Why do I not feel any better?: Hi Ive just got my... - Thyroid UK

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Why do I not feel any better?

AS14 profile image
AS14
14 Replies

Hi

Ive just got my latest results and Im struggling to understand why Im not feeling any better.

6 weeks ago my blood tests on 125mcg levothyroxine.

Tsh 0.78. (0.27 -4.2)

T4 15 ( 12-22)

T3 3.42. (3.1-6.8)

I had an increase to 150mcg every day and todays results are

Tsh 0.20. (0.27-4.2)

T4 20.2. (12-22)

T3 4.68. (3.1-6.8)

This is with a new endo and hes checked all the vitamins thats mentioned on here and all are good and high enough in range.

I still feel very hypo now as I did weeks ago, feel very unwell. I still cant function, the only difference I can really feel is I feel too warm, still freezing cold hands and feet but generally feel too warm uncomfortably so which is very different to needing layers of clothes on me. Its not menopause, Im practically all the way through that with barely the odd mild hot fush now then, menopause is not an issue at all for me.

This is the highest my T3 has ever been and dont understand why I dont feel any better

Any thoughts would be much appreciated .

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AS14
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SeasideSusie profile image
SeasideSusieRemembering

AS14

Tsh 0.20. (0.27-4.2)

T4 20.2. (12-22) = 82% through range

T3 4.68. (3.1-6.8) = 42.7% through range

If you took your last dose of Levo 24 hours before the test as we advise here, then your results will be accurate and you can see that your FT4 and FT3 are not well balanced, your FT3 is rather low in range compared to your FT4 which shows that you are not converting T4 to T3 very well.

I am assuming that you didn't add T3 which you were talking about a couple of months ago?

What are your current levels for Vit d, B12, Folate and Ferritin?

AS14 profile image
AS14 in reply toSeasideSusie

Hi

Thank you

Yes levo was taken as 24 hours on an empty stomach .

I havent taken any t3 other than the one day a couple of months ago which I had a bad reaction too.

Vit b12. 714. (190-910)

Folate. 12.7. >3.3

Ferritin 123.3. (30-400)

Vit d wasnt tested, it was last done maybe 6 months ago and was in the 80’s and Ive since increased my dose a little so it should be higher. I know what low vit d feels like and I dont have any symptoms of it.

I havent taken anything new other than the increase in levothyroxine.

I really dont understand I thought I would of felt so much better with t3 like this its never been so high. If anything given how I feel if anything I was expecting it to be lower .

SeasideSusie profile image
SeasideSusieRemembering in reply toAS14

AS14

Ferritin 123.3. (30-400)

Are you male? That's generally the range for males, female ranges tend to have a top limit of 150 or 300.

If you're female that's a good ferritin level, if you're male then I've seen it said that 150 is a good level. Either way, it's not a bad result.

Are you supplementing with selenium? That's supposed to help conversion.

As your nutrient levels are generally pretty good, I'd say that you need to add T3.

Just as a matter of interest, who did these tests? Are they private ones? I'm only asking because I have recently done tests with Monitor My Health (which is an NHS lab) and two others who use the same private lab and the FT4 result was quite a bit higher with the two private companies and a slight difference with the FT3. My symptoms didn't match with such a good FT4 level, they were more in keeping with the lower level from MMH.

AS14 profile image
AS14 in reply toSeasideSusie

Hi

Im a woman, 53 years old.

My test was done with medichecks , I use them and always test 24 hours after levo and on an empty stomach.

I take selenium now and then, never tested my levels though. I recently started seeing a private endo ( one from recommended list)so have to be a careful with money and cant get all the tests Id like.Gp agreed to test these current vitamins .

Endo said my t3/t4 were too low and he thought an increase in levo should sort it as long as tsh doesnt get supressed. Other than that he wanted these vitamins checked.

I dont know what hes going to think of these results but obviously its not helped, I imagine he wont want the tsh any lower.

greygoose profile image
greygoose

Your FT3 may be higher, but it's obviously not high enough for you. You're a poor converter, and there's not a lot you can do about that, I'm afraid.

T3 is the active hormone, needed by every single cell in your body. So, if there's not enough to go round, you're going to have all sorts of symptoms.

AS14 profile image
AS14 in reply togreygoose

Hi

Thank you

So is it the balance between the t3/t4 thats just as important as how high they are, should they be more even ?.

