Hi,
I have managed to get from my GP my first test results, I will try and next the last ones from the hospital tomorrow.
Can anyone tell me what these might mean?
Thyroid peroxiddase antibod lev
Normal
Thyroid function test
Abnormal
T4 level 83.3 pml/L 10.30-24.50pmol/L
T3 level 25.4 pml/L 3.50- 6.50pmol/L
TSH 0.01 mIU/L 0.30-5.50mlUL
Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (APSB6250) - Very High
They show you are very hyperthyroid
FT3 very high above range
You seriously need to consider starting on medication that has been prescribed
Hi,
That test was on 16th Dec. I have been using homeopathy and herbs since then and do feel a bit better daily. I am having more blood tests tomorrow, so I will let you know the changes. I cannot bring myself to take the meds before I really give alternatives a go.
I really appreciate your reply and value opinions of those who have experience. I am just stating this journey.
This is an explanation of hyperthyroidism.
Lovehelp
Thyroid peroxiddase antibod lev
Normal
This means that your thyroid perixidase antibodies, at the time of that test, were not raised so did not indicate autoimmune thyroid disease (Hashimoto's).
Thyroid function test
Abnormal
T4 level 83.3 pml/L 10.30-24.50pmol/L
Your FT4 level was very high over range suggesting overactive thyroid.
T3 level 25.4 pml/L 3.50- 6.50pmol/L
Your FT3 level was very high over range suggesting overactive thyroid.
TSH 0.01 mIU/L 0.30-5.50mlUL
Your TSH was below range, suggesting overactive thyroid.
Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (APSB6250) - Very High
This is an inflammation marker and can be raised in autoimmune disease, you can read about ESR here, click on all the headings under Common Questions:
labtestsonline.org.uk/tests...
As you have been diagnosed with hyperthyroidism and been prescribed Carbimazole, you might want to ask for the Graves Disease antibodies to be tested as previously mentioned - TSI and TRAb to confirm this, although I would say that your FT4/FT3 results do pretty much suggest overactive rather than Hashimoto's, but that's just my opinion and I'm not medically trained.
Thanks, That test was from 16th Dec. I hve been treating myself with homeopathy and herbs and am feeling better each day. I am having blood tests tomorrow, so I will post any news/changes. I am still reluctant to take the meds, but I do not want to put myself in danger!
You are at risk of heart problems, anxiety and reduction of bone density unless you get your thyroid hormone levels into the normal range quickly. As others have said, thyroid hormone may fluctuate without treatment but I have never heard of homeopathy curing an overactive thyroid. Even if homeopathy makes you feel a bit better, you must take heed of the biochemical evidence (blood tests) and treat with conventional therapies that are known to work if you value your health. With overactive thyroid caused by antibodies for Graves disease then speedy action is essential.
When ill you may lose your sense of judgement so please follow the expert's advice.
I never lost my sense of judgment but I did not trust people who tried to get me to have my thyroid removed when I didn't want to or when my so called expert Endocrinologist who overdosed me on PTU so my TSH was 9, offered me counselling for feeling ill.
Many UK doctors do not treat hypothyroidism until TSH is higher than 10. You may develop some symptoms before you reach a TSH of 10 but I expect that from the point of view of clinical safety and your health its safer than being hyperthyroid. It takes time to get thyroid levels right and its very likely you may fluctuate between being a little over or a little under before staying in range. You will feel unwell from fluctuations
which are likely to have more impact than a short term slightly raised TSH.
I have Graves' disease and I am now in my second remission so I don't need treatment at the moment
Yes, I understand you have Graves disease and presume this has been confirmed with antibodies tests. However, you mentioned that your TSH was 9. And my point is that 9 is not unreasonably high when trying to get thyroid under control. I've seen people on this forum with TSH of over 100! I have had a TSH of over 11 when trying to get thyroid hormone balanced. The symptoms were mild but might have got worse if left for many months. My worst symptoms have been from fluctuations and I would advocate stability as the way forward.
