Latest blood results thyroid and FBC

My GP told me my T4 is back in normal range and I’m so happy when she told me that. It’s been a long hard slog, and I know my tsh is too high but it’s come down from 37 in only 6 weeks. I am currently taking levo 25mg but my GP is now put me up to 50mg every other day she said. Take 25MG one day and 50 the next. Do this for a month then stay on 50MG. She said eventually go up even higher. Please can I have your thoughts on this and also my full blood count? Does my new thyroid levels mean I’m converting the T4 ok? Thank you for reading this and I appreciate your help.

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Timetraveler66

You only have results for TSH and FT4, to know if you convert T4 to T3 well enough you have to have FT3 tested at the same time as the others.

Also, TSH needs to be down to around 1 or lower to see how well you convert so your TSH level needs to come down a lot more before you know how well you convert.

[Hidden in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thank you, I will have to get private tests as my gp will only test the above results. I am taking supplements recommend by yourself and greygoose and do feel better then I did a month ago x

[stewgirl in reply to Hidden]

hey dear, what supplements you taking? glad ur feeling a bit better x

[greygoose in reply to stewgirl]

stewgirl, it doesn't matter what supplements Timetraveler is taking, they might not be what you need. You should get your vit D, vit B12, folate and ferritin tested to see if they are deficient/sub-optimal, and supplement according to your needs. If you do the tests, and post the results/ranges on here, people will help you work out what you need to take.

[shaws Administrator]

Unless you are very frail with a heart disease, 50mcg of levothyroxine is a starting dose. A blood test should be taken every six weeks with a 25mcg increment of T4 until your TSH is 1 or lower (not somewhere in the range as some GPs think). Some even believe that a TSH of 1 will mean we've become hyPERthyroid but that's not possible.

The aim is a TSH of 1 or lower with a Free T4 and Free T3 in the upper part of the ranges but the latter two are rarely tested. The aim is to resolve all of the clinical symptoms.

Your B12, Vit D, iron, ferritin and folate also have to be optimum. Get them checked.

Always get a print-out of your results and blood tests for thyroid hormones have to be at the earliest, fasting (you can drink water) and allow a gap of 24 hours between last dose of levo and test and take afterwards.

[Hidden in reply to shaws]

Thank you, I did start on 50mg but could not function on it, I felt incredibly sick and so ill I thought I was dying. Back in April the hospital endo put me on 6MG ( a quarter of a 25MG) once a week. My tsh was 37 at the time, I got so weak and feeling faint I came on here for advice and went up to 25mg which is what I’m on now. I have a heart condition and I’m in my 60s my dr feels I may need a pacemaker. I can hardly tolerate any drugs I’m sensitive to almost everything and I desperately try to help myself by doing research and trying to eat properly which I find so hard as I also have m.e. Cfs/fibro and osteoarthritis. I feel Drs have let me down badly and realise now that putting me on a quarter levo once a week has resulted in my heart condition. Just thought I would explain thank you for replying to my post I need all the help and advice I can get x

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Seems a sound plan to slowly increase the dose of Levothyroxine

You need vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 to be tested

These are frequently too low when hypothyroid and may need supplementing to improve

[Joanneconnor]

What’s all the other things that have a ! Do you have other problems?

[Hidden in reply to Joanneconnor]

I also have a heart condition cfs/fibro and osteoarthritis I’ve suffered these for over 20 years. I live alone and am my own career the fbc was done as I was getting a lot of ulcers in my mouth and my gp thought I may be anemic. I have both food and drug sensitivity which makes things so complicated Thank you for replying x

[Joanneconnor in reply to Hidden]

Ohhh a lot going on then, have they done your antibodies, is it Hashimoto s. I have Hashimotos, primary billiary cirrhosis, gluten and lactose intolerance, autoimmune, I always have ! On eosinophils for some reason 🤔 thanks for the reply x

[Hidden in reply to Joanneconnor]

Yes it’s hash my last antibody test was off the scale at above 1,000 it’s hard isn’t it. I don’t know what eosinophils is sorry x

[Joanneconnor in reply to Hidden]

Yes it’s awful, I’ve not been eating gluten or lactose with the hope my antibodies will come down and my body will stop attaching itself, I get another antibody test in a few weeks, Endo only agreed to do another test to prove me wrong!!! What an idiot 😤

Esinophils are low grade inflammation apparently

[Hidden in reply to Joanneconnor]

I also quit gluten I feel it’s helping your right about them testing the antibodies, I was told no need to keep testing as once you have them they never change or go away. I personally don’t and won’t ever believe this. Our bodies God have us are amazing and I truly believe things can turn around if we are only given a chance. Please let me know your results when you get them x

[Joanneconnor in reply to Hidden]

I will let you know x

[Hidden]

Thank you yes I will follow her advice she is a good Dr x

[Marz]

With CFS/ME I would insist on T3 being tested - as being low in range can be a cause. T3 is the Active thyroid hormone needed in every cell of the body - so when low in range there simply is not enough to go around. T4 is a storage hormone doing very little in the body. The T3 test is under a pound so you could offer to pay for it yourself ... !

[Hidden in reply to Marz]

I will pay for it myself and get it tested my GP didn’t think it was important but will definitely get it done x

[Marz in reply to Hidden]

I would have the full Thyroid testing as it's best to have T4 & T3 tested together ... Medichecks have a Special Offer - check today's posts. 😊

[Hidden in reply to Marz]

I will ring them now thank you!

