After being very ill for a month and ending up in A&E which was due to a reaction with the contraceptive implant, my thyroid was also checked and my TSH was 3.33 (no other results as this is the NHS) anything over 1.85 I usually get all my symptoms back but the docs won't listen blah blah blah...
Anyway I increased my meds from 75mg to 100mg (without telling the doc, I did ask but he refused as I was 'in range')...and I've been feeling great ever since. I just got my results through from Medichecks and it looks like I need to lay off the thyroxine...should I stick to 75mg or drop to 50mg?
TSH - 0.012 mIU/L (0.27 - 4.2 R)
FREE T3 - 5.5 pmol/L (3.1 - 6.8 R)
FREE THYROXINE 20.6 pmol/L (12 - 22 R)
Thanks for any help x
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Muddy1980
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I just got my results through from Medichecks and it looks like I need to lay off the thyroxine...
Why?
Don't make the same mistake as doctors do, that is dosing by TSH level. TSH is not a thyroid hormone, it's a signal from the pituitary. Your low TSH is saying that your pituitary is satisfied there is enough thyroid hormone. High TSH tells us that the pituitary has detected that there's not enough thyroid hormone. It's the thyroid hormone results that tell us if we are overmedicated.
If you were overmedicated then your FT3 would be over range.
Both FT4 and FT3 are within range so you are not overmedicated.
FREE T3 - 5.5 pmol/L (3.1 - 6.8 R) = 64.86% through range
FREE THYROXINE 20.6 pmol/L (12 - 22 R) = 86% through range
Thanks you so much for this, I was just a bit scared because the lowest TSH I've been before when I was well, was 0.13 and the doc freaked out and told me I was at risk of having a stroke or heart attack unless they reduce my dose...and to be honest once they did my symptoms came back and I was ill again.
You have put my mind at ease thanks, I do feel good and I really dont want it to change. If my docs saw this they would reduce me down to 50mg. x
There are some articles that show that stroke/heart attack/atrial fibrilation, etc is not caused by low TSH. I don't have links, I lost a lot of links when I had to change my PC recently and I'm in the process of trying to build them up again.
All I have at the moment, and I am still trying to find time to oganise them are these:
Diogene's post (nearer the bottom of the thread) which says
The real problem here is that all trials published, either on acceptability of T4/T3 combination over T4 only, or on likelihood of osteoporosis and atrial fibrillation with low or undetectable TSH have a fatal flaw which makes their conclusions very questionable. Basically, and rather ironically, it is because the studies are done using randomised clinical trials (RCTs). This means that subjects are taken at random for the study. But this assumes that the average response applies equally to everyone. So then you get an overall estimate of the chance of OP or AF. The problem is that subgroups exist mixed in with the majority, whose responses and risks could be quite different from the norm. For example, it could equally be that there are some people for whom low TSH isn't a desirable thing, and these swamp out the subgroup of people for which it doesn't matter. The trials basically fail to recognise the individuality of patients and the fact that the same FT4, FT3 and TSH values mean very different things to different people. It's the "shoehorn" approach of forcing everyone into a single class, when there actually are very many subclasses. Trials should divide patients into different groups and analyse them separately.
The link between TSH, FT4 and FT3 in hyperthyroidism is very different from taking thyroid hormone (T4) in therapy. In hyperthyroidism, FT4 and FT3 are usually well above range and TSH is very low or undetectable. In therapy, FT4 can be high-normal or just above normal, TSH can be suppressed but FT3 (the important hormone that controls your health) will usually be in the normal range. FT4 and TSH are of little use in controlling therapy and FT3 is the defining measure. A recent paper has shown this graphically:
Heterogenous Biochemical Expression of Hormone Activity in Subclinical/Overt Hyperthyroidism and Exogenous Thyrotoxicosis
February 2020 Journal of Clinical and Translational Endocrinology 19:100219
DOI: 10.1016/j.jcte.2020.100219
LicenseCC BY-NC-ND 4.0
Rudolf Hoermann, John Edward M Midgley, Rolf Larisch, Johannes W. Dietrich
Diogenes is actually Dr Joh Midgley, one of the authoris of the paper.
I don't know if I have Hashimoto's or not its never been mentioned. I take vitamin D, a probiotic, B complex, selenium with zinc and iron. I also get b12 injections every 3 months x
I assume you do as see you are on gluten free diet
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 .
You are legally entitled to printed copies of your blood test results and ranges.
The best way to get access to current and historic blood test results is to register for online access to your medical record and blood test results
UK GP practices are supposed to offer everyone online access for blood test results. Ring and ask if this is available and apply to do so if possible, if it is you may need "enhanced access" to see blood results.
I've been gluten free for 3 years and yes very strict. I had high antibodies when first diagnosed and they have scanned my thyroid and just said it was fine...I was complaining of a swollen throat, which I still have now and each time I see the doctor they just say its normal for me and that they can see its swollen. They are now saying I may have a sulfite allergy and thats whats causing it, but I tried with and without different foods and to be honest it can get worse one day, then I eat the same thing again and Im fine.
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