Latest blood results - am I overmedicated?!

[Mrsbuns]

Hi here are my latest results. Done on the 31st July

TSH, < 0.05 range 0.27- 4.2

FREE T3 =6.43 range 3.1 - 6.8

FREE THYROXINE=28 range 12-22

REVERSE T3 = 40 range 10-24

FT3 : RT3 = 10.47 range >15

Accompanied notes say I'm overmedicated? Since the test I have increased my dose from 150 to 175 so only 19 days but I feel much better in myself already ( I know it takes 6 weeks to see maximum benifit) joint and muscle pain still an issue but has improved since going to 150 and now 175 dose. But I know my Vit D is still not optimal - in fact dropping.

I have no hyper symptoms - the occasional irregular heartbeat - not palpatations - just a sort of go slow harder best now and then? I'm so much more active and apart from the muscles and joints feel so much better.

I have my endo appointment in October and these results according to medicheck look like I'm overmedicated - what do you think guys?

Thanks as always for all the help 🙏😁

[greygoose]

You're a poor converter, so need your levo high to get enough T3 to make you well. Also seems as if you need a high level of FT3 - some people do. Personally, I would say that if you feel good, don't change.

Your rT3 is probably high because your FT4 is high. But, that's not really anything to worry about.

[Mrsbuns in reply to greygoose]

Thanks Greygoose - as always sage advice 👍 the notes scared me talking about link reverse T3/liver/heart etc. Just hope this endo is going to give me T3.

Thank you so much ❤️

[greygoose in reply to Mrsbuns]

Well, frankly, what does a medicheck doctor know about thyroid? Not very much. What did it say about rT3/liver/heart? I really don't think the notes from those doctors are worth having, they only scare people;

[Mrsbuns in reply to greygoose]

From the doctors botes

'You do not need to worry about the occasional low reading, only if you get repeated very low levels.

Your rT3 is elevated and your FT3/rT3 ratio is low which could suggest that you are not getting sufficient free triiodothyronine (FT3) into your cells. Other conditions can cause difficulties converting thyroxine to T3 and cause rT3 to rise. These include COPD, liver disease, diabetes, heart failure and low calorie diets.'

Greygoose do you think an endo can ignore these results showing I need T3? What are the long term consequences of not converting well? 😜

[greygoose in reply to Mrsbuns]

Ah, ok. A bit garbled, but I see what he means. Forget the rT3 ratio, it doesn't mean much, if anything. But, there can be all sorts of reason why you don't convert well, and he's just named a few of them. Sometimes, by doing a lot of tests, the reason for the poor conversion is found, but not always. Another reason could be low nutrients, or just having Hashi's sometimes causes poor conversion. But, he's not actually saying you really have any of these things, or are likely to get them.

Another reason for high rT3 is having high levels of FT4. And, your FT4 is high, so that could very well be the reason. The way to find that out is to lower your levo and see if the rT3 goes down. But, that means a lot of extra testing, which doctors are often reluctant to do. So, it might just be easier to get hold of some T3.

It's impossible to say what an endo can or can't do. They are a law unto themselves. We can only hope for the best. There are no long-term consequences to poor conversion. The consequences would be due to low T3. A your FT3 is not low. As long a you can keep on that dose of levo, you should be alright. It's if the endo decides to reduce it that you'll have problems and need to take T3.

[Mrsbuns in reply to greygoose]

Thank you greygoose - it always makes sense when you explain it😁 so my position going in to the endo is either keep me on this dose or try a combination of T4 / T3 which will reduce my T4 but maintain my T3 at the level I feel optimal. I will keep working on getting my Vit D and B. If no luck with the endo I will source my own T3 - hubby fancies a trip to Greece to buy there - but wondering if the whole Brexit thing will effect being able to buy over the counter there 🤔

[greygoose in reply to Mrsbuns]

Yes, that's the great unknown, isn't it - what will happen after Brexit. Bit frightening, really.

But, yes, that is what you want from the endo.

[humanbean]

But I know my Vit D is still not optimal - in fact dropping.

When I first started supplementing vitamin D3 my level dropped as well. My result wasn't dreadful before I started supplementing so I decided 1000iU per day would be ample. I was wrong. My level dropped noticeably. I went up to a dose of 3000 iU per day and my level went up (very, very slowly - it took months). If I had my time again I would go up to a dose of 4000 iU - 5000 iU per day and get my level up to optimal much, much quicker. But this does mean that testing needs to be done quite frequently.

