Advice on blood tests appreciated!

[hippobiz]

Hi guys, just had my Medicheck results back.

TSH 0.1 (0.27-4.2)

Free T3 4.89 (3.1-6.8)

Free T4 11.3 (12-22)

Any advice on how to adjust my medication etc - Free T4 is bit too low isn't it?

I'm currently on 2 grain NDT and have been for well over a year.

Inflammation levels are low, antibodies low, vitamins etc are okay. I don't feel optimal, am quite tired and sluggish. Have had a emotionally stressful autumn/winter which probably makes it worse. I eat healthily, walk the dog daily, and am heading towards full menopause.

Any help appreciated!

[pennyannie]

Hello Hippobiz and welcome to the forum :

Do you have any ranges with these results please ?

Did you also have your ferritin, folate, B12 and vitamin D levels run as these need to be maintained at optimal levels to aid T4 conversion in to T3 and conversion can also compromised by inflammation, any physiological stress ( emotional or physical ) , dieting, depression and ageing :

Life stresses hit us all, and we can't control all area of our lives but we can do some things for ourselves and ensure our core strength is strong and solid to carry us through.

With NDT you dose to the relief of symptoms and track on your T3:

Do you have previous results to compare this result to ?

A low/ suppressed TSH is usual and your T4 may well be a lower than when on T4 monotherapy but your T3 should be much higher once NDT is working well for you.

I don't think any dose is for life, and so it might make sense to slowly adjust your dose by 1/4 grain increments but it would make sense first to run the vitamins and minerals to ensure you a smooth transition.

[hippobiz in reply to pennyannie]

Hi pennyannie, thanks for responding! I've already updated the post with ranges etc.

Antibodies are low in the green, Vitamin D is 97, ferritin and B12 top range (I eat a lot of meat) , folate is 10 (used to be extremely low at 0.8!). No depression thankfully!

[pennyannie in reply to hippobiz]

What was your inflammation reading - probably detailed as CRP ?

Do you split your dose and hw long did you leave between last dose and blood draw.

Your T4 is a little low as is your T3 compared to me - do you have any previous results ?

[hippobiz in reply to pennyannie]

Inflammation 4.12 (0-5) and last dose was 2pm, test taken 9am(ish)

Last blood tests were done several years ago (I know, I know, should've tested more frequently!). I was on 3 grain then and had suppressed TSH, free T3 was 6.28 and free T4 was 17.31. Looks a lot better to me!

[pennyannie in reply to hippobiz]

OK - so inflammation is in range but high - this maybe a contributing factor :

Well yes - those results ' look ' to be much better :

I've been taking NDT for over 4 years now and find it suits me best of all the available options and just run a yearly full MOT through Medichecks as I seem to need to supplement all the vitamins and minerals to maintain my health and well being.

I'm with Graves Disease post RAI thyroid ablation back in 2005 :

[hippobiz in reply to pennyannie]

Thanks for your advice pennyannie! I need to sort myself out LOL I'm living abroad at the moment and can't get NDT easily - hence the lower dose to make it last - and also much more complicated doing regular blood tests. But have got hold of more NDT now, so will increase slowly and see where it takes me!

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Please add ranges on these results

Was test done early morning, ideally before 9am

Day before test did you split T3 into 2 or 3 smaller doses spread through the day, taking last dose approx 8-12 hours before test

Important to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 at least once a year

What are your most recent vitamin results

What vitamin supplements are you currently taking

[hippobiz in reply to SlowDragon]

Ho SlowDragon, thanks for the response! I have already update the post with ranges etc.

I did take 1 grain morning and 1 grain around 2pm the day before, took test just after 9am. Vitamin D 97, ferritin 123, B12 150, Folate 10.5, inflammation and antibodies are low and green

Take selenium (a little), Vitamin D, folate 4mg, magnesium

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to hippobiz]

So Ft3 is falsely low as that’s more than 12 hours between last dose and test

FT3 is likely at least over 5