THYROID TEST RESULTS - HELP PLEASE

[thill1760]

Hello everyone, I finally got my Thyroid Check UltraVit Blood Test results back... I had a few other tests, just to set my mind at rest, so it took a lot longer to afford than hoped. Also, there was an issue with one of the tests coming back as invalid and the need for it to be taken again. So I have taken a long while to write.

Please can anyone who has time and understands the tests help with deciphering mine? I have all the classic symptoms. I do, do a lot to try and improve things holistically through diet/exercise/vitamins/sleep etc, but things are still pretty bad. (I suppose they could be worse if I wasn't trying 'natural' methods... but still.)

SO PHARMACEUTICALS: I am not sure whether I should take just T3, and how much. For how long – I think indefinitely, but then have read standard medical advice that's not safe?? Where to buy without a prescription. (I saw Cytomel and Tiromel, but was not really sure about safe sources.)

CONFUSED: Something I am confused about is they don't seem terrible compared to what they give as normal limits – but I have strong symptoms. The TSH is the only thing in their red zone. Hmmm. (Other tests also came back 'normal': Oestradiol Progesterone & Prolactin, Testosterone & Cortisol.)

- Inflammation (CRP HS) 4.73 mg/L< 5 R

- Iron Status (FERRITIN) 46.9ug/L 13 - 150

- Vitamins

(FOLATE - SERUM) >19.8 ug/L> 3.89

(VITAMIN B12 - ACTIVE) 150 pmol/L > 37.5

(VITAMIN D) 67.3 nmol/L 50 - 175

- Thyroid Hormones

(TSH) 4.35 mIU/L 0.27 - 4.2

(FREE T3) 5.65 pmol/L 3.1 - 6.8

(FREE THYROXINE) 13.7 pmol/L 12 - 22

- Autoimmunity

(THYROGLOBULIN ANTIBODIES) 14.2 kIU/L < 115

(THYROID PEROXIDASE ANTIBODIES) 16.7 kIU/L< 34

I WILL HAVE TO GO NON-PRESCRIPTION: Just wanted to clarify. It's not my preference, but I really cannot afford to go private. I know 100% my GP won't do a thing – as many of us suffering have experienced. About 13 years ago, long before I ever heard about thyroid, I started going to the GP with anxiety and my growing list of physical symptoms. I was flubbed off. Six/seven years ago when an extremely stressful domestic situation heightened my symptoms to where I was pretty much non-functioning. I went back again and again for about a year and was again more or less treated like I was imagining it all (or supposedly just "depressed", no matter how much I protested that was not the case – terrible anxiety yes, depressed no). If by some miracle I even eventually got the GP to send me to Norwich University Hospital endocrinology (my nearest for NHS) after the 6 months it would probably take to get to see anyone – I'll just say that I haven't read good things and haven't had (or heard of) good experiences at the hospital, in general, over the 18 years I've been here.

Feeling pretty alone. Thank you in advance to anyone who can advise. xx

[Lalatoot]

For me your FT4 level is low in range compared with your FT3 level in its range. If these were my results I would be looking to take or increase levothyroxine rather than T3. But we are all different.

[thill1760 in reply to Lalatoot]

Hi Lalatoot Thanks for replying and for the advice. Do you know what a typical/safe starting dosage is? Would it be per kilo of body weight (or more general maybe)? If you are still taking either, which seller do you use? Thank you xx

[SlowDragon Administrator]

You wouldn't start on T3

Vast majority of patients do fine on Levothyroxine. You would start on Levothyroxine. It's cheap and easy to use

Getting vitamins optimal is first step

Ferritin is rather low. Increase in iron rich foods plus daily vitamin C in form of orange juice or similar. Liver or liver pate once a week.

Vitamin D needs improving to around 80nmol and around 100nmol may be better

Do you supplement B12?

What other vitamin supplements do you currently take?

[thill1760 in reply to SlowDragon]

Hi SlowDragon! Thanks for replying

Ohh! I have read/watched so many people all over saying that Levothyroxine did not work for them (and maybe I got stuck in T3 pages here??). Somehow I just assumed Levothyroxine was not really helpful. That is good to know! I would be glad if that worked.

