they were quite small and not easy to read.

[Brummy in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thankyou xx

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Brummy]

Perfect

The aim of a treated hypo patient generally is for TSH to be 1 or below or wherever it needs to be for FT4 and FT3 to be in the upper part of their respective reference ranges when on Levo if that is where you feel well. Your TSH and FT4 are in accordance with this, however your FT3 is missing and this is likely where the problem lies.

T4 converts to T3. FT3 test tells us how much T3 is available to get into the cells. If this is too low we stay symptomatic and weight loss is difficult. TSH, FT4 and FT3 all need to be tested at the same time to know how well we convert (or not). Most labs wont test FT3 even when a GP requests it, which is why hundreds of us here resort to private testing.

Your HbA1c is only just inside the upper limit, it's pushing towards pre-diabetes so you may want to keep an eye on this.

Liver function and renal profile all within range so no problems appear to be indicated there.

Your cholesterol is possibly high because of your hypothyroidism not being optimally medicated - I'm leaning towards you having a conversion problem. Not 100% certain but it's a possibility.

If you can't get a repeat thyroid test to include FT3 then I strongly suggest you do a private test. And while you're doing so I would suggest the full thyroid and vitamin test. Nutrient levels need to be optimal for thyroid hormone to work properly and good conversion.

Either of the following are suitable, they are virtually the same test

Medichecks Thyroid Check Ultravit medichecks.com/thyroid-func... - use code THYROIDUK or 10% discount on any test not no special offer

bluehorizonmedicals.co.uk/t...

Post results when you have them, including the reference ranges, and members will comment.

[Brummy in reply to SeasideSusie]

thankyou i will have a private test done and post the results

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Brummy]

I have removed your duplicate post

[Brummy in reply to SeasideSusie]

thankyou very much xx

[greygoose]

Just a quick word… Your cholesterol is high, I see. That's probably because your FT3 is low. The two are linked together. It says to see the practice nurse for 'dietary advice', and I just want to warn you that her advice will probably be rubbish. Cholesterol has little to do with diet, it is made in the liver. And it's made in the liver for a very good reason: you need it. And, high cholesterol is not a problem in itself, it is a symptom of something else going wrong in the body.

The usual advice is to go low/no-fat. This is stupid and dangerous advice. The body needs fat, and there is no connection between fat and cholesterol. They are two entirely different substances. And fat does not magically turn into cholesterol in the body. So, make of that what you will. I just thought I'd mention it.

[Kandahar in reply to greygoose]

I have high cholesterol and am on Ezetemibe and. Rosuvastatin but don’t like taking them. This is first time I’ve heard connected to thyroid problems! Dr never suggested changing diet. Says hereditary. Seems I’m unusual in fact that have normal to lowish BP.

Just received Thorburn Henning from Bennewitz. Really easy! So excited. Starting to take tomorrow.

Told by relation in Bulgaria that you can’t buy liothyronine withhout prescription. But thought Greece or Turkey might be useful. Watch this space

[greygoose in reply to Kandahar]

If you're hypo, you should not be taking statins - nobody should, actually, but that's another story. Cholesterols is high when T3 is low, because without T3 the body cannot process cholesterol correctly, and it builds up in the blood.

Taking statins will lower your sex hormones. So, as you are already hormonally challenged being hypo, this is really not a good idea. It will just make you sicker, and put at risk for hormone-dependant cancers.

Raise your T3 and the cholesterol will drop. Good job your doctor never suggested changing your diet, because they know nothing about nutrition - as I explained above. Hypos usually have low BP. Nothing unusual in that. BP has nothing to do with cholesterol.

You can no-longer get T3 without a prescription in Greece. It's now prescription only. But you can possibly get it in Turkey.

[Kandahar in reply to greygoose]

Thanks for that grey goose. As I’m starting t3 tomorrow, would you. Recommend stopping statin but not Ezetemibe? All info gratefully received!

