Latest blood test results (30/03/21)

[Mjpp84]

Hi all, it would be great to obtain your advice regarding my blood test results below (Thriva finger prick test) done on Sat 27th March 07.30am prior to thyroxine, caffeine and breakfast. I am currently taking levothyroxine, 10 days 150mg, 5 days 125mg, plus a vitamin D supplement and super B complex (Igennus). Test results:

Active B12: 138pmol/L - normal (range- 37.5-188)

Ferritin: 86 ug/L - optimal (30-200)

Folate: 23.1nmol/L - normal (normal = 8.83-30, optimal=30-60.8)

FT3: 5pmol/L - optimal (optimal=3.1-5.0, normal = 5-6.8)

TSH: 2.32mlu/L optimal (optimal=1-2.5)

Thyroglobulin antibodies (TgAB) 29.2ku/L - normal = 0-115

Thyroid peroxidate antibodies (TPOAb) - 37.8kIu/L - high. Normal = 0-34

T4 = 111nmol/L. Normal = 66-181

FT4 = 20.7pmol/L - normal (optimal = 12-17, normal = 17-22)

Vitamin d = 107nmol/l - optimal (optimal = 75-120, normal = 120-175)

Note - I have detailed the Thriva ranges as per the results charts given. Symptoms are still not good at all - sore muscles, fatigue, poor concentration, low mood. Thriva recommendations include taking magnesium (200-300mg) and going gluten free for 2-3 wks. I would very much welcome your thoughts and advice as my symptoms are still very challenging. Also recommendations on private specialists in the UK would be great as my GP cannot add any further value, many thanks.

[Jazzw]

Why on earth aren’t you on 150mcg a day all the time? I’ve just done the maths and it works out at an average of 141.66mcg per day. Hardly seems worth mucking about and that tiny raise in dosage might make all the difference—it would probably lift your FT3 a bit. I feel sure there must be a story there, because that’s a very inconvenient dosage scheduling—I’d really struggle to keep track of what I was doing!

Re the rest, well, there’s nothing obvious as I’m sure you already know. Though it will take more than a couple of weeks for the benefits of being gluten free to kick in—if you were sensitive to gluten and it was causing damage, it can take 6m or more to repair that damage, so maybe give that a bit longer to take effect.

[Mjpp84 in reply to Jazzw]

Thanks for the comments. My GP advised to drop to this dosage as my blood test suggested I was heading towards being overactive from his perspective.

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Mjpp84

Please ignore Thriva's "optimal" ranges, they are mainly ridiculous, they have a very strange way of displaying ranges on those graphics.. How FT4 can be optimal between 12-17 is beyond me when 12 is the bottom of the range. Just look at the green bar on the graphic and ignore anything they say about ranges. In fact, the proper normal ranges are displayed on the downloadable pdf of results which you can see when you log into your account, like thyis:

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Active B12 is good.

Ferritin isn't too bad at all, I've seen it said that 100-130 is a good level for females and 150 for males.

Folate not too bad but around 35+ would be better (recommended is at least half way through range).

Vit D pretty good, the Vit D Society and Grassroots Health both recommend a level of 100-150nmol/L.

TSH is higher than one might expect to see when FT4 is 87% through range.

FT3 is 51.35% through range so could be better considering where your FT4 is. You would probably benefit from a higher FT3.

[Mjpp84 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thanks for your comments. I agree, the Thriva ranges can be very confusing. Do you have any recommendations related to the results in terms of diet, vitamins, and are you saying I could benefit from taking T3 ? I am at a bit of a loss now on how to proceed. My symptoms don't seem to correlate that well with my blood test results (still feeling very tired all of the time) but understand that can be the case. Any other advice would be greatly appreciated.

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Mjpp84]

Mjpp84

Your TPO antibodies are elevated which suggests autoimmune thyroid disease, aka Hashimoto's, and some people have fou D that a gluten free diet helps. There is no guarantee but it's worth a try for a few months.

Selenium and zinc are said to help conversion of T4 to T3. Maybe consider testing first rather than just going ahead and supplementing.

If no improvement in T4 to T3 ratio then you could consider the addition of a small amount of T3.

[Meanbeannyc in reply to SeasideSusie]

Looks like FT3 is 100 percent through the range, no?

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Meanbeannyc]

Meanbeannyc

FT3: 5pmol/L - optimal (optimal=3.1-5.0, normal = 5-6.8)

Looks like FT3 is 100 percent through the range, no?

No. The actual range is 3.1-6.8 and this is where Thriva confuses a lot of people. They insist on putting stupid "optimal" ranges on their graphic (but not on their pdf listed results which I gave a link above to an example of). So if they're saying 3.1-5 is optimal, how can a bottom of range level at 3.1 posssibly be anywhere near optimal?

This result is 51.35% through range.

[Meanbeannyc in reply to SeasideSusie]

Ah yes! I did not see that!

[radd]

Mjpp84

These ranges are weird but nevertheless your ferritin is low at only 33% through range. Iron is key for thyroid hormone conversion and your FT3 is only just over half way through range. T3 is the active hormone we need adequate supplies of to achieve well-being. Are you supplementing iron?

Also, thryoid antibodies are only just over range but is isn’t always about the number but the effect that number of antibodies has on the body. Have you tried going gluten free yet?

[Mjpp84]

Hi all, thanks again for all of the comments and feedback. My blood test results don't look too bad (can obviously be improved), but my symptoms are far from good. Would going gluten free help with conversion of T4 to T3 / with muscle aches and pains and wider symptoms ? I have been quite a high caffeine user in the past (4-5 teas / coffees per day) and have read that this can increase inflammation, cause tiredness, and can irritate the thyroid. I have also suffered obtaining a good nights sleep which may be in itself be related to having an underactive thyroid. Essentially, outside of taking thyroxine in the prescribed way and optmising vitamin levels, I am looking for any advice that can help me related to diet, caffeine intake, exercise, sleep etc. Also, would you have any recommendations for private thyroid specialists in the UK given my results above, many thanks in advance.