started taking Levothyroxine in october (50) increased to (75) in jan.
finally had my blood test after having Levothyroxine increased to 75, dr happy with results, still dont feel 100% but do feel better than i did in jan. any thoughts?
Serum TSH level0.05 mU/L0.27 - 4.2 mU/L
Serum ferritin38.97 ug/L15 - 150 ug/L
Serum total 25-OH vit D level175 nmol/L50 - nmol/L
Your FT3 and FT4 are still around the half way mark through their ranges. If you are still symptomatic I would suggest that you need these levels higher. so and increase of 25mcg of levo and retest in 8 weeks. The GP will most likely not wish to increase as your TSH level is under range.
Your FT4 is 47% through range and your FT3 is 37.84% through range. These are on the low side and would be better in the upper part of the range. You need an increase in your Levo but as your TSH is below range then your GP may be reluctant.
You can use the following information to support your request for an increase:
Dr Toft, past president of the British Thyroid Association and leading endocrinologist, states in Pulse Magazine (the magazine for doctors):
"The appropriate dose of levothyroxine is that which restores euthyroidism and serum TSH to the lower part of the reference range - 0.2-0.5mU/l. In this case, free thyroxine is likely to be in the upper part of its reference range or even slightly elevated – 18-22pmol/l. Most patients will feel well in that circumstance. But some need a higher dose of levothyroxine to suppress serum TSH and then the serum-free T4 concentration will be elevated at around 24-28pmol/l. This 'exogenous subclinical hyperthyroidism' is not dangerous as long as serum T3 is unequivocally normal – that is, serum total around T3 1.7nmol/l (reference range 1.0-2.2nmol/l).*"
*He recently confirmed, during a public meeting, that this applies to Free T3 as well as Total T3.
You can obtain a copy of the article by emailing Dionne at
tukadmin@thyroiduk.org
print it and highlight question 6 to show your doctor.
Serum ferritin38.97 ug/L15 - 150 ug/L
This wont be helping. 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
Don't consider taking an iron supplement unless you do an iron panel, if you already have a decent level of serum iron and a good saturation percentage then taking iron tablets can push your iron level even higher, too much iron is as bad as too little.
Serum total 25-OH vit D level175 nmol/L50 - nmol/L
Can you just clarify that please. The range would be 50-175nmol/L. Is your level really 175? If so, are you supplementing?
Thanks for the reply, yes vit D is 175, nurse who took blood test said it would probably be ok as have been sitting out in the sun and I was away in Spain before lockdown but do take a 2.5ug vitD supplement that is in my magnesium supplement.
OK, that's fine then. I wish I could sit out in the sun, it doesn't like me, my legs feel like they're burning after 5 minutes even when I wear trousers, but I think my skin is thin on my legs (oh the joys of getting older 😂)
Yes i am lucky that i can sit out in the sun and not burn but do miss the sun on cloudy days. Thanks for the info on foods to improve my ferritin level. When you say dont take a supplement do you mean a high dose one as have been taking a low dose occasionally 14mg.
When you say dont take a supplement do you mean a high dose one as have been taking a low dose occasionally 14mg.
I never suggest anyone takes iron unless their iron panel shows they need it. I can only tell you of my experiment where my ferritin could do with being higher yet I knew my iron panel had reasonable levels. My serum iron was 48% through range (optimal is 50-70% - higher end for males). I used BetterYou iron spray, probably about 5 days a week ('cos I forgot some days), I didn't finish the bottle but retested. My ferritin level had increased by only 0.3 points but my serum iron had increased from 48% to 65%. That told me that it was doing nothing for my ferritin level but was doing too good a job on my serum iron, if I'd continue to use it then my serum iron would have gone too high but my ferritin level wouldn't have improved. That spray gives 5mg iron at the suggested dose.
Yes have stopped multivitamin but taking individual B12 10ug a day, magnesium/vit K / vitD, selenium/zinc and have been taking the occasional iron tablet
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