[greygoose in reply to Kandahar]

Well, let's put it this way, I wouldn't take either of them. They both have a list of side effects as long as your arm. And they are not necessary. High cholesterol is not a disease it is a symptom. And it doesn't cause heart attacks or strokes. You need cholesterol - without it, your body would fall apart. And you are at far more risk of a heart attack with low cholesterol than you are with high cholesterol.

[Kandahar in reply to greygoose]

Want to ask you so many questions but with problems you will recognise, can’t get up the energy to type!

Where can I read more about what you said about cholesterol? Such a mess and been unwell off and on since 1990s (now 74). Vaccine treatment for chemical and other allergies in 90s to 2000s but GP says hypothyroidism not autoimmune. Says no markers. Bones always stronger than normal. Now osteoporosic!. Just taken. First t3. Fingers crossed.

[greygoose in reply to Kandahar]

To learn more about cholesterol, I would recommend the book "The Great Cholesterol Con" by Dr Malcolm Kendrick.

What exactly does your doctor call the 'markers' for autoimmune hypo?

[Kandahar in reply to greygoose]

Not sure Greygoose. Will have to find out

[SlowDragon Administrator]

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)

For full Thyroid evaluation you need TSH, FT4 and FT3 plus both TPO and TG thyroid antibodies tested. Also extremely important to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12

Low vitamin levels are extremely common, especially if Thyroid antibodies are raised

Come back with new post once you get results and ranges on private testing

[Brummy in reply to SlowDragon]

Thanks for your kind advice xx

[Angel_of_the_North]

You might be on your way to T2 diabetes, so watch your carb intake (Hba1c at top of range), but the rest looks OK. But you might have low free T3 (not tested), esp since cholesterol is a bit high. As GG says, fat is not made directly into cholesterol and triglycerides (yours are over range) are made from carbohydrate, so ... you might want to consider a low carb diet

[Brummy in reply to Angel_of_the_North]

I am currently on a low carb diet and feel if I ciuld shift some weight I'd feel a whole lot better. I don't think I'm converting t4 into t3 properly...but I will have a private blood test and find out what's what xx

[Hafenfeld]

I am in the US so don’t understand 4 stone. Thyroid disorders can cause metabolic distress. Having your thyroid removed adds to that distress. Your numbers don’t seem to be too far out of wack but you may want to embrace a vegetable and protein diet. A high carbohydrate diet can add to your having high cholesterol and being over weight if that is what the 4 stone means. As far as blood pressure, be sure to consume plenty of water. 1/2 your body weight in ounces. ( sorry, in the US we are not on the metric system) Also, watch out for salt and salty food. Reduce alcohol consumption if you do consume. Alcohol can cause both cholesterol and blood pressure to rise. Also, sit down and google each line item on your blood test. You will educate yourself on what each line item really means.

[JanePound in reply to Hafenfeld]

A stone is 14 pounds

[Hafenfeld in reply to JanePound]

The whole issue is balance. Having ones thyroid removed creates complications.

[Hidden]

I’m not sure where these negative comments about statins are coming from & what they are based on but high cholesterol is nothing to take lightly. It can lead to heart attack & stroke. It’s true it is associated with hypothyroidism & when levels are optimal your cholesterol could go down but not likely the higher your cholesterol. Statins are very effective, very safe & well tolerated with few side effects. They have been proven over & over to reduce the risk of heart attack & stroke. Statins don’t just lower cholesterol, they stabilize plaque in the coronaries, repair the linings of blood vessels & reduce inflammation. Personally I would take a statin & work on optimizing my thyroid - actually, I do!

[Hafenfeld in reply to Hidden]

Have you read the complications associated with statin drugs?

[Hidden in reply to Hafenfeld]

The most common are headache, nausea. The most serious is muscle aches & pains but these are rare & if they do happen the drug can be switched up for a less potent one. Most side effects are transient & resolve within a few days.

