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Blood test results

Felly35 profile image
17 Replies

Hi

Can someone help me with my blood test results? All I hear from my GP and endo is that I’m fine. I’ve used Medichecks this time because I wanted to see Reverse T3. I take selenium (200), Vitamin D (4000IU), Vit K, probiotics, Omega 3, Magnesium (Calm) everyday and I am 90% on AIP diet for the last 5 months or so.

TSH 3.98mIU/L ( 0.27 - 4.2)

Free T3 4.2pmol/L (3.1 - 6.8)

Free Thyroxine 17.1pmol/l (12-22)

Reverse T3 18ng/dL (10-24)

FT3:RT3 15.19 ratio ( >15)

Thyroglobulin antibodies 13.7kIU/L( <15)

Thyroid peroxide antibodies 69.7kIU/L(<34)

Folate serum 15.53ug/L (>3.89)

Vitamin D 62.3nmol/L (50-175)

Vitamin B12 Active 160pmol/L (37.5-188)

Ferritin 207ug/L (13-150)

I’m always tired and anxious. I’m also loosing hair and problems with constipation for the last 20 years, joint pain and dry skin and of course brain fog. I really want to see a private endo but this could be so expensive. Thank you

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Felly35
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17 Replies
Felly35 profile image
Felly35

I have just updated my text with the range as well for blood tests.

SeasideSusie profile image
SeasideSusieRemembering

Are you diagnosed hypothyroid and taking any thyroid hormone replacement, you mention that your endo says you are fine so maybe you are. Knowing if you take thyroid hormone makes a difference to how we interpret your results.

Felly35 profile image
Felly35 in reply to SeasideSusie

Thank you for your reply. I don’t take any thyroid hormones. Just from blood test my endo says I’m fine. Couple of years ago I had a private scan of my thyroid and it showed that I have thyroiditis. But no medication because my blood test were in range.

SeasideSusie profile image
SeasideSusieRemembering in reply to Felly35

Felly35

TSH 3.98mIU/L ( 0.27 - 4.2)

Free T3 4.2pmol/L (3.1 - 6.8)

Free Thyroxine 17.1pmol/l (12-22)

TSH is close to top of range and shows your thyroid is struggling.

FT4 is 51% through range.

TSH is 30% through range.

A normal healthy person would generally have a TSH level no more than 2, with FT4 around mid-range +

At the moment these results wont give you a diagnosis of hypothyroidism.

Thyroglobulin antibodies 13.7kIU/L( <15)

Thyroid peroxide antibodies 69.7kIU/L(<34)

Your raised TPO antibody result suggests autoimmune thyroid disease aka Hashimoto's and is in keeping with your previous diagnosis of thyroiditis.

If you can get a set of results which show raised antibodies plus over range TSH then an elightened doctor should start you on Levo, as suggested by Dr Anthony Toft, leading endocrinologist and past president of the British Thyroid Association who said in an article in Pulse magazine (the magazine for doctors):

Question 2:

I often see patients who have an elevated TSH but normal T4. How should I be managing them?

Answer:

The combination of a normal serum T4 and raised serum TSH is known as subclinical hypothyroidism. If measured, serum T3 will also be normal. Repeat thyroid function tests in two or three months in case the abormality represents a resolving thyroiditisis.

But if it persists then antibodies to thyroid peroxidase should be measured. If these are positive - indicative of underlying autoimmune disease - the patient should be considered to have the mildest form of hypothyroidism.

In the absence of symptoms some would simply recommend annual thyroid function tests until serum TSH is over 10mU/l or symptoms such as tiredness and weight gain develop. But a more pragmatic approach is to recognise that the thyroid failure is likely to be come worse and try to nip things in the bud rather than risk loss to follow up.

Treatment should be started with levothyroxine in a dose sufficient to restore serum TSH to the lower part of it's reference range. Levothyroxine in a dose of 75-100mcg daily will usually be enough.

You can obtain a copy of the article by emailing Dionne at

tukadmin@thyroiduk.org

print it and highlight question 2 to show your doctor if in the future your TSH goes over range with raised antibodies.

Reverse T3 18ng/dL (10-24)

FT3:RT3 15.19 ratio ( >15)

There really isn't a lot of point in testing reverse T3, it's a bit of a red herring. There are many, many causes of high rT3 which are not connected to the thyroid. If it was connected to the thyroid then FT4 would be high/over range and FT3 would be low, indicating that there is too much T4 and it is converting to rT3 rather than FT3.

Conditions that contribute to increased Reverse T3 levels include: Chronic fatigue, Acute illness and injury, Chronic disease, Increased cortisol (stress), Low cortisol (adrenal fatigue), Low iron, Lyme disease, Chronic inflammation. Also selenium deficiency, excess physical, mental and environmental stresses. Also Beta-blocker long-term use such as propranolol, metoprolol, etc. Physical injury is a common cause of increased RT3, also illnesses like the flu. Starvation/severe calorie restriction is known to raise RT3. Diabetes when poorly treated is known to increase RT3. Lyme disease. Cirrhosis of the liver. Fatty liver disease. Any other liver stress Renal Failure. A fever of unknown cause. Detoxing of high heavy metals.

