Hi - I've been away from here for a year or so, I needed to stop obsessing over blood test results. My results were never "bad enough" to make a trip to the GP worthwhile - anyway, after suffering with rib pain, my Chiropractor advised me to check my thyroid:
2/02/2022
TSH 1.5 (0.27-4.2)
T4 11.7 (12-22)
T3 3.8 (3.1-6.8)
Knowing that any GP would advise re-testing in a few weeks, I tested again:
01/04/2022
TSH 1.74
T4 11
T3 4.17
and then to be really sure - again:
04/05/2022
TSH 0.96
T4 13.3
T3 4.2
my Vit D and B12 are mid range - but my ferritin and folate are very low in range - as they have been for last 3 years, despite my best efforts to improve them (iron panel showed no anemia)
I've also recently had a cortisol test with regenerus - DHEA 315 (106-300)
9am 11 (optimal14-25) (standard 7-30)
12pm 6 (optimal 5-10) (standard 2.1-14)
5pm 2.1 (optimal2-5) (standard 1.5-8)
10pm 0.8 (optimal1-4) (standard 0.33-7)
I'm really dreading going to the GP - I always make a hash of it - any advice on how to approach them would be great. Thank you
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MrsButler
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Where on earth do chiropractors gain any knowledge of thyroid treatment? All the figures you've given do not support thyroid problems. If you have problems, they are very likely somewhere else.
Yes your results do support your inclination that it could be central hypothyroidism. I had similar results and got a diagnosis of CH. A lot of people, including GPs do not understand it and tell you there’s nothing wrong with you. Do you have symptoms?
Are you in any Levothyroxine? I had to stop it for 2 weeks and then test.
I’m now on NDT and feeling so much better.
Getting you vitamins & minerals right is also important.
In all people, a serum ferritin level of less than 30 micrograms/L confirms the diagnosis of iron deficiency
Look at increasing iron rich foods in diet
Eating iron rich foods like liver or liver pate once a week plus other red meat, pumpkin seeds and dark chocolate, plus daily orange juice or other vitamin C rich drink can help improve iron absorption
Are you having any hair loss? My ferritin has been low similar to yours though not quite as low. My hair was coming out in large amounts and is now a bit thin on my scalp.
It is difficult. I've been trying Spatone gentle iron with a vitamin C drink on an empty stomach. My hair loss has definitely slowed down but I have yet to do a blood test to see if it's made much difference.
Hope you find something that works for you and get your ferritin levels much higher.
That could also be a symptom of central hypothyroidism. Before my diagnosis, I was put on HRT aged 46. It made me very unwell, as it turned out I didn’t need it as it was a pituitary gland issue/CH. you may need an Endocrinologist to test, as GPs don’t know about this.
Thank you. I feel it is so easy for GP's to jump to menopause as a cause once you hit 40's. When I mentioned my adult onset acne, he basically just said, it happens at your age.
They do dismiss us so easily as middle aged women. They are so keen to give you antidepressants but not thyroxine. I could never fathom that…Stick to your guns. You know how you feel. And perhaps see an Endo? They know more. If you can afford it go private. Amazing the difference in the way you are treated.
So on top of all your other health problems, you are expected to just live with the acne? Ask for Metronidazole gel, it’s a low dose antibiotic for acne rosacea, which I have had for years. If that doesn’t work, you can get it in tablet form.
Thank you, I think an anti biotic is what I need. Nothing else has worked so far other than if I exfoliate a lot, like twice a day, I seem to get less cystic type spots. It's like I don't shed skin!
I've also recently had a cortisol test with regenerus - DHEA 315 (106-300)
9am 11 (14-25)
12pm 6 (5-10)
5pm 2.1 (2-5)
10pm 0.8 (1-4)
Are these the standard reference ranges supplied by Regenerus? I think they might be the "optimal" ranges rather than the standard ranges. I prefer to work from the standard ranges because Regenerus never tells people who decided what optimal is and what they based the numbers on.
This is something that been suggested to me before, but I don't have any of the other symptoms of it, I've had the bloods that check for it and it was fine,(they did show raised prolactin though which is another reason I'm thinking of it being pituitary related) and I've had ultrasounds which haven't shown PCOS.
larabriden.com/you-might-no...PCOS cannot be ruled out by ultrasound because it’s possible to have normal-appearing ovaries on ultrasound and still have the hormonal condition PCOS.
Sample 1 : Optimal = 30 --- Yours = 11 --- You produce 36.7% of optimal
Sample 2 : Optimal = 11.025 --- Yours = 6 --- You produce 54% of optimal
Sample 3 : Optimal = 4.75 --- Yours = 2.1 --- You produce 44% of optimal
Sample 4 : Optimal = 0.44 --- Yours = 0.8 --- You produce 182% of optimal
Totals : Optimal = 46.215 --- Yours = 19.9 --- You produce 43% of optimal
Clearly you are not producing anywhere near enough Cortisol most of the day, nor in total throughout the day, but I doubt that you are suffering from Adrenal Insufficiency at the moment. (Butplease note I am not medically trained in any way whatsoever.)
This thread shows you results from a member who was diagnosed with Addison's Disease :
I must admit I am puzzled about your DHEA result. In my study of member's saliva cortisol results high DHEA is often accompanied by cortisol results which are high and are getting higher. Low DHEA results are usually found when DHEA is low and getting lower. But your DHEA results don't fit that at all and I can't explain why, sorry.
Thank you for that, really interesting to see it displayed as percentages. The DHEA is weird. I did read somewhere that it can be high if you've been under prolonged stress, which I have. But then maybe I do have PCOS.
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Central hypothyroidism
Central hypothyroidism
Advice before GP phone consultation, please?
Central hypothyroidism?
