Still feeling under the weather and light headed also affecting ears.

[Goldengirl01]

I have just got some new results back and see my tsh is going down and vit D and folate have gone up since last time. My GP wants to change my dosage of Levo to 100mcg and 75mcg on alternate days because low they say low tsh can affect bones and cause cardiac problems. I was on 100mcg before this and I was told neither my GP or hospital will prescribe t3 as she wrote to them and that his reply. What are your opinions. Thanks

[greygoose]

You don't convert very well, and your FT3 is much too low to make you well. If your doctor reduces your levo, your FT3 will go even lower. Low TSH has nothing to do with bones or hearts. Your doctors just know nothing about thyroid. Personally, I would buy my own T3 and self-treat with that.

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Goldengirl01

"What are your opinions"

Stands out a mile. Conversion is poor:

FT4: 20.8 (10.8-25.5) = 68% through range

FT3: 3.9 (3.1-6.8) = 22% through range

B12 is OK.

Folate is ... erm ... OK but I'd want mine in double figures.

You need ferritin and Vit D testing.

All nutrients need to be at optimal levels for thyroid hormone to work properly and good conversion to take place.

Selenium and zinc can help conversion, you may want to test these before considering supplementing.

If all nutrients are optimal, including Vit D 100-150nmol/L and ferritin at least 70, and conversion is still poor, consider self sourcing T3 like many of us do.

[Goldengirl01 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Can I ask where you source T3 from please Seaside susie.

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Goldengirl01]

We can't put sources on the open forum. I will send you a PM.

[Goldengirl01 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Many thanks.x

[shaws Administrator]

I wish doctors would refresh their attitudes towards patients with problems with their thyroid gland. I sincerely wish they would all take refresher courses led by the majority of our members on this forum. They'd certainly learn a thing or two and then go on to heal all of their patients who have hypothyroidism by being able to prescribe alternatives or addition to levothyroxine and ensure TSH is 1 or lower with FT4 and FT3 in the upper part of the ranges. I'd also

I'd like them all to not refer to us becoming hyPER due to a low TSH. We cannot become hyper if we are hypo. A very low TSH doesn't mean that we have become hyper and that a low TSH is the aim.

[Goldengirl01 in reply to shaws]

I should add again that I have had a total thyroidectomy a year last July. I have asked to be referred to the endo so I can talk to him about not prescribing t3 and if they are still not going to then I will ask them to refer me to kings college as I read on hear that there is a specialist who does prescribe t3 but I don’t know their name. Why do consultants go as far as removing thyroid then leave us in limbo feeling dreadful 😥

[shaws Administrator in reply to Goldengirl01]

I have my thyroid gland and I certainly have no idea why they remove someone's thyroid gland without considering that the person will need a T4/T3 or NDT (natural dessicated thyroid hormone - this was used since 1892 up until recently when the BTA made False Statements about this (it has all the hormones a healthy gland would have) in order to get it removed from being prescribed. These doctors and supposed to be specialists have no idea at all how the suffering goes on when we don't have effective dose (slowly increased) until patient is well again.

The following is another' experience of a thyroidectomy. Thankfully she's now recovered and is also on the warpath like most of us on this forum. We're here because we've been failed by those suppoed to be experts. I have my gland but couldn't recover on levo.

I will have to search as the two links I gave, aren't working.

[Goldengirl01 in reply to shaws]

Serum thyroid-stimulating hormone concentration and morbidity from cardiovascular disease and fractures in patients on long-term thyroxine therapy.

Flynn RW1, Bonellie SR, Jung RT, MacDonald TM, Morris AD, Leese GP.

Author information

1

Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, Dundee DD1 9SY, United Kingdom.

Abstract

CONTEXT:

For patients on T(4) replacement, the dose is guided by serum TSH concentrations, but some patients request higher doses due to adverse symptoms.

OBJECTIVE:

The aim of the study was to determine the safety of patients having a low but not suppressed serum TSH when receiving long-term T(4) replacement.

DESIGN:

We conducted an observational cohort study, using data linkage from regional datasets between 1993 and 2001.

SETTING:

A population-based study of all patients in Tayside, Scotland, was performed.

PATIENTS:

All patients taking T(4) replacement therapy (n = 17,684) were included.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:

Fatal and nonfatal endpoints were considered for cardiovascular disease, dysrhythmias, and fractures. Patients were categorized as having a suppressed TSH (<or=0.03 mU/liter), low TSH (0.04-0.4 mU/liter), normal TSH (0.4-4.0 mU/liter), or raised TSH (>4.0 mU/liter).

RESULTS:

Cardiovascular disease, dysrhythmias, and fractures were increased in patients with a high TSH: adjusted hazards ratio, 1.95 (1.73-2.21), 1.80 (1.33-2.44), and 1.83 (1.41-2.37), respectively; and patients with a suppressed TSH: 1.37 (1.17-1.60), 1.6 (1.10-2.33), and 2.02 (1.55-2.62), respectively, when compared to patients with a TSH in the laboratory reference range. Patients with a low TSH did not have an increased risk of any of these outcomes [hazards ratio: 1.1 (0.99-1.123), 1.13 (0.88-1.47), and 1.13 (0.92-1.39), respectively].

CONCLUSIONS:

Patients with a high or suppressed TSH had an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, dysrhythmias, and fractures, but patients with a low but unsuppressed TSH did not. It may be safe for patients treated with T(4) to have a low but not suppressed serum TSH concentration.

[shaws Administrator in reply to Goldengirl01]

This is Lorraine's story.

dailyrecord.co.uk/news/real...

[Goldengirl01 in reply to shaws]

Omg I felt for Lorraine, I have days where I wake up and wonder why, what’s the point.

[shaws Administrator in reply to Goldengirl01]

The point is that we, the patient, has to read and learn and find out, eventually what suits us and restores health. Lorraine did it but that's before the BTA made False Statements about a product that restored her health and many thousands of others. There was also a doctor trained properly who had a consulting room in Glasgow and Birmingham and that enabled her recovery. The "old School" have now retired but the new ones who've replaced them, seem to have lost their brains to a computer instead of 'looking/listening to patient". If they could do this since 1892 and 'saved lives' why not today!!!!????

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Research shows After total thyroidectomy 20% Patients with no thyroid can not regain full health on just Levothyroxine

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

Email Dionne at Thyroid Uk for list of recommended thyroid specialists who will prescribe T3

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/About_...

Your results clearly show terrible conversion

Once all four vitamins are optimal look at adding small dose T3

You should be entitled to trial of T3 on NHS - which CCG area are you in?

british-thyroid-association...

New NHS England Liothyronine guidelines July 2019 clearly state on page 13 that TSH should be between 0.4-1.5 when treated with just Levothyroxine

Note that it says test should be in morning BEFORE taking Levo thyroxine

Also to test vitamin D, folate, B12 and ferritin

sps.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploa...

thyroidtrust.org/a-gp-write...

[SlowDragon Administrator]

You ideally need to get all four vitamins optimal or near optimal before starting T3

[Goldengirl01]

Thanks guys. I am trying to read and take it all in but I find it all so confusing, I’m not wanting to make excuses but at 70 my brain gets a bit foggy and I forget but I am spending most of my time trying to take in all info on here as well as the internet which isn’t always trustworthy so I’m really grateful for all the advice so far.xx