I had a fab nurse do some bloods last Thursday for “thyroid” that’s what the GP wrote! She didn’t do TSH but she did do Free T4! Would anybody know if this is a optimum level? I’m am currently taking 75mcgs levothyroxine daily and did not take them 24hrs before my blood test.
Thank you 🙏
The important thing about T4 is not so much the level, as whether or not you are converting it into T3. T4 is basically a storage hormone, and doesn't do much until it's converted into the active hormone, T3. If it's not doing that then you will stay hypo. But, you can't know unless T3 is tested.
Well just testing TSH and Ft4 is completely inadequate
How do you feel?
How much do you weigh approx in kilo
Guidelines on dose levothyroxine by weight is approx 1.6mcg levothyroxine per kilo of your weight
Ft4 is only 42% through range
Most people when adequately treated will have Ft4 at least 60-70% through range
Likely to need further 25mcg dose increase in levothyroxine
Do you have high thyroid antibodies?
Have you had vitamin levels tested
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
Low vitamin levels are extremely common, especially with autoimmune thyroid disease (Hashimoto’s or Ord’s thyroiditis)
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 .
Last dose of Levothyroxine 24 hours prior to blood test. (taking delayed dose immediately after blood draw).
This gives highest TSH, lowest FT4 and most consistent results. (Patient to patient tip)
Is this how you do your tests?
Private tests are available as NHS currently rarely tests Ft3 or all relevant vitamins
List of private testing options
thyroiduk.org/getting-a-dia...
Medichecks Thyroid plus antibodies and vitamins
medichecks.com/products/adv...
Blue Horizon Thyroid Premium Gold includes antibodies, cortisol and vitamins by DIY fingerprick test
bluehorizonbloodtests.co.uk...
Thriva Thyroid plus antibodies and vitamins By DIY fingerpick test
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
Doris11
Would anybody know if this is a optimum level?
Optimum is not a number, it's how you feel and where you need your level to feel well. Your FT4 is just 42% through it's range. Generally, many Hypo patients tend to feel best when their TSH is 1 or below with FT4 and FT3 in the upper part of their ranges.
As Greygoose has said, you also need FT3 testing. But looking at your FT4 level, most people would not find that makes them optimally medicated.
The most important question is "How do you feel?".
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