Hey all thanks for all the help so far I’ve taken tour advice and stopped taking the protein shakes after discovering 17% of the protein was soy. I’ve also got my test results from thriva so will post below.
Test done 29th October around 7.40 am.
Active B12 - 80.3 pmol/L - (range 37.5 - 188)
Ferritin - 52.5ug/L - (range 13-150 optimal range 44-150)
Vitamin D 46 nmol/L (range 50-175, optimal 75-120)
If you can see previous posts my tsh is consistently low, even when I had a dose drop the tsh was below range and my T3 went to bottom of range and I felt horrific - luckily gp agreed to put me back to 150mg thyroxine. We have a chat every blood test about how I’m over replacing as my tsh is too low.
Results from previous are as follows
Oct 2020
At 8.40
Tsh - 0.02 (range 0.3-5)
Serum free triiodothyronine 5.1 range 3.1-6.8
Ferratin - 60 (range 15-350)
March 20
0.02 (range 0.3-5)
Serum free triiodothyronine 4.9 range 3.1-6.8
March 18 - 7.50
free T - 4.9 (3.1-6.8)
Tsh <0.02 (0.3-5)
Jan 17 reduced to 125mg
free T3 is now 3.6 (range 3.1-6.8) and
TSH 0.17 (range 0.3 - 5.0) at 8.45am
Oct 16
Free T3 6.7 and
TSH 0.02 at 11.45am
2015 years ago test -
Free T 5.7,
TSH 0.02
Written by
Bellsonit
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Thriva have a very confusing way of giving results/ranges.
You have taken your ranges from the bar graph. Please ignore what they consider "normal" and "optimal" and look at the whole of the green bar - light green and dark green - and that is the range. For example, the range for FT4 is 12-22 and "optimal" is not a number they choose, it's where you freel well. If you download the pdf they link to you will see your results listed with their proper ranges, like this:
This is OK but would be better over 100. Below 70 would suggest testing for B12 deficiency.
Folate - 9.86 nmol/L (8.83 - 60.8)
Folate is recommended to be at least half way through range, so about 35+ with that range.
You could take a good quality, bioavailable B Complex such as Thorne Basic B or Igennus Super B, which will help raise both B12 and Folate levels. Ensure you stop B Complex for 7 days before any blood tests as it contains Biotin and this will give false results if the testing procedure also uses Biotin (most do).
Ferritin - 52.5ug/L (13-150)
This is on the low side. Ferritin is recommended to be half way through range. Conversion of T4 to T3 will likely be impaired if ferritin is below 70. I have read in one article that females who brought their ferritin level above 100 saw their persistent hypothyroid symptoms relieved, and another article suggests that a level of 100-130 is good for females.
You can help raise your level by eating liver regularly, maximum 200g per week due to it's high Vit A content, also liver pate, black pudding, and including lots of iron rich foods in your diet
This is too low and in the "insufficiency" category. The Vit D Council recommends a level of 125nmol/L and the Vit D Society recommends a level of 100-150nmol/L.
To reach the recommended level from your current level, based on the Vit D Council's suggestions you could supplement with 5,000iu D3 daily.
Retest after 3 months.
Once you've reached the recommended level then you'll need a maintenance dose to keep it there, which may be 2000iu daily, maybe more or less, maybe less in summer than winter, it's trial and error so it's recommended to retest once or twice a year to keep within the recommended range. You can do this with a private fingerprick blood spot test with an NHS lab which offers this test to the general public:
Doctors don't know, because they're not taught much about nutrients, but there are important cofactors needed when taking D3 as recommended by the Vit D Council.
D3 aids absorption of calcium from food and Vit K2-MK7 directs the calcium to bones and teeth where it is needed and away from arteries and soft tissues where it can be deposited and cause problems such as hardening of the arteries, kidney stones, etc.
D3 and K2 are fat soluble so should be taken with the fattiest meal of the day, D3 four hours away from thyroid meds if taking D3 as tablets/capsules/softgels, no necessity if using an oral spray.
Magnesium helps D3 to work. We need Magnesium so that the body utilises D3, it's required to convert Vit D into it's active form. So it's important we ensure we take magnesium when supplementing with D3.
Magnesium comes in different forms, check to see which would suit you best and as it's calming it's best taken in the evening, four hours away from thyroid meds if taking magnesium as tablets/capsules, no necessity if using topical forms of magnesium.
