Hashmotos sufferer help with my blood test result

[Battlestar56]

I have just got results for private blood test back can anyone please explain the following lab result TSH 0.85 mU/L 0.3-5.0 Free T4 10.9 pmol/L7.9-16.0 Free t3 5.3 pmol/l 3.8-6.0 havent had a t3 test before as nhs seemed to rfuse testing which is why i went private.

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Welcome to the forum Battlestar56

We need more information before we can help you.

Do you have a diagnosis of a thyroid condition?

Are you taking any medication?

If taking medication what is it and what dose?

When did you take your last dose before the test?

This is how we advise all thyroid tests to be done:

* Book the first appointment of the morning, or with private tests at home no later than 9am. This is because TSH is highest early morning and lowers throughout the day.

In fact, 9am is the perfect time, see first graph here, it shows TSH is highest around midnight - 4am (when we can't get a blood draw), then lowers, next high is at 9am then lowers before it starts it's climb again about 9pm:

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

If we are looking for a diagnosis of hypothyroidism, or looking for an increase in dose or to avoid a reduction then we need TSH to be as high as possible.

* Nothing to eat or drink except water before the test - have your evening meal/supper as normal the night before but delay breakfast on the day of the test and drink water only until after the blood draw. Certain foods may lower TSH, caffeine containing drinks affect TSH.

* If taking thyroid hormone replacement, last dose of Levo should be 24 hours before blood draw, if taking NDT or T3 then last dose should be 8-12 hours before blood draw. Adjust timing the day before if necessary. This avoids measuring hormone levels at their peak after ingestion of hormone replacement. Take your thyroid meds after the blood draw. Taking your dose too close to the blood draw will give false high results, leaving any longer gap will give false low results.

* If you take Biotin or a B Complex containing Biotin (B7), leave this off for 7 days before any blood test. This is because if Biotin is used in the testing procedure it can give false results (most labs use biotin). See

thyroid.org/patient-thyroid...

biotin use can result in falsely high levels of T4 and T3 and falsely low levels of TSH

These are patient to patient tips which we don't discuss with phlebotomists or doctors.

Is this how you did your test?

[Battlestar56 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Hi yes i have been diagonsed with hashimotos since Jan 2021 which is when my GP put me on Levo 50mcg however my doctor refused an increase after i complained that symptoms were still chronic i spoke to a local consultant who was useless however i had a private consultation with a London consultant (name removed by admin) who suggested i go up to 75 a day i feel better but i feel for the extra levo but its still bad . I cannot believe how unhelpful the medical people ive spoken to have been to the point of stupidity i have had to research myself have a gluten free diet only take vitamin b12 d3 and 100 selenium. I have daily fatigue and brain fog which make it difficult concentrate even using computer i had blood test at 10.00 quite early and my tsh is 0.85 mU/L 0.3-5.0 is that high or low?

[greygoose]

Hi Battlestar56,, welcome to the forum.

FT4: 10.9 pmol/l (Range 7.9 - 16) 37.04%

FT3: 5.3 pmol/l (Range 3.8 - 6) 68.18%

Impossible to tell you what the mean without more information. Do you have a diagnosis of hypo as well as Hashi's? Are you taking thyroid hormone replacement (levo)? How much?

Your FT4 is quite low, but your FT3 is good, so it all depends on what you're taking how we interpret them.

[Battlestar56]

They just diagnosed Hashis in Jan 2021 which is when they put me on 50 levo which my doctor refused to increase then i saw a local consultant who was a complete waste of time i then spoke to <name removed by Admin> a London consultant who suggested i increase to 75 which has helped but im still suffering a whole range of symptoms which at time are hard to manage . The quality of care with the medical people ive spoke to is shocking they all say the same thing let see what happen meanwhile im still ill. Im gluten free only take b12 d3 and 100 selenium . My tsh is 0.85 mU/L 0.3-5.0 is that high or low?