[Marz in reply to Hidden]

If you would like comments on results - start a new post so more people see them 😊

[Hidden in reply to Marz]

Thank you I will do that, I’m puzzled as to why my dr didn’t test the t3 yet says I’m getting better? I was so happy but now I have concerns since you explain it all to me. I have more energy so I must have t3? Will my hair stop falling out soon? Also my skin is like dry leather. I will post my new results as soon as I get them. They said they will also give me a Drs report with the results x

[Marz in reply to Hidden]

Be aware of the Doc's report as they have to comment within the Guidelines - so best to listen to the members here.

Regarding T3 testing - it is completely crazy and indicates the lack of knowledge or understanding. Bad training at Med School where Big Pharma dominates. When Big Pharma invented Levo/T4 - energy and money was put into discrediting NDT that contained both T4 & T3 and used for many years. They also said the TSH was the only test required - and so this continues after 50 years in spite of good research saying otherwise. If everyone was educated about T3 testing then more under-performing thyroids would be diagnosed. It is possible to have a reasonable TSH but a low T3 result. Big Pharma makes oodles of dosh out of treating the many conditions left from under-treating the thyroid - blood pressure issues - cholesterol - depression - Type 2 diabetes and so on.

Hair loss can be linked to low VitD as well as low Ferritin & Zinc ...

Which test bundle did you request ?

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

I’ve just rang them and there sending the kit out today x

[Marz in reply to Hidden]

Am sure they mentioned not to post tomorrow as sample will be hanging around too long over the weekend and spoil ...

[silverfox7]

Good news is you are going in the right direction! Eosinophil is the name of a type of blood cell and your result is fine but it looks strange not being a full one. Don't worry we don't get bits of them floating around! When I first starting working with medical students blood was the first thing they lookedxatcin a practical glass. We didn't use the machines hospitals did/do but used what came before then as it's also easier to see what is actually been counted. One of our lecturers used to say if you were in darkest Africa where would you plug the machine in. So with a reasonable microscope and using a mirror to illuminate this test could be done anyware! The drop of stained blood is allowed to drop on a special glass slide with a grid on it, a clear cover is put on to spread the blood so it's at the correct depth and the cells are liereally counted. The stain is so you can pick out the different times of white cells. So you literally count all the cells over the grid! Yes can take time but on examination you can see we have different numbers of each cell and the white cells if you have no infections are few and far between. If you have an infection your white cell count will be raised as the white cells are there to gobble up the infection. But looking over the grid you may not even find so of the smallest numbers or one main be partway on the grid so it's represent to show that by a fraction of the whole. Hence the 0.2 shows that use have one but it's on the edge and so that is noted as it is. It's time consuming to could the cells and yes why do that when we don't need to but in a way I think it's good to see that and makes it easier to understand how varied the different types of cells can be. I've also spent time in haematology and the speed of all this on a machine is incredibly fast and the reason why we get out results back so quickly plus they sent to the doctor electronically. What slows things down is that someone had to make sure that things are tabulated correctly and the doctors contact details are correct. Any that are out of range are probably sent through again as no one wants to worry a patient unnecessarily. I was also given ones with the names taken out that showed possible problems so that I could prepare a demonstration to show the medical students a range of good and not so good results at a glance so a compare and contrast.

[Hidden in reply to silverfox7]

Silver fox I wish I was able to do what you can do. I would love to see blood under a real microscope thank you for your reply x

[Hidden]

Stop reading internet doctors. Hypu are unique. Ft3, ft4 it's not necesery to go uplevrlgo feel good. Tsh it's not necesery to go under 1 to feel good. Find a good doctor stop take advise from anyone

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Thank you for your reply, I’m feeling a lot better on 25MG I don’t feel I need to go up but was going to as that’s what my GP said. So is my T4 good? Thanks x

[silverfox7 in reply to Hidden]

What do you suggest?

[GKeith]

Your FT4 is alright, even though some would say it's still too low but bare witness: if your FT3 is too low you probably have a conversion problem. Some people check, also, for RT3 but many endo's and others believe you can't tell anything from RT3. You might want to mention these to your endo because I have a feeling she hasn't a clue about your thyroid problems, sorry to say. Also, mention to her that you (may) should think about trying some T3.

[Hidden in reply to GKeith]

Thank you for advice I really appreciate it, I’ve ordered a private test kit then I will know for sure then. You are correct my doctor does not seem to know or seem to care about how my thyroid problems effect me. I handed him a note listing all my symptoms and he tossed it back at me last time I went - then when I got upset he laughed at me - I was crying in disbelief at the way he was treating me. Then he said I was obviously depressed and needed to see a psychiatrist. I dread going to see him again in September. It’s very hard to keep fighting I do have some t3 which I’ve thought about adding but I’ll wait till my tests come back first.

[GKeith]

I am at a loss for words; the man you speak of should not be a doctor. They hide their evil intentions by passing patients along to another doctor (usually a psychiatrist). I hope you can get your life back and the proper dose of thyroid. I have a saying maybe wrong to post here but it goes like this: May our neighbors respect us, trouble neglect us, the angels protect us and heaven accept us. May these words comfort you & peace go with you.

[Hidden]

Εγώs easy to blame thyroid for everythink.. But whey you fix thyroid and symptoms stay you understand....