On going tests

[Pastelart]

Hi, I haven’t yet ordered private blood tests, though very close to doing so. Since my iron infusion have had swollen glands in my neck and have had numerous blood tests, which have all come back normal. Saw a new doctor yesterday and mentioned that my TSH has been as high as 5.9 and have lots of symptoms. She was far more open to listening to my concerns, but was unable to help due to nhs blah blah! Anyway, she says that my thyroid gland is puffy on the left side and as she’s referring me to an ENT specialist, I should discuss my thyroid problems with him. Am I going in the right direction?

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Ask/firmly insist on folate, B12 and vitamin D being tested

Plus thyroid antibodies, if not been tested yet, alongside TSH, Ft4 and Ft3

Just testing TSH is completely inadequate

gp-update.co.uk/Latest-Upda...

Low vitamin levels tend to lower TSH.

Getting all four vitamins optimal will help push TSH up so you can get treated

All thyroid tests should be done as early as possible in morning before eating or drinking anything other than water

TSH of 5 is not normal

See flow chart on top of page 2 here

Median TSH graph

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

TSH daily variation

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Plus important when you test TSH ....

researchgate.net/publicatio...

“According to the current TSH reference interval, hypothyroidism was not diagnosed in about 50% of the cases in the afternoon.”

“Further analysis demonstrated inadequate compensation of hypothyroidism, which was defined in 45.5% of the morning samples and in 9% of the afternoon samples”

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/252...

TSH levels showed a statistically significant decline postprandially in comparison to fasting values. This may have clinical implications in the diagnosis and management of hypothyroidism, especially SCH.

Come back with new post once you get results

[Pastelart in reply to SlowDragon]

Thank you SlowDragon. I am going to order a blood test today. Was wondering if an ENT doctor would be able to help with thyroid. I’ve had my vitamins tested over the last few months and apart for very high ferritin, all seem okay.

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Pastelart]

Can you add actual results and ranges

How high was ferritin

You need full iron panel test to see if iron is also high

Haemochromatosis can affect thyroid

redriverhealthandwellness.c...

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Pastelart]

I think, reading all previous posts......

you actually mean ....very LOW ferritin

[Pastelart in reply to SlowDragon]

It was, but since the iron infusion has gone up to 554 (10-300)

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Pastelart]

That’s fine. You just had some nice new blood, so ferritin will be high. It will drop slowly over time

[humanbean]

Since my iron infusion have had swollen glands in my neck

You may have had low iron because of a condition called Anaemia of Chronic Disease, as well as having iron deficiency.

For info on Anaemia of Chronic Disease (this condition has a few different names), see this link from the web archive (it could be slow to open) and look at page 8 :

web.archive.org/web/2020021...

It could explain your swollen glands.