I’m posting on behalf of my mum really, who I think will also set up an account and join this forum.
I’ve urged my mum to get a full medichecks panel done, she has an underactive thyroid like me and has been on levo for probably 25+ years at a guess, and she is 65.
she’s had heart problems over recent years, with AF and something else that I can’t remember what it was called,and has had some heart procedures including ablation. But two treatments haven’t totally taken it away. I did wonder if it could be thyroid related making it worse - since I started self medicating with T3 recently all my palpitations have stopped which is amazing. But mum and I don’t think self medicating is a good idea for her with the heart niggles. She’s seeing her cardiologist today with the below results.
However, she’s having such trouble with her hair now, her hairline has receded so much, maybe 2 inches over the last 2 years and we are sure it must be autoimmune. We really need to take action for her now as it’s become significant and is permanent loss. Her results showed very high thyroglobulin antibodies and slightly raised TPO which we know means hashis. She’s already really healthy diet wise and consumes hardly any gluten but will try gluten free. But could that be causing the hair loss??
And any knowledgeable feedback on the below? Thanks to all!
Inflammation Crp: 0.33 (<5)
Ferritin: 123 (13-150)
Folate: 15.27 (>3.89)
Vitamin B12: 106 (>37.5)
Vitamin D: 83.6 (50-175)
TSH: 2.04 (0.27-4.2)
T3: 4.18 (3.1-6.8)
T4: 15.7 (12-22)
Thyroglobulin antibodies: 952 (<115)
TPO antibodies: 85.6 (<34)
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Orla9298
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How much levothyroxine is your mum currently taking?
Does she always get same brand of levothyroxine
Which brand
Presumably she knew to do test as early as possible in morning before eating or drinking anything other than water and last dose levothyroxine 24 hours before test
What vitamin supplements is she taking ?
If taking anything with biotin in, did she stop taking this a week before blood test?
Vitamin levels are all good
Her thyroid results suggest she is under medicated
Ft4 is only 37% through range
Ft3 only 29% through range
Helpful calculator for working out percentage through range
Silly me I forgot to say dose, she’s on 100 levo at the moment after being on 125 for years and years. I’m not sure what brand. The GP insisted on reducing her a couple of years back. I know how difficult GPs are and they are very much at our surgery, so I’ve just suggested to my mum that she says to the GP that she’s started feeling very under medicated so would appreciate trialling going back up.
She did the test under the right conditions (early morning, fasting, 24 ours since last dose), doesn’t take anything with biotin, and is taking vitamin D spray daily.
Would a dose increase reduce her antibodies at all? We are so concerned about the hair loss.
The lower TSH the less TG antibodies there seem to be. Antibodies are not the disease....they are cleaning up after the attacks.
Results suggest that dose should not have been reduced
Do you have results from when on 125mcg every day
Perhaps request dose increase from 100mcg to 100mcg and 125mcg alternate days
(Make sure to get same brand levothyroxine for 25mcg. Which brand of levothyroxine does she take)
Retest 8-10 weeks after dose increase
Approx how much does your mum weigh in kilo
guidelines on dose levothyroxine by weight
Even if we frequently don’t start on full replacement dose, most people need to increase levothyroxine dose slowly upwards in 25mcg steps (retesting 6-8 weeks after each increase) until eventually on, or near full replacement dose
Consider starting levothyroxine at a dosage of 1.6 micrograms per kilogram of body weight per day (rounded to the nearest 25 micrograms) for adults under 65 with primary hypothyroidism and no history of cardiovascular disease.
Traditionally we have tended to start patients on a low dose of levothyroxine and titrate it up over a period of months. RCT evidence suggests that for the majority of patients this is not necessary and may waste resources.
For patients aged >60y or with ischaemic heart disease, start levothyroxine at 25–50μg daily and titrate up every 3 to 6 weeks as tolerated.
For ALL other patients start at full replacement dose. For most this will equate to 1.6 μg/kg/day (approximately 100μg for a 60kg woman and 125μg for a 75kg man).
If you are starting treatment for subclinical hypothyroidism, this article advises starting at a dose close to the full treatment dose on the basis that it is difficult to assess symptom response unless a therapeutic dose has been trialled.
Hair loss can be a common symptom if hypothyroid. Once we have one autoimmune disease we can develop more.
Some people develop alopecia areata and I am one who has this condition - it occurs just before summer when hair begins to fall - then grows back slowly. For the past 11 years it has followed the same pattern i.e. just before summer hair disappears.
I have bought some good wigs but if you are on holiday and it is hot, you don't really want to wear one but haven't an option.
However, this year it has not grown back at all. It has been diagnosed as Alopecia Areata but I console myself that the hair loss isn't caused by cancer treatment
I had severe palpitations when relatively new to hypothyroidism and cardiologist couldn't figure out why I had constant severe palpitations, especially during the night and he was considering putting an implant in my heart to 'see' what was going on. Fortunately, T3 was then added to T4 and palps ceased. I then went onto T3 only.
I was having palpitations recently all the time (you can see my most recent test results on a previous post) but after adding 25mcg tiromel daily (split into 2 doses) they have gone away completely and I feel a lot more like myself after always feeling sluggish and foggy.
Mum probably needs to see a good endocrinologist rather than self medicate, but given how similar me and my mum are I’m suspicious that she would also benefit from T3, or at the very least needs a dose increase of levo.
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Help with my Mum's results please.
My Mums Thyroid private blood test results (non diagnosed) 
Could someone take a look at my mums thyroid results?
Welcome any assistance to help my mum