[GKeith in reply to Hidden]

Are you a doctor or a nurse? I believe that certain people can have great difficulty taking statins and, the biggest problem is that there are people who cannot take them due to resistance problems and if taking them could be worse, for them, that not taking them, you're doing a great disservice to make a blanket statement as you did.

[FancyPants54 in reply to Hidden]

I’m sorry but I strongly disagree with everything you say about statins.

Perhaps you should look around more and take note of what they do and don’t do.

There are so many books, doctors, studies and even a film damning them and disputing all the claims such as you make above regarding heart attacks and stroke. There is no clinical evidence at all for benefits to women and few to men, baring a small age band of men who have had a heart attack. Death by all cause mortality doesn’t change by taking them. They have been a great con brought about as a result of Ancel Keys and his cholesterol theory which came about after one of the US presidents had a heart attack in office. They deprive the brain of vital cholesterol and are being linked to dementia. They also deplete vitamin and mineral stores by the same route they evacuate the cholesterol. Cholesterol is vital to every cell and all our organs.

[Hidden in reply to FancyPants54]

I don’t have to research them as I worked in a lipid clinic specializing in treating patients with high cholesterol. I’m sorry but you are wrong. There is clinical evidence peer reviewed by Cardiologists & Lipid specialists supporting the use of statins published in reputable journals such as The New England Journal of Medicine, The Lancet, JAMA etc. They DO reduce the risk of heart attack & stroke. What you chose to believe is up to you. The benefit far outweighs the risk.

[GKeith in reply to Hidden]

You're thesis is based upon a very large falsehood and that is that everybody, or every body, is alike, the same, so they will all respond totally similarly. This is just not true ... period.

[annnsandell]

If T3 is ok. Have you any signs of high Testosterone? Male pattern baldness, facial hair growth, deeper voice. I'm still trying to find out what causes that but it appears to be thyroidectomy related. If so get that tested, it can cause most of those problems including weight gain, high blood pressure, pre-diabetic etc. I am sure you are sensible enough to know if your diet has too much sugar or carbs, how's the exercise? The best test for diabetes is fasting and two tests with a month apart. It's a fight isn't it?

[Dadondadda]

Hi Brummy,

There is some good advice on here so far but I'll add my 2 c.

200 mcg of t4 is a high dose but given your thyroidectomy, I would let your physician decide what you should do with your dose.

As has been noted, a measure of t3 would be helpful - I suggest ft3 AND total T3 - they are both pretty inexpensive.

I would be most concerned with the a1c and think you should get more comprehensive blood sugar testing - fasting glucose, fasting insulin and either a glucose tolerance test (w insulin measures too) or a postprandial (after eating) test. A1c alone is not a perfect measure.

How do you feel? Do you have blood sugar swings?

There are a few otc insulin sensitizer that may be useful - chromium, lipoic acid and berberine. You can take all of these at once. A low dose of each may be better than relying on 1. A small dose of lipoic acid and chromium is likely fine anyways, periodically. Metformin works reasonably well if you can stomach it (I mean this literally)

You need good insulin sensitivity to convert t4 to T3 and to make glutathione, which is itself critical to T3 conversion. You also need some T3 for insulin sensitivity, so you want to avoid getting insulin resistance with low T3.

I also suggest you test the few easy to test nutrients - vit d at 40 and ferritin at 100-150. Get a little zinc (15 mg) with copper and 200 to 300 mg of magnesium, and avoid mega dosing vitamins and eating low-anything.

If you fix these items, there's a chance the cholesterol takes care of itself.

Best of luck to you.

[Helsan]

My cholesterol halved since taking T3 I am a non converter. I was still offered statins with my new low T3. They get paid for you to take them. Get your thyroid levels sorted either with good vitamin levels if yours are low which might be the case or trying to correct with T3. Which is a bit of a battle so be prepared if that’s the route you need