Latest results, still just monitoring..

[Lync67]

Hi, i would just like to ask advice as i am feeling so tired and unwell again. I am not medicated.

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Lync67

New results:

TSH: 4.48 (0.35 - 3.5)

FT4: 10 (8 - 21)

Results from previous post healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

TSH: 0.01 (0.35 - 3.5)

FT4: 16 (8 - 21)

I think this shows that you have autoimmune thyroid disease as one member suggested in reply to your previous post:

"Your doc needs to be testing for antibodies for Hashimoto and graves to determine if you have autoimmune thyroid disease. "

I think it's likely to be Hashimoto's as this tends to starts off with a "hyper" episode then goes hypo and can swing between the two. With Hashi's the immune system attacks the thyroid and gradually destroys it, this can cause fluctuations in symptoms and test results.

You should make an appointment with your GP and ask for thyroid antibodies to be tested. There are two types for Hashi's - Thyroid Peroxidase (TPO) and Thyroglobulin (Tg). I believe that at primary level only TPO is tested. Sometimes this comes back as negative so autoimmune thyroid disease is discounted, but you can have negative TPO but positive Tg antibodies with Hashi's, so it's important that both are tested.

Come back and let us know what happens.

If your GP wont test for antibodies then we have private labs where many members do thyroid tests. It may even be worth you considering this at this point. If it is Hashi's then this often causes low nutrient levels or deficiencies (which bring their own symptoms) and it's important that the following are also tested:

Vit D

B12

Folate

Ferritin

If you would like to do a private test then the two most popular ones, whch can be done by fingerprick or venous blood draw if you prefer (which would be at extra cost) are:

Medichecks Thyroid Check ULTRAVIT medichecks.com/thyroid-func... You can use code THYROIDUK for a 10% discount on any test not on special offer

or

Blue Horizon Thyroid Check PLUS ELEVEN bluehorizonmedicals.co.uk/t...

Both tests include the full thyroid and vitamin panel. They are basically the same test but with the following small differences:

For the fingerprick test, Blue Horizon requires 1 x microtainer of blood (0.8ml), Medichecks requires 2 x microtainers (total 1.6ml)

Blue Horizon includes Total T4 (can be useful but not essential). Medichecks doesn't include this test.

B12 - Blue Horizon does Serum B12. Medichecks does Active B12.

Serum B12 shows the total B12 in the blood. Active B12 shows what's available to be taken up by the cells. You can have a reasonable level of Serum B12 but a poor level of Active B12. (Personally, I would go for the Active B12 test.)

When doing thyroid tests, we advise:

* Book the first appointment of the morning, or with private tests at home no later than 9am. This is because TSH is highest early morning and lowers throughout the day. If we are looking for a diagnosis of hypothyroidism, or looking for an increase in dose or to avoid a reduction then we need TSH to be as high as possible.

* Fast overnight - have your evening meal/supper as normal the night before but delay breakfast on the day of the test and drink water only until after the blood draw. Eating may lower TSH, caffeine containing drinks affect TSH.

* If taking thyroid hormone replacement, last dose of Levo should be 24 hours before blood draw, if taking NDT or T3 then last dose should be 8-12 hours before blood draw. Adjust timing the day before if necessary. This avoids measuring hormone levels at their peak after ingestion of hormone replacement. Take your thyroid meds after the blood draw. Taking your dose too close to the blood draw will give false high results, leaving any longer gap will give false low results.

* If you take Biotin or a B Complex containing Biotin (B7), leave this off for 7 days before any blood test. This is because if Biotin is used in the testing procedure it will give false results (Medichecks definitely use Biotin, they have confirmed this and the amount of time to leave the supplement off).

These are patient to patient tips which we don't discuss with doctors or phlebotomists.

[Lync67 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thank thank thank you..

For all the reading of this foram and my own research i have been drawn to the hashi thinking i will make appointments to see gp and will keep you updated.

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Lync67]

Yes, please let us know what your GP says and does. Hashi's is the most common cause of hypothyroidism. Unfortunately, many doctors dismiss antibodies as being of no importance. It is actually possible to have Hashi's without raised antibodies.

Good luck with your appointment.