Raised antibodies suggest autoimmune thyroid disease, known to patients as Hashimoto's. Some members have found a gluten free diet helps although there is no guarantee.
Gluten contains gliadin (a protein) which is thought to trigger autoimmune attacks so eliminating gluten can help reduce these attacks.
You don't need to be gluten sensitive or have Coeliac disease for a gluten free diet to help.
Supplementing with selenium l-selenomethionine 200mcg daily is said to help reduce the antibodies, as can keeping TSH suppressed.
TSH - 0.01 mIU/L (0.27 - 4.2)
FT4 - 21.2 pmol/L (12-22)
FT3 - 4.65pmol/L (3.1 - 6.8 )
These suggest that your conversion of T4 to T3 could be better. Your FT4 is 92% through range but your FT3 is only 41.89% through range. Optimising nutrient levels may help with better conversion, also selenium. If your FT4 remains high with a low FT3 once nutrient levels are optimal then consider the addition T3 to a slightly lower dose of Levo. Just increasing Levo would take your FT4 too high to produce what might be only a reasonable amount of FT3.
* When did you take your last dose of Levo before this test? It should be 24 hours before the blood draw otherwise taking Levo before a test will give a false high FT4.
Hi thanks for this. I take my levo around the same time every morning - so normally this is around 7am. My blood test was 8.40 the next day so i'm fairly confident it would have been 24 hours gap.
Do you know what impact the high antibodies have on me and my health / symptoms? Say if they remain at the level they are?
Also, I downloaded the PDF - thanks for the tip as it was not at all clear I could do that
Do you know what impact the high antibodies have on me and my health / symptoms? Say if they remain at the level they are?
If you read the links I gave you then you should get an understanding of what Hashi's is and what it does. Hashi's is an autoimmune disease which attacks the thyroid so the cause of your hypothyroidism is autoimmune. Basically your immune system will attack and gradually destroy your thyroid.
Even though it's your Tg antibodies which are over range, your TPO antibodies are very high in range and I would say that testing at another time will bring different results, I would expect your TPO to be over range at some time too. I would say there's little doubt that you have Hashi's.
Antibodies fluctuate and this can cause symptoms and test results to fluctuate, at these times it may be beneficial to adjust your dose of Levo, readjust when things settle down.
I have given an interpretation of your results in my previous post so there's nothing else to add about those.
Thanks SeasideSusie, I appreciate you taking the time to explain it - I am trying to get through the links but there's alot to take in so I really do appreciate your help
I recall, going back many years ago when I was initially diagnosed age 18, I remember hearing the term hashimotos there wasn't anything confirmed and it was never explained to me - i've always been told i'm hypothyroid. I had a huge goitre - this was how the under active thyroid was picked up in the first place.
If I'm honest, I was young, didn't really understand the impacts and just took the tablets. I think now 20 years on its starting to impact me a lot more.
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
Are you currently taking Teva?
Teva, Aristo and Glenmark are the only lactose free tablets
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
(Time gap doesn't apply to Vitamin D mouth spray)
If you normally take levothyroxine at bedtime/in night ...adjust timings as follows prior to blood test
If testing Monday morning, delay Saturday evening dose levothyroxine until Sunday morning. Delay Sunday evening dose levothyroxine until after blood test on Monday morning. Take Monday evening dose levothyroxine as per normal
Strictly gluten free diet frequently helps or is absolutely essential to reduce symptoms
The hormone I take is Levothyroxine (brand northstar) and i take 150mg. I've been taking this dose for a long time.
I also take citalopram in 20mg dose and as a rule I take it at the same time.
When you say only with water, would sugar free orange squash make a difference as I usually have it with squash.
Also, i normally have a cup of tea with milk within about 30-60 mins as I find that I feel rotten if I don't have a cuppa - foggy / tired.
I've recently been taking Orlistat too which was prescribed in the hope of shedding weight, I do ensure this is 4 hours after taking my levo.
Even with Orlistat I'm not losing weight, I have put on a stone since April. I exercise (spinning) and watch my diet , control the calories.
If I'm honest I'm not sure what to make of the results and what the changes can impact? Whether this is something I should refer to my GP (the high antibodies etc)
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I’ve taken tour advice and stopped taking the protein shakes after discovering 17% of the protein was soy. I’ve also got my test results from thriva so will post below. 
Help with understanding test results
New Bloods - Very Confused
Newest Bloods since starting T3!
My Thyroid test results
