Full thyroid panel results

[Lyndylan]

Hello everyone.

I have had hypothyroidism symptoms a year or more since starting amiodorone and Bisoporol for persistent Afib. My TSH was 20 and now stabilised around 8 since starting to take levothyroxine 50mg. GP refused to do a full thyroid panel- so finally paid for one with Medichecks.

I’d like some help interpreting the results before I see the GP about changing medication doses.

These are the results -

CRP HS 2.9

Feratin 1.07

Follate 1.4

Vitamin B12 120

Vitamin D 49

TSH 7.98

Free T3 3.1

Free thyroxine 20.3

THYROGLOBULIN ANTIBODIES 12.1

THYROID PEROXIDASE ANTIBODIES 11.8

Many thanks in advance for your help

Ps I’ve now added full lab report to show ranges

[greygoose]

Sorry, but can you put the ranges, please. Not everyone knows the Medicheck ranges - I don't, for a start. However, I can see your TSH is much too high by any lab standards. You may have stabilised at 8, but you are still very, very hypo with a TSH that high. You desperately need an increase in dose.

[Lyndylan in reply to greygoose]

Thanks for the quick reply. I’ve now posted the Lab report with ranges. I feel desperately tired with a lot of aching muscles, dry hair skin etc- so I guess that is due to the low thyroid levels. My GP seems to think that as the TSH LEVEL has improved , that is enough. I was at 20 a year ago before Levo 50mg, then TSH went down to 5, but since then it’s between 7 and 8

[greygoose in reply to Lyndylan]

Well, no, that is not enough. The whole point of thyroid hormone replacement is to get the TSH down to 1 or under. With a TSH of 7 or 8 - not even in-range! - you are still very hypo.

Sorry, but where did you post the ranges? I can't see them. Do you know you can edit this post to add the ranges, by clicking on the downward-facing arrow below your post, where it says: more. That would be better than starting a new post and getting answers on both of them, which gets confusing.

[Lyndylan in reply to greygoose]

Sorry it disappeared . I’ve edited the original post now with a picture of the report

[greygoose in reply to Lyndylan]

OK, got it!

So, your FT3 is very low. Right on the bottom rung of the range. Which is likely why your TSH is so high. You do not convert well at all. So, although your FT4 is high, it's not doing anything for you. T4 is basically a storage hormone, T3 is the active hormone which causes symptoms if it's too low.

I don't know anything about amiodorone, except that it causes thyroid problems. But, does it also stop conversion? Increasing your levo is not the answer here, even if your doctor agrees to do so. What you need is T3 added to your levo. But, you would have to see an endo to get that prescribed.

Your vit D is also very low, and that might be having an impact on your conversion. It really needs supplementing, together with the cofactors of vit D: magnesium and vit K2-MK7.

[Hedgeree]

Hi Lyndylan,

A similar thing happened to a friend of mine, where he was put on amiodarone for sustained AF and ended up being diagnosed with hyperthyroidism (amiodarone-induced thyrotoxicosis).

He was eventually referred to an endo and had to stop the amiodarone as it was making him unwell. He's on an alternative medication now and made a full recovery from hyperthyroidism but it did take some time with the guidance of a thyroid specialist.

I'm not a medic but it might be an idea if you're not seeing one already to ask your gp to refer you to an endo that can help you.

Best wishes.

[Lyndylan in reply to Hedgeree]

Thanks Hedgree, I’m just coming off the amiodorone and switching to flecanide . Hopefully that will help, but I think it will not be enough short term as amiodorone has such a long half life.I will ask for a referral to an Endo - but that may take months given how stretched our NHS resources are.