Folate serum 15.53ug/L (>3.89)

This is OK.

Vitamin B12 Active 160pmol/L (37.5-188)

This is fine, quite high for someone not supplementing.

Ferritin 207ug/L (13-150)

This is high, possibly raised due to inflammation or infection, it could be raised due to Hashi's. Recommended level for ferritin is half way through range.

Vitamin D 62.3nmol/L (50-175) = 24.92ng/ml - taking Vitamin D (4000IU),

The Vit D Council recommends a level of 125nmol/L (50ng/ml) and the Vit D Society recommends a level of 100-150nmol/L (40-60ng/ml).

To reach the recommended level from your current level, based on the Vit D Council's suggestions you could supplement with 3,700iu D3 daily

vitamindcouncil.org/i-teste...

So the dose you are taking is appropriate. How long have you been taking it? What form of D3 are you taking - softgel, tablets, capsules, oral spray?

Felly35 profile image
Felly35 in reply to SeasideSusie

Hi SeasideSusie, thank you for your detailed reply. I will email Dionne and hopefully I will get a copy of the article. Though I struggle with thyroid for some time it’s still so much to learn. It looks so complex. I will re read your reply few times so I can digest all the info.

I take Vit D as softgel, is this the best way to have it? Thank you

SeasideSusie profile image
SeasideSusieRemembering in reply to Felly35

A softgel is fine for most people, it gives much better absorption than tablets or capsules. I use Doctor's Best and have great results with it and like the fact that it only has 2 ingredients - D3 and extra virgin olive oil.

However, some Hashi's patients find that an oral spray gives best absorption as it bypasses the stomach and is absorbed through the mucous membranes in the oral cavity. If you take your D3 softgel regularly and your Vit D level is rising then it would seem that you are absorbing it well enough. If it's not rising then you might want to try an oral spray, eg BetterYou, or sublingual liquid such as Vitabay Organic.

It's important to retest Vit D twice a year to check your level and adjust dose if necessary to maintain your level within the recommended range. You can do this with a private fingerprick blood spot test with an NHS lab which offers this test to the general public, cost is £29:

vitamindtest.org.uk/

Felly35 profile image
Felly35 in reply to SeasideSusie

Thank you for your recommendations. I might try the oral spray, never had. In the summer I always try to have a break from Vit D for a month or two.

SeasideSusie profile image
SeasideSusieRemembering in reply to Felly35

Well, I'd keep a check on your level, we don't all make Vit D naturally from the sun. I need 5000iu D3 daily throughout the year.

Felly35 profile image
Felly35 in reply to SeasideSusie

I will definitely check my levels for Vit D.

Marz profile image
Marz

A year ago you had loads of suggestions ! Did you manage to follow any ? Maybe have a re-read 🌈

Felly35 profile image
Felly35 in reply to Marz

Hi, I am trying my best especially with my diet. I am 100%dairy free and sugar free which I wasn’t a year ago, I’m reading lots of books about thyroid including Amy Myers book. I take daily Magnesium and probiotics. I have even tried homeopathy for 6 months now. Thyroid antibodies are lower but my TSH has increased since last year. Just wondering if there is something else which I can do. Thank you for your reply.

Marz profile image
Marz in reply to Felly35

Sounds as if you are doing so many good things ... hopefully things will soon improve.

Felly35 profile image
Felly35 in reply to Marz

Thank you, I hope so too

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator

Your vitamin D is still perhaps too low. Most Hashimoto's patients need vitamin D at least around 80nmol and around 100nmol may be better

Did you do blood test asap early morning and no food or drink apart from water before test?

Your TSH is creeeping up. You might get a private endocrinologist to agree to trial of Levothyroxine....but they might want TSH to be above range

Felly35 profile image
Felly35 in reply to SlowDragon

Hi SlowDragon, thank you so much again for your reply. I had blood test first thing in the morning with no food or drinks. I will try to get in touch with a private endo probably soon.

I thought if I’m strict with my diet and take a more natural approach I will manage to reverse this disease. I struggle with my daily task, I am not as I used to be. Not sure if my family understands this. I feel like I fail in everything I do. Sorry I just feel a bit down today. Thank you for your input.

Lora7again profile image
Lora7again

My vitamin D is always low especially this time of year so I use a spray which I put on my tongue. I think this makes it easier to absorb.

Felly35 profile image
Felly35 in reply to Lora7again

I will definitely try the spray next. I was worried that I take too much Vit D but I can see the soft gel doesn’t absorb well. Probably I should change it for my children as well, as my little boy has low Vit D and I give him gummies 400IU. Thank you

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