Just got my latest results through and am desperate for some advice please as I have been trying to find out what’s up with me the past two years plus, mainly looking for advice on the thyroid hormones and as to wether I should be on any thyroid medication as I have never had any
Diagnosed with adrenal exhaustion a few years back by dr. Peatfield
All the normal hypo symptoms the worst one being the tiredness and aches, dry flakey skin, brain fog, memory loss, sensitive to heat etc have previously had issues with depression and suffer with anxiety sometimes
Ft3 6 pmol/l - 0-6.8
T4 94 nmol/l - 0-181
Ft4 - 15.4 pmol/l - 0-22
TSH 1.66 miu/l - 0.27-4.3
Tgab - 15.3 ku/l - 0-115
Tpoab - 28.8 klu/l - 0-34
Vit d - 39 nmol/ l - 50-175
Testosterone free or unbound- 0.268 nmol/l - 0-0.62
Testosterone - 9.73 nmol/l - 0-29
SHBG hormone - 15.8 nmol - 18.3-54.1
Hba1c - 31 mmol/ mol - 20-42
Triglyceride/ HDL ratio - 1.78:1 0-1.75
Triglyceride - 2.21 mmol/l 0-2
Active b12 - 104 pmol/l - 37.5-188
Folate - 17.5 nmol/l - 8.83-60.8
Ferritin - 154 ug/l - 30-400
Iron - 29.85 umol/l - 0-34.5
Cortisol- low throughout the day
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Gasmanga
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Low vitamin D obviously needs improving and GP should prescribe 1600iu everyday for 6 months...but you may be better self supplementing to improve levels at slightly higher dose of 2000iu
Vitamin D
GP will often only prescribe to bring levels to 50nmol.
Some areas will prescribe to bring levels to 75nmol
The above ranges are incorrect. As explained in reply to your post last night, which seems to have been deleted, it's the numbers at each end of the green bar which are the reference range. I mentioned that FT4 was 12-22, you seem to have gone past the orange bar and right down to the left hand end of the red bar. Those ranges can't possibly have zero as the low limit, if so the person would either be extremely ill or dead.
TSH 1.66 miu/l - 0.27-4.3
I think I mentioned last night in reply to your deleted post that a normal healthy person will have a TSH of no more than 2, possibly around 1, with FT4 mid-range-ish. Your TSH is fine, your FT4 is 34% through range and your FT3 is very close to the top of the range which is quite unusual with such a low FT4. However, as we are not tested for a baseline when healthy, none of us know where our normal levels lie. These results will be classed as euthyroid (normal).
Tgab - 15.3 ku/l - 0-115
Tpoab - 28.8 klu/l - 0-34
Your TPO antibodies are too close to the upper limit to dismiss autoimmune thyroid disease. As antibodies vary it's very likely, as they're already high in range, that another test could possibly show them over range (and at times they will be lower). This may mean that you have Hashimoto's which is where the immune system attacks and gradually destroys the thyroid.
To be diagnosed with Primary Hypothyroidism you would need TSH over 10. To be diagnosed with autoimmune thyroid disease (Hashi's) you would need a TSH over range but not necessarily as high as 10, with over range antibodies.
Your current resuts wont get you a diagnosis even with the most enlightened of doctors.
Vit d - 39 nmol/ l - 50-175
The Vit D Council recommends a level of 125nmol/L and the Vit D Society recommends a level of 100-150nmol/L. To reach the recommended level from your current level, based on the Vit D Council's suggestions you could supplement with 5,000iu D3 daily
Retest after 3 months.
Once you've reached the recommended level then you'll need a maintenance dose to keep it there, which may be 2000iu daily, maybe more or less, maybe less in summer than winter, it's trial and error so it's recommended to retest once or twice a year to keep within the recommended range. You can do this with a private fingerprick blood spot test with an NHS lab which offers this test to the general public:
Doctors don't know, because they're not taught much about nutrients, but there are important cofactors needed when taking D3 as recommended by the Vit D Council.
D3 aids absorption of calcium from food and Vit K2-MK7 directs the calcium to bones and teeth where it is needed and away from arteries and soft tissues where it can be deposited and cause problems such as hardening of the arteries, kidney stones, etc.
