Help with test results please!: Hi all, I’ve... - Thyroid UK

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Help with test results please!

TiredMummy profile image
23 Replies

Hi all,

I’ve just received my test results for the advanced thyroid function test via Medichecks after increasing my Levothyroxine from 125mcg to 150mcg. I had the blood drawn 25 hours after my last Levothyroxine dose and before 9am, fasting. I also stopped iron and any supplements containing B vitamins.

My results are:

CRP 0.5 (0-5)

Ferritin 154 (13-150)

Folate serum 12.94 (3.89 - 19.45]

Vitamin B12 - Active 80.2 (37.5 - 150)

Vitamin D 75 (50 - 200)

FSH 14.2

Oestrodiol 129

Progesterone 19.5

Thyroglobulin antibodies 93 (0-115)

Thyroid peroxidase antibodies 89 (0 - 34)

TSH 0.005 (0.27 - 4.2)

Free T3 5.38 (3.1 - 6.8)

Free thyroxine 34.1 (12 - 22)

Also, it might be helpful to post my results of two years or so ago when I was on 125mcg Levothyroxine:

TSH 0.01 (0.30 - 4.20)

Free T4 17 (9-19)

Free T3 4.9 (2.60-5.70)

I often feel nauseas 3 hours after taking my Levothyroxine (& did so on 125mcg also) so I’m wondering whether to try spit dosing my Levothyroxine or trying a different brand (Accord - lactose free) first. It might be that I need to increase my Levothyroxine slightly but would be interested in peoples opinions on these results.

Thank you!

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23 Replies
TiredMummy profile image
TiredMummy

Sorry, replying to myself but wanted to add that I stopped iron & B vits a week prior to blood draw.

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator

Can you double check Ft4 and Ft3 results

Ft4 34.1 ?

TiredMummy profile image
TiredMummy in reply to SlowDragon

Yes free thyroxine is 34.1 (12-22)

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator in reply to TiredMummy

So you need to REDUCE levothyroxine

Either temporarily if it’s a Hashimoto’s swing

Or reduce levothyroxine permanently

Suggest you reduce to 137.5mcg daily

(125mcg and 150mcg alternate days)

Retest in 6-8 weeks

Approx how much do you weigh in kilo?

Are you lactose intolerant

If so you need lactose free levothyroxine

Teva, Glenmark or Aristo

Are you on strictly gluten free diet?

TiredMummy profile image
TiredMummy in reply to SlowDragon

Hi Slowdragon, will try alternating 125mcg & 150mcg and re-test in 6-8 weeks as suggested. Or I guess I could take 137.5mcg daily by splitting a second 25mcg in half? No idea how much I weigh in Kilos but will get a weight. I suspect I’m around the 9 stone mark but I’m only 5ft 2 so not underweight. If anything, my weight could do with coming down. I’m not sure 100% if I’m lactose intolerant but I had a bad experience with supplements containing lactose in the past & I have to be careful with dairy. I’m on TEVA. I’ve been on a very strict GF diet for many years.

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator in reply to TiredMummy

Yes….many people find it better to take same dose every day, rather than alternate

If you’re gluten intolerant and lactose intolerant likely to have poor conversion of Ft4 to Ft3 and be in need of small doses of T3 prescribed alongside levothyroxine

Teva T3 is lactose free if prescribed on NHS

Private prescription, Thybon Henning is lactose free

Roughly where in U.K. are you

Email Thyroid U.K. for list of recommended thyroid specialist endocrinologist and doctors who will prescribe T3

tukadmin@thyroiduk.org

SeasideSusie profile image
SeasideSusieRemembering

Tired Mummy

CRP 0.5 (0-5)

Nice low result, just what you want as this is an inflammation marker.

Ferritin 154 (13-150)

I would stop your iron tablet, full stop. Do an iron panel to include serum iron, transferrin saturation percentage, total iron binding capacity as well as ferritin. I said this to you 3 months ago here:

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Iron - I currently take 20mg daily

Have you had an iron panel done and know that you have iron deficiency? If not maybe you shouldn't be supplementing iron.

and Humanbean linked to the appropriate test here:

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Folate serum 12.94 (3.89 - 19.45]

This is OK.

