Hello everyone, so I had some bloods done yesterday at 1pm and at 9.30pm the hospital rang me to say my TSH level was now 100 (range 0.27-4.2). It had been 0.02 in June, 0.07 in July and I couldn't get tested in August. I also now have very low T3 (I was told this is less than 1.5 but I don't have a range. Sorry) and free T4 (I was told less than 3 although I'm assuming the range is 12-22 as before) . The person I spoke to told me I needed to be put on medication straight away. So this morning I had a telephone consultation a gp at my practice who didn't have this information in front of her. She has prescribed the meds. (I do believe the call was genuine as, oddly, my mother in law received her results at 3am telling her an ambulance was being sent. She was hyperthyroid.)
Anyway, the gp was more intent on focusing on a result she did have which was my cholesterol level of 10.1. There was no breakdown of ldl or hdl. It was all just 'Your cholesterol is high, you're going to die (not really, I'm exaggerating a bit), you need statins.'
I am more than happy to take the Levo for my thyroid as I've been looking like a moomin all week with a puffy face, an absolute banger of a 9 day headache, but I don't want the statins. My blood pressure was normal. I am a healthy weight, I walk a lot, I eat healthily and don't snack. I've never smoked and very rarely drink (I sound a bundle of fun don't I?). My point is could the thyroid and cholesterol be related? Why don't docs look at the full picture instead of just throwing meds out? If I take levo will it bring down my cholesterol so I can avoid statins? I have emailed the endocrinologist's secretary to see if she'll respond as the earliest appointment is New Year's Eve!
I just wondered if you lovely people had any pearls of wisdom for me.
Thank you
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Traveldreamer
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Good grief! When I had results very similar to your own, I was so ill that I passed out quite frequently. You must be in a very bad way.
Your cholesterol is high because your thyroid hormone is so low. Don't take statins: there is no evidence of any benefit in women as a means of primary prevention of heart attack or stroke.
I hope your silly GP has started you on 50 mcg of levo, which is the adult starting dose. Insist that you are tested at 6-8 week intervals, and that your dose is raised again each time in 25-50 mcg increments until you reach a level that is optimal for you. Make sure you take the last dose of levo 24 hours before testing, and that you fast before the blood draw, which should be as early in the morning as possible (you can drink water).
Thank you. I just found on another post that on the NHS website it clearly says 'If you have an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism), treatment may be delayed until this problem is treated. This is because having an underactive thyroid can lead to an increased cholesterol level, and treating hypothyroidism may cause your cholesterol level to decrease, without the need for statins. Statins are also more likely to cause muscle damage in people with an underactive thyroid.'
I have had one consultation with an endo and they told me to get tested every month for 3 to 6 months. I was feeling awful in June and the gp said I was hyperthyroid and referred me. Some knowledgeable people on here said it'd probably go the other way, and it has.
I'm on 50mcg as of tomorrow morn. Thank you so much for your reply. It makes me feel better that I'm not alone in this, not that I'd wish it on anyone.
My nurse friend laughed at my reason for not wanting statins. I love grapefruit and I'd rather have that than a pill. Ha!
OK, well, I think you somewhat exaggerated what was said in that article. It says:
While the occasional grapefruit or glass of juice will likely do you little harm, routine or excessive consumption may be problematic.
You did rather make it sound as if grapefruit should be entirely off the menu. That's not what they're saying at all. And, if the grapefruit is consumed well away from thyroid hormone, I don't see there would be any harm. Once the hormone is absorbed from the gut, the grapefruit shouldn't affect it at all.
In conclusion, repeated consumption of grapefruit juice had a minor effect on the absorption of levothyroxine in healthy subjects. A clinically relevant interaction between grapefruit juice and levothyroxine appears unlikely.
I very much agree that we need to consider grapefruit in relation to medicines. But am not, at present, convinced that ordinary consumption of grapefruit has a significant impact on levothyroxine. Diets which include a lot of grapefruit might be different.