D3 and K2 are fat soluble so should be taken with the fattiest meal of the day, D3 four hours away from thyroid meds if taking D3 as tablets/capsules/softgels, no necessity if using an oral spray.
Magnesium helps D3 to work. We need Magnesium so that the body utilises D3, it's required to convert Vit D into it's active form. So it's important we ensure we take magnesium when supplementing with D3.
Magnesium comes in different forms, check to see which would suit you best and as it's calming it's best taken in the evening, four hours away from thyroid meds if taking magnesium as tablets/capsules, no necessity if using topical forms of magnesium.
This is on the low side and it's recommended to be at least half way through range. Eating more folate rich foods will help, as will a good quality, bioavailable B Complex containing methylfolate. Check out Thorne Basic B.
Ferritin - 154 ug/l - 30-400
Ferritin is recommended to be half way through range. Yours is 33.51% through range so could do with improving. 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
Serum iron is optimal at 55%-70% through range, higher end for males. I don't think the bottom of that range is zero, I did an iron panel this week with the same lab that Thriva use and the range for serum iron was 5.8-34.5. Using the range I have your result is 83.8% through range. You don't have iron deficiency so you shouldn't take iron tablets to raise your ferritin level as this will also raise your serum iron level too high.
I can't comment on your sex hormone results and if you post your current adrenal results we can comment.
I have tried to read and understand as best as I can and have seen the mistake I made on the ranges
Ft3 - 6pmol/l - 3.1-6.8
T4 - 94nmol/l - 66-181
Ft4 - 15.4 pmol/l - 12-17
I am extremely concerned about the advice regarding hashis and that it attacks and destroys the thyroid also that I potentially could already be over the range when tested at certain times etc, what would you suggest I do about this and how is this treated ?
As I have seen so far I will need to get the vitamin d into the correct range which I’m hoping will help the testosterone levels as I am told they are linked so I will be taking your advice on supplementing 5000iu daily of d3 along with k2-mk7
I will also take a b complex with methylfolate to try to increase folate levels
Regarding the iron levels, the iron is optimal but the ferretin is low and you have suggested eating liver etc, I wouldn’t be able to eat any of those foods suggested as I don’t like any of them at all but I can try to increase iron enriched foods however will this not increase the already high iron level ?
I can happily trial these vitamin and diet changes however I am really worried about the thyroid situation and am feeling so unwell now
Thank you so much for taking the time to look through this for me
Also forgot to mention my mum has been worried for the past few years this issue could be hereditary from her as she has rheumatoid arthritis which I have just seen can be connected to hashis
I also have had the swelling/ large neck uncomfortable feeling for a fair while now and especially notice it when trying to sleep
I am extremely concerned about the advice regarding hashis and that it attacks and destroys the thyroid also that I potentially could already be over the range when tested at certain times etc, what would you suggest I do about this and how is this treated ?
No, no need to panic Hashi's is the most common cause of hypothyroidism, it's just that sometimes it can take a long time to reach the stage where hypothyroidism will be diagnosed, doctors want to see numbers in the right place rather than take symptoms into account (they seem to have lost the ability to diagnose by clinical presentation, numbers are king!).
Hashi's isn't treated, it's the resulting hypothyroidism that's treated.
At the moment, if you do have Hashi's (and I'm only guessing but as your antibody result is so close to the limit I suspect that you might have) then your thyroid hasn't been affected enough to give poor results, certainly not a poor enough TSH for a doctor to consider diagnosing and treating.
Here's some general information about Hashi's we regularly give here on the forum:
Some members have found that adopting a strict gluten free diet can help, although there is no guarantee.
Gluten contains gliadin (a protein) which is thought to trigger autoimmune attacks so eliminating gluten can help reduce these attacks.
You don't need to be gluten sensitive or have Coeliac disease for a gluten free diet to help.
Supplementing with selenium l-selenomethionine 200mcg daily is said to help reduce the antibodies, as can keeping TSH suppressed.
Regarding the iron levels, the iron is optimal but the ferretin is low and you have suggested eating liver etc, I wouldn’t be able to eat any of those foods suggested as I don’t like any of them at all but I can try to increase iron enriched foods however will this not increase the already high iron level ?
