Afternoon everyone, I recently had a set of tests done privately and would love someone's take on them. I fasted before my test and did it first thing in the morning (and left it 24 hours since taking my last dose of Levo).
I stopped T3 two days previously after seeing my endo, who wants me to come off it permanently. My TSH level has been the same for around six years.
I am currently on 125mg Levothyroxine. I am now 45 and peri-menopausal, and I was diagnosed as underactive in my early 20s. Many thanks in advance!
TSH - 0.014 (0.27-4.20)
Free T4 - 17.41 (12-22)
Free T3 - 4.6 (3.1-6.8)
Ferretin - 52.71 (13-150)
Thyroid Peroxidase antibody - 65.0 (0-24)
Vitamin D - 100 (75-200)
Zinc - 13.8 (9.6-20.5)
Selenium - 1.40 (0.75-1.46)
Serum Folate - 17.63 (3.89-26.80)
Vitamin B12 - 629.7 (197-771) (I have not supplemented with B12 for some time so this seems high)
Magnesium - 0.73 (0.7-1.0)
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Jojozo
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I stopped T3 two days previously after seeing my endo, who wants me to come off it permanently.
What was the reason for stopping T3 2 days before the test? This actually hasn't helped. If you want an FT3 result to reflect you NOT taking T3 then you would have to leave longer than 2 days. If you want the result to reflect the fact that you are taking T3 and what the level is with your normal dose, then you'd take your last dose 8-12 hours before the test.
Also, why does your endo want you to come off T3?
TSH - 0.014 (0.27-4.20)
Free T4 - 17.41 (12-22)
Free T3 - 4.6 (3.1-6.8)
TSH and FT3 reflect the fact that you take T3 (it tends to lower both) even though you left it off for 2 days. Can't really comment on the FT3 result as it's not accurately reflecting your level.
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Thyroid Peroxidase antibody - 65.0 (0-24)
Confirms Hashi's which you already know.
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Ferretin - 52.71 (13-150)
On the low side. Ferritin is recommended to be half way through range.
You can help raise your level by eating liver regularly, maximum 200g per week due to it's high Vit A content, also liver pate, black pudding, and including lots of iron rich foods in your diet
It's not recommended to take iron tablets to raise ferritin. You'd need an iron panel and full blood count before considering iron tablets.
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Vitamin D - 100 (75-200)
Just about OK. The Vit D Council recommends a level of 125nmol/L and the Vit D Society recommends a level of 100-150nmol/L.
Do you supplement?
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Zinc - 13.8 (9.6-20.5)
It's suggested that zinc should be half way through range. Yours is 38.53% through range.
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Selenium - 1.40 (0.75-1.46)
You don't want this any higher. Do you supplement?
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Serum Folate - 17.63 (3.89-26.80)
Folate is recommended to be at least half way through range. Yours is fine.
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Vitamin B12 - 629.7 (197-771) (I have not supplemented with B12 for some time so this seems high)
Our B12 store is said to be good for at least 2 years. However, B12 is recommended to be at the top of the range. Active B12 is the better test. Total B12, which is what you have had done, tests both bound to proteins and unbound (active) B12. The Active B12 test measures only the unbound proteins which are available for the cells to use. We can have a good Total B12 but a poor Active B12.
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Magnesium - 0.73 (0.7-1.0)
Testing magnesium is unreliable. About 99% of magnesium is stored in bone, muscles and soft tissues, leaving about 1% in the blood. So testing what's in the blood isn't giving an accurate picture of our magnesium status.
If you want to read the science, this information is from this article:
Wow, thank you! The endo said that by taking the T3 I'm stopping my thyroid from working properly on its own and I'm in danger of going overactive. He's the second endo to tell me that.
It worries me that he booked me in for a blood test on the Monday after he'd seen my on the Thursday and said the T3 would be out of my system by then. That's why I thought I would be able to do my private one on the Friday, because I read that it only stays in your system for 12 hours.
Thank you for letting me know about the Ferretin. I stopped supplementing with vitamin D when my levels went high. Should I reintroduce a supplement?
I don't supplement with seleium but I do with zinc. In fact, I take a high dose of zinc twice a day. I do the same with Magnesium and vitamin C, on the advice of a functional nutritionist I can no longer afford to see!
It worries me that he booked me in for a blood test on the Monday after he'd seen my on the Thursday and said the T3 would be out of my system by then. That's why I thought I would be able to do my private one on the Friday, because I read that it only stays in your system for 12 hours.
Since liothyronine sodium (T3) is not firmly bound to serum protein, it is readily available to body tissues. The onset of activity of liothyronine sodium is rapid, occurring within a few hours. Maximum pharmacologic response occurs within 2 or 3 days, providing early clinical response. The biological half-life is about 2-½ days.
So after 2 and 1/2 days you'd still have half the dose left in your body and it would reduce by half every 2 and 1/2 days.
Doesn't really inspire confidence as, if your thyroid was able to work properly on its own, you wouldn't be taking thyroid meds in the first place. That sounds like an exceptionally weaselly excuse for stopping your T3.
He seems to think that it's stopping my thyroid doing its job, so I need to take it away and allow my thyroid to rebalance. It's what the endo in Brighton told me too, but I feel terrible so it's definitely not doing a good job yet!
Sounds like rubbish to me - can he cite any scientific studies where this has happened? What does he mean by "rebalance" in scientific terms? Why does he think that removing T3 will either help your production of T3 (given that removing levo from a hypo person doesn't improve their production of T4) or improve the balance of your deiodinases? If it was me, I'd give up and buy my own T3
That's what I've been doing for the past six years or so, but he and the other endo I saw claim that I'm overstimulating my thyroid with the T3 and not allowing my body to convert/use levo properly 🤷🏼♀️
Ignore him, he has no evidence, and there are many studies that show that people on T4 only do not convert to as much T3 as healthy people even without a gene problem
The endo said that by taking the T3 I'm stopping my thyroid from working properly on its own and I'm in danger of going overactive. He's the second endo to tell me that.
I haven't done the D102 test but someone else suggested it to me recently so I will look into it. I used Blue Horizon last time but I will probably go with whoever has an offer on as I've just missed their 50% sale!
Hi, I live in East Sussex and an Endocrinology Consultant prescribed T3 for me and instructed my GP to continue prescribing it. It is a complete lottery whether we can get it or not depending on who we see, Consultants can still prescribe it so maybe challenge their decision
I've was under Brighton but I requested to be sent Eastbourne because I was getting nowhere with them. The endo is much more thorough, but he still taken me off the T3. I can feel fine one day and not be able to get out of bed the next. It's been going on for years, but since I became peri-menopausal (my oestrogen levels are non-existant) things have definitely got worse, and I'm scared stopping T3 will make me feel more unwell.
Thank you very much. Sadly I spent my savings (literally thousands!) on a functional nutritionist last year, but it turns out he was unable to prescibe medication and I'm still in the same place. I did see Dr Peatfield and would love to go back but I don't he's practising any longer. I have been self-medicating up until now, and if things get worse I'll have no choice but to do it again.
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