What do these results mean please. I have so many symptoms, but the tiredness is so embarrassing. I have now been referred to the hospital,

[Bella426]

These were my results, not bad, but I have so many symptoms, and it’s impacting my life.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Previous post

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Have you got FULL thyroid and vitamin testing done yet

Privately or via GP

Come back with new post once you get results

Thyroid hormones can’t work if vitamin levels are deficient

[Bella426 in reply to SlowDragon]

Thank you for your quick response SlowDragon. But with these results do I have a case to fight my GP. I will get private tests done, but I’m just asking about these results from GP.

[Lalatoot in reply to Bella426]

Bella if you read the advice you were given here healthunlocked.com/thyroidu... have been given all the evidence you need to fight your GP.

You have all the evidence and information you need from SeasideSusie

[Bella426 in reply to Lalatoot]

Thank you Lalatoot, it’s having the energy to fight sometimes. But I do have all this valuable information right in front of me. It’s disgusting how medical professionals are dismissing a condition that has such a profound effect on your health and well-being, shocking infact. Thank you all for responding, I appreciate it x

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Bella426]

As a vegetarian and a poor diet you are going to always need daily B12 supplement

But you should get FULL Thyroid and vitamin testing done privately, or via GP …..BEFORE starting vitamin supplements

Likely to have extremely low B12, iron/ferritin

Thyroid can’t work if you have vitamin deficiencies

Nor will replacement thyroid hormones

So first step is to get FULL thyroid and vitamin testing, see exactly how low all your vitamin levels are

Improving low vitamin levels frequently improves thyroid results and/or gets you a diagnosis if cause of low vitamin levels is poor thyroid

[Bella426 in reply to SlowDragon]

Thank you SlowDragon. These were my bloods done under my haematologist as I struggle to absorb iron. I have always put my symptoms down to anaemia, which right now I’m not anaemia.

Full blood results

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Bella426]

Ferritin is ok …but not brilliant

Presumably will be dropping

How often do you get iron transfusion

humanbean has loads of helpful posts and replies about lots of different iron supplements to try

When were B12, folate and vitamin D last tested

Please add most recent results

What vitamin supplements are you currently taking

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Bella426]

GP will only look at TSH and say there’s no issue

Essential to test Thyroid antibodies, Ft3 and vitamins

Always test as early as possible in morning before eating or drinking anything other than water to get highest TSH

[DippyDame]

Based on these limited and poor results you appear to be hypothyroid.

You said in a previous post that your GP told you that your results are normal, I'm afraid his knowledge of thyroid disease/testing is sadly lacking!

By ' normal" he only means your result lies within the reference range, which is a different matter. It does not mean that the reading is optimal for you

thyroiduk.org/if-you-are-un...

This is why you feel unwell

Your TSH is too high, without medication it should be 2 or under, if medicated it should be 1 or under

FT4 at 12.8 (12 - 22) is only 8% through the ref range, it should be approaching 75%

TSH is considered the important reading, this is not the case!

bmcendocrdisord.biomedcentr...

You need to be prescribed levothyroxine

50mcg is the starter dose

Re-test after 6/8 weeks and adjust dose.

A further 25mcg will be required

Repeat this increase and testing until you feel well.

You really need a full thyroid test to accurately assess thyroid function

TSH, FT4, FT3, vit D, vit B12, folate, ferritin and antibodies...unlikely GP will do this. Many of us test privately

thyroiduk.org/if-you-are-un...

Suggest you read the above links then have a further conversation with your GP and ask to be given a trial of levo based on that info which you can quote.

Good luck

DD

[Bella426 in reply to DippyDame]

Thank goodness for your reply DippyDame, I was thinking I can’t carry on feeling this tired. I own and manage my own children’s day nursery, I cover rooms and work with children who have additional needs. My team need me to be sharp, like I normally am, but I’m trying to hide how tired I feel.

[DippyDame in reply to Bella426]

You will feel better when you are correctly medicatedHere, we understand how you feel, the forum offers advice and support if you feel alone with the problem as can happen.

I see you've already had excellent advice in your last post....have you started to follow that?

It's hard trying to hide exhaustion at work....been there too.

Build your case for needing levo and see a GP asap... another one if possible!

Emphasise hypo runs in your family.

[Bella426 in reply to DippyDame]

Thank you all so much, I’m seeing an Endocrinology doctor on the 28th October. I did take 25mg of Thyroxine whilst on holiday for two weeks, it definitely helped with the tiredness and I could get a brush through my hair. I’ve stopped those tablets over a week ago now, and my symptoms of tiredness and bunny rabbit fluffy hair has come back with a vengeance. I’m going to tell the doctor the truth, that I did take 25mg, no point lying. But I actually do feel like crying today. Thank you everyone x

[humanbean]

I wrote an earlier reply which I deleted because I'd done something silly!

Ferritin 60 ug/L (13 - 150) 34% of the way through the range

Iron 16.3 umol/L (5.8 - 34.5) 37% of the way through the range

Transferrin 2.99 g/L (2 - 3.6) 62% of the way through the range

TIBC 75 umol/L 50 - 90 62% of the way through the range

%Saturation 22%

Optimal results for iron and related measures are given in this link :

rt3-adrenals.org/Iron_test_...

Ferritin

Optimally, ferritin should be about 50% - 75% of the way through the range, which is (very) roughly 80 - 120. Another range which is often quoted as optimal is rather narrower than that, which is supposed to be best for thyroid function, is 90 - 110. Note that this is based on comparing to a range of 13 - 150, which is the most common one used for women in the UK and in some other countries.

Your result of 34% of the way through the range is too low for good health, suggesting that you need more iron.

Iron

• 55 to 70% of the range

• higher end for men

Your result is only 37% of the way through the range which is quite a bit lower than optimal, suggesting you need more iron.

Transferrin & TIBC

• Low in range indicates lack of capacity for additional iron

• High in range indicates body's need for supplemental iron

Your results are both above mid-range, but aren't terribly bad. If either of them got higher it would suggest your iron levels were dropping and you needed more.

Saturation

• optimal is 35 to 45%

• higher end for men

Your level of 22% is substantially lower than optimal, suggesting that you need more iron.

Your results are not good, but they aren't dreadful either. I've definitely seen much worse. But I also know I would want to improve these levels if they were mine.

It is possible to test and treat your own iron levels in the UK. The iron supplements that doctors prescribe can be bought without a prescription in UK pharmacies with the pharmacist's permission. If you were to get refused (it happened to me once in Boots) just go to another chemist in a different chain or one of the independent ones around. There are also plenty of non-prescription supplements available online, in supplement shops, or in supermarkets.

I wrote a post about what can be supplemented for another member. Ignore the stuff about pregnancy.

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Please be aware that iron is poisonous in overdose, so regular testing is essential. I wrote about some of the potential problems here :

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

[Bella426 in reply to humanbean]

Thank you for taking the time to analyse my results Humanbean that is so very kind of you. My bloods are the best they have ever been, I don’t know why? Unfortunately I can’t take iron, it makes me very sick, that’s why I’ve had infusions in the past, last one over two years ago.

[humanbean in reply to Bella426]

These links might be helpful :

dailyiron.net/

ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/I...

ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/I...

And I'm sure there must be many more that give iron info along the same lines.

This might be of general interest in relation to iron :

irondisorders.org/

academic.oup.com/ajcn/artic...

apjcn.nhri.org.tw/?s=iron