Would T3 help me? Ferritin boost? Comments welcome

[Girtonian]

Hi all. I made an earlier post saying I was wondering if some T3 would help me. I have some new blood results, see below. I have Hashimotos, first diagnosed 2016. I made an attempt to get T3 in 2018 and saw an endometriologist at the hospital in Bury St Edmunds who was on the T3 friendly list - however (annoyingly) he said he thought my brain fog, low energy symptoms were not thyroid related and I was more likely depressed. Soon after I had to have breast cancer treatment (thankfully successful) and so that became my focus for a while.

The situation now is that for a few months I've been feeling very slow, sluggish, my cognitive function is very slow, I have difficulty concentrating, I'm generally feeling like I'm in a dark tunnel a lot of the time. I recognise this feeling from before I started thyroid treatment. I also get upset and anxious really easily. I practise meditation and mindfulness, which helps, but I'm so easily wobbled. I'm 64 and still working, self employed, as best I can.

Looks to me like my ferritin needs improving and it's interesting that my T4 level is down a bit, perhaps because of not taking B7/biotin (as an element of my B complex vitamins) for a few days before the blood test. I didn't know previously that that was an issue.

I am strictly gluten-free and cow's dairy free, though I do have goats milk. I take all the supplements listed on the Thyroid UK website although if I'm honest 2-3 times per week rather than every day. I have found they help. I've just learned I should avoid B7 (biotin) for a week before testing as biotin in the blood can affect results. I stopped taking biotin 3-4 days before this recent blood test.

Talking to my GP again tomorrow. She has hypothyroid herself so a bit more understanding than some - although she has already reminded me she can't prescribe T3 - but she did say she is aware some people buy it themselves. I'm in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Foundation Trust area.

Any insights welcome. Thank you.

Free T3 4.9 (3.5 - 6.5)

TSH 0.12 (0.35 - 5.50)

FT4 18.8 (10.5 - 21)

Vit D 64.4 (50 - ?75)

Folate 13.92 (5.38 +)

Ferritin 64 ug/l (10 - 291)

Vit B12 606 ng/l (211 - 911)

[fuchsia-pink]

Got to be worth considering. Free T4 is respectable at 79% through range and free T3 is lagging at 47%. Vit D is on the low side - better in 3 figures and, as you suggest, ferritin is low too.

If you can't get a trial on the NHS, lio is now only 50p per 20 mcg tablet with a private prescription, so I'd try and get an NHS eno referral first, but have private as a back-up x

[Jbrooke]

stopthethyroidmadness.com/

Try this site to assist you with getting the best information on thyroid patients!!! God bless!!! Pass it on to others.

[helvella in reply to Jbrooke]

The Stop The Thyroid Madness site has often been mentioned.

However, it has many inaccuracies on it, even in the relatively simple areas like lists of medicines. Not sure how much I trust the rest? It is also very much set on the USA whereas the original poster here is in the UK.

This forum was established by the UK charity Thyroid UK (which has a lot of information on their own website) and HealthUnlocked.

thyroiduk.org/

[Jbrooke in reply to helvella]

Ok, sorry. But this site sure has been a eye opener over here, in the U.S. Thyroid is thyroid, it knows no boundaries, no matter which continent you are on.

[helvella in reply to Jbrooke]

It has certainly been of interest, but I think a number of people feel the combination of its absolute focus on the USA and that it has mistakes/out-of-date information, etc., makes it less useful.

Yes, thyroid is thyroid, but there is a considerable gap between the USA and the UK. Tests and reference intervals. Products. And so on.

Some of my attempts to gather information (with a strongly UK focus):

helvella - Vade Mecum for Thyroid

The term vade mecum means:

1. A referential book such as a handbook or manual.

2. A useful object, constantly carried on one’s person.

Please don't get put off by the number of pages!

In particular, it is not intended that you sit and read the document. Just that you download it and know you can look things up.

Not everything is in this one document - my major medicines document is still separate!

From Dropbox:

dropbox.com/s/vp5ct1cwc03bl...

From Google Drive:

drive.google.com/file/d/1ZW...

helvella - Thyroid Hormone Medicines

I have created, and try to maintain, a document containing details of all thyroid hormone medicines in the UK and, in less detail, many others around the world.

From Dropbox:

dropbox.com/s/shcwdwpedzr93...

From Google Drive:

drive.google.com/file/d/12N...

[Jbrooke in reply to helvella]

Just reading through so many of these posts sound familiar with what’s happening with Americans. So many doctors are uneducated and inexperienced in treating thyroid patients. I see it as more unified than not.

To each his/her own. I understand trying to keep things “over there”, over there. Good day and God bless!!

[helvella in reply to Jbrooke]

Overall, I agree. But it can surprise how much terminology baffles.

[hackman]

If you are on T4 only, and if the FT4 and FT3 results are in the same measurement (eg pmo/l), your conversion rate is 0.26. Less than 0.25 is considered poor, the higher over 0.25 the better your conversion rate of T4 to T3. Mine for instance is 0.19 which is poor and I have to take T3 as a result.