New here so forgive me if I post in the wrong place! I was recently diagnosed with severe osteporosis out of the blue after fracturing my L2 whilst stood at the kitchen sink washing up. A dexa scan show T scores of -2.7 in hips and -4.8 in spine. I have started on Alendronic Acid two weeks ago. After diagnosis I saw a specialist Rheumatologists who suggested I had blood tests done to rule out any secondary cause of the Osteporosis. One was myleoma and another parathyroidism both which were clear. However my normal thyroid function test readings are TSH 0.71 and Serum T4 level 22.7 which is above range. My GP has not discussed this with me, the receptionist called and said this test had to be repeated in 3 months. My main concern is that this will hinder my treatment for Osteoporosis? Strangely my GP surgery does not seem to be clued up on Osteoporosis and did no tests on initial diagnosis just said I had severe Osteoporosis over the phone and sent me to the chemist to pick up the AA, Any help would be much appreciated.
Help With Results Please: New here so forgive me... - Thyroid UK
Help With Results Please
Good morning Daisy
I’m very sorry to hear that you have osteoporosis.
Do you have an FT3 test result?
I assume that you have already been diagnosed with thyroid disease and are taking medication?
Good morning MorcambeBay and thank you for replying. No there is no FT3 result on the blood tests only the two I posted. Again no I have not been diagnosed with thyroid disease. The readings I gave in my opening post where given to me by the receptionist with a message from the doctor that they should be repeated in 3 months so no treatment. The answer I am looking for is based on the readings I gave, would they be classed as thyroid disease and if so which type and would it be likely to render my osteoporosis treatment useless.
No decision can be made about your thyroid health without an FT3 test which measures the amount of active hormone circulating in your body.
Some doctors believe that thyroid levels which are too high / TSH too low are the cause of osteoporosis. This is not the case.
I was diagnosed with T scores similar to yours long before I had my thyroid removed and had exogenous hormones.
Your thyroid test does indeed need to be repeated - not because you have osteoporosis but because you clearly have an issue with your thyroid which needs to be properly diagnosed.
This may turn out to be a ‘lucky find’ in terms of your thyroid health.
Hi Daisi124, sorry to hear you’re going through it atm, that must be hard. As far as your thyroid results go, you’d really need ranges with those results in order to elvaulate them effectively and you’d also need an FT3 test. But I’ll guess that your FT4 result has a range of (12-22) and so your FT4 is only slightly elevated and that doesn’t mean much because T4 is an inactive storage hormone that converts to T3 when needed. However, your FT3 would need to be extremely elevated, severely for a number of years in order to *maybe* contribute to osteoporosis and there’s no way you wouldn’t know that you have extreme high FT3 because you would have tremors, fast heart rate, sweating, anxiety, extreme tiredness but an inability to sleep and extreme weight loss, ect ect
I don’t know how much you know/researched about thyriod so ask the forum anything, in the meantime I’d look for a private test, I use Medichecks but there are many out there. Results are quick and easy to understand and most of us do this because the NHS rarely does a full thyroid function test. Also I’d be looking to test for auto - antibodies.
Thank you so much for your reply NWA6, that information is so helpful and has put my mind at rest. 5 months ago both my readings for my thyroid were normal so maybe it was just an "on the day thing" that my FT4 was slightly raised? I will do as you suggest and try and get a private blood test done to be sure. I am going downstairs to brave telling my husband I want one. So far we paid for a consultation with a private Rheumatologist £275.00 as I had no knowledge of Osteoporosis before diagnosis and the GP just told me it was severe and prescribed medication without doing any further tests and I have just paid for a private ultrasound for a suspected kidney stone again £275.00 which I am having next Monday. The waiting list for that on the NHS is around 6 weeks and that is just to get an appointment date. Thanks again, keep well.
