Can anyone help me with my recent blood results please.
Diagnosed with under active thyroid on 2001 and prescribed Levo - never felt benefit of Levo and annual GP bloods have mostly been in range with just the odd tweak of Levo here and there.
Did private bloods with medichecks mainly to check T3 as GP refused to test.
Here are my results, I stopped my Levo for 24 hours b4 testing , fasted and took test first thing.
My GP Bloods from 3 weeks ago
TSH 2.25 miu/L (0.3 - 4.5)
Free T4 15.1 pmol/L (10-22)
My medicheck results attached
Thank hank you 😊
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Masjntt
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Those results show that you are undermedicated and need a dose increase. When on Levo only, the aim of a treated hypo patient generally is for TSH to be 1 or lower with FT4 and FT3 in the upper part of their ranges if that is where you feel well.
Your Medichecks results:
TSH: 8 (0.27-4.2)
FT4: 9.77 (12-22)
FT3: 3.79 (3.1-6.8)
These show that you are very undermedicated with an over range TSH and below range FT4.
Thyroid antibodies:
Thyroglobulin: 128 (<115)
Thyroid Peroxidase: 505 (<34)
Your raised antibodies mean that you are positive for autoimmune thyroid disease aka Hashimoto's which is where the thyroid is attacked and gradually destroyed. Fluctuations in symptoms and test results is common with Hashi's, which is illustrated very well by the difference in these two sets of results.
Most doctors dismiss antibodies as being of no importance and know little or nothing about Hashi's and how it affects the patient, test results and symptoms. You need to read, learn, understand and help yourself where Hashi's is concerned.
You can possibly help reduce the antibodies by adopting a strict gluten free diet which has helped many members here, although there is no guarantee.
Gluten contains gliadin (a protein) which is thought to trigger autoimmune attacks so eliminating gluten can help reduce these attacks.
You don't need to be gluten sensitive or have Coeliac disease for a gluten free diet to help.
Supplementing with selenium l-selenomethionine 200mcg daily can also help reduce the antibodies, as can keeping TSH suppressed.
CRP is an inflammation marker and is possibly raised due to the antibodies.
Ferritin: 68.8 (13-150)
This is pretty good. It's said that for thyroid hormone to work properly (that's our own as well as replacement hormone) ferritin needs to be at least 70, preferably half way through range. Are you supplementing? Eating iron rich foods such as liver, liver pate and black pudding every couple of weeks should maintain your level.
Active B12 and Folate are fine.
Vit D: 39.1nmol/L (15.64ng/ml)
This is low. The Vit D Council recommends a level of 125nmol/L (50ng/ml) and the Vit D Society recommends a level of 100-150nmol/L (40-60ng/ml). To raise your current level to the recommended level the Vit D Council suggests supplementing with 4,900iu D3 daily, nearest will be 5,000iu.
Retest after 3 months and when you've reached the recommended level then you'll need a maintenance dose to keep it there, which may be 2000iu daily, maybe more or less, maybe less in summer than winter, it's trial and error so it's recommended to retest once or twice a year to keep within the recommended range. You can do this with a private fingerprick blood spot test with an NHS lab which offers this test to the general public:
D3 aids absorption of calcium from food and K2-MK7 directs the calcium to bones and teeth where it is needed and away from arteries and soft tissues where it can be deposited and cause problems such as hardening of the arteries, kidney stones, etc.
D3 and K2 are fat soluble so should be taken with the fattiest meal of the day, D3 four hours away from thyroid meds if taking tablets/capsules/softgels, no necessity if using an oral spray
Magnesium helps D3 to work. We need Magnesium so that the body utilises D3, it's required to convert Vit D into it's active form. So it's important we ensure we take magnesium when supplementing with D3.
Magnesium comes in different forms, check to see which would suit you best and as it's calming it's best taken in the evening, four hours away from thyroid meds if taking tablets/capsules, no necessity if using topical forms of magnesium.
My T3 levels are within range but not the higher end, do u think adding livothyronine may help in anyway?
You need to get TSH down to 1, with all nutrient levels optimal, then see where your FT4 and FT3 lie. If FT4 is high in range and FT3 low in range at that time, that's when adding T3 to Levo may be suggested. Whilst your TSH is so high and FT4 is below range, there is not enough T4 to convert to T3, so getting those at the correct levels is the first step, then we can see how well you convert.
The aim of Levothyroxine is to increase the dose slowly in 25mcg steps upwards until TSH is under 2 and FT4 is in top third of range
See your GP for 25mcg dose increase in Levothyroxine and get bloods retested 6-8 weeks after dose increase
Your vitamin D is low enough for GP to prescribe to improve. However GP will only prescribe to bring vitamin D up to 50nmol. Aiming to improve by self supplementing to at least 80nmol and around 100nmol may be better .
Once you Improve level, very likely you will need on going maintenance dose to keep it there.
Vitamin D mouth spray by Better You is good as avoids poor gut function.
It's trial and error what dose each person needs. Frequently with Hashimoto's we need higher dose than average
Your antibodies are very 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
Assuming test is negative you can immediately go on strictly gluten free diet
(If test is positive you will need to remain on high gluten diet until endoscopy, maximum 6 weeks wait officially)
Trying gluten free diet for 3-6 months. If no noticeable improvement then reintroduce gluten and see if symptoms get worse
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