Vitamin B12 - Active 80.2 (37.5 - 150)

Would be better over 100. What B Complex do you normally use?

Vitamin D 75 (50 - 200)

Recommended is 100-150nmol/L. Do you supplement D3 and it's important cofactors magnesium and Vit K2-MK7?

Thyroglobulin antibodies 93 (0-115)

Thyroid peroxidase antibodies 89 (0 - 34)

Confirms Hashi's. Did you know you have Hashi's?

TSH 0.005 (0.27 - 4.2)

Free T3 5.38 (3.1 - 6.8)

Free thyroxine 34.1 (12 - 22)

FT4 is way over range. Could be due to a Hashi's hyper swing or could be due to your dose of Levo is too high.

It might be that I need to increase my Levothyroxine slightly but would be interested in peoples opinions on these results.

If you increase your Levo you'll take your FT4 even higher, if anything you need to reduce it, even if only temporarily.

I’m wondering whether to try spit dosing my Levothyroxine or trying a different brand (Accord - lactose free) first.

Accord is not lactose free. Check out Helvella's thyroid medication document here:

dropbox.com/s/wfhrlmb5983co...

and click on the yellow T4 tab in the UK section on page 2 which will take you to the relevant page.

helvella Accord doesn't have the lactose symbol against it although Almus and Northstar 50/100mcg do.

TiredMummy profile image
TiredMummy in reply to SeasideSusie

Hi Seaside Susie, the b vitamin I take is Thorne basic B complex. I’m not currently supplementing D3 ( but I do in the autumn, winter), magnesium citrate I take 340mg but I don’t take any K2 currently and never heard of MK7. Yes, I know I’m Hashi’s. If I was to reduce my Levo, how much should I reduce it by (looking at my results when I was on 125mcg Levo)?

SeasideSusie profile image
SeasideSusieRemembering in reply to TiredMummy

TiredMummy

Thorne Basic B 👍

You might be OK to make enough Vit D naturally at the moment. I'd retest at the end of October to establish what dose you need during the winter.

Vit K2-MK7 (one supplement not two) is needed because taking D3 aids absorption of calcium from food, Vit K2-MK7 directs the calcium to bones and teeth where it is needed and away from soft tissues and arteries where it can be deposited and cause problems like kidney stones, calcification of arteries, etc.

Just in case you're having a Hashi's hyper swing I would reduce Levo by 12.5mcg now and retest in 8 weeks. If FT4 still over range then drop another 12.5mcg and again retest 8 weeks later.

You're looking to get your FT4 into range and FT3 in the upper part of it's range as it's low T3 that causes symptoms and makes weight loss difficult. If FT3 goes too low when FT4 is at top of range then that shows poor conversion of T4 to T3 and you might need to consider adding T3 to your Levo, but take things slowly because Hashi's does complicate things.

Please get that iron panel done, it's essential when supplementing with iron because if you take your serum iron and saturation too high this leads to toxicity.

Noelnoel profile image
Noelnoel

I think I may have missed something and therefore having a problem understanding

Your results when on 125 of levo look exemplary, why did you feel you needed to increase it

As I say, I may not be seeing things correctly

JAmanda profile image
JAmanda in reply to Noelnoel

I was thinking the same. I’d go back to the 100 dose and stick with it. If you’ve got symptoms right now it could easily be that you’re over medicated. Once you’re settled you could try adding in a little t3 to see if that helps.

TiredMummy profile image
TiredMummy in reply to JAmanda

Hi, yes I’m sticking with the 137.5mcg for now and will reduce back to 125mcg if my results indicate I need to do so. It was 3 years ago I was on 125mcg so that second result I shared wasn’t recent. I’d rather reduce in small increments as my body often doesn’t cope well with hormone changes. I’ll probably end up on a lower dose of Levo with a small amount of T3 but time will tell. I don’t have a good track record with T3 (I’ve tried it many times over the years & always ends in disaster). However, if I take things slowly, you never know…..I might eventually get there 🥴

JAmanda profile image
JAmanda in reply to TiredMummy

Yes it’s all baffling. I found it so hard to take t3 initially but much easier when I started taking it in bigger doses. Last month I switched from 100 Levo plus 25 lio to just 30 lio and had no impact on me whatsoever. After two weeks I adde in 2.5 lio as I wanted to split 25s. No impact. Feel ok. Not sleepy. I had hoped it would help my hip pains and not sure it’s worked yet though.

