Medichecks results are in. They’re constantly emailing me about my high ft4 and low tsh. First photo is last week’s results.
I didn’t take my meds before etc. I’ve been on 200 t4 and 20 t3, always the same brand, for 10 years and have zero symptoms of over medication, so why do medical folk get concerned by these figures? I was told that you’re only overmedicated if your t3 is over range (and any excess t4 will be excreted by your body as waste and causing no harm to you).
Attached previous results from 2020 so you can see my results are stable.
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Suzanneharb
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I´d say you have nothing to worry about. Doctors tend to freak out when they see a low/suppressed TSH as they think that the TSH must remain in range at all times or you are overmedicated. A suppressed TSH is used to diagnose hyperthyroidism, but is of little to no use once on thyroid hormone replacement, especially T3 which tends to suppress the TSH. Did a doctor prescribe T3 for you? In that case, s/he should know that T3 will often suppress the TSH, so the most important result is free T3. If s/he doesn´t, consider finding a more knowledgeable doctor.If you are self-medicating, you should not let anyone convince you to lower your meds based on your TSH if you have no symptoms of over-medication. As for the fact that your FT4 is slightly over range...well, mine was like that for years without any problems or symptoms of overmedication.
I think it´s quite rare to have such high FT4 levels when on a T4+T3 combo as T3 tends to lower FT4, but I would not worry about slightly out-of-range FT4. Since your levels have been steady, you don´t seem to be building up T4. Of course, since you are taking T3, one could argue that you need less T4 as you are getting T3 from a pill, but once again: how you feel is the most important thing. I simply don´t think that anyone can tell you what you should or shouldn´t take. If you had too much thyroid hormone on cellular level for your body´s needs, you would have symptoms of overmedication.
In fact, you are taking T3 and T4 in a 1:10 ratio which is what many doctors prescribing T3 recommend, although they recommend lower doses (like 100 mcg of T4/10 mcg of T3).
But how you feel is the most important thing. Over the years, I have found that the body has an amazing ability to tell us what it needs and doesn´t need. Thyroid hormone resistance won´t show up on labs, but could explain why some feel better on higher doses of thyroid hormone.
Yes, you are taking more thyroid hormone than a healthy gland produces. But, there are people taking 200 mcg of T3 daily, and that is not physiological either...we all need what we need.
I realise what I am saying can be seen as controversial, but in the +20 years I have been dealing with thyroid disease, my symptoms have never correlated with my lab results. When my lab results looked fine to doctors, I felt horrible. When I felt good, doctors told me I was overmedicated and had to cut back. I spent years wishing i would feel fine on levo only with a normal TSH so that doctors would be happy, but that will never work for me.
It´s common to see comments like "You are taking too much T3" or "You are taking too much T4". Too much for whom, really? What is too much for one person is just right or not enough for another.
Thank you so much! I feel relieved!It was an endo who prescribed this dose. Only medichecks are questioning it. I don’t let my GP see these results though. They just give my meds and keep quiet, but I thought I should check it out here to be sure.
Completely endorse what Hidden has says: ignore the "doctor"[algorithm?] comments! And your approach is very sensible. If your GP does want to test your results too, it may be worth a longer-than-recommended gap in meds to give a "false low" free T4 result, so s/he isn't freaked by this being out-of-range [esp if they're unlikely to test free T3] while doing a "true test" for yourself
If endo has seen results like these and isn't worried then presumably s/he is happy about them.
Only medichecks are questioning it.
Simple answer - don't request their comments.
When you order a Medichecks test, before you click ADD TO BASKET, just above that you will see
A doctor's comments are included in this test. If you do not require a doctor's comments then you can opt out. In selecting this option, you agree that you have a qualified clinician who can interpret your results.
below which is a small square box and besides it it says
Results only (without doctor's comments) so tick that box and you wont get their doctor comments and you'll get your results a day earlier.
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