I would like some advice please, it concerns my mother of almost 91 years.
In the last years the results of her thyroid gland have been these:
FT3 = 2,12 (2.00 - 4.40)
FT4 = 1,22 (0.90 -1,70)
THS = 5,180 (0.270 - 4, 200)
As my mother has several medical conditions including chronic kidney failure ( mono kidney) hepatitis c, chronic liver disease, high blood pressure, etc the doctor says she doesn't want to give her thyroid hormone because she already takes too many drugs.
I, on the other hand, think that a little thyroid hormone could be good for her and that perhaps many pathologies have come to her precisely because she does not have good thyroid values.
But it's hard to go against a doctor's decisions.
The only thing I've been able to change is for her to quit folic acid after 30 years and take methyl folate. (I have a heterozygous MTHFR A 1298c, mutation, I think my mother too). In fact, since she quit folic acid she started to feel a little better. Fortunately, my mother has a good spirit despite everything and still enjoys her life.
Thank you.
Written by
Clara62
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My immediate reaction is to your GPs comment that she "doesn't want to give her thyroid hormone because she already takes too many drugs".
Thyroid hormone is not a drug - it is a replacement for the hormones which your body can't make any more. Grrrr - one of the many things doctors don't know. Give your mother the hormone replacement and she may need less of the other drugs.
Your mother may be 90 but that TSH is far too high.
It’s difficult to know what is best, it would depend on whether she has signs and symptoms of hypothyroidism.
TSH is higher in the elderly and indeed people with a mildly higher TSH live longer than those with a lower TSH. On the other hand her fT3 and fT4 are a little low. I would be tempted to go by her signs and symptoms and if she is given levothyroxine to start very slowly.
Thank you jimh111. This open a whole new vision for me. I always thought that a suppressed TSH was not to worry about. There are different opinions even here in HealthUnlocked. Anyway, I will try to lower a bit my medication and see if `i can put back in range my TSH.
Thank you TSH110. Very interesting. The problem with me is that I have been having a TSH at 0,001 for the last several years due to the use of liothyronine, before when I used only thyroxine it was OK. I seem to feel better with T3 but I could lower it a bit
I will study this when I have time. It's interesting because it is a rare study that measures TSH bioactivity.
It's worth pointing out that for younger people a TSH within the reference interval is the best place to be and a mildly elevated TSH is much worse than a mildly low TSH. Doctors never point out the risks associated with so called "subclinical hypothyroidism".
Hi Clara. I'm not as expert as some on here but if your mother was already on levothyroxine then that TSH would be too high. If she isn't though, as you suggest, then my understanding is that most Drs adopt a wait and see approach when TSH is mildly elevated, and retest regularly to check. (If I'm interpreting your results correctly) I agree with others though on the point that symptoms should be taken into account and that some of her other conditions might improve if she did take levo. I don't believe what the Dr said about too many drugs is correct in this case. If you need levo it should not be denied you because of other medications you are taking. That argument doesn't apply.
Thank you Lulu2607. She never took levothyroxine, yes, symptoms should be taken into account but in her case is very difficult to understand what causes them having so many conditions. I would guess that low-dose thyroxine should do a little good...
...in her case is very difficult to understand what causes them having so many conditions. I would guess that low-dose thyroxine should do a little good...
Is your mother being treated for her hepatitis C? There may be reasons why she hasn't been treated (her age perhaps?) but I don't know anything about the condition or the treatment (other than the fact that treatment does exist).
You mention "chronic liver disease". Is the Hepatitis C the "only" liver disease she has? Because if that is cured then her liver disease might disappear.
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I would suggest that your mother's vitamin B12 is tested if it hasn't been so far. If it turns out to be low then she would need to be treated with methylcobalamin. Note that in people with liver disease that the liver's store of vitamin B12 may sometimes leak out into the bloodstream making levels in the blood appear high. I wouldn't know how to tell the difference between good/high levels of B12 or leaking levels of B12.
The best test of B12 would be an Active B12 test rather than a Serum B12 test. However, the NHS doesn't test Active B12 as far as I know. You would need to do a private test of the kind that Medichecks or Blue Horizon does.
I did the Blue Horizon Premium Gold test in October and they were still doing the Total B12 test not the Active B12. I don't know if that has changed since then. Medichecks definitely does Active B12.
One thing mentioned by others here does not apply to many . My mother , now dead and me as a mother of one son would never describe my symptoms of an illness to offspring . Most I know put on a good face , not wishing to burden them ! It’s close friends from where you might get a true account of their ailments !
Just a thought as you said your mum was good for her age .
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