Oh goody, I am glad I was right!! LoL I would think you were in more need of your headache stopping, the stupid people.
You know I want to organise a mass rally in the middle of London at times, or have everyone in the flipping country going on strike, or something outrageous because I am so sick of the naff treatment that thyroid patients have in the UK in the 21st century! Is it the same for hyperthyroidism patients? I only know of one hyper thyroid patient.
I'd go streaking at a rugby match, but they aren't allowing spectators are they? LoL
Print it out and stick it on the wall in the surgery Traveldreamer, or well, I was going to suggest something else but I hadn't better! Get the picture?
Your GP should have started you on levothyroxine, ideally 100 mcg. Since your results are jumping around they should do another blood test in four week’s time. Your cholesterol is so high because you are severely (and dangerously I suspect) hypothyroid. Once your thyroid has been sorted and you levels have settled down for some time they can reassess your cholesterol.
If you haven’t been given a levothyroxine prescription kick up a big fuss and make sure you get one immediately.
I have got the levo and I'm going to call back in a couple of days for a full run down of the numbers. It was quite a shock to be woken with this figure of 100 (yes, I was in a deep slumber for once).
Your cholesterol should settle when optimally medicated.
P. S. Looking at your previous post, you have all he classic signs of autoimmune thyroid disease aka Hashimoto's which often starts with a "hyper" episode followed by hypo. Results and symptoms fluctuate with Hashi's.
Well, this is why I want to speak to the endo as I think I need an antibody test (???) to prove this. I'll mention it to the gp to add it to the phlebotomy sheet for next time. Thank you
They'd have to be willing to learn first though SS.
I have to say though that that GP never said there was anything wrong with those results at all, they told me they were normal. Those were one of 2 blood tests done in Stoke in Feb this year. I couldn't get copies of the results until after I had returned home and complained to NHS England, before they sent them to me.
My vit D was littered with red print & exclamation marks along with the Cholesterol, as well as Serum alkaline phosphates also red printed.
B12 was higher than range and had the same treatment that was 1058 range 200.00 - 900.00 Why would that be??
I took the lot to GP today along with my letter of requests for blood tests of all sorts, and telling him that I have got my T3 for my trial. I am going to ask for vit D on repeat too! I am not taking no for an answer.
My blood pressure was normal. I am a healthy weight, I walk a lot, I eat healthily and don't snack. I've never smoked and very rarely drink
Well, high cholesterol has nothing to do with any of that! Cholesterol is made in the liver - and it's made because your body needs it. And, the liver will adjust its output of cholesterol according to how much you consume, so that the level is always kept steady.
However, when your T3 is low, the body can no-longer process and eliminate cholesterol correctly, so it builds up in the blood. So, if you take levo, and are capable of converting it to T3, then it will bring your cholesterol down.
You're right to refuse statins - you need statins like you need a hole in the head! You just need your T3 optimised. And, in any case, high cholesterol is not a problem. It doesn't cause heart attacks or strokes. In fact, you're far more likely to have a heart attack taking statins or having low cholesterol. And, taking statins will adversely affect your sex hormones, and that's the last thing you want, given that you are already hormonally challenged. So, continue to refuse them, and insist, instead, that your thyroid is properly treated.
Thank you for this. The info out there is always 'Cholesterol is bad'. They never talk about the difference types and you've just taught me a whole heap of stuff I didn't know about my liver and the t3. I am always surprised when doctors spout out this same old info too. It doesn't instill confidence.
Too much or too little cholesterol is bad, the optimal total cholesterol being roughly in the range of 4.5 to 6.5. It’s better to go by cholesterol type and lipid levels but that’s beyond my knowledge, I’m out of touch with the details.