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There's not much we can tell you about your thyroid with just those two numbers. As others have said, you need the FT3 tested, and antibodies - TPO and Tg antibodies for Hashi's and TRAB or TSI for Grave's - plus the range for that FT4 result. Ranges vary from lab to lab, so we need the ranges that came with your results. But, also, tell us what time you had the blood draw for these tests. It's very important when testing for thyroid, to always have the tests done at the same time of day - preferably early morning - because otherwise we can't compare them.
I would say you also need some nutrients tested: vit D, vit B12, folate, ferritin and calcium. Strong bones need optimal nutrients and hormones. 
Thank you Greygoose, the ranges for TSH were 0.3 -4.2 and for T4 12.0 to 22.00. I had the test done at 1.15pm in the afternoon so was fasting for 16 hours. Five months ago my thyroid reading were done in the morning at 9am and the readings were TSH 1.25 and T4 17.7 the ranges were the same. I had nutrients tested that you mentioned and all were with normal range. Calcium was 2.34 range 2.1 -2.55 Vit D was 71 which is within the range (71 -250) However for Osteoporosis I believe that is not high enough and should be at least 75 so I am working on that. My GP does not seem to know a lot about Osteoporosis at all and is more concerned that I may have a kidney stone (spotted on a X-ray) so is reticient to tell me to take any supplements until we sort that out so I have a private ultrasound booked next Monday which will sort that out. Ferritin was ok too. Strangely I had a bone profile test done as well, all readings are in range which is puzzling as I have severe osteoporosis. I had a parathyroid test done also which was 3.8range 1.6 to 6.9. Thank you so much for your reply.
OK, so you can't compare those two TSH readings.
TSH is highest around midnight, and drops through the morning. Around 9 am it drops quite sharply, and reaches its lowest point around noon to 1 pm. So, you can see that it was bound to be higher in the first result, and the drop in the second one doesn't mean anything more sinister than the time of day. The FT4 also varies slightly throughout the day, but nothing like the TSH.
Vit D was 71 which is within the range (71 -250)
That is in-range - just - but so low you should have been given loading doses to get it up quickly. That has probably had quite an effect on your bones if it's been like that for any length of time. Did the doctor not say anything about that result? You need a result of at least over mid-range, which would be around 110. 75 would also be too low.
My GP does not seem to know a lot about Osteoporosis at all and is more concerned that I may have a kidney stone (spotted on a X-ray) so is reticient to tell me to take any supplements until we sort that out
No, I don't suppose he does. And I don't suppose he knows much about thyroid or nutrients, either. These are all things they don't learn much about in med school. But, if you are taking vit D, you also need to take magnesium and vit K2-MK7. Magnesium because it's needed to convert vit D into its usable form, and you are probably low on magnesium, most people are. Magnesium is also essential for strong bones - much more so than calcium.
If you are taking vit D, it increases the absorption of calcium from food, so you need the vit K2 to make sure that extra calcium is absorbed by the bones and teeth, and doesn't build up in the soft tissue and arteries. If it does, it can cause problems like kidney stones. Have you been taking calcium supplements?
My vit D was low in May it was only 66 but again the doctor did not say anything. I am taking a K2 complex (HealthAid) which includes 400iu of D3, I take it twice a day. The calcium supplements the doctor prescribed, Accrete which includes 400iu D3 but he said not to take them until I had the ultrasound on the possible kidney scan. I ignored him and take one of those, my fear of a total spinal collapse is greater than the fear of having a possible kidney stone that is showing no symptoms. So I am taking 1200 D3 a day in total at the moment. I have also upped my intake of skimmed milk and Yoghurt to get adequate calcium so am probably getting around the recommended 1200mg a day for my age and gender. Re magnesium I am not sure if I should be taking it with Alendronic Acid, there is hardly any information as to what you can and cannot take when you are on that drug other than D3 and Calicum.I mentioned it to my GP last time we spoke and he said I would be getting enough and not to worry about it. I am speaking to my doctor this afternoon or tomorrow morning so I will hammer it into him about the D3 and see what he says.
