Help with my results appreciated

[healtheworld]

Clarity request for my thyroid results - Please - new to this site, any help would be much appreciated

Free T4 13.8 (pmol/L)

TSH 3.42 (miu/L)

Free T3 4.1 (pmo/L)

Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies 69.9

Serum Cortisol 172 (nmo/L)

Serum folate >20

thanks so much in advance....

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Can you please add the reference ranges for your results, they vary from lab to lab so we need your lab's ranges to interpret your results.

Are you diagnosed hypothyroid and if so how much Levo are you taking?

Was this a fasting, early morning test, and if you take Levo did you leave it off for 24 hours before the test?

Have you also got Vit D, B12, Folate and Ferritin results?

Do you take any supplements?

[healtheworld in reply to SeasideSusie]

Hi,

Apologies for slow response...

With regards to reference ranges... this is not on my result sheet... all I can say is it was a NHS test... so am presuming they have their own guidelines.

My Dr said that I was borderline hypothyroid, and that the peroxidase antibodies suggested I was borderline Hashimoto's.. I am not currently taking anything at all, no Levo nor Thyroxine...

No the tests was not following any kind of fasting.

I cant see any Vit D result, but I did have the results for Ferritin (ng/ml) 164

and Serum folate (ng/ml) 798(+)

I take a herbal based supplementS

1 x to reduce oxidative stress,

I x to boost the mitochondria

a Multi-Vitamin

Fish oils

Omega + probiotic

Homocysteine Support

I also have gone back on 1/2 a hormone replacement patch 2 x a week... as my symptoms of tiredness , muscle ache, poor sleep, mental fatigue and memory deterioration increased dramatically when I stopped using the HRT

thank you so much for your kindness in helping me.. I am very grateful

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to healtheworld]

healtheworld

With regards to reference ranges... this is not on my result sheet... all I can say is it was a NHS test... so am presuming they have their own guidelines.

Unfortunately not. Ranges vary from lab to lab even within the NHS. The hospital lab which does my surgery's tests has FT4 range of 7-17, yet we see NHS ranges of 9-19, 9-23, 11-23, 12-22. So you can see why it's important to have the range as well as the result.

My Dr said that I was borderline hypothyroid,

TSH ranges are fairly similar, often around 0.2-4.2ish, sometimes going up to 5, so your TSH will be within range and it may be fairly near the top at 3.42 but most doctors wouldn't call that borderline, they'd say it was "normal".

Your FT4 at 13.8 would be lowish if the range was 12-22 but would be 68% through range if it was 7-17.

FT3 range most often seen is around 3.1-6.8 or 3-6, so again not rock bottom but possibly lowish.

Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies 69.9

Ranges we most often see for TPO antibodies on here are <34 and <60, so depending on what your range is you could be over and that would confirm Hashi's.

If your antibodies are over range, then coupled with an over range TSH and normal FT4 you should be started on Levo.

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.

Gluten/thyroid connection: chriskresser.com/the-gluten...

stopthethyroidmadness.com/h...

stopthethyroidmadness.com/h...

hypothyroidmom.com/hashimot...

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/about_...

Supplementing with selenium l-selenomethionine 200mcg daily can also help reduce the antibodies, as can keeping TSH suppressed.

No the tests was not following any kind of fasting.

Always advised here, and important when looking for a diagnosis because a high TSH gives you the diagnosis:

* Book the first appointment of the morning. This is because TSH is highest early morning and lowers throughout the day. If we are looking for a diagnosis of hypothyroidism, or looking for an increase in dose or to avoid a reduction then we need TSH to be as high as possible.

* Fast overnight - have your evening meal/supper as normal the night before but delay breakfast on the day of the test and drink water only until after the blood draw. Eating may lower TSH, caffeine containing drinks affect TSH.

* If taking thyroid hormone replacement, leave off Levo for 24 hours before blood draw, if taking NDT or T3 then leave that off for 8-12 hours. Take your thyroid meds after the blood draw. Taking your dose too close to the blood draw will give false high results, leaving any longer gap will give false low results.

* If you take Biotin or a B Complex containing Biotin (B7), leave this off for 7 days before any blood test. This is because if Biotin is used in the testing procedure it will give false results (Medichecks definitely use Biotin, they have confirmed this and the amount of time to leave the supplement off).

These are patient to patient tips which we don't discuss with doctors or phlebotomists.

Ferritin (ng/ml) 164

This is good. There are sometimes 2 ranges for females, often 13-300ish and 13-150 (I think this could be for post-menopause although my surgery only has the 13-300 range for all females).

Serum folate (ng/ml) 798(+)

That seems very high. With ng/ml (or ug/L which is the same) we usually see something like >3.9ish or 3-18ish.

But you also have another folate result in your opening post of Serum folate >20 so I'm not sure what to make of these.

a Multi-Vitamin

These are a waste of time and money. They contain too little of anything to help, often contain the cheapest, wrong form and least absorbable of active ingredients, and tend to contain things we shouldn't supplement unless tested for and found to be deficient, eg. calcium, iron, iodine (kelp). If it contains iron that affects absorption of everything else because iron should be taken at least 2 hours away from other supplements.

What is really needed is to test the core nutrients:

Vit D

B12

Folate

Ferritin

and supplement where necessary at the appropriate dose. Too much Vit D and iron are toxic. Low levels can have symptoms which overlap with symptoms of hypothyroidism.