Are lab results when hospitalized with COVID valid?

[Xheila]

I spent the night in the hospital due to shortness of breath and high pulse rate from COVID, 12 days past my COVID diagnosis. I got lab tests when I was there. Can you tell me if I can learn anything from these results or if they are likely invalid because I was ill? The things that are baffling to me are my high FT4 and high Vitamin D.

I usually take 180 mg Armour but I increased a bit with my COVID diagnosis, have raised slightly to about 200mg Armour.

These results were about 30 hours past my Armour dose, so my FT3 is probably artificially low. I usually split the dose the day before, but did not this time as labs were unexpected.

Free T3 2.8 pg/mL (range 1.7-3.7). My usual result is 3.8-4.4 pg/mL (usual range 2.3-4.2 pg/mL)

Free T4 2.0 ng/dL, (range: 0.93-1.70) ABOVE RANGE. My usual result is between 0.9-1.1 ng/dL (usual range 0.8-1.8 ng/dL). I once had a FT4 reading of 1.5 ng/dL when I was having a Hashi's flare, but never any high result like this one

TSH 0.02 mIU/L (range: 0.27-4.20). My usual result is <0.01 mIU/L (usual range 0.40-4.50)

Vitamin D 86 ng/mL (range: Sufficiency:>= 30 ng/mL). My last Vitamin D result from 6 weeks ago was 33 ng/mL. I have been supplementing with 50,000 IU of Vitamin D weekly since my last lab result. But would have it gone up so quickly?

They also tested many other things, and I was out of range on these:

MEAN CORPUSCULAR HEMOGLOBIN, 31.3 pg (range: 27.0-31.0), above range

RED BLOOD CELL COUNT, 4.19 x10e12/L (range 4.20-5.40), below range

EOSINOPHILS (%) 0.0 % (range: 0.5-11.0), below range

[waveylines]

Your over range ft4 is because you increased your Armour dose. Id resume your usual dose. The ft3 does fluctuate so thats a difficult one to compare because you were ill at the time. Its good your vit D level has come up so well -at 50,000 iu per week of vit D this is to be exepcted. Grassroots recommend a level of around 100 so Id be inclined to start a daily dose of vit D3 at a much lower dose and retest in three months. Its always a good idea to include K2 especially in the large doses as it ensures the calcium absorbed as a result of the vit D is directed to your bones and is not stored in your organs.

[Xheila in reply to waveylines]

Thanks for the tips, I had no idea my Vitamin D level would increase so much so quickly! I will lower my Vitamin D now to more of a maintenance dose. I've fortunately learned about the K2 here, so I've been taking 120mg K2/day along with my D.

I'll go back to my normal dose of Armour now, too. I was glad to see my FT3 at an acceptable range (considering the timing of my thyroid meds before the lab tests), but the Free T4 is still pretty baffling. My FT4 really had never increased, from the time I was first put on NDTs, at 15 mg, through every dosage change all the way up through 180 mg. It had been at 10%-30% of the range for the past 5 years, so I didn't expect this huge change to my FT4 levels.

I don't know, honestly, I've taken a whole lot more supplements this year and maybe FT4 is coming closer in range to where FT3 is now. Maybe I'll be able to confirm what's going on after my next set of labs.

[Xheila in reply to Xheila]

Responding to my own post to mention that my dr advised me against taking Vitamin K for several months post. COVID due to increased blood clotting seen in COVID patients, as Vitamin K thickens the blood.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to Xheila]

Was the doctor aware of the differences between vitamin K1 and vitamin K2?

(I rather get the impression that many doctors are aware of vitamin K - meaning K1 - as it is given to new-born babies. They are less often aware of K2 and seem to assume it is the same thing.)

[Xheila in reply to helvella]

Yes, she is an integrative doctor who specializes in vitamin therapies.

[tattybogle]

In case you're interested . i found this graph showing what happens to normal/healthy thyroid levels in severe/ acute illness (non-thyroidal-illness -syndrome NTIS) Which is why thyroid bloods from hospital in-patients should always be treated as 'suspect' and not relied on for diagnosis/ dose adjustment .

It doesn't show FreeT3 unfortunately, just Total T3/ReverseT3

changes to previously healthy thyroid levels in severe /acute illness. (NTIS)

[Xheila in reply to tattybogle]

That's very interesting, thanks!