New diagnosis

[flanker]

Tsh level 3.1 doctor said no need for treatment is this right?

[greygoose]

According to the NHS that's right. They like it to get to 10 before they will deign to treat. But, in some countries you would be treated when your TSH gets to 3 because technically, you are hypo.

[Lora7again]

I would do a private blood test if I was you so you know what your T4 and T3 are. Unfortunately the NHS guidelines are to go by the TSH. Mine is 0.38 at the moment and I feel well but when it was 0.79 my T4 and T3 were very low and I had symptoms. That is why the TSH is not a reliable test imho. I am not medically trained but I have learnt a lot from sites in the USA and the UK. My 78 year old Dad had a TSH of 20 a few months ago and he is on 100mcg Levothyroxine and his GP decided to leave him a few weeks and then retest. His TSH then came back around 5 which I think it is too high but my Dad also suffers from COPD so he said he felt fine but I do wonder if he is under medicated myself but he insists his GP knows best. Someone with a healthy thyroid function will have a TSH of about 1 but this is just my opinion and other people might disagree.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Just testing TSH is completely inadequate

For full Thyroid evaluation you need TSH, FT4 and FT3 plus both TPO and TG thyroid antibodies tested. Also EXTREMELY important to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12

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

Ask GP to test vitamin levels and thyroid antibodies

You may need to get full Thyroid testing privately as NHS refuses to test TG antibodies if TPO antibodies are negative

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 .

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

Private tests are available. Thousands on here forced to do this as NHS often refuses to test FT3 or antibodies

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/testin...

For thyroid including antibodies and vitamins

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

If you can get GP to test vitamins and antibodies then cheapest option for just TSH, FT4 and FT3 £29 (via NHS private service )

monitormyhealth.org.uk/thyr...

If antibodies are high this is Hashimoto's, (also known by medics here in UK more commonly as autoimmune thyroid disease).

About 90% of all primary hypothyroidism in Uk is due to Hashimoto's.

Low vitamins are especially common with Hashimoto's. Food intolerances are very common too, especially gluten.

So it's important to get TPO and TG thyroid antibodies tested at least once .

Link about thyroid blood tests

thyroiduk.org/tuk/testing/t...

Link about antibodies and Hashimoto's

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

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

List of hypothyroid symptoms

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

[fuchsia-pink]

It's higher than I would want - but do you feel well?

I suspect not, or you wouldn't be posting, so it doesn't really matter what the TSH reading is - as SlowDragon says, get full testing done, post the results and (hopefully) get some good comments to go back to your GP with