I really don't think you should be taking the calcium. Too much calcium will make things worse - in many ways! Calcium supplements are difficult to absorb and do tend to build up in the soft tissues, etc. And, frankly, it is not that good for bones. Too much makes them brittle. And, your level was good in that test result you posted above. And, as I said, taking vit D does increase absorption of calcium from food.
But vit D won't do anything for you if you don't have the magnesium to convert it to a usable form. And most people are deficient in magnesium because soils are depleted. So very doubtful you are getting enough in your diet.
And, talking of diet, why on earth are you drinking skimmed milk? Why not full fat? That is the best milk for good health. And low-fat yoghurt is pretty awful stuff. They have to add all sorts of other stuff to make up for the lack of fat. You're not doing yourself any favours by going for low-fat versions of anything.
To know more about bones, osteoporosis and supplements, why not look on one of the bone forums on HU:
healthunlocked.com/american...
They know more about the subject than we do.
Thanks again greygoose, as I said I have a phone call booked with GP and will mention the magnesium again. I drink low fat milk on advice from my heart specialist. I am on the bone forum on HU, which has been very useful to me, I was directed on here by somebody on there to discuss the thyroid result as was my reason for coming here, then we got onto the bone bit as well. Thanks for all your help, I will let you know what the doctor says and also about the private thyroid test.
Yes, of course! lol We did get side-tracked, didn't we.
Well, as I've said before, doctors know nothing about nutrition. It's a huge mistake to take advice from them on that subject. Drinking full-fat milk is not going to be detrimental to your heart health! They've got this stupid thing about fat but it's all wrong. Neither fat nor cholesterol cause heart attacks. If any doctor ever gives you nutritional advice, check it and recheck it before acting on it. I've had so much bad advice about diet from doctors that I think, had I taken that advice, I'd probably be dead by now. Low-salt diets, low-fat diets, they're all wrong.
So, don't be surprised if your doctor knows nothing about magnesium, nor why you should take it, etc. He just doesn't know.
Heart specialist…..
Do you have high cholesterol?
High cholesterol is frequently linked to being hypothyroid
Welcome to the thyroid forum
Presumably you are not diagnosed as hypothyroid and on levothyroxine?
As others have said, just testing TSH and Ft4 is completely inadequate
For full Thyroid evaluation you need TSH, FT4 and FT3 plus both TPO and TG thyroid antibodies tested.
Also Very 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)
Low vitamin levels common as we get older too
What vitamin supplements are you currently taking, if any
low vitamin D /low magnesium is often linked to poor bone health
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
This gives highest TSH, lowest FT4 and most consistent results. (Patient to patient tip)
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...
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
If TPO or TG thyroid antibodies are high this is usually due to Hashimoto’s (commonly known in UK as autoimmune thyroid disease). Ord’s is autoimmune without goitre.
About 90% of all primary hypothyroidism in Uk is due to Hashimoto’s. Low vitamin levels are particularly common with Hashimoto’s. Gluten intolerance is often a hidden issue too
Link about thyroid blood tests
thyroiduk.org/getting-a-dia...
Link about Hashimoto’s
thyroiduk.org/hypothyroid-b...
List of hypothyroid symptoms
thyroiduk.org/if-you-are-un...
20% of Hashimoto's patients never have raised antibodies
See what full blood tests show …..if not thyroid antibodies….you may need thyroid ultrasound scan
You can have a “hot” nodule making thyroid hormones independently of TSH
Or early stage Hashimoto’s, often starts with transient hyperthyroid results and symptoms before becoming increasingly hypothyroid
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
Paul Robson on atrophied thyroid - especially if no TPO antibodies
paulrobinsonthyroid.com/cou...
Thank you for your welcome and reply. I have answered most of your questions in posts to greygoose just now. I am going to go and have a private thyroid test done as you suggested and will look at the links you gave me.
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