Help decipher my test results

[Jomc9]

Can anyone please help me understand my results please?? I was diagnosed with Hashimoto in May, but I can’t understand if these results still show that?

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Jomc9

Not easy to read, even on my large PC monitor, it would be better if you got rid of all the space around the page and just zoomed in on the actual test name/result/range.

Everything is in range, nothing flagged up.

TSH seems to be 1.97 (0.55-4.7).

TSH alone is not an indicator of thyroid status, it's a pituitary hormone which tells the thyroid to make hormone when it detects there's not enough. It's FT4 and FT3 that are the thyroid hormones and tell us what we need to know.

Are you on Levothyroxine? If so the aim of a hypo patient generally, when on Levo, is for TSH to be 1 or below or wherever it needs to be for FT4 and FT3 to be in the upper part of their reference ranges, if that is where you feel well.

How do you feel?

Are you addressing the Hashi's with a gluten free diet and supplementing with selenium which seems to help some Hashi's patients?

How was your Hashi's diagnosed? Positive antibodies? Once you have Hashi's then you have it and you don't need antibodies retesting, antibodies fluctuate anyway. The Hashi's doesn't go away, Hashi's is where the immune system attacks the thyroid and gradually destroys it.

[Jomc9 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thank you very much for your reply. I thought that my T4 & T3 wasn’t on here. I had a Medichecks test done and it showed high antibodies ( Hashimoto) I’m not on any medication, but I have had a lot of symptoms. Mainly extremely tired, gaining lots of weight, aching arms, hands and fertility problems. I’m sure my GP is going to say menopause stuff, but I know I’m not there yet. I’m trying to mange it all with diet.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

How much Levothyroxine are you currently taking?

When was dose last increased?

Do you always get same brand of Levothyroxine?

These results only show TSH and ferritin

How do you feel?

For full Thyroid evaluation you need TSH, FT4 and FT3 tested. Also EXTREMELY important to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12

Low vitamin levels are extremely common, especially as you have autoimmune thyroid disease (Hashimoto's) diagnosed by raised Thyroid antibodies

Ask GP to test vitamin D, B12 and folate levels

Recommended on here that all thyroid blood tests should ideally be done as early as possible in morning and before eating or drinking anything other than water .

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

This gives highest TSH, lowest FT4 and most consistent results. (Patient to patient tip, best not mentioned to GP or phlebotomist)

Is this how you do your tests?

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

[Jomc9 in reply to SlowDragon]

Thank you very much for replying. Currently not on any medication. I do have folate and B12 results, but I can’t work out how to add another photo of the back yet. My private Medichecks blood test, showed high antibodies, yet on this they have tested my T3 or T4? I’m so confused?

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Jomc9]

You can only add one picture and only in the opening post of a thread. You have to type anything else into your post.

Many labs only test TSH as standard and only do FT4 if TSH is out of range, rarely is FT3 done, the hospital lab that does my GP's tests do FT3 test if TSH is suppressed.

[Jomc9 in reply to SeasideSusie]

In May, my Medichecks results were this; TSH 1.89 min/L

Free T3 4.9 pmol/L

Free Thyroxine 15.9 pmol/L

Thyroglobulin Antibodies 269 KU/L

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Jomc9]

Your TPO antibodies confirm Hashi's but until your TSH is over range you are unlikely to be prescribed Levo.

To get the highest possible TSH when looking for a diagnosis (or when on Levo to avoid a reduction in dose or to secure an increase in dose) we should book an early appointment for the test, no later than 9am, fast overnight from evening meal/supper the night before, and drink only water before the test.

[Jomc9 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Ok. Thank you for responding and helping me. I’m going to the GP in the morning and I might ask for another test to be done. Many thanks 😊

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Jomc9]

Can you type results in for B12, folate and vitamin D

NHS currently refuses to acknowledge Hashimoto's based on only high TG antibodies

NHS only recognises high TPO antibodies

Presumably your Medichecks test shows TPO antibodies are within range ?

healthline.com/health/antit...

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/303...

[Jomc9 in reply to SlowDragon]

B12 418 ng/L

Folate 8.6 ug/L

Vit D ( Tested in May with Medichecks) 50.1 nmol/L

Thyroglobulin Antibodies 269.000 kU/L

Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies <9.0 kiU/L

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Jomc9]

Did you start improving vitamin D by supplementing after results in May?

GP will only prescribe to bring vitamin D up to 50nmol.

Aiming to improve by self supplementing to at least 80nmol and around 100nmol may be better .

Once you Improve level, very likely you will need on going maintenance dose to keep it there.

Retesting yearly via vitamindtest.org.uk

Vitamin D mouth spray by Better You is good as avoids poor gut function.

Government recommends everyone supplement October to April

gov.uk/government/news/phe-...

B12 and folate are both on the low side. 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

Igennus Super B complex are nice small tablets. 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 Thorne Basic B or jarrow B-right are other options that contain folate, but both are large capsules

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...

If you have Low B12 symptoms you may need sublingual B12 too

b12deficiency.info/signs-an...

If vitamin D is low, B vitamins may be too. As explained by Dr Gominack

drgominak.com/sleep/vitamin...

[Jomc9 in reply to SlowDragon]

Thank you very much for your reply. That’s super helpful and very kind of you. Yes, I take a Vit D mouth spray . I’ll take a look at my vitamins levels and all the links you sent me.

Thank you 😊

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to SlowDragon]

"NHS currently refuses to acknowledge Hashimoto's based on only high TG antibodies

NHS only recognises high TPO antibodies"

Oh dear, I read that as TPO antibodies! Should have gone to SpecSavers!