Could it be the thyroid after all? No diagnosis

[krillemy]

Three years ago I got really unwell, and the doctors first suspension was that it could be my metabolism. I guess the blood tests where OK, and I went on to neuro, then rheuma and back and forth. My TSH, T3 and T4 are all very low almost too low when they check it and now another doctor thinks I have a minor stroma and I should have it checked out.

I fitt the symptoms of low metabolism, but what is going on if they are ALL low - I understand the principle behind the test, but not this? Thanks

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

krillemly

If you can post your test results - along with their reference ranges that we need to interpret them, eg. TSH: 2.5 (0.27-4.20) - then members will be able to comment, at the moment just saying "low" doesn't really give us anything to go by.

[krillemy in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thanks - how kind. I will do so this evening

[krillemy in reply to krillemy]

Hi, please see answer below as well. They where not really taken at ones more than during a hospitalisation. But see below and T3: is 1,5 (2,8-1,4). SO they are all almost OK, just low. TSH the same. I will have them taken now, where I have been of pred. for a year.

TSH

[SlowDragon Administrator]

If your taking steroids, TSH can be falsely low

For full Thyroid evaluation you need TSH, FT4 and FT3 plus both TPO and TG thyroid antibodies tested.

Very important to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 at least once year minimum

Low vitamin levels are extremely common, especially with autoimmune thyroid disease (Hashimoto’s or Ord’s thyroiditis) usually diagnosed by high thyroid antibodies

Autoimmune thyroid disease with goitre is Hashimoto’s

Autoimmune thyroid disease without goitre is Ord’s thyroiditis.

Both are autoimmune and generally called Hashimoto’s.

In U.K. medics never call it Hashimoto’s, just autoimmune thyroid disease (and they usually ignore the autoimmune aspect)

Recommended on here that all thyroid blood tests early morning, ideally before 9am

This gives highest TSH, lowest FT4 and most consistent results. (Patient to patient tip)

Private tests are available as NHS currently rarely tests Ft3 or all relevant vitamins

List of private testing options and money off codes

thyroiduk.org/getting-a-dia...

Medichecks Thyroid plus antibodies and vitamins

medichecks.com/products/adv...

Blue Horizon Thyroid Premium Gold includes antibodies, cortisol and vitamins by DIY fingerprick test

bluehorizonbloodtests.co.uk...

If you can get GP to test vitamins and antibodies then cheapest option for just TSH, FT4 and FT3

£29 (via NHS private service ) and 10% off down to £26.10 if go on thyroid uk for code

thyroiduk.org/getting-a-dia...

monitormyhealth.org.uk/

NHS easy postal kit vitamin D test £29 via

vitamindtest.org.uk

If you have one autoimmune disease, it makes others more likely

About 90% of all primary hypothyroidism in Uk is due to Hashimoto’s.

Link about thyroid blood tests

thyroiduk.org/getting-a-dia...

Link about Hashimoto’s

thyroiduk.org/hypothyroid-b...

List of hypothyroid symptoms

thyroiduk.org/if-you-are-un...

[krillemy in reply to SlowDragon]

Thank you I have been on steroids from mid 2019-end 2020, så that would explain a lot. The TSH was low already before that but just above normal range. They have only ones been taken together and that was during hospitalisation, when I was put on high prednisolon due too asthma (and covid). T3 are not that low I see now. All the vitamins and minerals are OK. I guess I ask to have them all taken at the same time.

[tattybogle in reply to krillemy]

Yes you need to take TSH /fT4 and fT3 together again now to see what your thyroid function is ......Thyroid results taken during 'hospitalisation' are not reliable for diagnosing thyroid issues . this is because acute /severe illness causes alterations in TSH /fT4 /fT3 levels that should return to 'normal' when you are recovered from the illness.

Below is a graph of what happens to TSH /fT4 /T3 levels when a person with a healthy thyroid is severely ill from 'something else'.

So your below range fT3 in hospital may not be not a true representation of what your fT3 level is 'normally'.. it may have been so low because you were very ill.

as you can see . in illness it all gets a bit 'messy' !

[krillemy in reply to tattybogle]

Thank you so much for the chart - it does explain a lot of my results...