My TSH was 9 over 10 years ago when my rubbish Endocrinologist overdosed me on PTU my T4 and T3 were also very low and my hair and nails were dropping off and I was bedridden ..... read my story on my profile. Sorry to read you had thyroid cancer ... how are you now?
Oh, I'm fine now. Once I optimised all my vitamin levels and slowly rehabilitated with exercise and learned to be very careful how I took levothyroxine and stuck to the brand that suits me. Then also went gluten free and low carb. Slowly it all came together. Thyroid disease is challenging but it is possible to live well, I've discovered. I do have low bone density though which is an ongoing concern and have some frustrating symptoms from time to time which are probably nothing to do with thyroid.
Sorry to hear you've been through the mill.
These are very high thyroid hormone levels and will put a stain on your heart and your mental wellbeing. You are in danger at the moment. It's essential to take carbimazole to reduce your hormone levels and your doctor should consider prescribing a beta blocker to protect your heart. Hyperthyroidism often leads to anxiety which can affect your judgement. It is essential to bring this under control ASAP. Homeopathy will not stop a damaged thyroid pumping out excess hormone. The release of hormone will be erratic, more some days than others. As suggested your doctor should check for TSH receptor antibodies (TRAb) as these can also affect the eyes.
These are the highest hormone levels I have ever seen on this forum, you really do need to take the medicine. Levels this high can also cause the pituitary to secrete less TSH in the future making it more difficult to treat in the future.
Stop trying to scare her .... this is not helping. We need to support her not frighten her.
Lovehelp why are you so relunctant to take your meds? With results like that you must feel poorly. There are times when we have to take a more robust approach then hoping herbs & our body will sort themselves out in time. I do sympathise but sometimes the wait & see approach can do more harm than good.
For years I was never ill my body was resilliant & strong so when my body finally subccomb to a condition like hypothyroidism it shook me up as I realised my body wasnt invincible. No one wants to take meds but sometimes we just have to for our own well being.
Hope you start to feel better soon.
Lovehelp, I see you are having further tests today.
Please post back the results.
I am not sure how far you have got in understanding where you are?
Hyperthyroidism, however caused, is a serious disorder. When mild, to the point at which people often don't even think there is a problem, patients can feel pretty good. As it gets more pronounced, various signs and symptoms occur - the classics being things like fast heart rate, poor sleep and feeling warm.
(Thyroid UK has a list of fairly typical symptoms. You shouldn't expect to be suffering all of them. thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/about_... )
In serious hyperthyroidism, there is always the possibility of what is often called Thyroid Storm (Thyrotoxic Crisis seems to the preferred term in some areas). This is an extremely serious state with a high mortality. Here is just one link:
Endocrine and metabolic emergencies: thyroid storm
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...
There is no way of looking at your test results and identifying that you are, or are not, going to end up in a thyrotoxic crisis. Simply, higher thyroid hormone levels (and yours are already pretty high) make it more likely.
It is also very important to understand that anti-thyroid medicines (carbimazole and propylthiouracil) do not suddenly reduce your thyroid hormone levels. If you started carbimazole today, it would have very little effect on your thyroid hormone levels for, possibly, a few weeks. That is because it works by stopping the production of any more thyroid hormone. What has already been made needs to be used up. Your thyroid itself might have a large store. And a surprisingly large amount can be held in your blood.
Further, particularly when you start, it can be a good idea to split dose carbimazole. It has a relatively short life in your body and, if you only take it once a day, your thyroid can "escape" and start making more thyroid hormone before your next tablet.
I do realise you might not want to read this both because it can be upsetting and it goes against the way you wish to manage your health. It is always your choice which way to go but that is not a free choice if you are not aware of the possible consequences.
Thank you, I appreciate your detailed reply. Until yesterday / this morning and reading replies I had no idea had very high levels or consequences of them. I have been feeling dreadful. But some slight improvement . I will post my results from this mornings tests.
