Hello once more. I posted my Medichecks results before but I don't think anyone commented on the Free T3 or FT4, only on the TSH. Here they are:
TSH 5.4 mIU/l [range 0.27-4.2]
Free T3 4.3 pmol/L [range 3.1-6.8]
Free T4 14.6 pmol/L [range 12-22]
TGAb 69 kIU/l [range <115]
TPO <9 kIU/L [range <34]
I am going to the doctor soon to see if I get anywhere as I have had muscle aches in my upper arms for 2 years and find it difficult to lift chairs etc. This is getting worse and the muscles often throb with pain in bed and the left arm muscle is slightly enlarged. I have the gp appt next week ahead of going to see a new private endo.
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mountainice
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Folks won't have commented on ft4 and Ft3 unless to say they are lowish and your tsh is high. Until your tsh is 1 or under there is not much else to be said. Once your tsh is there then we can begin to consider how you are converting. If you are currently on medication then it needs to be increased. It would be helpful to know what meds you are on as this can affect results. For example if you are on levo only then ft4 is low. If you also take t3 then a low ft4 is common.
Hey mountainice. I hope you can get started on some Levothyroxine as your TSH is high and out of range and your FT3/4’s are low and obviously to low for you as you are having symtoms.
GP guidelines are to do nothing in subclinical patients until their TSH reaches 10 or more. This is so traumatising for lots of people as it can take many years to reach that ‘magic’ number.
Please do to thyruodUK and print of the list of symptoms. Tick all that apply to you and show it to your GP. Also print of the NICE guidlines that state that if you are experiencing symptoms as subclinical then it is appropriate to start a trial of Levothyroxine.
(Make sure to use a highlighter pen on the paragraphs that are specific to you to draw your GP’s attention directly as you only have 5/10min appointments.)
I have looked at the guidelines many times and they don't seem to apply to me as I am nearly 71, though my TSH was 5 when I was under 65, in fact over the last 17 years for which I have records availalable it has fluctuated from up and down to 5.
Nope!!! Don’t be scared! You will start at 25mcg, maintain for 6wks and see how you go from there! You will feel better than you have in the last 17yrs!
At 71 you should feel like you are 51! In this day and age there is no reason to ‘feel’ old! Health and social care has changed so much over the years that you should feel spritely! Please don’t waste your life! Get up and get on it! 🤗
Yes, but where do we get it from. I'm still going through the doctor route first on Tuesday and if no good, private. After that i will need to make a decision. Thanks for encouragement.
You put up a new post and ask members to private message you their sources. We can’t do that publicly on the forum but many are happy to message you with the how’s and admins will also be happy to respond to a private message if you need to ask if a source is legitimate.
We discussed your results a few days ago - your FT3 is far too low as is your FT4. TSH too high.
Your FT3 is 32.4% through range and your FT4 is 26% through range.
Your pituitary gland is signalling to your thyroid gland (your TSH level - high) to produce more T4 which it is struggling to do hence 26% FT4 result and high TSH.
Your thyroid is unable to produce the T4 your body needs therefore you need to supplement with Levothyroxine to raise that level.
Your low FT4 is such that there is an inadequate amount available for conversion in the body to FT3....hence 32.4% FT3 result!
T4 is the storage hormone which when converted by the body becomes T3, the active hormone which is used by trillions of cells in the body to provide well-being. To function properly these cells need a constant and adequate supply of T3.. 32.4% is not adequate.
With these levels you require medication!
Medics tend to diagnose by TSH and FT4 and rarely test FT3 which is a hugely important, but frequently ignored, factor . They are badly educated in thyroid disease, if they were this forum may not exist!
Have another look at the paper I linked into my earlier replies......underline salient points as I suggested and ask your GP to read/comment! The info you need is all there.
Unfortunately aiming for recovery takes some effort on patient's part, when medics fail to help us we have to take control, learn about our condition and if necessary self medicate,
However, given the relevant lab results (above) your GP, if he is open minded enough, should recognise your need for levothyroxine. If not try and persuade him to offer you a 3 month trial .....the results hopefully will prove the point!
