Can anyone please help with interpreting blood ... - Thyroid UK

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Can anyone please help with interpreting blood results please?

Leab8 profile image
15 Replies

Does this mean I have rhumertism or lupus etc ? The top part that’s in red ? Then I was told my tsh needs to be at the higher end of high to suppress my thyroid cancer but I don’t know what it should be at for this either :(

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Leab8 profile image
Leab8
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SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator

How much Levothyroxine are you currently taking?

Your TSH is too high so you need dose increase in Levothyroxine

What's the range on FT4?

Want FT4 in top third of range

The aim of Levothyroxine is to increase the dose slowly in 25mcg steps upwards until TSH is under 2 (many and especially after thyroid cancer need TSH significantly under one) and most important is that FT4 in top third of range and FT3 at least half way in range

Many people find Levothyroxine brands are not interchangeable.

Once you find a brand that suits you, best to make sure to only get that one at each prescription.

Watch out for brand change when dose is increased or at repeat prescription.

Many patients do NOT get on well with Teva brand of Levothyroxine. Though it is the only one for lactose intolerant patients. Teva is the only brand that makes 75mcg tablet.

Ferritin is on low side. Aiming to improve to half way in range

Eating liver or liver pate once a week, plus other iron rich foods like black pudding, prawns, spinach, pumpkin seeds and dark chocolate, plus daily vitamin C can help improve iron absorption

B12 also rather low. Most people on Levothyroxine need B12 over 500

Supplementing a good quality daily vitamin B complex, one with folate in not folic acid may be beneficial.

chriskresser.com/folate-vs-...

B vitamins best taken in the morning after breakfast

Recommended brands on here are Igennus Super B complex. (Often only need one tablet per day, not two. Certainly only start with one tablet per day after breakfast. Retesting levels in 6-8 weeks ).

Or Jarrow B-right is popular choice, but is large capsule

If you are taking vitamin B complex, or any supplements containing biotin, remember to stop these 7 days before any blood tests, as biotin can falsely affect test results

endo.confex.com/endo/2016en...

endocrinenews.endocrine.org...

Low vitamin D and low B vitamins may be linked as explained here

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

You need vitamin D tested

vitamindtest.org.uk

Bloods should be retested 6-8 weeks after any dose change

Recommended on here that all thyroid blood tests should ideally be done as early as possible in morning and fasting. This gives highest TSH, lowest FT4 and most consistent results. (Patient to patient tip, best not mentioned to GP or phlebotomist)

Last Levothyroxine dose should be 24 hours prior to test, (taking delayed dose immediately after blood draw).

Leab8 profile image
Leab8

I wasn’t sure if it means I have rhumertism lupus or fibromyalgia

Angel_of_the_North profile image
Angel_of_the_North in reply to Leab8

No, it doesn't mean that you have any of them. If you'd shown the range it would be easier to tell. It just shows how much risk there is of you having one of them. The print is too small to read easily, but it seems to say that if your level was 25 (it's much lower) you'd have a 3.?% risk of having rheumatoid arthritis (or a 96+% chance of not having it)

Usually, thyroid cancer patients are told to keep their TSH suppressed ie as near to 0 as possible, not high. Your is too high for anyone on meds. You have not included the ranges for the tests so can't comment on anything else.

Leab8 profile image
Leab8 in reply to Angel_of_the_North

It’s because I was asking about the rhumertism part at the top wasn’t sure if anyone knew about that as sometimes it can all come together I guess I have another page of results I will see if that has any other ranges I sent them to my oncologist to increase my meds but I’ve only had it increased by 25mcg but u don’t think it will be enough my hairs falling out baddllyyyy

Batty1 profile image
Batty1 in reply to Leab8

You can have Thyroid Cancer and some form of arthritis it's not unheard of I have Thyroid Cancer and developed Psoriatic Arthritis.

Is your thyroid cancer considered low risk , if so this could be why your doc wants to raise your TSH since they dont see low risk thyroid cancer patients needing to be suppressed anymore. For me personally I would not let them raise my TSH above 2.