Your thyroid levels are very high and I can't see how you would be able to bring them down with natural treatment. Natural treatment can help with symptoms, but they won't do what the prescribed medication does
Hi Lovehelp, I feel very concerned for your health with thyroid levels that high think you should give medication a try. I have had hyperthyroidism in the past due to graves desease I felt so ill couldn't even write my name as had the shakes so bad and terrible palpitations but I was not keen on taking the medication but my GP told me that if I didn't take it I could end up having a heart attack which must admit frightened me so started the medication it took a while to get the dose right but I felt so much better and was on and off the carbimazole for about twelve years with no problems till I had Rai so now hypothyroid.
Yes she could always stop it if she feels unwell, that is what I did when my "expert" Endo overdosed me on PTU ... stupid man!
Lovehelp, my earlier post is a bit blunt, sorry. Perhaps your doctors should have taken a little more time to explain what is happening and the consequences. Your fT3 which is perhaps the most important measure is 25.4 whereas a typical level is 5.0.
T3 regulates metabolism and development. In the heart it can increase the heartbeat and cardiac output, pumping blood faster and more forcefully. In the long term this can lead to atrial fibrillation and risk of stroke. High brain T3 levels can cause anxiety and vertigo. It can be difficult to separate this 'chemical' anxiety from normal feelings, sometimes distressing feelings are not real in the sense they have a bio-chemical origin, rather than arising from a genuine emotional concern.
So, it's important to bring down the thyroid hormone levels whilst concurrently protecting the heart with medicines such as propranolol which slows the heartbeat and reduces conversion of T4 (the pro-hormone) to T3 (the active hormone). If you haven't taken these as prescribed it's best to tell the doctor so that they don't over prescribe.
Various animal experiments suggest that there can be adapatations to long term thyrotoxicosis (excess thyroid hormone levels). These animals survive but nobody is able to ask them how they feel. It's not desirable to have these adapatations kick in because we want our thyroid system to work normally after the hyperthyroidism settles down or is resolved with medication, surgery or radioiodine treatment. For this reason it is important to bring the hormone levels down to normal rather than relying on our body getting used to excess hormones. We don't want to disrupt the normal healthy responses to thyroid hormone.
Hope your consultation goes well today. Feel free to ask any questions. Make sure the doctors are aware of your feelings and concerns.
I disagree my husband was given propranolol for anxiety and it made his heart too slow and he nearly died. I decided not to take it because I know how adictive this drug can be and there was nothing wrong with my heart just my thyroid.
A heart beat that becomes too slow is a clear sign of overtreatement with propranolol, any drug can be given in excess. The problem lies with your husband's doctor not the drug. I haven't heard of propranolol being addictive, patients tend to ditch a drug if it makes them feel bad.
nhs.uk/medicines/propranolol/ recommends:
For too much thyroid hormone (thyrotoxicosis), the dose is 10mg to 40mg taken 3 or 4 times a day.
Lovehelp has been prescribed 'propranolol, 10mg 3 x day' which is a sensible starting point, possible too cautious. Propranolol and other beta-blockers are used as a safety net until thyroid hormone levels can be controlled.
The important point is bring the hormone levels under control to avoid long-term complications and mitigate awful symptoms. This gives the patient time to understand their condition and take control of their treatment plan. When hormone levels are under control a patient is able to play a full role in the management of their condition.
I'm sorry your own care has been so awful (not that unusual). The consequences you suffered illustrate how important good management in the early stages of hyperthyroidism is. Apart from possible cardiac harm and long-term risks there are other consequences. For example, patients who have had atrial fibrillation or thyroid storm will find it difficult or very expensive to obtain holiday or health insurance.
Take medicines prescribed to control hormone levels and protect the heart. If they don't agree with you there are alternatives to try. The patient is then in a position to assess how well the medicines are working and decide how their condition should be managed in the longer term.
I know all this jimh111 I worked in a large hospital Pharmacy for many years but thank you for your link.