We did discuss them, but not the FT4 and FT3 I think but thank you for giving me the percentages. I printed the screenshot of the Medichecks results showing the visual representation of the numbers on a slider. I find it really hard to challenge a doctor and never sound confident face-to-face. I have been reading for a year and still can't remember stuff. I am fed up of having piles of paper by the computer and in files and labels in my gmail relating to thyroid! I have learnt a little I know that, but have always found it hard to retain information. Thanks.
Have you already discussed the possibility of hypo with your GP and been told "no" .... or prior to this consultation are you just anticipating a problem
Many of us suffer/have suffered from brain fog....don't struggle to remember. Write things down!
Don't approach the GP as if you are going into battle, (to challenge him as you say) that causes stress before you arrive
You have been given all the info you need to discuss your symptoms/ resolution and shaws who is very experienced has confirmed that you need medication. Your GP needs to prescribe levothyroxine!
Hopefully you will be pleasantly surprised by the outcome of this appointment....let us know how you get on.
I must also state that I'm not medically qualified but remained undiagnosed for too long but given diagnosis for things I didn't have and even an operation on throat which I shouldn't have had as the 'web' which was going to be removed wasn't there. In fact once diagnosed I realised what they thought was a web (and told I'd choke to death) was actually a swollen thyroid gland.
We understand you're not a medic but you're head and shoulders above many /most even in the thyroid field! As are others here.
I was undiagnosed (v. poor conversion/RTH - both discovered here) for so long that by the time I arrived here (crawled even!) hoping for help my cellular T3 must have been dangerously low.
I'm glad you're improving. My goodness do we not need more doctors who can think for themselves and treat the patients back to good health. After all we are flesh and blood and not mechanical machines. Unfortunately doctors cannot think for themselves as they'd like to as they may get their licence removed if they go outside the regulations.
I think I must have missed that part! Yes, been told by gp, I can't prescribe and she send me to the endo who said nothing wrong - euthyroid. I know that another gp in the practice prescribes at a lower level than mine, in fact she is one of my doctors but I have only seen her once. I always write everything down but feel really bad when I go in to the gp with bits of paper. I showed the last 17 years of TSH and FT4 levels to the endo, he didn't even glance at it because he said he had it on screen - not sure he had them all going back that far. I got the results from my online record.
I am writing a letter which I will deliver today to the gp. I have done this before with no result! This time I have dates when symptoms started. A rather wordy letter but showing I kept records and when symptoms bean etc. I find it really hard to find my old posts apart from labelling them in gmail. How are you finding mine please? If I get nowhere I will keep the private appointment but again, will write a letter ahead of the appointment. I often feel like I want to cry before I even go into the appointment, especially if I haven't slept. I can lose my cool easily, either with crying or even sounding quite angry, which doesn't really get me anywhere.
To find your previous posts click on your avatar at the top RHS of page and you will find a link to your profile in the drop downbox. I think it says "update profile"
TSH is too high and you should have increases in dose to bring it down to around 1 and both frees are low. So definitely need an increase.The aim is for both Frees to be in the upper part of the ranges. This is a list of symptoms:-
Why are we supposed to 'train' doctors and GPs about clinical symptoms, despite the TSH not reaching the 'magic number' of 10 (in UK). Maybe give your GP a copy of the following or tell him you will "have no recourse but to source your own thyroid hormones - which you don't want to do but that your symptoms are disabling and making your life a misery."
Tick off your clinical symptoms. If he's going by your TSH alone it is not a 'clinical symptom' as it is from the pituitary gland. Give him a copy of the articles too. He may not want to be 'educated' but you want to feel well again. Oh! that we have doctors, like the 'old school' who were trained before blood tests were introduced and we got a trial of NDT (natural dessicated thyroid hormones) at the very least. Tell your GP you are becoming desperate as you know symptoms can be relieved if given the correct hormones.
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