Leab8 profile image
Leab8 in reply to Angel_of_the_North

This means I need more thyroxine doesn’t it to suppress it as much as possible ?

Angel_of_the_North profile image
Angel_of_the_North in reply to Leab8

You need an increase in levo. You can only increase by 25mcg every 6 weeks or so. it has to be done slowly

Leab8 profile image
Leab8 in reply to Angel_of_the_North

I’ll upload the other sheet of results x

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator

Just seen your other post

Shows very low FT3

Did you find out range on FT4 result? FT4 should be in top third of range if adequately treated

TSH is too high

See GP for 25mcg dose increase in Levothyroxine and retest again in 6-8 weeks

Useful website to work out percentage of range

chorobytarczycy.eu/kalkulator

FT3 only 18% through range. Looking for FT3 to be at least over 50%

Notice your calcium level is on low side. Common sideaffect of low vitamin D

You can get vitamin D test here - NHS postal kit £29

If GP won't test

vitamindtest.org.uk

Bloods should be retested 6-8 weeks after any dose change

Recommended on here that all thyroid blood tests should ideally be done as early as possible in morning and fasting. This gives highest TSH, lowest FT4 and most consistent results. (Patient to patient tip, best not mentioned to GP or phlebotomist)

Last Levothyroxine dose should be 24 hours prior to test, (taking delayed dose immediately after blood draw).

Leab8 profile image
Leab8

If tsh is too high does that mean increasing or decreasing meds? Sorry I’ve just started learning more about it all but I do have thyroid cancer and had my thyroid removed so I’ve been told my meds have to be as high as possible to suppress the cancer, I had been asking for years with low thyroid to try t3 I thought it was an issue but always get told it’s fine and if I want to try it I have to pay hundreds per month but maybe it will be different now it’s all gone and I need it? But they won’t send me to an endrincardologist until I’m cancer free but in the mean time I’m not right at all my hair is falling out drastically I’m suffering with sever fatigue and headaches and lots of pains every day I don’t want to still feel like this for months on end until someone will help 😓 xx

Batty1 profile image
Batty1 in reply to Leab8

Oh my gosh.....You should be seeing Endocrinologist if you had thyroid cancer.

Leab8 profile image
Leab8

Also atm I have 150mcg of eutriox thyroxine and the extra 25 they increased it to is mercury pharma levothyroxine so is it best to have both in one make only and do you know which brand is best the least fillers etc at all? I’m already taking a folate from the doctors but it’s still low, they have not suggested giving me a higher dose, so I guess these are all what an endrincardologist will do for me as they know more than the gps but I’ve got to wait a long time before one will see me. Should I buy folate myself and increase it do you think ? Thank you always for help x

Leab8 profile image
Leab8

My docs always tell me my b12 is fine because I wondered is it was that too as I have really low blood pressure and I get very dizzy and faint allll the time x

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator in reply to Leab8

Did you get dose increase in Levothyroxine?

You need FULL Thyroid and vitamin testing 6-8 weeks after any dose change

Important to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 too

Recommended on here that all thyroid blood tests should ideally be done as early as possible in morning and fasting. This gives highest TSH, lowest FT4 and most consistent results. (Patient to patient tip, best not mentioned to GP or phlebotomist)

Last Levothyroxine dose should be 24 hours prior to test, (taking delayed dose immediately after blood draw).

Private tests are available. Thousands on here forced to do this as NHS often refuses to test FT3 or antibodies or all vitamins

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/testin...

Medichecks Thyroid plus ultra vitamin or Blue Horizon Thyroid plus eleven are the most popular choice. DIY finger prick test or option to pay extra for private blood draw. Both companies often have special offers, Medichecks usually have offers on Thursdays, Blue Horizon its more random

B12 and ferritin are both currently low. They may improve as dose of Levothyroxine increases

But many people need to supplement to maintain optimal levels

B12 at least over 500

Ferritin at least half way in range

Folate over ten

Vitamin D over 80nmol

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