You're welcome. If you want more information about cholesterol, I suggest you check out Dr Malcolm Kendrick. He has a blog and has written a book called The Great Cholesterol Con. His opinion is that the higher your cholesterol, the longer you live. And, from what I've read, I would say that high cholesterol is a symptom, not a disease. It's not that the liver is making excess cholesterol - nor that you're consuming too much! - but that some other condition in the body is causing the cholesterol to build up. So, attempts to reduce it are pretty futile if you haven't fixed the root cause. Wish doctors realised that! But, they get financial incentives for prescribing statins, so they wouldn't care.
The real danger is cholesterol that is too low. Mine was signalled as being too low by the lab. Doctor's response? Cholesterol can never be too low!!! However, one other thing you should know is that 'they' keep moving the goal posts. That is to say the continually lower the top of the range so that more and more people are scared into taking statins. It's an absolute scandel!
I think if you are diagnosed with a condition (or even not) a panel of experts would be cheaper that the to-ing and fro-ing and chucking pills at people which goes on. It'd mean they all know your history, can work with each other, not over prescribe. But hey, who am I in all this with my logic and sense?
Levothyroxine dose will need increasing upwards as fast as you can tolerate
Typically bloods are retested 6-8 weeks after each dose increase, levothyroxine dose increased by 25mcg after each blood test
Essential to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12, plus TPO and TG thyroid antibodies
Coeliac blood test recommended too
About 90% of primary hypothyroidism is autoimmune thyroid disease also called Hashimoto’s, diagnosed by high thyroid antibodies
Which brand of levothyroxine have you been given?
It will take 2-4 weeks to notice any improvements, and full 6-8 weeks for full effect of each dose increase
Many people find Levothyroxine brands are not interchangeable.
Once you find a brand that suits you, best to make sure to only get that one at each prescription.
Watch out for brand change when dose is increased or at repeat prescription.
Many patients do NOT get on well with Teva brand of Levothyroxine. Teva contains mannitol as a filler, which seems to be possible cause of problems. Teva is the only brand that makes 75mcg tablet. So if avoiding Teva for 75mcg dose ask for 25mcg to add to 50mcg or just extra 50mcg tablets to cut in half
Physicians should: 1) alert patients that preparations may be switched at the pharmacy; 2) encourage patients to ask to remain on the same preparation at every pharmacy refill; and 3) make sure patients understand the need to have their TSH retested and the potential for dosing readjusted every time their LT4 preparation is switched (18).
Levothyroxine is an extremely fussy hormone and should always be taken on an empty stomach and then nothing apart from water for at least an hour after
Many people take Levothyroxine soon after waking, but it may be more convenient and perhaps more effective taken at bedtime
No other medication or supplements at same as Levothyroxine, leave at least 2 hour gap. Some like iron, calcium, magnesium, HRT, omeprazole or vitamin D should be four hours away
Thank you. I have one by Mercury Pharma (?) I took it at 10.30pm so 4 hours after eating. My reasoning was that it's easier for me to leave 4 hours after eating (and stops evening snacking, which easily comes back once work is in full swing) than leave an hour in the morn.
Why do medics throw statins at us when all we need is adequate T3 indeed??
My cholesterol was rising every year and my GP kept hassling me to take statins. Then a blood test revealed that my FT3 was only 5% within the range. Two incremental levo increases and 6 months later, and my cholesterol has reduced from over 6 to 4.9, and my FT3 is now in the upper quarter of the range.
Don't be bullied into statins and optimise your FT3.
Whatever you do, do not take the statins. Statins have been over prescribed and do little to help in heart disease. Also they are linked to Alzheimer’s etc. every call in your body needs cholesterol to function correctly. Lowering cholesterol reduces this important source for all your cells. If you are ever worried about your heart health get a CAC test, it actually shows if your arteries are collecting plaque. The whole statin is old outdated science. Google search it you will find some very knowledgeable folks talking about it. Your GP sounds lazy just like the gyno l visited. Yesterday
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Cholesterol is made in the liver - and it's made because your body needs it. And, the liver will adjust its output of cholesterol according to how much you consume, so that the level is always kept steady. 
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