Thyroid symptoms

[Key2020]

Hi Everyone

Has anybody been diagnosed with a Thyroid condition even though they blood test are with range but on the low side?

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Key2020

What are your actual results (including reference ranges)?

[Key2020 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Serum TSH level 0.9mlU/L (0.27-4.20mlU/L)

Serum freeT4 levels 15.5pmol/L (12.00-22.00mol/L

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Key2020]

Key2020

Thanks.

Very unlikely to get a diagnosis with those results.

A normal healthy person would have TSH no more than 2, often around 1, with FT4 around mid-range-ish. Your FT4 is 35% through range and may be your normal level, the problem is that nobody is tested for a baseline so we don't know what our own "normal" is.

It might be worth you doing a full thyroid/vitamin panel to see if there are any other clues. Sometimes low vitamin levels or deficiencies have symptoms that can overlap with symptoms of hypothyroidism. You probably wont get everything done with your GP, you need

TSH

FT4

FT3

Thyroid antibodies

Vit D

B12

Folate

Ferritin

We have recommended private labs which can do these in one test bundle if you are interested, details are:

Medichecks ADVANCED THYROID FUNCTION medichecks.com/products/adv...

Check this page for details of any discounts: thyroiduk.org/getting-a-dia...

or

Blue Horizon Thyroid PREMIUM GOLD bluehorizonbloodtests.co.uk...

Check this page for discount code thyroiduk.org/getting-a-dia...

Both tests include the full thyroid and vitamin panel. They are basically the same test with just a few small differences:

Blue Horizon includes Total T4 (can be useful but not essential). Medichecks doesn't include this test.

B12 - Blue Horizon does Total B12 which measures bound and unbound (active) B12 but doesn't give a separate result for each. Medichecks does Active B12.

Total B12 shows the total B12 in the blood. Active B12 shows what's available to be taken up by the cells. You can have a reasonable level of Total B12 but a poor level of Active B12. (Personally, I would go for the Active B12 test.)

Blue Horizon include magnesium but this is an unreliable test so don't let this sway your decision, it also tests cortisol but that's a random cortisol test and to make any sense of it you'd need to do it fasting before 9am I believe.

Both can be done by fingerprick or venous blood draw (extra cost).

If you are considering the fingerprick test I have some tips I am happy to pass on.

Always advised here, when having thyroid tests:

* Blood draw no later than 9am. This is because TSH is highest early morning and lowers throughout the day. If looking for a diagnosis of hypothyroidism, an increase in dose of Levo or to avoid a reduction then we need the highest possible TSH

* Nothing to eat or drink except water before the blood draw. This is because eating can lower TSH and coffee can affect TSH.

[* Last dose of Levo 24 hours before the test, take that day's dose after the blood draw. This is because if you take your Levo before the blood draw the test will measure the dose just taken and show a false high. If you leave longer than 24 hours the result will show a false low.]

* If you take Biotin or a B Complex containing Biotin (B7), leave this off for 7 days before any blood test. This is because if Biotin is used in the testing procedure it can give false results (most labs use biotin).

These are patient to patient tips which we don't discuss with phlebotomists or doctors.

[Key2020 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thank you that is very helpful🙂

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Key2020]

Just testing TSH and Ft4 is completely inadequate

Come back with new post once you get full results

[Key2020 in reply to SlowDragon]

Ok