Sense check on results

[VickyWhitlock]

Hi all - I wonder if I could get your opinion.

I have been extremely tired (debilitatingly so). I have Hashimotos and am on Levo (100mcg) and T3 (5mcg x 2 per day).

I have just had some results from Thriva (doc won’t test me) and wanted some ideas - thanks all!!!

Ferritin 34.3 (normal)

B12 210 (low despite eating a gluten and dairy free diet with a lot of fish meat and eggs)

Folate 19.2 (normal)

Cholesterol -high!

Liver - optimal / normal results

Vitamin D 97.8 (I take supplements)

Testosterone 1.11 (normal)

FT3 5.39 (normal)

FT4 19.3 (normal)

Anti thyroidperoxidase antibodies 161 down from 283 in Feb (abnormal)

TSH 0.63 (normal)T4 96.2 (normal)

PS I’m checking because I’m aware that ‘normal’ may not be normal!

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Hard to say much without reference ranges, they vary from lab to lab so we need your lab's ranges to interpret your results.

Thyroid results seem to be OK, FT4 and FT3 certainly aren't low.

Ferritin is a problem, it should be half way through range with a minimum of 70 for thyroid hormone to work properly. Low Ferritin causes fatigue. This article lists symptoms of low ferritin:

restartmed.com/low-ferritin/

You could ask for an iron panel and full blood count to be carried out to check for anaemia.

B12 is low. Check for signs of B12 deficiency here :

b12deficiency.info/signs-an...

[VickyWhitlock in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thank you I’ll check ranges and add them in tomorrow - i didn’t realise they differed!!

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Recommended on here that all thyroid blood tests should ideally be done as early as possible in morning and fasting. Last Levothyroxine dose should be 24 hours prior to test, (taking delayed dose 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)

If/when also on T3, make sure to take last dose 8-12 hours prior to test

Is this how you do your tests?

You may need 3 x 5mcg per day. 8 hours apart

Ferritin and B12 need improving

High cholesterol may be linked to being hypothyroid so this suggests you are still under treated

nhs.uk/conditions/statins/c...

[VickyWhitlock in reply to SlowDragon]

Oh! No I didn’t do that!! Rats! I’ll work on the ferritin and B12.... not sure if I’ll convince the docs I’m undertreated for thyroid.... but the T3 is by consultant so I’ll try him first. Thanks!

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to VickyWhitlock]

How long before blood test was last T3 dose and last Levothyroxine dose then?

What time do you take your T3 doses?

If 2 x per day ideally to be 12 hours apart

If 3 times per day ideally 8 hours apart

[VickyWhitlock in reply to SlowDragon]

I take T3 at 7am and 3pm and my T4 at 7am so it would have been 2 hours after taking it...

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to VickyWhitlock]

Then you need to retest taking the 3pm dose of T3 at around 9pm the evening before blood test

And delay taking 7am Levothyroxine and T3 until after blood draw

Getting blood test as early as possible in morning and fasting

This would likely give a completely different results .....

[Hidden]

I'm not a doctor and I've never had low B12; however, if your numbers are correct it looks like your B12 is the culprit. Now how do you find someone to give you B12 shots until you get back into normal range? I've heard that B12 pills don't work because your gut doesn't absorb it. I've also heard there's some relation between B12 and iron. Look into it.

[Judithdalston in reply to Hidden]

Depends what type of B12 test done...without ranges , and nature of test, can’t tell if low...if ‘active’ b12 then 200 may be fine.

[Hidden in reply to Judithdalston]

Oh. All I saw was that was the only thing out of range.

I just got back my thyroid results from everlywell.com. I am without range on all but the antibodies. The number is higher than one year ago. I have Hashimotos which is where the antibodies comes from.

[Judithdalston in reply to Hidden]

Are you in USA? Reason I ask is in U.K. we tend to use one of two private labs for bloods and they give us the range; do they give units eg nmol/L...again every lab. and country tends to have their own. If it was definitely out of range then yes 200 is very very low....can you check for Pernicious Anaemia before you start self dosing B12/B complex? Your ferritin could be very low too...depends on range.