I managed to raise my low ferritin level, but not my iron level, by eating liver regularly. I can't say it will be the same for everyone.
Also forgot to mention my mum has been worried for the past few years this issue could be hereditary from her as she has rheumatoid arthritis which I have just seen can be connected to hashis
Well, RA is an autoimmune disease and when you have one it's possible to have others.
I also have had the swelling/ large neck uncomfortable feeling for a fair while now and especially notice it when trying to sleep
In that case I would ask your GP if you can have an ultrasound of your thyroid, obviously you may have to wait until more routine stuff is being done in hospitals again, but if you can get your GP to agree it's a start - mention the high in range antibodies, your mum's RA and the possibility that you too may have autoimmune problems, along with all your symptoms. Do you have the list of signs/symptoms of hypothyroidism from ThyroidUK:
So regarding the hashis possibility, although I am suffering with all the symptoms of being hypo but the figures are not quite out of range I won’t get any help with it until it goes over, would it not be beneficial for me to trial any thyroid meds then ?
I will speak to the gp and see what they think about it all as a whole
Just a quick update, I trialled 4000 iu of vitamin d3 before dinner and took with a k2 mk7 had dinner and then felt like I was about to pass out or have another seizure, I am now really worried and not sure what to do moving forward, do you have any idea what could of caused this?
All my hearing went and I had a hot flush and I’ve had to lay down and felt like I was going to have a fit or faint 🙉
So regarding the hashis possibility, although I am suffering with all the symptoms of being hypo but the figures are not quite out of range I won’t get any help with it until it goes over, would it not be beneficial for me to trial any thyroid meds then ?
You could self medicate but once you've done that you won't get a diagnosis from the NHS and your GP may possibly refuse to have anything to do with your thyroid if you have problems.
A diagnosis from the NHS gives you free prescriptions for everything in England (if you live in Wales, Scotland or N. Ireland prescriptions are free for everyone).
Also, self medicating does come with problems of finding a reliable supplier and an ongoing supply, currently there are problems sourcing NDT and T3.
Just a quick update, I trialled 4000 iu of vitamin d3 before dinner and took with a k2 mk7 had dinner and then felt like I was about to pass out or have another seizure, I am now really worried and not sure what to do moving forward, do you have any idea what could of caused this?
Have you used D3 before or is this the first time?
What brand D3 are you using?
What brand K2-mk7?
How long before dinner did you take them?
Was it a meal containing fat?
Did you start D3 and K2-mk7 on the same day, we should start with one supplement and take it for 1-2 weeks before adding the next one, this is because if we have a reaction then we know what causes it.
Some people can't take D3, it's not common but does occasionally happen.
I am going to follow all of this up with my gp to see if they can help but they haven’t been any help at all in the last two years unfortunately and I have found that private has been the only option to get anywhere and to try to learn and study it all myself
This was the first time I have used either of them and yes I started them both together and took them both at the same time which I now realise was a mistake, probably took too much d3 for the first go with my body being so used to not having any too
The k2 was made by solgar from Holland and Barrett and d3 was vitabiotics
I took them a few minutes before a steak with veg and jacket potato
You might want to try and find supplements with as few excipients as possible, they're just something our bodies don't need and we can have adverse reactions to these fillers, etc.
For a totally excipient free D3 supplement, look at Doctor's Best softgels, just D3 and extra virgin olive oil.
K2-mk7 is harder to find without excipients but there is Vitabay Organics MK7 which is just K2-mk7 and olive oil/orange oil, Ebay and Amazon sell it.
Forgot to say, when taking B Complex we leave this off for 7 days before any blood tests, thyroid included. This is because it contains Biotin (B7) and most testing equipment uses biotin in the testing procedure and it will give false results if we don't leave biotin in a supplement off for a few days.
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Hashi's is the most common cause of hypothyroidism, it's just that sometimes it can take a long time to reach the stage where hypothyroidism will be diagnosed, doctors want to see numbers in the right place rather than take symptoms into account (they seem to have lost the ability to diagnose by clinical presentation, numbers are king!).
Help with blood test results
Help with results please
Help with blood tests results please.
Some help with test results please.
Help please,lab results 