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply toAS14

No, not necessarily. It's just that having a high FT4 like that, and a low FT3 indicates that you don't convert very well. It's the lack of T3 that causes symptoms, not the T4:T3 ratio.

AS14 profile image
AS14 in reply togreygoose

Thank you

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator

Looking at previous posts

You have Hashimotos that caused large retrosternal goitre and TT

Hashimoto’s patients are frequently poor converters

Have you had coeliac blood test done ...if yes

Are you currently on strictly gluten free diet?

According to Izabella Wentz the Thyroid Pharmacist approx 5% with Hashimoto's are coeliac, but over 80% find gluten free diet helps, sometimes significantly. Either due to direct gluten intolerance (no test available) or due to leaky gut and gluten causing molecular mimicry (see Amy Myers link)

Changing to a strictly gluten free diet may help reduce symptoms, help gut heal and slowly lower TPO antibodies

While still eating high gluten diet ask GP for coeliac blood test first or buy test online for under £20, just to rule it out first

healthcheckshop.co.uk/store...?

Assuming test is negative you can immediately go on strictly gluten free diet

(If test is positive you will need to remain on high gluten diet until endoscopy, maximum 6 weeks wait officially)

Trying gluten free diet for 3-6 months. If no noticeable improvement then reintroduce gluten and see if symptoms get worse

chriskresser.com/the-gluten...

amymyersmd.com/2018/04/3-re...

thyroidpharmacist.com/artic...

drknews.com/changing-your-d...

restartmed.com/hashimotos-g...

Non Coeliac Gluten sensitivity (NCGS) and autoimmune disease

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/296...

The predominance of Hashimoto thyroiditis represents an interesting finding, since it has been indirectly confirmed by an Italian study, showing that autoimmune thyroid disease is a risk factor for the evolution towards NCGS in a group of patients with minimal duodenal inflammation. On these bases, an autoimmune stigma in NCGS is strongly supported

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/300...

The obtained results suggest that the gluten-free diet may bring clinical benefits to women with autoimmune thyroid disease

nuclmed.gr/wp/wp-content/up...

In summary, whereas it is not yet clear whether a gluten free diet can prevent autoimmune diseases, it is worth mentioning that HT patients with or without CD benefit from a diet low in gluten as far as the progression and the potential disease complications are concerned

restartmed.com/hashimotos-g...

Despite the fact that 5-10% of patients have Celiac disease, in my experience and in the experience of many other physicians, at least 80% + of patients with Hashimoto's who go gluten-free notice a reduction in their symptoms almost immediately.

Why gluten intolerance can upset cortisol levels

kalishinstitute.com/blog/gl...

Ft3 is still likely too low

AS14 profile image
AS14 in reply toSlowDragon

Thanks

I did a coeliac gluten intolerance home test which came back as negative. I’ll check out those links.

Im waiting for the results of both blood cortisol and 24hour urine cortisol. I have read that they might not give a clear enough picture of my cortisol so not sure wether to do a saliva test as well.

I did fairly good on levo for 9 years, although in hindsight it was far from perfect but I did feel a lot better than I have been for this past year.

Ive said it before but it really does feel like something just clicked and it stopped working and Ive been trying to think what changed. The only thing I can say for certain that happened at almost the exact same time was a very stressful event, had one of the most upsetting and stressful months of my life. That awful time is over but its hard far reaching consequences so its not quite gone away never will but Ive come to terms with it and Im as ok as Il ever be with it.

I dont know if Im just desperate and grasping at straws but its the only thing that changed in my life but even if it is the cause I wouldnt know if its something that can be fixed.

Thank you very much for help, its greatly appreciated .

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator in reply toAS14

Stress and thyroid don’t mix

Can lead to adrenal exhaustion

It can take long time to recover

AS14 profile image
AS14 in reply toSlowDragon

Hi

How would I know if I have adrenal exhaustion and how would you fix it ? Plus would a saliva cortisol test show if I do have it ?

Thank you

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator in reply toAS14

It might do

regeneruslabs.com/products/...

cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0...

gluten intolerance can upset cortisol levels - see link in previous reply

Adding small doses of T3 alongside levothyroxine can improve adrenals ...but needs to be done very cautiously and carefully

AS14 profile image
AS14

Thanks very much

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