vitamin levels and t3

[malohant]

Hi all

I've just been trawling through a load of old posts to educate myself some more.

I was diagnosed hypo (hashi's) in Feb 20, was feeling a bit tired before starting levo but exhausted since starting on it. My blood tests have been fairly stable for some time, latest results:

TSH: 0.48 (0.27-4.2)

FT4: 17.9 (12-22)

FT3: 4.3 (3.1-6.8)

I have tried to get a referral through my GP to an endo but as you can see frustratingly my results have all come back just inside the ranges (my TSH is slightly higher and FT4 lower than previously) so that's not happening. I am now looking at private endos as if there is a possibility that including T3 will give me my life back then I'm fed up of wasting time waiting for the NHS. (As an aside, a retired GP friend of my dad has recommended Dr Paul Jenkins - if you have seen him I would be very interested to hear your experiences, could you DM me?)

Anyway, looking through advice given to others it seems that before starting on T3 I should have my vitamin levels all in optimal range (what happens if they aren't?). Latest results as follows:

Vit D: 87 (50-200)

Total B12: 713 (>179)

Active B12: 139 (37.5-150)

Folate: 37.6 (8.83-45)

Ferritin: 92 (30-400)

Most of these are pretty decent (as far as my understanding goes) although there is still obviously room for improvement on Vit D, but this is about as high as my Ferritin has been and I'm struggling to know how to improve it more. I generally make my own chicken liver pate (although have been struggling to find chicken livers in the past couple of months) and drinking orange juice afterwards to help absorption, but does anyone have any better tips for improving ferritin?

Any other thoughts very welcome.

Many thanks in advance

M x

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Presumably test was done as early as possible in morning before eating or drinking anything other than water and last dose levothyroxine 24 hours before test

How much levothyroxine are you currently taking

Do you always get same brand levothyroxine at each prescription

Ft4 is 59% through range

Ft3 only 33% through range

Helpful calculator for working out percentage through range

chorobytarczycy.eu/kalkulator

So yes poor conversion

Possibly room for dose increase in in levothyroxine …..if you can get GP to agree

Vitamins are good

Are you on strictly gluten free diet?

Likely to need addition of T3 prescribed alongside levothyroxine

Email Thyroid UK for list of recommend thyroid specialist endocrinologists...NHS and Private

[e-mail]

Roughly where in U.K. are you

[malohant in reply to SlowDragon]

Hi SlowDragon

Yes tests were done first thing, empty stomach, levo 24hr before

Currently on 100mcg - GP was recently telling me I should be on less (as TSH suppressed) so have a lot of work to do to convince them to increase

Always same brand - northstar accord (100mcg tabs - not affected by recent recall)

Yes on gluten+dairy free diet

I have list from TUK, I am in Devon

Thank you

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to malohant]

Looking at your profile, your male ….approx how much do you weigh in kilo?

Have you considered doing Dio2 gene test?

thyroiduk.org/?s=Dio2

Regenerus is not currently doing Dio2 gene testing until Nov

[malohant in reply to SlowDragon]

I think I'm about 75-80kg (last time I weighed myself was a while back, but haven't changed significantly since then; 80kg would assume I'd put on up to 10kg, which seems fair). I haven't really considered Dio2 test because I didn't know what the indicators were that you should have it done?

[Bluespots]

I use black pudding, easier to get hold of and prepare.

[Liyaelize]

Use veal liver rather than chicken.