Advice on results

[Sob40]

Hi All

In the past I have suffered from an over active thyroid but since last year I was diagnosed with acquired hypothyroidism. I am currently on 75mg of levothyroxine.

My last results for T4 were over the range . I am not sure what this means now . Does this mean I have gone hyper again ?

I have my appointment with the consultant this week . Is there anything in particular I need to ask ?

Thanks

[Lalatoot]

Sob it was suggested previously that because of your antibody level you have hashimotos. Hashimotos thyroiditis has periods of hypo and hyper that is how it goes.If you search for hashimotos you will find plenty of useful info about it. It is important to read up and become knowledgeable as doctors don't often understand how it works.

[fuchsia-pink]

How do you feel? That's always the most important bit

If you have over-range free T4 and don't feel good, that can mean one of two things: either you are in a Hashi swing (if you feel "hyper") or, despite your high free T4 you may be a rubbish "converter"(like me) and have poor free T3 - and so still feel hypo

I'd say it is worth asking the endo to run a more complete set of blood results, so s/he checks TSH, free T4 and free T3 together, and also key nutrients - ferritin, folate, vit D and B12. I've had some success with mine by saying that these are the tests recommended by Thyroid UK. You need your nutrients to be good to feel properly well, and many of us find they aren't unless we supplement

Remember you are ONLY over-medicated if free T3 is over-range - and you won't know if it is unless it's tested x

[Sob40 in reply to fuchsia-pink]

I feel pretty rubbish at the moment . Exhausted , Brain fog , anxious , not losing weight . I was feeling better after a few months of taking levothyroxine. But since the last month my symptoms have come back again . I have been eating a low carb and gluten free diet and taking supplements that were previously recommended .

[fuchsia-pink in reply to Sob40]

Sounding pretty under-medicated then ....

Please try and get free T3 tested (alongside free T4) so you can check your conversion. If the doc can't / won't do it, there's a pretty cheap private test of TSH, free T4 and free T3, so I'd strongly recommend you do it.

It's going to be really important to test and then improve (as necessary) those key nutrients as well x

[tattybogle]

*Note.

There seems to be more history going on here than just Hashimoto's ..

from a previous replies by sob40 ;

"I have preciously suffered from hyperthyroidism and did have a goitre . With treatment after 14-15 years . I was taken of my medicine as levels were normal . Now it seems it has gone hypo. I was treated on and off for 14 years with carbimazole . Then also for a few years with block and replace therapy with cabimazole and levothyroxine . When I was pregnant , I was on another medicine for a few years ( can’t recall the name of product ). It’s been 6 years since I stopped treatment . For the last 5 years I have been going to the drs about my tiredness and weight gain . Then it was only a few months ago , one GP said my T4 said is on low side and suggested to go on levothyroxine. They only tested for the antibodies after I pushed them too . "

TPOab Jan 2021 were 905 IU/ml [0.1 -9]

We don't seem to have any results for TRab test to confirm Graves. But sob40 clearly has a significant history of Hyperthyroidism from some cause.

[Sob40 in reply to tattybogle]

Thank you . It’s a long ongoing issues I have had , with the latest results . It has confused me as when I mention hasimoto , the GP doesn’t believe it is . I will see what the endocrinologist says this week . Hope they have more answers for me

I haven’t had Trab tested .