Hi , I have just joined this group today. Had thyroid and calcium blood tests ,Thyroid upper level of normal and calcium 2.32. HPT symptoms!

[Glencoewalker17]

Hi just joined today. Thyroid and calcium test’s back normal and 2.32 .

Why do I feel like rubbish once again!!!

[greygoose]

What do you mean by 'thyroid blood test'? What exactly was tested? What was the result and range?

Do you have a range for that calcium? Ranges vary from lab to lab, so you always need to put the range that came with your result.

What are HPT symptoms? Come to that, what is HPT?

Welcome to the forum.

[Jazzw in reply to greygoose]

Hypoparathyroidism maybe??

[greygoose in reply to Jazzw]

Maybe.

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Glencoewalker17

Welcome to the forum.

To be able to make any useful comments we really need to know exactly what your results, with their reference ranges are.

Did you have a full thyroid panel including

TSH

FT4

FT3

Thyroid antibodies

and did you have any vitamins tested

Vit D

B12

Folate

Ferritin

As for calcium, we don't know if it's in range. If not, what has your GP said?

If you can post full results with ranges then members can possibly help.

[Salvatore68 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Hello

I was told I am hypothyroid - I am not on any meds-these are my levels . Range Is in parenthesis.

7/2/20

TSH w/Reflex Ft4.

4.61 (0.27-4.2)

T4 Free 1.02 (0.93-1.7)

T3 reverseLc/ms. 13 (8-25)

I am also concerned about my cholesterol which has been in mid 200’s for past few years.

July 2020. Chol 260

I am asking is I shoul be on levotheroxine ?

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Salvatore68]

Salvatore68

Please start your own post...not hijack this one

[Salvatore68 in reply to SeasideSusie]

previous T3 has error

Corrected:

T3 total 91 (80-200)

[Glencoewalker17 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thank you I see that I need to have full results and reference ranges for all the above before you can give me any relevant advice. Will go back to GP and ask.

[silverfox7]

Welcome to the group! It’s very much a group that helps each other a lot but we can be much more accurate if have actual figures and ranges. Often people join after a time with a doctor who sadly may not know a great deal so they may have been used to a ‘normal’ that strictly isn’t actually ‘normal’ but could be higher or lower so we work with actual numbers and their ranges and take it from there. Sometimes it can be a very fine line between how things are described.

So a good start would be to see your last readings with the ranges as ranges can differ from lad to lab and then I’m sure you will get very good advice offered.

Doctors who aren’t really familiar tend to keep patients on the low side in case they get it wrong and don’t want to harm you, good thought but not helpful to the patient who isn’t optimal.

It’s also useful to get VitD, B12, folate and Ferritin tested as they help the thyroid work much better but again results need to be optimal, not just in range. I had a conversion issue but taking those turned it around and been good since.

[Marz]

As you have had breast cancer and treatment - it would be good to have your VitD checked - along with B12 - Folate - Ferritin. Carol Baggley - a breast cancer survivor - started a website all about VitD and more. Lots of research too ...

grassrootshealth.net

I see you are still on a low dose - you probably need an increase. I would go for Privatd Testing through Thyroid UK - Special Offers on Thursdays.

Your bone pain suggests low VitD.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Can see on your helpful profile you are only on low dose levothyroxine

How much levothyroxine are you currently taking

How long at this dose

Always same brand of levothyroxine

Likely in need of next dose increase

Levothyroxine doesn’t “top up” a failing thyroid....it replaces it, so most people need to increase dose upwards in 25mcg steps until on full replacement dose

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

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 .

Last dose of Levothyroxine 24 hours prior to blood test. (taking delayed dose immediately after blood draw).

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

Is this how you do your tests?

Private tests are available as NHS currently rarely tests Ft3 or thyroid antibodies or all relevant vitamins

List of private testing options

thyroiduk.org/getting-a-dia...

Medichecks Thyroid plus ultra vitamin (doesn’t include folate)

medichecks.com/products/thy...

Thyroid plus vitamins including folate (private blood draw required)

medichecks.com/products/thy...

Thriva Thyroid plus vitamins

thriva.co/tests/thyroid-test

Blue Horizon Thyroid Premium Gold includes vitamins

bluehorizonbloodtests.co.uk...

If you can get GP to test vitamins and antibodies then cheapest option for just TSH, FT4 and FT3

£29 (via NHS private service ) and 10% off if go on thyroid uk for code

thyroiduk.org/getting-a-dia...

monitormyhealth.org.uk/thyr...

Medichecks - JUST vitamin testing including folate - DIY finger prick test

medichecks.com/products/nut...

Medichecks often have special offers, if order on Thursdays

Add results and ranges if you have any

Or come back with new post once you get results

Typically a full replacement dose is 1.6mcg per kilo of your weight

BMJ clear on dose required

bmj.com/content/368/bmj.m41

bestpractice.bmj.com/topics...

[HLAB35]

Cancer treatment means it's common to have low B12, folate, iron and vitamin D.... basically the things that keep thyroid levels good. A list of symptoms can help identify any deficiencies and comorbid conditions related to hormones and hypothyroidism e.g. hives, irregular periods, oedema, arthritis, IBS, reflux, dry eyes, unstable joints...etc.

