Recent Bloods. Advice please

[goofball]

HI,

I have Hashimoto's and recently was advised to take 100 mg of Levo, up from 75. I have been taking this for the past 6 weeks.

My bloods have come back as the following. I also take Vitamin D, B12, and B complex supplements.

TSH- 2.0 mu/L (0.2-4.2) - a great reduction - was 4.00, started at 11.

Free T4 -24 (12-22)- too much over?

T3 3.0 (3.1-6.8)-finally it has just dipped below the bottom of the threshold, after being 3.1 for many results

Vitamin D - 90 (50-150nmoL) much better on supplements

Vitamin B12 760ngL (180-940) - a good solid improvement)

Ferritin 36ug/L (10-307)- too low?

Folate- Haemolysed unsuitable for analysis

I think these are the important ones, there are some others too, red blood cell count etc.

I have a call from the doctor on Monday. In my mind I need T3, obviously the NHS will not prescribe it for me. The best I can hope for is a referral to the Endocrinologist again, but this was a waste of time last time I went.

Can you advise what my next steps would be. I think I need ferritin and maybe folate supplements too. What would this improve if I did take them?. I also think that she may want me to return to 75 levo instead of 100, this happened last time I was put on 100 of Levo.and my Free T4 was too high.

I have still got 8 lbs to loose which I guess is not much, maybe I was too thin for many years and this is my normal weight, who knows?

I have not been so tired at night, presuming this is the result of a change in levels.

Thanks for any help.

[shaws Administrator]

Do you take levothyroxine on an empty stomach with one full glass of water and wait an hour before eating.?

Do you have blood drawn at the earliest possible, fasting (you can drink water) and allow a gap of 24 hours from your last dose of levo and the test and take it afterwards?

[goofball in reply to shaws]

Yes, I was advised to do this previously.

[shaws Administrator in reply to goofball]

That's good. Your FT3 is too low and I am not medically qualified but T3 is the Active Thyroid Hormone and is needed in the millions of T3 receptor cells (brain and heart have the most) in order for us to be able to function as normal. Maybe you need a combination of T4/T3 but I do know that they've withdrawn T3 from being prescribed (due to exorbitant cost). You can ask for a referral to an Endocrinologist who may prescribe a T4/T3 combination.

[goofball in reply to shaws]

Thank you very much. I did not know you could get a T4/T3 combination... that’s interesting .

[fuchsia-pink in reply to goofball]

I get lio on the NHS (and levo) - it is possible, but tricky.

Lio must be endo-prescribed, and not many will, because it's very expensive, and it's difficult to measure (it has a very short half-life), and a surprising number simply don't think it helps (guess none of those are poor converters!)

You can get a list of T3-friendly endos from Dionne at Thyroid UK - [e-mail] - and ask (sep post) if anyone can recommend someone near-ish to you. You don't have to see the nearest person, but must obv be reasonably convenient.

You'll need to show you are a poor converter - which you very clearly do! Good luck x

[goofball in reply to fuchsia-pink]

Thank you for this, it is very helpful. Yes I have got in touch with Dionne before for the Endo friendly list, unfortunately none were anywhere near to me. Maybe I should try again for that, but I need another referral first.

[shaws Administrator in reply to goofball]

The most serious action taken by the BTA etc was to withdraw T3, without notice, especially to those who had been well for years due to T3. It made me think "why have these people withdrawn T3 thyroid hormone" especially for those patients who had recovered their health upon it or on the combination T4/T3.

The 'professionals' appear to have absolutely no knowledge of how unwell someone is who cannot tolerate levothyroxine. They seem to belong to an Association who have no knowledge that many on levo may have more symptoms than before being diagnosed and permanently symptomatic - I am one.

Withdrawal of T3 was thoughtless and heartless and the cost of the inflated price gave them a good excuse, instead of searching for T3 which is affordable!

We know many people do well on levo, but others cannot improve at all.

Removal of T3 caused immense stress for patients who could well do without stress and worry of where to source this 'active' hormone. They were left 'high and dry' and not even given notice of the withdrawal. Very harsh and thoughtless.

I find it amazing that an Association who you'd think would be very sympathetic to those who had a dysfunctional thyroid gland and who need T3 or NDT (NDT saving lives since 1893 and still does today) withdrew both from being prescribed. What kind of profession would do this - why did they study to be endocrinologists??????

It became due to the cost - whereas it can sourced elsewhere in the world more cheaply.

So they withdraw T3 - lives dependent upon it - and also NDT - natural dessicated thyroid hormones - the first replacement hormone that saved lives and still does today from 1892. No blood tests in 1892 up until the 60's I believe and Big Pharma saw a way to increase profits. I don't mind companies making profits but not at the expense of keeping people unwell and who would need additional prescriptions for remaining symptoms.

NDT was removed due to False Statements about it and disregarding its usefulness to patients to remove their disabling symptoms.

[Catseyes235 in reply to shaws]

Well said! And it is mainly women who suffer ...