Help with blood results please! : My background... - Thyroid UK

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Help with blood results please!

ArtySally profile image
11 Replies

My background is this: I was diagnosed hypothyroid in 1998, by which time, I was in a bad way. My starter dose was 25 mcg, increased by 25 mcg until I reached 150 mcg which, tested showed, was correct. I am tested every year and am now on 75 mcg. I had 2 NHS blood tests last year, in July and November: cholesterol levels rose between those dates from 6.8 to 7.2 total cholesterol. I’m 65 - so the doctor wants me on statins but I am resisting. I had a Medichecks advanced test in early February, to ascertain vitamin and iron levels plus thyroid hormones. The draw was slightly over 24 hours since the previous dose of 75 mcg Levo, at 7.35 am. My BMI is 19.5.

I have post-nasal drip and a feeling of congestion in my throat: I am constantly trying to clear it, which is exhausting for me and annoying for others. My point to my GP is that while statins would lower my cholesterol, they would do nothing to alleviate other symptoms.

Is there any chance at all that T3 added to my Levo would help any/all of these symptoms? Many thanks in advance, ArtySally.

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SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator

FT4: 18.3 pmol/l (Range 12 - 22) 63.00%

FT3: 4.16 pmol/l (Range 3.1 - 6.8) 28.65%

Your Ft3 is too low There’s room for small dose increase in levothyroxine

75mcg and 100mcg alternate days initially while you improve low vitamin levels

Improving low vitamin levels improves conversion

High cholesterol is linked to low Ft3

Request/insist on dose increase in levothyroxine

Then retest cholesterol……should see improvement

Vitamin D and Folate are too low

What vitamin supplements are you currently taking

Do you have high thyroid antibodies?

Have you had coeliac blood test done

Are you on strictly gluten free diet or dairy free diet

Post nasal drip strongly suggests dairy intolerance…..extremely common with autoimmune thyroid disease

ArtySally profile image
ArtySally in reply toSlowDragon

Hi SlowDragon, many thanks indeed for your reply. I have never been advised to be either gluten-free or to have a coeliac blood test. I have never been given any dietary advice at all on what to avoid as a hypothyroid patient - but have just now been on the Thyroid U.K. website, which says that calcium can interfere with absorption of thyroxine & recommends an interval of 4 hours between consuming calcium & taking Levo. No one has ever told me this. However, in my own case, my last cup of tea with milk is around 6.30 pm and I usually take Levo around 7.00 am, so I doubt this would affect me. I have never been dairy-free and have never been advised to follow a dairy-free diet.

I saw from the private blood test that my Vitamin D was very low: this was a surprise, since I take a Vitamin D supplement through the darker months. Briefly, I doubled the dose to compensate.

Also, having noted that my Folate serum was very low, I am now taking Folic Acid supplements. (I hope this is a viable treatment..)

I don’t know about my thyroid antibodies.

I was taking 75/100 mcg on alternate days until last June, when my GP advised me, after a blood test, to lower the dosage by 25mcg daily. This would have meant a dose of 50/75 mcg on alternate days - which I refused to do because I felt it would have been too low and would have resulted in a return of more severe hypothyroid symptoms. So I started taking a daily dose of 75 mcg. I had been getting palpitations quite often on the alternating daily dose - so on the lower dose, this symptom, at least, has now settled down.

ArtySally

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator in reply toArtySally

Lactose intolerance is very common with autoimmune thyroid disease (Hashimoto's)

It’s always worth trying dairy free for 2-6 months

Post nasal drip or persistent cough often linked to dairy or lactose intolerance

Try dairy free first ….rather than lactose free

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/240...

Lactose intolerance was diagnosed in 75.9 % of the patients with HT

read.qxmd.com/read/24796930...

These findings show that lactose intolerance significantly increased the need for oral T4 in hypothyroid patients.

Rosebud1955 - suggest you try similar

schoolafm.com/ws_clinical_k...

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator in reply toArtySally

Low vitamin levels are common on levothyroxine generally and particularly if Ft3 is low

Poor conversion of Ft4 to Ft3 leads to low Ft3

Low Ft3 leads to poor vitamin levels

Vitamin levels result in poor conversion

Come back with new post once you get full thyroid and vitamin results

How much vitamin D are you currently taking

Test vitamin D twice year when supplementing. Common to need higher dose in winter. Aiming for vitamin D at least around 80nmol and around 100nmol maybe better

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator in reply toArtySally

GP will often only prescribe to bring vitamin D levels to 50nmol. Some CCG areas will prescribe to bring levels to 75nmol or even 80nmol

leedsformulary.nhs.uk/docs/...

