Help me understand

[nettiboo1982]

Hi my urea level is 0.5 should be 0.3 my folic acid levels are 22 should be under 20 according to gp. My TSH two months ago was 1.64 no t4 done though that was done in February and came back at 10. My cholesterol is up also at 6.3 iron and b12 normal

I've started having shakes after my medication not straight away and not even everyday i think it's my levo doc doesn't think so due to TSH.

GP was more interested in my urea levels and prescribed allopurinol which from what I'm reading online I cannot take. So basically she said take levo at night and Take the urea meds and stop my multivitamins/supplements

I want to see a endocrinologist but she said she won't refer me until I try 3 weeks of night time levo.

Any advice please feeling very confused just to also add I do have issues with my feet they are very painful so possibly gout from the urea levels.

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

nettiboo1982

Do you have reference ranges for these results? If not ask for a print out from your surgery.

my urea level is 0.5 should be 0.3

Obviously your lab has a different range to mine, but the range at mine is 2.5-7.8 so I don't see how it can be said that your level should be a specific number, there must be a range and as long as you're within the range it would be deemed satisfactory.

My TSH two months ago was 1.64 no t4 done though that was done in February and came back at 10.

Again, what is the range for FT4? We see many ranges here - 7-17, 9-19, 11-23, 12-22 and others. It's possible that your FT4 is low in range or below range, knowing this helps us to help you.

My cholesterol is up also at 6.3 iron and b12 normal

High cholesterol is a symptom of hypothyroidism so maybe you are undermedicated. A TSH of 1.64 is generally too high for someone on thyroid hormone replacement so it's likely you need an increase in your Levo, particularly is, as suspected, your FT4 is low.

Just saying iron and B12 are normal only means that they are somewhere within their reference ranges, this doesn't necessarily mean that they are at optimal levels, so what are the results and, again, the reference ranges.

[nettiboo1982 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Hi doctor said they like to see up to 0.3 for urea mine was 0.5

The t4 I was told was up to 20 mine was 10. So according to gp I'd fine.

Sorry I'm not very up with what number need to be my doctor just generally tells me it's fine.

Unfortunately I keep getting the shakes and the one day this week I didn't I hadn't taken my levo that day. So I'm confused as to what is causing them if it isn't my thyroid meds

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to nettiboo1982]

Please ring the surgery and ask the receptionist for a print out of your results, essential if you are to understand your condition. In the UK we are legally entitled to our results so see if your surgery offers online access to results and if not get a print out and post results/ranges on here for us to explain things to you.

[greygoose]

my folic acid levels are 22 should be under 20 according to gp.

Two things GPs know very little about: nutrients and interpreting blood test reports. So, just ignore that. Folate (folic acid is synthetic folate) is water soluble, so don't matter if it's 2 points above the top of the range. 22 sounds good.

My TSH two months ago was 1.64 no t4 done though that was done in February and came back at 10.

1.64 is a bit high for someoneon thyroid hormone replacement. 10 sounds low for an FT4, but we really do need the range because ranges vary from lab to lab. But, if it is low, that explains why the TSH is on the high-side.

My cholesterol is up also at 6.3 iron and b12 normal

High cholesterol usually means low T3, so all in all, sounds like you're under-medicated.

When a doctor says 'normal', all s/he means is 'in-range' - anywhere in the range will count as 'normal' for doctors, although will probably not be optimal. Do you have the exact numbers: results and ranges?

i think it's my levo doc doesn't think so due to TSH.

What does your TSH have to do with your reaction to levo? Could be that you are reacting to the fillers in the tablet. The TSH wouldn't tell her anything about that.

Or, could just be that you're under-medicated...

So basically she said take levo at night and Take the urea meds and stop my multivitamins/supplements

Why can't you take the urea meds?

Might be a good idea to take your levo at night because some people find they absorb it better that way, and sleep better. As long as it's at least two hours after all food and drinks other than water.

But, I agree with your doctor about stopping the multi-vits. They are terrible things, for all sorts of reasons: wrong forms of ingredients, not enough of anything to treat a deficiency, things you don't need, things that could even be dangerous, etc. etc.

What other supplements are you taking?

What sort of issues do you have with your feet? Painful feet can be a hypo symptom. Gount is a very specific pain. It all depends where the pain is and what it's like.

[nettiboo1982 in reply to greygoose]

Hi greygoose, I don't take multivitamins my GP just assumed I did I take a b complex plus calcium that has zinc and vitamin d. I take iron and an omega 3 supplement I also take a probiotic capsule.

Regarding foot pain its the upper part of my right foot it hurts to walk weight bare etc doctor suggested gout due to high urea.

Reading online said allopurinol isn't suitable for those with a thyroid condition.

Would the blood test result include the ranges if I asked for a print out?

Also would under medicating cause shakiness racing heart and a really pumped up feeling? Not caused by coffee / cola as I don't drink it. Don't drink alcohol either.

Sorry I'm not that knowledgeable but I do know my levo makes me feel off or that I've been having issues with it since my last pregnancy.

Thanks

[greygoose in reply to nettiboo1982]

Did you stop the B complex, then? Because of the high-ish folate? Do keep testing it because it's likely to fall again.

Why do you take calcium? That's not a very good thing to take - like swallowing rocks! Very difficult to absorb and can build up in the soft tissues. If you take vit D, it's very unlikely that you need calcium because vit D increases the absorption of calcium from food. For that reason, if you take vit D, you should also take vit K2-MK7 to make sure the extra calcium goes into the teeth and bones and doesn't build up in the soft tissues and arteries. You should also take magnesium because the two work together.

Do you take vit C with your iron, to help absorption? Iron should be taken at least two hours away from everything else except vit C, and four hours away from thyroid hormone.

The pain in your foot sounds more like thyroid than gout, to me. I've had similar, but never high urea.

Yes, if you ask for a print-out of your results, all that is on the computer should be printed out, and that will include the ranges.

Also would under medicating cause shakiness racing heart and a really pumped up feeling?

I don't think there's anything that you can say with certainty that hypothyroidism wouldn't cause. The thyroid hormone T3 is needed by every single cell in your body, and if there isn't enough to go round, all sorts of symptoms can be caused. Just because it isn't in the list of usual symptoms doesn't mean it can't cause them. But, of course, symptoms do need to be backed up by blood test results, because so many of them can be due to both under- and over-medication. However, the chances of you being over-medicated are pretty slim. The main problem is that doctors don't do all the right tests. The FT3 is rarely tested, and that is the most important one to understand thyroid status and symptoms.

Levo used to make me feel 'off', too. I am now taking T3 only. But, to do that, I have to self-treat.