TiredMummy profile image
TiredMummy in reply to Noelnoel

Hi, the test results for when I was on 125mcg we’re about 3 yrs ago. I was still having ‘symptoms’ when on 125mcg but in hindsight (wonderful thing that) I think the symptoms I was experiencing were due to the menopause. Anyway, I’ve reduced my Levo down to 137.5mcg daily and will re-test in 8 weeks as suggested.

Noelnoel profile image
Noelnoel in reply to TiredMummy

Ok thank you

greygoose profile image
greygoose

I very much doubt that FT4 result is due to over-medication. It's either a Hashi's 'hyper' swing - but usually the FT3 would also be high - or interferrence in the assay. I'd go for the latter. 150 mcg T4 could not cause a level that high, it's just not logical. Especially looking at your level on 125 mcg. So, reduce levo temporarily, if you like, see how you feel, but your FT3 really isn't that great, so the reduction might make you feel worse. See how it goes. :)

TiredMummy profile image
TiredMummy in reply to greygoose

Thank you Greygoose. I’ve been pondering about this over the last few days and haven’t really come to any conclusion. I did try reducing the Levo to 137.5mcg but it felt like my brain was starting to slow down and I was out of breath very easily by day 3. I fully admit, this might not be anything to do with the reduction in dose but im away on holiday at the moment and didn’t want to take the risk of having it spoiled.

So, I decided to increase back to 150mcg for now as the jury is totally out on my results in any case. I’m wondering about trying to reduce it again when I’m back home or just sticking with 150mcg and retesting in 6 weeks. I’m still undecided. I’ve also had a test result back for my oestrogen levels and that is showing very low so I’m having to increase my oestrogel and make a slight change to my progesterone. I think I may stabilise on the oestrogen and progesterone changes first, whilst staying on 150mcg Levo, and retest thyroid in 6 weeks.

It’s very tricky with all these changes to understand what is going on but having crawled my way back from off the floor (literally) when I was on Novothyral/T3 only, it’s quite daunting to make any thyroid changes. I may feel braver when I’m back home. I guess if I WAS over medicated/T4 levels were too high…..what would my symptoms be? Hyperactive? Feeling hypo? I have no idea and probably varies from person to person?

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply to TiredMummy

It does indeed vary from person to person. Some people are fine with their FT4 well over-range as long as their FT3 isn't too high. After all, T4 is basically a storage hormone that doesn't do much until it is converted to T3.

I’m wondering about trying to reduce it again when I’m back home or just sticking with 150mcg and retesting in 6 weeks.

Well, that rather depends on how you feel, doesn't it. Wait until you've settled back down at home again before deciding. :)

TiredMummy profile image
TiredMummy in reply to greygoose

Hi Greygoose, I hope you are well. Just to update, im sticking with the 150mcg Levo as I just feel too hypo on 125mcg. I just cross my fingers im doing the right thing. When I re test in 6 weeks, do you think I need the full advanced thyroid test again or will the basic Thyroid Function Test on Medichecks be sufficient? This shows Free Thyroxine, Free T3 and TSH. I had the Advanced test last time so presuming I don’t need to do this every time now. I will also have an iron panel done but have stopped supplementing iron in the meantime since advised some weeks ago.

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply to TiredMummy

I should think the basics would be enough at this point, just to let you know the levels of your Frees, so that you can make an informed decision on your dose. :)

TiredMummy profile image
TiredMummy in reply to greygoose

Thank you! It will be very interesting to see the result & whether it indicates I need to go down/up/hold steady/add T3….at least it will give me my direction more clearly. Thank you again for your help 😁

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply to TiredMummy

You're very welcome. :)

TiredMummy profile image
TiredMummy in reply to greygoose

Hi Greygoose, my saga continues with the blood tests, see latest results here: healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

I’m on day 4 of reducing from150mcg to 125mcg Levothyroxine and feeling much worse for it. No comments yet on my latest results regarding my T3 levels……? Would be interested in your response if you have any time. Thank you 🙂

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