Once I got my vitamin D level up to optimal I needed 2000 iU per day just to keep it there.

What was your vitamin D level before supplementing and what dose are you taking to raise it?

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to humanbean]

Really interesting humanbean

I found similar.....my vitamin D was in low 60nmol....so like you I thought....just small 1000iu dose daily to top it up

Level had dropped significantly at next test

Ended up, after several months experimenting, needing 6000iu daily for almost year to get it up to 100nmol. And maintenance dose now is 3000iu daily....bit higher in winter

[humanbean in reply to SlowDragon]

I wonder why it happens that way? There must be a reason, but I have no idea what it is. I've been neglecting my vitamin D3 supplementing in the last few months and it has dropped from around 100 to 58, so I'm back on 4000 iU per day now. I hope that turns out to be adequate to raise my level. And I'll have to rethink my dosage for maintenance too.

[Mrsbuns in reply to humanbean]

Hi humanbean - do you suffer from muscle and joint pain when your Vit D drops?

[humanbean in reply to Mrsbuns]

Yes, I do. But I don't think it is just caused by lower levels of vitamin D. I also blame iron, vitamin B12 and folate if they drop.

[Mrsbuns in reply to humanbean]

My iron and foliate are over range! +?

[humanbean in reply to Mrsbuns]

I've only had iron levels over range once, and that was when I was careless with my supplementing. But I didn't worry about it. I only have to stop supplementing iron for a couple of months and it drops like a stone! I don't recall ever having over the range folate.

[Mrsbuns in reply to humanbean]

I don't take iron supplement so confused as to why I am over range 🤔

[humanbean in reply to Mrsbuns]

Inflammation and infection can cause the body to retain iron in the form of ferritin while serum iron remains low or even under range.

In order to know whether this is a cause for you you would need to get more info on your iron levels and a full blood count.

See this link for more info :

rt3-adrenals.org/Iron_test_...

See page 8 of this link :

irondisorders.org/Websites/...

Low serum iron and high ferritin suggest you may have a condition called "Anaemia of Chronic Disease" or Chronic Inflammation".

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anemi...

[Mrsbuns in reply to humanbean]

Hi human bean - thanks for this - in January I was really low - think it was low 20s. Can't find the paper at the moment. GP put me on a loading therapy and in April it had risen to 75.6 by July it had fallen to 62.5. Been on Better you oral spray - reccommended 3 sprays per day since July. I perhaps need a higher dose. I don't take tablets because of gut issues. Have started 3 sprays x 2 now. So hoping that will help 🤔

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Mrsbuns]

If you have gut issues and gluten free, may need magnesium supplements too

[Mrsbuns in reply to SlowDragon]

Hi slow dragon my magnesium and zinc were top end of range in July - I use magnesium oil - put it on just before I go to bed or during the day if a particular joint or muscle is too painful. But I still have the awful stiffness if I sit or lie down for more than 15 mins. Hubby says it's like watching a sloth get out of bed in the morning - takes me bloody ages to get the legs to move /bend and take my weight. I don't need sticks for walking anymore so again improvements - but I think my disco dancing 🎶 days are over 😜

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Mrsbuns]

Personally I found enormous improvements when T3 was added

Before that, muscles were so tight I couldn't straighten legs in bed....getting out of a chair excruciating. Walking more than 10 minutes was agony

Now can walk 4-5 miles easily

[Mrsbuns in reply to SlowDragon]

😀 Fabulous - it must feel like you have your life back. I hope I get the same results. We used to go on walking holidays to the Lake District - not been on one for over 5 years. On a good day I can do a 30 min slow walk - some days the pain is too bad but it is improving and I can now do a 20 min tai chi routine in the morning - what would we do without utube😀

[humanbean in reply to Mrsbuns]

This is the vitamin D I'm currently taking :

amazon.co.uk/Softgels-Suppl...

but I've just noticed that the same company has brought out a new version of the product with olive oil instead of sunflower oil :

amazon.co.uk/Capsules-Absor...

Next time I need to buy it I'll go for the vitamin D3 which is just a gelatine shell with vitamin D3 in olive oil. I prefer softgels to tablets because I find tablets difficult to swallow.