Blood results advice please so I go prepared to see my endocrinologist in 2 days !!

[Leeb1972]

Hello, I have been diagnosed with hypothyroidism 5 years ago. In that time my GP has put me on levothyroxine only treatment which is currently 100mg and says my levels are normal. The thing is I have felt far from normal throughout!! I constantly ache, feel hot, no libido, stools are not solid with no energy.

I have been seeing an endocrinologist who I asked at my last appointment if I could try taking T3 supplement. They said yes if I had a short synacthen test and it came back fine which it did. The problem I have now is that he endocrinologist has left and I have to see a new one in 2 days time and explain it all again!!

Could anyone please advise me on the results below of a private blood test I had this week, so as to use as ammunition in my continuing battle?

I had my last levothyroxine tablet 24 hours prior to taking the blood. I last had food at 10pm but I did have a coffee on the morning my blood was taken at 10AM.

The recommended levels are on the right. Many thanks.....

CRP HS 6.05 MG/L < 5

FERRETIN 91.5 UG/L 30 - 400

FOLATE SERUM 19.8 UG/L > 3.89

VIT B12 48 pmol/L 37.5 - 188

VIT D 99.8 nmol/L 50 - 175

TSH 2.56 mlu/L 0.2 - 4.2

FREE T3 4.94 pmol/L 3.1 - 6.8

FREE THYROXING 19.4 pmol/L 12 - 22

THYROGLOBIN ANTI BODS 550 ku/L <115

THYROID PEROXIDASE

ANTIBODS 93.8 klu/l <35

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Coffee affects TSH result why may explain why your TSH is out of sync with your FT4 and FT3. With FT4 at 19.4 (12-22) that's 74% through range which is generally where one would feel well. FT3 is 50% through range so they're not well balanced. Optimal nutrient levels, particularly ferritin, are needed for good conversion to take place

FERRETIN 91.5 UG/L 30 - 400

I don't know if you are male or femal. Ferritin is recommended to be half way through range, but I've seen 100-130 for females and 150 for males, so if you're female you're nearly there, if you're male you have a way to go. You can help raise your level by eating liver regularly, maximum 200g per week due to it's high Vit A content, also liver pate, black pudding, and including lots of iron rich foods in your diet

apjcn.nhri.org.tw/server/in...

VIT B12 48 pmol/L 37.5 - 188

This has been discussed in your previous thread. You need to list any signs of B12 deficiency (link previously given) and ask for testing for B12 deficiency/pernicious anaemia.

FOLATE SERUM 19.8 UG/L > 3.89

This is fine. Are you supplementing with a B Complex?

VIT D 99.8 nmol/L 50 - 175

Covered in reply to previous thread.

THYROGLOBIN ANTI BODS 550 ku/L <115

THYROID PEROXIDASE

ANTIBODS 93.8 klu/l <35

SlowDragon has given advice and links about adopting a gluten free in reply to your other thread.

CRP HS 6.05 MG/L < 5

As mentioned, this may be raised due to Hashi's.

Once all your nutrient levels are optimal, and TSH is around 1, you will then be able to see how well you convert T4 to T3 and whether adding T3 to Levo may help.

[Leeb1972 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Sorry should have said I'm a man! But thankyou for all the info. I will get some ferretin tablets and start a gluten free diet. I see the doc on Tuesday so will see what he says also. I'm a bit concerned as a lot of info on the internet points at thyroid cancer as well with my elevated levels, but no-one on the forum has said it and so I'm not overly worried as yet.

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Leeb1972]

Lee

Personally, I would caution against using iron tablets. Yes, your ferritin level needs to improve a bit, but unless you've had an iron panel then you wont know what your serum iron level is. If our serum iron level is already good, then taking iron tablets may very well take it too high. Eating liver (and other iron rich foods) is possibly the best way to raise ferritin without affecting the rest of the iron panel too much. I raised my ferritin by eating 120-140g liver per week. When I did an iron panel my serum iron never went too high - my experience only, not saying this applies to everyone. I never suggest anyone takes iron tablets without their GP suggesting it, iron is too complicated.

[Nanaedake]

There could be something besides thyroid disease affecting your wellbeing. Raised thyroglobulin levels can be due to other conditions besides thyroid disease and your CRP is slightly raised too. Perhaps you could ask your GP to rule out other causes of symptoms and well worth following the advice of SeasideSusie and SlowDragon before jumping to conclusions about needing T3.