TSH

[Maggiez]

Hello. My TSH is a 4.3. It has been higher in the past. I don’t have Hashimoto’s antibodies but do have parietal cell antibodies. Everything else seems “normal “. I have a lot of symptoms. Does anyone feel awful with a TSH of 4 or above? Do you feel relief from your symptoms on thyroid medication? If so, how long did it take? Does it make you feel sick in the beginning?

[tattybogle]

Even though 4.2 may be just within the reference range? and so classed as 'normal' it would be very unusual to find someone who felt well at that level.

Here's a graph of the % of the healthy population that have TSH at various levels

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

[Maggiez in reply to tattybogle]

Thank you.

[Lora7again]

Do you have any other results like the T4 and T3? The TSH is a pituitary gland hormone not a thyroid hormone and it is the T4 and T3 that really counts.

[Maggiez in reply to Lora7again]

FOLATE, SERUM: 18.8

SED RATE BY MODIFIED WESTERGREN: 19 Reference Range: < OR 20 mm/h

TSH W/REFLEX TO FT: 4.32 mIU/L Reference Range > or = 20 Years0.40 4.50

THYROID PEROXIDASE ANTIBODIES:

2

<9 IU/mL

T4, FREE: 1.1 Reference Range: 0.8-1.8 ng/dL

T3, TOTAL: 97 Reference Range: 76-181 ng/dL

THYROGLOBULIN ANTIBODIES: <1 Reference Range: < or = 1 IU/mL

TPO AB ENDPOINT: 4 Reference Range: <9 IU/mL

[SlowDragon Administrator]

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

Are you on B12 injections?

See you have low vitamin D too

How much vitamin D are you taking.

Important to retest twice year.

Ask your doctor to test ferritin and folate 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 .

This gives highest TSH, lowest FT4 and most consistent results. (Patient to patient tip)

Is this how you do your tests?

[Maggiez in reply to SlowDragon]

I stopped B12 over a month ago to get new tests. My symptoms seem like B12 deficiency or hypothyroid? I just did some more labs yesterday to look for PA. Was taking a vitamin D spray but I'm getting a vitamin D sunlamp today.

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Maggiez]

Often necessary to take higher dose vitamin D than typical

It can take many months to improve low vitamin D

How low was vitamin D, and what level now

I used a vitamin D lamp briefly (more in my profile)

[Maggiez in reply to SlowDragon]

Last labs from a few months ago vitamin d was 12. I’ve since been taking 3000 iu and sunbathing. Not sure what level is now. I looked at your profile on vitamin d but didn’t find anything on sun lamp.

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Maggiez]

Was this 12nmol or 12ng/ml (29nmol)

your vitamin D was extremely low

If it was 12nmol - GP should have prescribed 300,000iu LOADING DOSE over 6-8 weeks

About vitamin D lamp ....Roughly paragraph 20 in my profile

[Maggiez in reply to SlowDragon]

Ng/ml. I was prescribed a high dose vitamin d but I’m allergic to the fillers. Yes, very low level of vitamin d.

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Maggiez]

Have you tried vitamin D mouth spray

Eg Better You vitamin D

Or SeasideSusie recommends a vitamin D soft jel with no additives

[Maggiez in reply to SlowDragon]

I did use a mouth spray. Did you use the Sperti sun lamp? That's the one I'm getting.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Many Hashimoto’s patients only have high TG thyroid antibodies. NHS refuses to test TG antibodies if TPO are negative

An ultrasound scan of thyroid can be helpful

20% of Hashimoto's patients never have raised antibodies

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Paul Robson on atrophied thyroid - especially if no TPO antibodies

paulrobinsonthyroid.com/cou...