[penny]

Hypothyroidism elevates cholesterol and optimal treatment lowers it.

[Fruitandnutcase]

Gosh, you have had a lot of your plate! Hopefully you will find help from what others have suggested but can I add that it would be worth asking your doctor to refer you for a DEXA scan - last thing you need is to discover you have osteoporosis caused by any of the problems you have had. One of the tests they did for me when it was discovered that I had osteoporosis was to check my parathyroid gland and my vitamin D levels as problems in both can be a cause of osteoporosis . Hopefully you will start to feel better soon, it sounds like you need a break.

[Glencoewalker17 in reply to Fruitandnutcase]

Yes , I have had several Dexa Scan’s since I am on an Estrogen blocker Aromatase Inhibitor E+++ breast cancer, this diminishes your bone density in some people’s cases. Because of this I already had increased my calcium intake un be known to me that I had been dealing with a prevalent disease for decades because it is slow and progressive whilst going through my own cancer and Two other people whom I lost to cancer.

Some research say that parathyroid tumours may have caused my breast cancer. Having an undetermined follicular nodule on my thyroid meant it had to be removed results inconclusive! They wouldn’t of found this unless I pointed out that I had a Parathyroid Adenoma very rare for these to be malignant. My thyroid function before all this was normal!!!!

[Fruitandnutcase in reply to Glencoewalker17]

It’s hard to believe that there can be such a knock on effect. I thought the blood tests I had when my DEXA was done seemed strange then I investigated and could see what my doctors were checking for - it was all for stuff you have mentioned - calcium, parathyroid, Vit D to name but a few. Must be a nightmare for you.

[Batty1]

Welcome, I just read your Bio you have been through a lot and no wonder your feeling bad, sorry about all that and you right hormones and especially ones that are out of whack can really mess with you.

Do you see and endocrinologist or just a GP for thyroid medications?

[Glencoewalker17 in reply to Batty1]

Hi thank you for your reply. Was under an Endocrinologist for my Hyperparathyroidism he put me on Fultium D to help with my Vit D levels but having done some research they don’t quite understand this so I came off it having initially brought my levels back up. Para thyroid glands are placed on the reverse side of your thyroid and you have 4 . 2 each side one upper and the other one in the bottom half of the thyroid on the backside.

They control our Calcium levels for our bodies and have significant action for our brain , heart, bones muscles and nervous system. One of mine top right side of thyroid had a benign tumour growing on it the size of a two pence piece. These glands are no bigger than a grain of rice each. Because it was growing on and around it it switches the para thyroid hormone on eventually permenantly 24/7. So pain in joints muscles cramps palpitating heart nausea where I ended up having hyper cal Emil constant calcium leaching from my bones into blood stream like morning sickness and being sick,No sleep terrible memory no concentration . My Dexa scan came back normal .

No just under GP . 80% of people whom have had half their thyroid removed can function just on this,. I had my op August 2018 started noticing vague symptoms rearing there head August 2019 carpal tunnel in both hands already exacerbated by taking Aromatase inhibitor to stop my cancer from coming back I had no Chemo because my cancer was low grade. But through all this time of being on it not knowing that I had another underlying disease that contributed to all my symptoms i’d Changed 4 lots of medication to stop having recurrence of the cancer coming back. One of the main side effects of this particular drug. Night time being the worst time complete numbness. I live on my own. Having been through two of my family’s own battles with cancer and loosing them both, Father (Brain Tumour) Husband( Advanced Prostate Cancer)me in between all this. I just feel that I am battling with myself all the time. The para thyroid tumour probably had for several decades but is slow growing and symptoms were gradual. How do you define normal over time!

So having read you kind peoples reply’s looks like I need more figures for my TSH as I am classed as Sub Clinical Hypothyroid. T4/T3 were OK. TSH is the problem with this condition. They are also keeping an eye on my calcium levels just in case the remaining parathyroid glands start playing up. Happy days.

[Jazzw]

I notice you wrote that “80% of people whom have had half their thyroid removed can function just on this”.

I suspect that isn’t true for many folk who’ve had half their thyroid removed, actually. And if you’re on a low dosage of levothyroxine that’s probably making things worse rather than better—you can’t top up the function of a failing thyroid, it just doesn’t work like that.

What were your “normal” thyroid blood test results? Do you have them to hand or were you just told they’re normal?

[Glencoewalker17 in reply to Jazzw]

Just told they were normal. I agree everyone’s thyroid levels go up and down and no I don’t think 80% of the population whom have had half their thyroid removed can have the same function.

Are you able to get the full lab results figure wise from your GP?

Or do you have to go private to get results

[Jazzw in reply to Glencoewalker17]

You should be able to get them from your GP—ask their receptionist to print them off for you. They’re your results not theirs—under the new data acts you’re entitled to have them.

[Glencoewalker17 in reply to Jazzw]

Many thanks for this never thought to ask for a print off of my results.

I’ll start from there, thank you.

[Jazzw in reply to Glencoewalker17]

More info here: thyroiduk.org/help-support/...

(Thyroid UK is a charity and the “parent” for this forum—lots and lots of info there!)