I can understand your reluctance to take carbimazole I did and came out in a rash so changed to PTU which suited me better. Lets put this in prospective without all this scaremongering. I was left untreated with a suppressed TSH of 0.002 and very high antibodies for over 2 years ... during that time I repeatedly went to my GP complaining of sweating palpitations hair loss and nail loss they sent me away with hormone patches telling me it was the menopause. It is now 12 years later and I am not being treated by my GP even though I had a thyroid storm in July of last year and was admitted to hospital. I am not dead yet but both the treatment and being hyperthyroid can be dangerous if left. I have felt like I was dying a few times but I am still here and I monitoring my health myself. If you want to try an alternative way of treating this disease go for it because the medical profession have never helped me .... their solution is to kill my thyroid or surgically remove it which I have no intention of ever doing unless it is cancerous. If I was you I would do your own private blood tests and post them on here so we can see what your levels are at the moment. My TSH is 0.70 and I know I am slightly hyper but my GP thinks they are perfect ... 3 of my nails are now lifting of their beds and I feel like I am on speed (not that I have ever taken any drugs lol)
I know people in the UK and the US who have taken carbimazole for years or used block and replace to control their over active thyroid and they are very well. You do need to monitor your liver function and blood count because rarely the drug can affect your liver.
Here is a link about the drug
bnf.nice.org.uk/drug/carbim...
Hi,
There are so many replies, all I can say is thankyou all for your thoughts and advice. Clearly everyone has individual experiences. I have remained calm and realise there is no 'cure'. I always use natural solutions if I can and am used to many people being concerned about my choices. I came to this forum as I have no/had no idea about my condition.
I have not yet seen, an endocrinologist, I am waiting for a referral.
My bloods today are printed in a different format. They are:
TSH 0.01
Free Thyroxzine 8.5
Free Tri-Iodothyronine 4.0
? still none the wiser! Still taking natural remedies for while.....
I am considering the drugs now though, due to my realisation this is a serious condition and I should be very careful.
What are the ranges? When I was very hyper my T3 was about 8 ... I will dig out my old results to share them with you.
Which of the above is T3?
To be honest they don't make much sense ... you need T4 and T3 levels and those don't make much sense.... could you do a screen shot of the results?
I will, need my daughter's help with this...coming soon...
T4 is Thyroxine and T3 is Tri-Iodothyronine
And the advice from everyone is don't waste time with alternative treatments, being so hyper is serious.
Oh only about 50 years of it from age 12 , plus surgery plus RAI so yes I know what I'm talking about !
I have done very well after RAI, I'm on a relatively low dose of Levo and have had no problems since.
When you have had Graves as long as I have your views on treatments may well change.
This post isn't about me so I think we'll leave it there, best not to hyjack a thread 😊
I had the surgery and all good now thanks.
So thanks for all your advice and suggestions. I have blood results today, in a different format, I cant make sense of them though.
I list 2 sets, top of each from tests on 20th Dec ( they finally gave them to me), second form today 3rd Jan
Thyroid Function Tests:
TSH <0.01
TSH0.01
Free Thyroxzine - 97.4
Free Thyroxzine - 4.0
Free Tri- Iodothyronine 26.2
Free Tri - Iodothyronine 4.0
Is this good? on no meds?
If I rewrite your results
1) Your 1st set of results at start of this thread was TSH 0.01, FT4 83.3, FT3 25.4
2) Your results of 20th Dec were TSH < 0.01, FT4 97.4, FT3 26.2. We need the ranges, they seem to be the same range as used for 1). With that assumption in mind, I would say that your condition has got worse between Test 1) and Test 2) as both your FT4 and FT3 have increased.
3) Your results from today are TSH 0.01, FT4 4.0, FT3 4.0 . What are the ranges for this set of results. They are obviously different from the ranges in 1) and 2) so I can't interpret how they compare with your results from 1) and 2).
These results:
TSH 0.01
Free Thyroxzine 8.5
Free Tri-Iodothyronine 4.0
appear to be HYPOthyroid. Your numbers look very confusing, it's possible they are a bit mixed up. I would suggest you get the results printed out with the reference intervals. It's important to get accurate results before making decisions. It's unlikely your levels have changed this dramatically over the period of a few weeks. It's more likely there is a misinterpretation of the numbers. Either way the numbers need to be clarified.
What has the doctor said about all these results?
New member- Blood Tests- what do you think?
Thyroid Results - what do they mean?
Advice please - blood tests - don’t know what they mean!