I take a few vitimins, but had stopped about 5 days before the test. I don't know whether it was right or wrong, butI thought it would give a better chance of seeing if I still really needed to take my vitamins – since I haven't had tests for that in ages. (I have been anaemic most of my life, plus my family do as well, along with thyroid dysfunction).... I had a prescription for super-high doses of iron (only thing NHS GP conceeded to saying was wrong with me) but haven't went back in a long time.

I had the test and have been back on them since.

Vitimins I Take Per Day:

- Iron 28mg (ferrous fumerate or iron bisglycinate)

- Vitimin C cheap "Slow Release" 1500mg

- Vitamin D 3000IU

- Multi-Vitamin for Hair Skin & Nails

- Vitamin B Full Spectrum Complex (at the time of test I had ben eating yeast supplemented with it, so most likely why it looks better eventhough I had stopped my usual vitamins a little before test)

x

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to thill1760]

There are almost 2 million people in the UK on Levothyroxine.....fortunately most of them are not on here

We tend to get newly diagnosed members, or ones like you who can't get diagnosed,

Plus very many who do ok on Levothyroxine, but are left under medicated on too small dose

....plus the 10-20% who have poor conversion or DNA issue and need addition of small dose of T3 prescribed alongside Levothyroxine (once Levothyroxine is up high enough)

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to thill1760]

Vitamin D

Are using vitamin D mouth spray? Many of us find it gives better results as avoids poor gut function

Better You make one that includes vitamin K2 mk7

Do you also supplement magnesium?

betterbones.com/bone-nutrit...

medicalnewstoday.com/articl...

livescience.com/61866-magne...

sciencedaily.com/releases/2...

Bone pain

easy-immune-health.com/pain...

Vitamin K2 mk7

betterbones.com/bone-nutrit...

intechopen.com/books/cell-s...

Ferritin.

Increasing iron rich foods such as liver or liver pate once a week, red meat plus other iron rich foods plus daily vitamin vitamin C

[thill1760 in reply to SlowDragon]

Hi again Slowdragon,

I will work on my vitamins. (I had stopped taking my supplements before my test.)

I use the spray Vitamin D yes thanks. I used to take a special type of Magnesium vith high bio-availability (and before that massage magnesium into skin), as well as a lot of other things... I only take the ones now that I cannot function properly without. I just couldn't afford the costs and I never really saw much improvement. Although that wasn't proved by a test, just my general feeling of wellbeing and symptoms/lack of symptoms.

Can you advise how I find information self medicating and buying without a prescription?

As mentioned below, I just took a chance on an online doctor that claims to treat all issues as well as give prescriptons and she just advised to go to the GP.

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to thill1760]

So your B12 and folate are good

Try increase in vitamin D and retest in 2-3 months....many need higher dose in winter

Getting out in sunshine in summer

Improving iron by eating liver or liver pate once a week and read the hundreds of posts about low iron on here

Do you suffer heavy periods? Classic sign of being hypothyroid...and obviously lowers iron levels too

[thill1760 in reply to SlowDragon]

Yes I have suffered a long time from extremely heavy periods. Thanks.

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to thill1760]

So that's good argument for trial of Levothyroxine

But it's still important to improve low ferritin at same time

List of hypothyroid symptoms

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/about_...

[thill1760 in reply to SlowDragon]

I will. I will try my best. I was extremely ill with intestinal disease when I was young. Although the disease was cured, it left me with the after effects that I don't absorb nutrients well – among other digestive and inflamation issues it left.

My whole family also suffer with anemia (and also heavy periods and, as I recently found out, some females have hypothyroidism). So I take it seriously. Most of my life I have always had to work on my health a lot through vitamins and food.

I do get effected by the rumble on the internet in my spinning around for answers. So maybeI have been getting too little iron the past year. (I actually got scared i was taking to much . You know there is a lot of scarmongering that it's easily toxic. And I hadn't had a blood test before this in a while

... Now I know I will definitely get more as you say.

<3

[magsyh]

Your problem is your ferritin it is much too low. The T4 you are converting is pooling due to lack of ferritin to transport it. Your ferritin needs to be about 80. Don't jump on to levothyroxine yet. I went through the same and felt terrible my T4 was low and my T3 was high. Ferritin is like the bus T4 jumps on to for transportation through your bloodstream. Work on getting your ferritin up and re test. I eventually got a private diagnosis when my T3 went very low. I couldn't afford the private prescription so I now buy my own and self medicate. I had to raise it very slowly started on 25mcg and it has taken me over a year to get to 69mcg. My body is very sensitive to levo and NDT I just couldn't handle the t3. My ferritin is now too high so I'm working on reducing it.

