Any help please with interpreting results 🙏🏻

[Silvercrow]

Hi, I’ve got my tests back and would like some help. Could anyone help interpret them for me please? I was diagnosed in 2020 with Hashi’s after years of feeling awful. My doctor has said that all is within normal range but I feel so rubbish.

Serum TSH level < 0.05 mu/L [0.27 - 4.2]

Serum free T4 level 20.2 pmol/L [12.0 - 22.0]

Serum free triiodothyronine level 4.4 pmol/L [3.1 - 6.8]

Blood haematinic levels

Serum vitamin B12 level 286 ng/L [197.0 - 771.0]

Serum folate level 2.0 ug/L [3.0 - 20.0]

Serum ferritin level 28 ug/L [13.0 - 150.0]

I left more than 24h between my levo so I know that’s not going to be accurate but any advice I’d be so grateful 🙏🏻

[greygoose]

Well, actually, your folate is below range, so your doctor needs new glasses!

Even those that are in-range, aren't all good. But, doctors just do not understand how to interpret blood test results.

Your TSH is also below range, but we don't care about that. What is important in these results is that your FT4 is high, and your FT3 is too low. Which means that you are a poor converter. And, that's why you feel rubbish. You need your T3 higher. Increasing levo is not the answer, what you need is some T3 added to your levo. But, you won't get that from your GP. You would have to see an endo - and even then, there is no guarantee that he would prescribe T3. But, worth a try.

Apart from that, you B12 is also low in-range, which is also going to make you feel rubbish - so low, in fact, that it would a good idea to get tested for Pernicious Anemia. Do you have Hashi's? If so, the chances of you also having PA are pretty high. But, even if you don't, you need to bring your levels of B12 and folate up. But get tested first.

Your ferritin is also very low, so your doctor should be doing a full iron panel to try and find out why. And, you're probably going to have to insist on these extra tests because they really hate doing them!

Reading this article might give you a better understanding of how blood tests work:

pmj.bmj.com/content/94/1117...

[Silvercrow in reply to greygoose]

Thank you greygoose for replying. Is my TSH low because I left too long a time for my Levo? I usually take it last thing at night so I didn’t take it the night before, but I think I left it too long? I’ve got a telephone appointment tomorrow with my GP so I’m going to ask about seeing an endo and more tests. Thank you again for helping me understand.