Can someone please look at my results

[Muddy1980]

Hi,

I've recently got my test results back after feeling awful again. I can feel my throat swelling all day long where my thyroid cartilage is (feels like someone has their hand around my throat is is constantly strangling me) and at peak times morning and early evening my thyroid heats up and makes my neck feel numb and this goes down my chest.

TSH 1.87 (0.4 - 4.5)

FT4 11 (7 - 15)

FT3 3.73 (3.1 - 6.8)

I've had these results and obviously because I'm in range the NHS is not willing to do anything. Are my results OK and could it be something else thats wrong? None of the doctors know why my throat can be fine one day and the next inflamed. They recognise its happening as they can see it, but just keep saying come back in two weeks if its still bothering you...its been nearly 3 years.

Any ideas, and help on how I can improve this would be great. I've started exercising more, with walking, pilates and yoga. I also take selenium with zinc, magnesium, iron, B complex and get B12 injections but nothing seems to be making any difference.

x

[shaws Administrator]

The main priority for us, the patient, is that we get an optimum dose of thyroid hormone replacements. That is - a dose that resolves symptoms. That's the priority, relieving all symptoms but I believe doctors/endos try to 'fit us' into a range and it still doesn't improve our health.

Exercising before we're on a optimum dose lowers our T3 and makes us feel unwell.

You need an increase in dose. The aim is a TSH of 1 or lower.

FT4 could be a bit higher and FT3 at the bottom of the range when it should be towards the top.

You could be a poor converter of T4 (a synthetic hormone) which has to convert to T3 and we have millions of T3 receptor cells, brain and heart have the most, all of which need T3. You need an increase in dose of levo to see if it permits you to convert to a higher T3. If not, I'd ask for the addition of T3 to T4 (if you're in the UK probably wont be prescribed T3). Some members source their own.

If you exercise more at present, you will reduce the T3. Until you're on an optimum dose, when we can have a normal life, i.e. "do what we want, when we want" and don't feel unwell at all don't get too anxious. Some of us improve on a T4/T3 combination, some NDT, and some T3 alone. We are all different but it doesn't seem like the medical profession is aware of this at all.

[Hidden]

I wonder if you could do with suplementing Vit D. Check you ferritin is over 70 too.

Also, a small increase in thyroid medication might help, considering your fT3 is on the low side of the range. Also, I was told that an optimal level for TSH is usually 0.5 - 1.5, so yours could perhaps do with a slight decrease, supporting the idea of a small increase in L-Thyroxine.

[fibrolinda]

Do you stop the b complex 7 days before blood tests? Biotin can cause false readings if biotin is used in the lab tests as some labs do. My free t3 and 4 were top of the range while taking biotin and bottom of the range when stopped for just 3 days before blood test.

[Yppah]

Hi, I sympathise with this a lot. I couldn’t understand why I had regular tonsillitis (and sinusitis) and a constant sore throat on waking until mid afternoon. I believe the answer is having Hashimoto’s. For over a month now I have been gluten, soy and dairy free. I saw very fast results with this, and the only time I have had a sore throat was when I doubted that dairy was a problem and ate some cheese. I take all the same supplements as you but also a high dose of vit D3 with K2, and a high dose of vit C.

[Yppah]

PS the throat was the worst when I was exercising like crazy and not listening to my body.

[Muddy1980 in reply to Yppah]

Thanks, this is the first time anyone else had said they had problems with sinus and throat inflammation from what I have read on here anyway. I thought it was because 'I may have something else wrong with me' . I've been Gluten free for nearly 2 years now and I'm vegetarian. I'm starting to think dairy may have something to do with it, but if I take dairy out of my diet I'm not left with much to eat. I had no idea that exercising can cause a problem until I just read up on it. I only do 3 hours walking a week, 45mins of Pilates and 1 hour yoga. I thought it would help.

Do you know anything else I can do to improve this and has your issues cleared up completely or are you still battling with it? x

[Yppah in reply to Muddy1980]

I can see how dairy would be tricky in that case. Definitely the hardest one for me as a lover of cheese and glass of gold top milk. Really miss it. I have coconut milk instead.

Yes the throat and sinus inflammation has gone and I have not gargled salt or used a neti-pot for a month now, which I was doing daily.

Alongside throat / sinus issues my symptoms are feeling sleepy all the time, struggling to get out of bed in morning feeling washed out, overweight despite good diet (actually maybe was not eating enough before recent changes), and getting really ill when overdoing exercise and piling on the pounds when I had to stop. And poor memory and concentration levels.

I am seeing improvements in all these so definitely sticking at it. Seeing an Endo next week though and would readily take some drugs. I want to be able to exercise with less fear of getting ill again. But like you am thinking Pilates, yoga and short walks to start. (Before I had spells of doing 5 x 45min cardio sessions per week. Oops.)

When I read up on exercise I remember reading something about if you feel energised at the end of it then probably doing you good, but if feeling tired from it with no uplifting feeling that you shouldn’t do it.

[Muddy1980 in reply to Yppah]

Thanks I wonder if I could look at reducing the amount of dairy...as I am too a big cheese person and milk! I've just ordered some vitamin D to see if that makes a difference....just seem to be taking pill after pill and never getting anywhere.