If on Carbimazole for 6 months is it important to get T3 tested also? Mine was normal before starting treatment. But TSH was very low and T4 was slightly elevated.
Also tried talking to GP about what causes Goitre. She said its not as a result of hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism?
Also tried talking to GP about what causes Goitre. She said its not as a result of hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism?
What is it due to then? lol
Can you give us your exact numbers: results and ranges, please? It doesn't sound like you should be on Carbimazole at all. Just having a low TSH is not a reason to take it.
Your GP sounds rather dangerously ignorant, actually. I would be very careful if I were you!
This is before treatment..TSH. <0.02 mU/L. (0.35-5.50)
T4. 21.1 pmol/L. (7.0-17.0)
T3. 5.1 pmol/L. (3.5-6.5)
You are not hyper and do not need carbimazole, that much is obvious. Your FT4 is high, yes, but that does not make you hyper. You are a poor converter because although your FT4 is well over-range, your FT3 is only just over mid-range. Carbimazole will reduce your thyroid's production of both hormones, not just the T4, so - as I said - you will go very hypo very quickly.
What needs to be done here is find out why you are converting so poorly. Do you have some sort of infection? Are you anorexic? So many things can affect conversion. But Carbimazole isn't going to help at all.
I have a lung problem after radiotherapy. Diagnosed as COPD. Not anorexic. Overweight if anything as cant move about much. But try and exercise. I think blood test for inflammation came back negative. But not sure now... there is a blood test for inflammation isn't there?
There are several. The only one I can remember the name of is CRP. Are you perhaps on a low-calorie diet?
Not on low cal diet. Are there many causes for being a poor converter?
My T3 was 5.1 and top of range is 6.5. Does this sound too low meaning Im a poor converter?
T3 5.1 pmol/L. (3.5-6.5)
It's not a question of how high or low your FT3 is. It's a comparison of FT4 with FT3.
Your FT4 is 125.15% through the range - i.e. well over the top of the range.
Your FT3 is 53.33% through the range.
That's a big gap in the percentages.
If you were a good converter, the percentages would be very close together - e.g. FT4 80%, FT3 75%, something like that. But, because you are a poor converter, you need all that amount of T4 just to get and FT3 only slightly over mid-range.
Had rapid irregular heartbeat but not AF while at surgery. Also felt unwell and have a goitre from sometime in my past. So Endo suggested 5 mg Carbimazole indefinitely? But still feel unwell.
I really, really doubt that that is the right treatment and is only going to make you feel worse by reducing your T3. The rapid irregular heartbeat could also be due to many things. I think further investigation is required, rather than taking the 'easy' (for your doctor, not you) way out by prescribing carbimazole.
T4 is now in range and TSH has gone up a bit. T3 not tested last time..
Well, of course that's what's going to happen. But that does not make it the right treatment. But FT3 certainly should have been tested. T3 is the active hormone, which causes symptoms when it is too high or too low. You need to know where it is now.
Given the present situation, one of two results is possible:
a) your FT3 has gone down because the carbimazole has stopped your thyroid producing it, and there's not now as much T4 to convert.
b) raising the TSH has improved conversion, so your FT3 is actually now a little higher.
But, you cannot know which way it has gone without testing the FT3.
Strongly recommend getting FULL thyroid and vitamin testing including BOTH TPO and TG antibodies
Your results perhaps suggest early stage Hashimoto’s, and Carbimazole is not correct treatment for Hashimoto’s
Previous post from 3 months ago
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
For full Thyroid evaluation you need TSH, FT4 and FT3 plus both TPO and TG thyroid antibodies tested. Also EXTREMELY important to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12
Recommended on here that all thyroid blood tests should ideally be done as early as possible in morning and before eating or drinking anything other than water .
This gives highest TSH, lowest FT4 and most consistent results. (Patient to patient tip)
Private tests are available as NHS currently rarely tests Ft3 or all thyroid antibodies or all relevant vitamins
List of private testing options
thyroiduk.org/getting-a-dia...
Medichecks Thyroid plus antibodies and vitamins
medichecks.com/products/adv...
Thriva Thyroid plus antibodies and vitamins By DIY fingerpick test
Thriva also offer just vitamin testing
Blue Horizon Thyroid Premium Gold includes antibodies, cortisol and vitamins by DIY fingerprick test
bluehorizonbloodtests.co.uk...
If you can get GP to test vitamins and antibodies then cheapest option for just TSH, FT4 and FT3
£29 (via NHS private service ) and 10% off down to £26.10 if go on thyroid uk for code
thyroiduk.org/getting-a-dia...
NHS easy postal kit vitamin D test £29 via
You need to get
Graves Disease antibodies test
medichecks.com/products/tsh...
Good info on Graves’ disease
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
If TPO or TG thyroid antibodies are high this is usually due to Hashimoto’s (commonly known in UK as autoimmune thyroid disease).
About 90% of all primary hypothyroidism in Uk is due to Hashimoto’s. Low vitamin levels are particularly common with Hashimoto’s. Gluten intolerance is often a hidden issue to.
Link about thyroid blood tests
thyroiduk.org/getting-a-dia...
Link about Hashimoto’s
thyroiduk.org/hypothyroid-b...
Link about Graves’ disease
thyroiduk.org/hyperthyroid-...
List of hypothyroid symptoms
thyroiduk.org/if-you-are-un...
20% of Hashimoto's patients never have raised antibodies
Insist on ultrasound scan of thyroid
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
Doctors app and request for T3 test 
Test Results : Balance T4/T3?
Active T3 test and 24 hour urine test.
Carbimazole - tell it as it is !
Carbimazole Confusion
