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Latest results - advice needed

Islander23 profile image
9 Replies

Instead of getting clearer about my results, I get more confused! Advice would be very welcome to help me understand what is going on.. I hadn't expected to be advised to reduce my Thyroxine as I am still pretty tired and struggle with my weight and serious hair loss!

The test I have attached is from yesterday - amazingly quick service from Medichecks. Bloods were taken at 11.10am, having had nothing to eat for 11 hours.

The last test I had done was in February: CRP HS 1.86; Ferratin 69.1: Folate - serum 10.16; B12 -Active 96.7; Vit D 77; TSH 8.24; Free T3 3.72; Free Thyroxine 14.2; Thyroglobulin 267; TPA 369. At that point I was taking 125mcg Thyroxine. I then increased it to 150mcg.

I am interested to see that the Thyroglobulin antibodies have come down - could this be diet related? I have not drunk/eaten alcohol, gluten or caffeine for 1 1/2 years and I have cut out the following from my diet since the end of April: dairy, mushrooms, sugar, and certain meats. (Interestingly my husband on the same diet has lost well over a stone and I have only lost 2 lbs!)

I don't understand the difference in results with the antibodies.

Any help would be gratefully received!

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Islander23
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9 Replies

I am wondering looking at these if you have conversion issues from T4 to T3 and if your T3 needs to be a little higher. How is your body temperature and pulse? How do you feel about self treatment as you might benefit from a reduction in levo and a small amount of T3 or from some NDT and this might be hard to get prescribed although it would be possible to get privately. Your antibodies coming down could well be diet related, gluten free is especially thought to be helpful.

Islander23 profile image
Islander23 in reply to

Hi Mandyjane, thanks for your reply. This time last year I saw an endo who reluctantly agreed to try me on T3. Initially I was on 125mcg Thyroxine and 20mcg T3. I started getting palpitations so reduced the Thyroxine over a few months to 75mcg. Still had palpitations, dr and endo then told me to come off T3 and increase Thyroxine again.

I have been thinking about trying to get NDT. I was on it 5 or 6 years ago but didn’t get the balance right with the Thyroxine. Any advice on that would be welcomed!

in reply to Islander23

You would take the NDT instead of the thyroxine rather than combining it. NDT contains all the thyroid hormones you need. 20mcg of T3 is quite a lot, might have done better if he had reduced the T3 slightly rather than stopped it. I have come to the conclusion that self treatment in safer and more affective because we ajust our doses to how we feel and because most doctors including the one you saw just dont know what they are doing and yet we tend to reply on them. I am not very good at converting T4 to NDT re doses some hope that someone else will advise.

765nottyash profile image
765nottyash

If it helps I am also confused, I really feel for you, I have much the same story, same sort of diet, at first I only lost a 1lb a week and then I've been stuck at the same weight for the last few weeks.

I've also been intermittent fasting which is making me feel better, but the weight is not moving any more.

Any help from anyone would be great?

Islander23 profile image
Islander23 in reply to 765nottyash

Thanks 765nottyash. It’s so frustrating isn’t it.

765nottyash profile image
765nottyash in reply to Islander23

Yes, seems so unfair.

765nottyash profile image
765nottyash in reply to Islander23

But don't give up, I have lost one and a half stone, it's been a hard slog though 😊

Folate and B12 could both be higher. Your free T3 is OK but free T4 over range, so your conversion is probably not great

SmallBlueThing profile image
SmallBlueThing

The SPINA thyr software indicates poor conversion, plus resistance to thyroid hormone from your February test results.

thyroidpatients.ca/2019/06/...

High free T4 with insufficient free T3 (your current results) aren't a good idea. You could try a combination of desiccated thyroid extract (providing 8 or 9 mcg of T3 with 35 to 38 mcg of T4 per grain) with levothyroxine. Maybe half a grain plus 100 mcg of levothyroxine to begin with, then one grain plus 75 mcg of levothyroxine. Unfortunately, the SPINA thyr software isn't useful when a source of T3 is being taken.

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