GP should advise on self supplementing if over 50nmol, but under 75nmol (but they rarely do)

mm.wirral.nhs.uk/document_u...

But with Hashimoto’s, improving to around 80nmol or 100nmol by self supplementing may be better

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/218...

vitamindsociety.org/pdf/Vit...

Once you Improve level, very likely you will need on going maintenance dose to keep it there.

Test twice yearly via NHS private testing service when supplementing

vitamindtest.org.uk

Vitamin D mouth spray by Better You is very effective as it avoids poor gut function.

There’s a version made that also contains vitamin K2 Mk7. One spray = 1000iu

amazon.co.uk/BetterYou-Dlux...

It’s trial and error what dose we need, with hashimoto’s we frequently need higher dose than average

Vitamin D and thyroid disease

grassrootshealth.net/blog/t...

Vitamin D may prevent Autoimmune disease

newscientist.com/article/23...

Web links about taking important cofactors - magnesium and Vit K2-MK7

Magnesium best taken in the afternoon or evening, but must be four hours away from levothyroxine

Magnesium often reduces palpitations

betterbones.com/bone-nutrit...

medicalnewstoday.com/articl...

livescience.com/61866-magne...

sciencedaily.com/releases/2...

Vitamin K2 mk7

betterbones.com/bone-nutrit...

healthline.com/nutrition/vi...

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator in reply toArtySally

I don’t know about my thyroid antibodies.

I had a Medichecks advanced test in early February,

Medichecks test includes thyroid antibodies test

Check test results

You are legally entitled to copies of all your test results and ranges. Look at all blood test results from when originally diagnosed as hypothyroid by GP too

GP should have tested TPO and TG thyroid antibodies

At least 90% of primary hypothyroidism is autoimmune thyroid disease

Assuming you have autoimmune thyroid disease

GP should test for coeliac disease at diagnosis of autoimmune thyroid disease

nice.org.uk/guidance/ng20/c...

1.1 Recognition of coeliac disease

1.1.1 Offer serological testing for coeliac disease to:

people with any of the following:

persistent unexplained abdominal or gastrointestinal symptoms

faltering growth

prolonged fatigue

unexpected weight loss

severe or persistent mouth ulcers

unexplained iron, vitamin B12 or folate deficiency

type 1 diabetes, at diagnosis

autoimmune thyroid disease, at diagnosis

irritable bowel syndrome (in adults)

first‑degree relatives of people with coeliac disease.

ArtySally profile image
ArtySally in reply toSlowDragon

Hi SlowDragon, I’ve found my thyroid antibody results... ArtySally

Colour graph showing thyroid antibody results, as of February 2022.
SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator in reply toArtySally

So these are negative

20% of Hashimoto's patients never have raised antibodies

Have you had ultrasound scan of thyroid

If not request via GP or it’s £100 privately

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Paul Robson on atrophied thyroid - especially if no TPO antibodies

paulrobinsonthyroid.com/cou...

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator

nhs.uk/conditions/statins/c...If you have an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism), treatment may be delayed until this problem is treated. This is because having an underactive thyroid can lead to an increased cholesterol level, and treating hypothyroidism may cause your cholesterol level to decrease, without the need for statins. Statins are also more likely to cause muscle damage in people with an underactive thyroid.

Rosebud1955 profile image
Rosebud1955

Hello Sally: I’m sorry that you’re suffering with terrible post nasal drip. I feel your pain! I have suffered with the same for 5 years+, started when my thyroid symptoms began. It is debilitating and exhausting, it goes on for 24 hours, others around me are annoyed with me constantly clearing my throat. I have tried everything under the sun with no relief. If you ever find a solution to this terrible problem, please share. I read somewhere (can’t remember where) that it can be as a result of hypothyroidism. The pituitary releases secretions when the thyroid level is low. It’s worse at nights when my Ft3 is at it’s lowest, so it makes sense. If you ever find any info regarding this topic, please forward to me. If you can help it, stay away from statins- I have several family members who had very bad side effects from statins.I wish you success in sorting out your thyroid issues and the awful post nasal drip.

ArtySally profile image
ArtySally in reply toRosebud1955

Hi Rosebud, I’m so sorry to hear that you are similarly afflicted: it’s such a darned nuisance, isn’t it? I’m sure people think I have Covid, simply because I always seem to be coughing..! 🤦‍♀️ I think I’m right in saying that those of us who are hypothyroid, also have stickier mucus - a double whammy! If I find a miraculous cure, be assured I will share it on here!

ArtySally 😊

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