Blood Results

[SassyMH]

I wonder if someone could advice me. I had thyroid cancer 5 years ago, had a total thyroidectomy and radioactive iodine. The last 3 years I have had less and less energy and want to sleep, but often take a while to get to sleep at night. I keep getting muscle and joint problems and have reduced my exercise. I eat very healthily but am gaining weight, I have dry skin and now my hair has started falling out. I have just received blood results back which have confused me further, any advice or ideas would be helpful. Results...Free Thyroxine 26.5...Free T3 5.51...TSH <0.005...Thyroglobulin 10.4...Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies <9.

[pennyannie]

Hello again Sassy

Just as a point of reference a fully functioning working thyroid would be supporting you daily with approximately 100 T4 + 10 T3.

As answered on your previous post, if you don't succeed in getting a trial of T3 on the Nhs you can always source the thyroid hormone replacement privately, as many of us on this amazing website have had to resort to.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

For full Thyroid evaluation you need TSH, FT4 and FT3 tested. Also extremely important to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12

Low vitamin levels are extremely common

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)

Last Levothyroxine dose should be 24 hours prior to test, (taking delayed dose immediately after blood draw).

Is this how you do your tests?

Ask GP to test vitamin levels if not beven done

What vitamin supplements do you currently take?

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

20% Patients with no thyroid can not regain full health on just Levothyroxine

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

[SassyMH in reply to SlowDragon]

Yes i had blood test at 1000 with no food or drink (apart from water) and had my last thyroxine 27 hours earlier so the results should be as good as they can be. Will get my vitamins checked at GP who seems to want to help. Thank you for your advice.

[pennyannie]

Hey there, me again,

Looking at the part results as posted above it would seem that you are not converting well the T4 - levothyroxine into the T3, with your ratio way over 1/4.5 - T3/T4.

This could be because of low vitamins and minerals so it's sensible to get a full thyroid panel along with the ferritin, folate, B12 and vitamin D tested so then repost with the ranges when people more able than me can talk you through your next steps, back to better health.

Some people can simply get by on T4 alone, some people simply stop converting T4 to T3 and some people simply need both these vital hormones dosed and monitored independently to bring them into balance and to a level of well being acceptable to the patient.

Has your doctor offered any suggestions, or a referral to endocrinology ? Which I thought was the plan in your post from a previous day ?

[SassyMH in reply to pennyannie]

Thanks for taking the time to reply. What should the ratio T3/T4 be? I will be seeing my GP who wants to help so can give her as much info aa possible. Thank you.

[pennyannie in reply to SassyMH]

There is no " perfect ratio " everybody is different, but generally I read of ratios between 1/3.5 - 1/ 4 being where most people feel well.

Having said that when I was refused a trial of T3 last year the endo was talking about a 1/5 ratio being acceptable.

Having tried both T3 and NDT I feel good with a ratio of around 1/4.

NDT is pigs thyroid dried and ground down into tablet form and the thyroid hormone content breakdown in most tablets is 38 T4 and 9 T3.

This seems to suit me, but I read of some people adding T4 or T3 to their NDT medication to find the optimum dose for them.

Dosing with T3 and T4 obviously offers greater individual flexibility, with T3 being roughly four times stronger than T4.

You haven't offered full results and ranges but am guessing your T4 is coming in over range but still isn't giving you a conversion ratio that gives you relief of symptoms.

I hope this helps, and would suggest you try reading up on other people's post so as to be able to ask questions of your doctor and try and find a way forward within the Nhs system in the first instance.

Self medicating is the very last resort if all else fails.

[Hidden]

The only time I ever felt any symptoms like yours was after my TT in 2015. I was put on Levo for the first time and for 8 months felt like I was going downhill and fast also putting on weight for the first time in my life. I then joined this site and now bypass the GP and Endos who just kept me feeling ill. I self medicate with NDT and feel well It did take two years to sort out my dosage but it was worth it.

You could try a little T3 to see if this helps you or go for NDT.