Thyroid & Alcohol

[Lisaj3008]

Hi All,

I'm 49 and in recent years been suffering with terrible joint and muscle pain, i've been backwards and forwards to GP and repeatedly get told everything is fine in my blood work and to just basically "suck it up"

Feb-21 Dose 110 Levo - TSH 0.92 Free T4 17.1

Ferritin 52ug/L (Range 12-300)

Folate 12.8ug/L (Range 3.9 - 19.8)

Vit D 66nmol/L (Range 50 - 150

I have B12 injections every twelve weeks due to pernicious anaemia, I have been Gluten Free for two years, the only thing i have not given up is Wine, I do have a glass most evenings, thoughts and feedback would be greatly appreciated. I have been on Levo since 2010.

Thanks in advance Lisa x

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Lisaj3008

Ferritin and Vit D could both be higher. Ferritin is recommended to be half way through range, Vit D is recommended to be 100-150nmol/L.

What is the reference range for the FT4 test?

Was FT3 tested?

Have you tried leaving off the wine for a while to see if it makes a difference?

[Lisaj3008 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Hi,Thanks for your reply

Range for FT4 is 11 - 23 - mine was 17.1

My GP never tests T3, it was done once about three years ago and it was 3.9 (Range 3.9 - 6)

I've abstained for a few weeks at a time but cant say it made a significant difference, but probably not long enough?

Why does low Ferritin affect thyroid function do you know?

thanks,

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Lisaj3008]

Lisaj3008

Your FT4 is 50.82% through range and most people feel best when it's in the upper part of it's range (and balanced with FT3) so around 70% and maybe higher.

It's important to test FT3 because T3 is the active hormone which every cell in our bodies need, and low T3 causes symptoms. Unfortunately most doctors don't understand this.

You can see from your FT3 test 3 years ago that it was at the very bottom of it's range, that too needs to be in the upper part of it's range.

Hundreds of members do their own private full thyroid function tests when NHS test doesn't include FT3.

Low ferritin brings it's own symptoms, some of which overlap with symptoms of hypothyroidism:

drhedberg.com/ferritin-hypo...

Symptoms of low ferritin include:

◾Weakness

◾Fatigue

◾Difficulty concentrating

◾Poor work productivity

◾Cold hands and feet

◾Poor short-term memory

◾Difficulty remembering names

◾Dizziness

◾Pounding in the ears

◾Shortness of breath

◾Brittle nails

◾Headaches

◾Restless legs

According to some experts the optimal ferritin level for thyroid function is between 90-110 ng/ml.

I would have thought a few weeks without alcohol is enough to establish whether or not it's causing any problems.

[Jazzw]

I wonder if you’re one of the many people with PA who need a jab more frequently than every 12 weeks? Once you start B12 jabs your B12 levels stay high—but that doesn’t mean that it’s available to your body. A huge number of GP surgeries now only offer jabs 12-weekly when it always used to be 8-weekly.

There’s a good PA forum here on HU - might be worth checking out: healthunlocked.com/pasoc

[Lisaj3008 in reply to Jazzw]

Hi,Thanks for that I’ll look into it 😀

[ClareP5]

Suggest trial increased frequency on B12