Hi all, newbie to this forum hope you can help. I have many symptoms of Hypothyroidism listed below. The most recent being a 10kg weight gain over a period of a few months. I workout 6 times a week, walk 5 times a week, do intermittent fasting and see a personal trainer. I also have a moderately healthy diet. In essence, there's nothing in my routine to account for the 10kg increase.
My recent medical history was low B12 and low Vit D in bloods taken a couple of years ago. Since then I take supplements and recent bloods show these levels are now high.
However I still have the symptoms listed below, and the unexplained weight gain made me request additional bloods this year. My GP only tested TSH (amongst other things, but this was the only Thyroid related one), which came back as normal
I then went to MonitorMyHealth and tested additionally for TSH, T3, T4 which also came back as normal today.
Is there anything I'm missing here, and if so what can I ask for and from who? I'm so frustrated as I really thought the T3/T4 additions would show something and I could have a diagnosis after years of suffering these symptoms.
Thank you for any advice.
Symptoms:
Tiredness/fatigue
Always cold especially hands and feet
Weight gain (+10kg in 4-5 months)
Slow thoughts / brain fog
Dry skin
Eyebrow hair loss & scalp hair thinning
Heavy periods
GP Test result - Apr 2021
Serum TSH level: 1.63 mU/L (range - .35 - 4.94)
MonitorMyHealth results - June 2021
TSH levels: 2.17 mu/L (range 0.27 - 4.2 mU/L)
FT4 levels: 15.4 pmol/L (range 12 - 22 pmol/L)
FT3 levels: 5.2 pmol/L (range 3.1 - 6.8 pmol/L)
Written by
ac13
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As your thyroid levels are in range (FT4 34% & FT3 56.76% within range) a GP would not treat. GPs often don’t treat until TSH well above range & FT4 & FT3 below range.
Healthy TSH generally around 1 and, I think as your TSH has risen monitoring is a good idea. We don’t have a comparison so we don’t know if your FT4 is low for you. Arranging a test In 6 to 8 weeks might be good idea.
Including a test with TPO & TG antibodies might be worth while as this this will indicate if anything autoimmune is occurring. 90% of hypothyroidism is caused by autoimmune thyroiditis also referred to as Hashimotos.
Also testing ferritin at folate as well as vitamin D and B12. Low Ferritin associated with hair loss.
Do you recall the time at which you had the tests? Recommended on here test are taken first thing in morning having fasted (except water). This shows highest TSH & lowest FT4. Consistent testing will shows a more accurate comparison.
Cease supplements containing biotin (B7) a week before testing. High doses are know to interfere with the testing process & skew results.
Folate and ferritin are not the same. Ferritin is iron stores & folate is a B vitamin (B9).
Mid range of (3.1 - 19.9) for folate in 11.5 so 6.9 is low.
To raise folate source a vitamin B complex, with folate not folic acid. I’ve seen Igennus Super B & Thorne Basic B recommended but not used myself.
You TPO was negative in 2012 but it’s been 9 years so a recent one should be done with TGab too.
Your FT4 was top of the range in 2012 so that could either be your normal or the start or end of a transient rise. Autoimmune thyroiditis can often begin with a hyperthyroid stage. This is caused as the immune system is attacking the thyroid, and the destroyed cells releasing their stock of thyroid hormone causing levels of FT4/3 to rise. Ultimately the thyroid is damaged & becomes hypothyroid.
Were you having symptoms in 2012 which prompted a blood test?
Thank you for your detailed reply. I can't remember why the thyroid was checked in 2012 unfortunately - but I think I must have been as I don't think they'd do those tests for me without symptoms. I have a feeling it must have been due to my heavy periods, and I have had the coldness for 10 years+.
I guess my FT4 from 2012 is a bit irrelevant if my FT4 from this week is lower (18.3 in 2012, to 15.4 now)?
I will check TPO and TG antibodies in 6 weeks time, and see what my TSH is then too. In the meantime I will look into Vit B Complex for Folate.
Hi ac13, I don’t wish to dismiss your thoughts on diagnosis.
I have no thyroid after being destroyed with radioactive iodine.
I was absolutely convinced my daughter was under active. She had all the thyroid symptoms, exhausted, weight gain feeling cold etc etc.
I nagged her. GP did bloods. All normal. This went on for several months and a number of thyroid checks. All normal.
My daughter was feeling really rotten and after the last set of bloods went back to the GP and pretty much told the GP that the test couldn’t be normal as she didn’t feel normal. This prompted GP to run other tests and her bloods came back as lupus.
She was eventually diagnosed as Sjogrens. My advice to you would be see how you go over next few weeks go back ask for more tests and if still normal ask for more different ones or alternative you could just ask GP to look for other conditions.
Thank you, it's so disheartening! GP says they've done every single test possible and nothing left to check so have just left me to it! Next step is my private medical insurance GP
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