Please can Someone Give an Opinion on my Results

[Belle77]

Hello, I have severe low thyroid symptoms that have been getting worse for years. I don’t understand my results properly though, I will put latest below with the range they are meant to be within beside that.

Free T3 is 4.2 (Range 2.5-4.9)

Total T3 is 1.8. (Range 0.9-2.4)

Free T4 is 11. (Range 9-21)

TSH is 0.67. (Range 0.2-4.5)

Ferritin is 34. (Range 15-200)

Vitamin b12 is 398 (Rannge 200-2000)

Iron is 13. (Range 10-32).

Bilirubin is 5 (Range 3-21).

Urea is 8.8 (Range 2.5 - 6.6)

There are other results too and everything seems to be the very low end of the scale apart from Urea which is way over and TSH appears to be nearly top end.

I have severe fatigue, bone aches all over all the time, blurred vision, depression, pulse very slow, cannot lose weight, can barely stay awake at times, don’t appear to be absorbing vit d or vit b very well.

I just want to get better. Is this my thyroid?

Thank you if you have taken the time to read and respond.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Do you have any results for vitamin D and folate?

Or both TPO and TG thyroid antibodies?

Your iron, ferritin and B12 are low

What's your diet like?

Do you have any gut symptoms?

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

Or it can be low vitamins affecting thyroid

Improving vitamin levels is probably first step

Recommended on here that all thyroid blood tests should ideally be done as early as possible in morning and fasting. This gives highest TSH, lowest FT4 and most consistent results. (Patient to patient tip, best not mentioned to GP or phlebotomist)

Private tests are available. Thousands on here forced to do this as NHS often refuses to test FT3 or antibodies or all vitamins

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/testin...

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 special offers, Medichecks usually have offers on Thursdays, Blue Horizon its more random

Just vitamin D test

vitamindtest.org.uk

[Belle77 in reply to SlowDragon]

Thank you Slow Dragon,

My Vit D levels are very low and they have advised supplements.

My Vit B levels are low and my Ferritin levels are very low.

My ferritin is 34 (range is 15-200).

TSH is 0.64 (range is 0.2-4.5)

Free T4 is 11

Free T3 is 4.2

Total T3 is 1.8

I will look into your other recommendations, thank you!

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Belle77]

How low was vitamin D?

If under 25nmol GP should prescribe loading doses

That's 300,000iu total over 6-8 weeks

If under 50nmol GP should prescribe 1600iu per day for 6 months

Local CCG guidelines on dose required

clinox.info/clinical-suppor...

Government recommends everyone supplement October to April

gov.uk/government/news/phe-...

Also read up on importance of magnesium and vitamin K2 Mk7 supplements when taking vitamin D

betterbones.com/bone-nutrit...

articles.mercola.com/sites/...

healthy-holistic-living.com...

sciencedaily.com/releases/2...

articles.mercola.com/sites/...


betterbones.com/bone-nutrit...

Do NOT supplement any vitamin K if you take any blood thinning medication

drsinatra.com/vitamin-k2-su...

Vitamin C and bones

healthimpactnews.com/2018/d...

The importance of sunshine

outsideonline.com/2380751/s...

B vitamins need good vitamin D levels. So B vitamins are often low if vitamin D is

drgominak.com/vitamin-d/

What was folate level?

Ferritin

Has GP prescribed iron supplements?

Eating liver or liver pate once a week should help improve ferritin. Plus a good quality daily vitamin C can help improve iron absorption

Ask GP for coeliac blood test, plus thyroid antibodies testing

If your thyroid antibodies are high this is Hashimoto's, (also known by medics here in UK more commonly as autoimmune thyroid disease).

Hashimoto's affects the gut and leads to low stomach acid and then low vitamin levels

Low vitamin levels affect Thyroid hormone working

Poor gut function can lead leaky gut (literally holes in gut wall) this can cause food intolerances. Most common by far is gluten. Dairy is second most common.

According to Izabella Wentz the Thyroid Pharmacist

approx 5% with Hashimoto's are coeliac, but over 80% find gluten free diet helps, sometimes significantly. Either due to direct gluten intolerance (no test available) or due to leaky gut and gluten causing molecular mimicry (see Amy Myers link)

Changing to a strictly gluten free diet may help reduce symptoms, help gut heal and slowly lower TPO antibodies

Ideally ask GP for coeliac blood test first or buy test online for under £20, just to rule it out first




Regardless of coeliac test results, many find Trying gluten free diet for 3-6 months is extremely revealing .

If no noticeable improvement then reintroduce gluten and see if symptoms get worse

chriskresser.com/the-gluten...

amymyersmd.com/2018/04/3-re...

thyroidpharmacist.com/artic...

scdlifestyle.com/2014/08/th...

drknews.com/changing-your-d...

restartmed.com/hashimotos-g...

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Belle77]

Aiming to improve vitamin D to at least 80nmol and around 100nmol may be better .

Once you Improve vitamin D level, with GP prescribed vitamin D, very likely you will need on going maintenance dose to keep it there.

When self supplementing, Vitamin D mouth spray by Better You is good as avoids poor gut function

It's trial and error what dose each person needs

Retesting twice yearly via vitamindtest.org.uk

[Belle77 in reply to SlowDragon]

Hello Slow Dragon, you are super kind to give me such a detailed response - Thank you! I will go through all of this and go back to my doctor. Hashimotis as you mentioned certainly rings a bell for me symptoms wise. This verified that quitting gluten (and likely sugar) perhanantly is the best thing I could do as well. I will go away and keep following through on things and post if I get anywhere!

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Belle77]

Only make one change at a time, eg gluten free and wait to assess. Otherwise you can't see what's helping

Did GP prescribe vitamin D?

[Belle77 in reply to SlowDragon]

I do have gut symptoms, pain and inflammation, I don’t eat dairy anymore, I try to eat healthy but my energy is so low I often turn to carbs just to get enough energy to do things. It rarely works!

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Belle77

TSH is 0.67. (Range 0.2-4.5)

TSH appears to be nearly top end.

Can you clarify that please, your TSH is certainly not at the top end with that result

[Belle77 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Hello Seaside Susie,

I got that wrong, I meant my TSH is low end!!

Thank you.

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Belle77]

No problem, we all suffer with hypo brain