[thill1760 in reply to magsyh]

Thank you for the advice Magsyh

I will work on my iron. (I had stopped taking my supplements before my test.) Do you remember where you looked on advice of what doses/ intervals one should medicate?

I just had an an disappointingly rubbish, low cots consultation with an online doctor who who promises they deal with all medical issues and prescribe. She took an attitude with me of WHY if I have had symptoms so long , hadn't I been to a specialits yet and simply kept advising to see my GP and get them to send me to a specialist. The whole damn reason I paid money I cannot afford is to get a prescription because the GP does nothing (when you can even get an appointment.

I am kind of affraid to buy medicine from a random company but I am so past desperate at this point, I think I will have to.

[Arlie123 in reply to thill1760]

Hi thill, sorry you’re having such a rubbish time. In regards to sourcing your own medication - if you start a new thread with the request I think people will PM you with some info on where is good to buy it. I think forum rules dictate this can only be fine via private message.

Alternatively is it worth seeing a different GP? Or could you print out the nice guidelines which suggest a trial of treatment for people with tsh above 4 but below 10. cks.nice.org.uk/hypothyroid...

[thill1760 in reply to Arlie123]

Hi Arlie.

That is a big help thanks!

<3

[magsyh in reply to thill1760]

Everyone is different their lies the problem. I saw so many GPs and got told I was normal and within range. My TSH never went over 4.1 but my T4 and T3 were very low. I eventually got in touch with a private thyroid UK recommend doctor. He agreed I needed medication but put me on low dose NDT. It made me very depressed and within a few days my heart was racing like mad so I stopped it. I went to Spain on holiday and bought a year's supply of levothyroxine. I started on 25mcg and raised it as far as 88mcg but that gave me problems. I had heart racing and hypoglycemia and ended up in hospital a few times. Of course I was told I was very naughty and I shouldn't be taking levo when it wasn't prescribed by NHS. I reduced it back slowly to 25mcg and started slowly raising again this time only by 6mcg at a time and that has worked for me. I've never been a big eater as I'm a few stone over weight. I was always cutting out different foods in an attempt to loose weight. I never feel hungry. I discovered this is a BIG mistake when you're on thyroid medication. You have to eat plenty protein especially. Carbs and fruit are important. When you raise your dose you raise your metabolism and if you don't have enough calories to support that you will run into trouble with heart racing and bouts of hypoglycemia which will cause adrenaline rush. Now I have my food intake raised I'm feeling so much better. My T3 is now doing well I reckon I should only need about 75mcg to be optimal. Like you I don't have hashimotos. I have raised my vit d, folate and b12. I get a private blood test every 6 months to keep an eye on everything. I have found the best thyroid advice is the work on Ray Peat so I do a lot of reading. Forefront health on Facebook or their website is very informative. An American thyroid doctor who bases his work on Ray Peat. It's the only place I have found that describes my thyroid problems and gives real solutions but that's what works for me. We are hypothyroid but it may be for different reasons. Not having hashimotos like me it may work for you too? Hope this helps. If you want to know where to buy levothyroxine you can trust pm me please x

[thill1760 in reply to magsyh]

Blesss you and thanks for explaining. That helps a lot. xx

[SlowDragon Administrator]

If there's strong family link to autoimmune thyroid disease ask for ultrasound scan of thyroid

20% of Hashimoto's patients never have raised antibodies. Getting ultrasound scan of thyroid can be extremely helpful

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

[BrynGlas]

Ahh, I feel for you. I am new here too and I have had bad experiences, being prescribed anti depressants etc , though I can't tell you that I was not depressed either! I have no idea what any of my 23 annual blood checks showed because I wasn't given the results, though they have increased or decreased my thyroxine accordingly now and again.

Hope things improve for you.

[thill1760 in reply to BrynGlas]

Hi Bryn

Thanks How has it been going. Has the thyroxine been effective?

[BrynGlas in reply to thill1760]

Well, I can say that I am better with it, but I certainly am not satisfied with my weight gain, eyebrows gone since I was diagnosed over 20 years ago. Just disappointed in the way that we seem to be given thyroxine and told to 'go away, you are cured woman!'

Far from that I am up for a fight again these days!!!!