Help with daughters results please

[Triciatextiles]

My daughter is 22 and has had hypothyroidism since she was 14. For quite a while she has been extremely tired, cold all the time, sleeping 10 hours a night but still tired when waking. Her medichecks results are

TSH 0.26 (0.27 -4.2)

T4 17.7 (12 -22)

T3 5.27 (3.1 - 6.8)

TGA 45.7 (<115)

TPA 48.5 (<34)

She is currently taking 125mg of levothyroxine

Idont understand her results, her TSH is low but other results mid range with over the range range TPA.

[jimh111]

Her blood test results are good. Some of us are still hypo with good hormone levels. How long has she had these symptoms? It could be a number of other conditions such as anaemia so her GP should check these out.

[jrbarnes]

The TSH is odd at times. Mine dropped from 1.4 to .76 when I was extremely hypo. I was so fatigued and could barely function. It had no relevance to what was going on in my body. At the time I was experiencing these symptoms my T4 and T3 were not optimal for my body. After three years of symptoms I compared lab results to see if anything had changed. I correlated the symptoms with a change in the manufacturer of my levothyroxine. Aside from B12/folate and iron panel it might help to look at past results.

[Triciatextiles in reply to jrbarnes]

Thanks for your comments. I have sent the results to her GP, i think she is still hypo despite her results as she has many symptoms. She has been extremely allergic to other brands so i am reluctant to suggest to her to change.

[jrbarnes in reply to Triciatextiles]

It certainly sounds like she is. There's only a few ways to find out, either add extra T4 or T3. I read an online google book by the late Dr Kenneth Blanchard. He had a technique of adding extra doses of levothyroxine for two to three days and if there was improvement then the answer was to increase the Levothyroxine. He outlines increases can be made slowly like only on M W F by 12.5 mcg increases. I've never had to use any of the advice in his book but it all sounds reasonable.

I had burning in my fingers, nausea, and dizziness for quite some time from the Levothyroxine pills and I never suspected inactive ingredients until I did reading online. I tried a handful of different brands until I found one. I'm in the US and it's a Pfizer brand. Needless to say it was not pleasant experimenting with different brands that made me ill. Best wishes to you and your daughter!

[SlowDragon Administrator]

High thyroid antibodies confirms autoimmune thyroid disease also called Hashimoto’s

Does she always get same brand of levothyroxine

What vitamin supplements is she currently taking

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 with Hashimoto’s

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)

Is this how she does her 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 vitamins including folate (private blood draw required)

medichecks.com/products/thy...

Thriva Thyroid plus antibodies and vitamins By DIY fingerpick test

thriva.co/tests/thyroid-test

Thriva also offer just vitamin testing

Blue Horizon Thyroid Premium Gold includes antibodies, cortisol and vitamins by DIY fingerprick test

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...

Is she on strictly gluten free diet?

[Quiltfan]

High TPA is Hashimotos. I have 3 daughters who have suffered as your daughter does and I too have this. We take a good methyl folate and we have found that injections of methylcobolomum (50,000 IUs at least once a week and up to 3 times a week) which have been an absolute lifesaver for us! Our labs look normal but we have absorption issues and we don’t convert from T4 to T3. Also your daughter is on a high level of T4 and quite possibly needs to be on T3 as well as reducing T4. We also found that we have the MTHFR variants which affect how we absorb methyl folate and B vitamins. If you could get an RX for methylcobolomum I think you would see a big difference-it will give her the energy to live while figuring out what is going on. Dr. Isabella Wentz has some good info if you look her up online. Sorry this has been so long but there is so much info and so many variants.

[Triciatextiles in reply to Quiltfan]

Thanks for your suggestions these are interesting, what is the MTHFR? My daughter doesn't want to try T3 due to having to self medicate, because my husband takes this and i have to buy it from Europe after his GP stopped his NHS prescription five years ago now. I may get her the D102 test. I have sent her results to her GP for her comments.

[Miffie in reply to Triciatextiles]

I have just put your daughters results into the percentage calculator and see her T4 is 57% through range and T3 is 58.65% through range. These figures don’t suggest a conversion issue so you could leave the DI02 for the moment. It looks as if a little extra levo will help, I cannot see the need at this stage to worry about T3 as she converts so very well.

I know how miserable being hypo is when young. Although always medicated I was not given any blood tests on NDT until the 1980s. By then I was in my thirties and shocked to find an increase made a huge difference to me. At that time I was only about 20-25% into range. Sadly that lasted just three years and it was back to every day being a battle until I took to self medicating .

I really hope your daughter finds the answer soon.

[Triciatextiles in reply to Miffie]

Thats really helpful thank you