I am an idiot!

[diamondial]

I haven't posted my recent results as I was so annoyed with myself and think they're largely irrelevant anyway because instead of stopping my T3 12 hours before the blood test, I stopped for it 24 hours. I thought I was being so good too!

The results were:

TSH - 0.05 (0.55-4.78) indicated as too low

Free T4 - 13 (10 - 20)

Free T3 - 4.4 (3.50 - 6.50)

This was on a dose of 75mcg T4 and 12.5mcg of T3. I have since reduced the T3 to 6.25mcg as I thought perhaps those readings, although inaccurate, showed I might be getting too much T3 (bearing in mind the 24 hour break from taking it). Anyway, as I say, I feel very cross with wasting an opportunity for an accurate blood test result and am only posting here in case anyone has anything to add - other than that I'm an idiot of course as I know that!

[greygoose]

Don't be so hard on yourself! These things happen. And, you'll know better next time.

For the time being, try adding 20% on to your result, and that will give you a better idea of what it really is. Not high enough to reduce your T3, in my opinion! So, if I were you, I'd put it back up again before you start to feel bad.

[diamondial in reply to greygoose]

Very many thanks greygoose - I think then that I'll probably put my T3 back to 12.5mcg and do a private check in 6-8 weeks.

[greygoose in reply to diamondial]

That sounds like the best plan, to me.

[diamondial in reply to greygoose]

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

diamondial

Your TSH is low because you're taking T3, that's just what it does, it doesn't mean to say it's too low, all it means is that the pituitary is detecting there is enough thyroid hormone so it's not sending the signal (TSH) to make any. TSH is not particularly relevant when taking T3, it's the FT3 result that's important.

Personally, even though you left 24 hours between last dose of T3 and blood draw instead of the 8-12 hours that is advised, I wouldn't have reduced the dose, I would have kept it as it was and retested with the proper time gap.

What you need to do now is decide if you're staying on 6.25 or going back to 12.5mcg. Whichever you decide, retest 6-8 weeks after the dose change. If you order a Thyroid Monitoring test from Medichecks today, it's on offer with a £10 reduction at £29 instead of £39. This is the last day of the offer and needs to be ordered before midnight.

As for your FT4 result, when on combination replacement hormone we have to decide ourselves where we need our FT4 level. Your level would be no good for me, I would be very unwell with that level and need it much higher in the range, others do fine when it's that low. Only you can know.

[diamondial in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thanks very much SeasideSusie. As I've said to greygoose, I think I'll go back to 12.5mcg of T3. I'm going to check Medichecks as soon as I've finished replying here.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Make sure to get vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 retested at next test too ...if not been retested in last year

Your FT4 is pretty low. You may need small increase in Levothyroxine

See if FT4 has dropped further at next test

[diamondial]

Thank you very much SlowDragon. Okay, I will make sure to get those vitamin levels retested. I'll report back here when I've had the further tests and this time do it properly and not have to keep kicking myself!