High Ferritin levels

[Busbod]

Hi there,

I could do with some advice with results after taking a wellbeing blood test with medichecks. It's safe to say that If this was a MOT I would have failed😵

I have a Hashimotos diagnosis and take 150 Levo and 75 tiromel.

These are the results I am particularly concerned about.

Total cholesterol 5.47 range 0-5, LDL 3.49 range 0-3 none LDL 4.3 range 0- 4, total HDL 4.68 range 0-4

Iron 21.5 range 5.8 -34.5 Ferritin 287 range 13- 150. Transferrin saturated 42.07 range 20- 50

I don't take any iron or Ferritin supplements

Estradiol 208 range 0-100 I take HER

TSH 00.05 range 0.27- 4.2

T3 7.48 range 3.1 - 6.8

T4 17 range 12-22

Vit D low and B12 low so I am upping supplements.

Can these results be connected to Hashimotos?

Any help would be much appreciated.

Warmest wishes

Debbie

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Was thyroid tested as early as possible in morning before eating or drinking anything other than water and last dose levothyroxine 24 hours before test.

Last 25mcg of daily T3 dose 8-12 hours before test

That’s high dose T3 considering you are also taking 150mcg levothyroxine

What vitamin supplements are you currently taking

Ft3 is over range

What were vitamin D, folate and B12 results

Are you on strictly gluten free diet or dairy free diet

[Busbod in reply to SlowDragon]

Hi Slow dragon, thanks for your reply. I had the test late morning before any food and 24hours between meds. I take vit d and b12 which I have increased as the results were at the low range. My t4 is low so I have tried taking less 53 which has left me even more tired which I didn't think was possible.

[Busbod in reply to Busbod]

No I'm not eating a gluten free or dairy free.

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Busbod]

Ft4 isn’t low at 17

Ft3 is falsely low...as you left 24 hours not 12

So Ft3 likely to be fair bit higher than your already high result

It’s ALWAYS worth trying strictly gluten free diet if you have Hashimoto’s

But get coeliac blood test done before cutting gluten

Need folate tested too

[Busbod in reply to SlowDragon]

Thanks

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Busbod]

Being over treated will make you feel exhausted. It’s extremely difficult to lower dose

Do you wear a Fitbit or equivalent

What’s your resting heart rate

[Busbod in reply to SlowDragon]

Hi Slow dragon, my testing pulse is 98

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Busbod]

Blimey that’s high... how old are you?

very likely confirms over medicated

Wear a Fitbit or equivalent and record levels while slowly reducing dose T3

[Busbod in reply to SlowDragon]

I'm 55

[DippyDame]

That's quite a hefty combo dose!How do you feel?

You may very well be overdosed and consequently suffering a converse reaction.

After a spell on 200mcg T3, ( I have thyroid hormone resistance) which I felt ok with, I eventually began to feel I needed an increase BUT it turned out that I had reached a point (more T3 reaching tissues/ cells) where I had actually become overdosed. Symptoms were very similar!!

I've now reduced my dose and after some trial and error now manage on 100mcg T3.

A recent test returned a ferritin level of 225....that is work in progress!

This paper might help re ferritin levels including Hashi's

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/403...

In your shoes I might consider altering my dose.

I take it you are self medicating.

Your T4 is 50% through the ref range , it should be closer to 75% . You have room to add more levo....so maybe try increasing levo and reducing T3. That should raise your TSH , raise your FT4 and lower your FT3. Make sure you give your body time to adjust to each change (6-8 weeks)...and only change one hormone at a time.

Also, vital to ensure vit D, vit B12, folate and ferritin are optimal

Cholesterol is slightly high...correct medication may help.

I'm not a medic, just another traveller who has been on a long bumpy thyroid journey so I cannot advise...only offer my personal experience

Best...

DD

[Busbod in reply to DippyDame]

Thanks DD. I don't feel great and haven't for a long time, I feel like I could sleep all day every day. I will reduce my T3 and see how I get on, and yes I am self medicating. My Ferritin is 287 so if you have any ideas, they will be much appreciated.

[DippyDame in reply to Busbod]

Self medicating can take a long time to sort out....it took me over a year to get anywhere close to the right dose. I first started to sense something was going far wrong about 50 years ago.....medics gave me all the nonsense "advice" we all know about and I just plodded on as best I could with a home, husband and 2 small boys to care for ( not so small now!!)

I eventually, (20 years ago) persuaded my then GP to do a thyroid test, looking back the results were strange but she gave me levo in increasing doses, accompanied by a raft of platitudes, and I had to try and keep going until I could barely function. I knew desperate measures were needed and I had to take control.....or end up bed- ridden.

I found this forum and with amazing support and much reading ( I could hardly remember what was written at the top of the page by the time I struggled my way to the bottom!) things slowly improved. At 75 I can no longer expect to fully recover from the damage done but I've managed to do more than I ever imagined because, it turns out, my body had been very slowly shutting down.

The motto of this rant....there is a light at the end of the long dark tunnel. You can do this just accept it takes time, patience and determination....or with "sheer bloody mindedness" as someone described my approach.

Reducing your T3 may see your ferritin levels drop, as I said, I'm working on that. I really don't want to get medics involved, they already think by self medicating that I'm a lost cause....but it may be necessary.

I suggest you work on your nutrients and thyroid hormones before worrying about ferritin level.

Many of us here will recognise your dilemma, we're all here for you.