Help with results from Medichecks

[Kalimacadoodle]

Hi, I would really appreciate some help with my results from Medichecks please. I feel fatigued, have brain fog, muscle aches and I’m struggling to lose weight.

I have hashimotos and currently take 100mcg levothyroxine. I supplement with vit D3 + K2, folate, iron and magnesium. I have cut out gluten and dairy from my diet. Is there anything else that I could do to help myself?

TSH 0.82 (0.27-4.2)

Free T3 4.2 (3.1-6.8)

Free Thyroxine 19.7 (12-22)

Thank-you in advance

[pennyannie]

Hello Janeyrobs;

The accepted conversion level when on T4 - Levothyroxine only is 1 / 3.50 - 4.50 T3/T4 with most people preferring to come in a around 4 or under:

So to find your conversion ratio when on T4 only you simply divide your T3 into your T4 and I'm getting 4 .69 showing that your conversion is going out and compromised.

Conversion can be compromised by low vitamins and minerals so you might like to see where your levels of ferritin, folate, B12 and vitamin D are as we need these optimal levels as just being in the range somewhere, and seen as ok, isn't good enough when trying to utilise thyroid hormone replacement.

I see you are supplementing these areas and just for reference, as I can't see any numbers, I aim for a ferritin of around 100 : B12 active 70 + : Serum B12 500 + : folate around 20 : and vitamin D 100 : range dependant but aim for at least around 50% through ranges.

We generally feel at out best when both T3 and T4 are balanced in the ranges and towards the top quadrant of the ranges.

Your T3 is coming in at around 30% and your T4 is coming in at around 75% through the range and there is room for a dose increase in T4 which might just nudge your T3 a little higher for you as it is low T3 that gives the horrible symptoms of hypothyroidism.

Since you have a diagnosis of Hashimoto's I presume you know that this is an auto immune disease and ultimately your thyroid will become further disabled with every attack from your immune system.

This will necessitate you looking to increase your T4 medication as the glands production of thyroid hormones fluctuates, swings from hypo to hyper to hypo and becomes erratic, and eventually fails at which point in time you are more than likely to need full spectrum thyroid hormone replacement.

I read of many people looking to the research of Dr Izabella Wentz and working on understanding what triggers their own immune system response and to healing " their gut " as a first step to reduce antibodies thereby slowing down this whole process of gland disablement.

I'm with Graves Disease post RAI ablatio in 2005 and now manage lingering Graves, thyroid eye disease and hypothyroidism and self medicating as I was unable to get anything other than T4 - Levothyroxine prescribed through the NHS.

[Kalimacadoodle in reply to pennyannie]

Thank-you Pennyannie for your response, that is very helpful. Both vit D and ferritin are well over a 100. I’m also working on increasing my folate but don’t have results for that. Looks like I will be asking for an increase in Levo to see if that improves things. Thanks again! Jane

[pennyannie in reply to Kalimacadoodle]

Hey there :

I wouldn't want either ferritin or vitamin D going much over 100 ?

Do you have any inflammation ?

[Kalimacadoodle in reply to pennyannie]

Yes, my CRP inflammation marker has increased from .86mg/l taken in April 2019 to 1.8mg/l today (0 - 5). Both my ferritin and vit D are within range on medichecks tho’.

[pennyannie in reply to Kalimacadoodle]

Ok, so apart from usual suspects of vitamins and minerals, conversion can also be compromised by any physiological stress ( emotional or physical ) inflammation, depression, ageing and dieting :

So we can' t turn back the clock and we do need calories for good conversion so maybe there maybe something there that needs fine tuning :

[Kalimacadoodle in reply to pennyannie]

Thank-you pennyannie x