Increase in TSH

[underact15]

I’m going to post my blood test results soon (I got them an hour ago) but the one that’s playing on my mind the most is my TSH. In July 2020, it was 1.3 and it’s now 3.08 having been around 1 for quite a while - as far as I know! 😳

For the first time ever (as per advice on here 🦋💖), I didn’t take my levothyroxine before my blood tests (which were done as early as possible - 9.20am) and I also didn’t have anything to eat and drink until after my tests. It might also be worth mentioning that I started taking some supplements a week before my tests but I always leave 3-5hrs after taking levothyroxine (I take levo as soon as I wake up at 6/7am and supplements late morning or with lunch). Could doing all of this increased my TSH?! 😱 Surely not that much?! I’m worried that I’ve somehow given myself false results!!! 😩 What else can cause an increase in TSH?!

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

underact15

In July 2020, it was 1.3 and it’s now 3.08 having been around 1 for quite a while - as far as I know!

For the first time ever (as per advice on here 🦋💖), I didn’t take my levothyroxine before my blood tests (which were done as early as possible - 9.20am) and I also didn’t have anything to eat and drink until after my tests.

Eating can lower TSH and coffee (and other caffeine containing drinks) affect TSH, so if you were previously eating or drinking anything but water before your test then this could have given a lower TSH at the time.

It might also be worth mentioning that I started taking some supplements a week before my tests but I always leave 3-5hrs after taking levothyroxine

Was one of these supplements a B Complex or Biotin?

[underact15 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thanks for replying, SeasideSusie. I’ve had all sorts of blood tests at all sorts of times over the years so I imagine I probably always ate beforehand - at least breakfast. I definitely always took my levothyroxine beforehand (on first waking up).

I’ve just had a look and the multivitamin that I take has VitB1 (10.7mg), VitB2 (0.8mg), VitB6 (1.0mg), VitB12 (10.5ug) and Biotin (75.0ug). I started taking them 7 days before having my blood tests done (not on the day itself though) and hadn’t taken any at all prior to that.

[underact15 in reply to underact15]

Ps. I don’t drink caffeinated drinks, only water/squash and decaf tea

[SlowDragon Administrator]

What were your full results

If you are taking vitamin B complex, or any supplements containing biotin, remember to stop these 7 days before ALL BLOOD TESTS , as biotin can falsely affect test results

endo.confex.com/endo/2016en...

endocrinenews.endocrine.org...

We post about this all the time

Many labs use biotin in test

It might be that the vitamin B complex affected results....it’s impossible to say

It’s probably too small a dose to affect test ....but can’t be certain

[underact15 in reply to SlowDragon]

I’m hoping that because I’d only taken them for 7 days (and none at all prior to that) and at a low dose then it won’t have affected the results too much 😩

I wrote a few of my results down (it was a phone call appointment) but I’m waiting for the whole lot to be emailed to me. Positive antibodies (first time I’ve been diagnosed with Hashimotos despite having an underactive thyroid for 6yrs), T4 is 21 (no range yet) and T3 is 3 (no range yet). Poor converter.......?! I’m low in iron (no surprise there although my ferritin is 56 which is the highest it’s been in years! Not sure why because I came off Ferrous Fumarate at the end of Oct and it was 28...🤔 Serum iron is below range) and I’m deficient in vitD. Magnesium and Zinc also low. B12 and Folate ok. Cortisol also ok. I’ll post the full results when they come in 👍🏽

[Angel_of_the_North in reply to underact15]

Biotin can give a false high FT4.