[greygoose in reply to Battlestar56]

Hi Battlestar, I've only just seen this reply because you didn't click on the blue 'Reply' button under my questions, so I wasn't notified.

I'm afraid this is typical of treatment for hypothyroidism. I don't think doctors really believe it exists - they certainly know nothing about it, and they didn't learn much about it in med school.

75 mcg levo only is still a low dose, so not surprising you're still having symptoms. How long have you been on 75 mcg?

Can you tell me a little more about your supplemention? Did you get your B12, folate, ferritin and vit D tested before starting the supplements. What were the results?

Are you taking a B complex with your vit D?

Are you taking the vit D cofactors with your vit D: magnesium and vit K2-MK7?

A TSH of 0.85 is neither high nor low. It's what we would call 'euthyroid' (normal). But it is pretty much irrevelevant. The important number is the FT3 and yours is unusually high considering your FT4. So, I am wondering if there hasn't been a bit of a mix-up with the numbers? Can you recheck them, please?

[Battlestar56 in reply to greygoose]

Yes have rechecked and all numbers are correct it seems a bit strange to have ft3 that high considering my ft4? I get very sluggish with energy bursts that last for up to two hours then im exhausted night time is worse a kind of fatigue which takes me to oblivion wake up every hour trouble getting off to sleep again i cant utilise the lifts in energy when i get them because i almost feel hyper which is strange for hashis? Oh yes i get burning face looks very red by morning its gone but with activity it returns seem to have a very slow heart beat also i have told my GP and two consultants about this they seem very unconcerned they didnt give me any feed back on symptoms at all had a utra sound scan on neck as it feel not right in one side it came back normal . Have actually lost weight am just over 10 stone 6 foot could that be the levo? I have been doing a lot of walking probs too much helps in some ways but can burn me out cant seem to get balance right at the moment if i dont excercise at some point i feel like im going to collapse its awful . Finally something to do with white blood cell count keeps coming back slightly low lymphocytes i believe my doctor says its nothing connected to thyroid and on retesting this month if the same will send me to hematologist.

[greygoose in reply to Battlestar56]

i cant utilise the lifts in energy when i get them because i almost feel hyper which is strange for hashis?

Not at all strange. That's what Hashi's is all about: swing from hypo to false 'hyper' and the thyroid cells die off and releast their stock of hormone into the blood.

Oh yes i get burning face

What was your B12 level? And how much B12 are you taking? What sort of B12? And are you also taking a B complex with it?

i have told my GP and two consultants about this they seem very unconcerned they didnt give me any feed back on symptoms at all

Doctors have no idea what the symptoms are. They don't learn about them in med school.

Have actually lost weight am just over 10 stone 6 foot could that be the levo?

Indirectly, yes. Or, it's a hypo symptom.

[Battlestar56 in reply to greygoose]

Thank you very much for the replies i was slightly under on b12 GP said just take over counter suppliment i shall look into b12complex burning feet used to be the prob now its my face many thanks again .

[greygoose in reply to Battlestar56]

You're welcome.

GPs just have no idea how important B12 is. But it's as well that you're buying your own because they will always go for the cheapest option - cyanocobalamin - which is the least bio-available. You need methylcobalamin, preferably sublingual. And the B complex should contain methylfolate, not folic acid. Thorne Basic C is a good one.

[Battlestar56 in reply to greygoose]

I have been taking cyanocobalamin i will try the one you suggested can i take B 12 with b complex also i will have to work out the doses. Once again thanks for the help this is a helpful site its the first time ive spoken to fellow sufferers .

[greygoose in reply to Battlestar56]

Doses of what?

[Battlestar56 in reply to greygoose]

Sorry the B complex is there a recommended daily amount? I take selenuim which seems to help been told i can up the dose on that but i know it can be toxic in large amount over a period of time so sticking with a lower dose of that .

[greygoose in reply to Battlestar56]

No, no recommended dose. If you get the Thorne Basic B, it says to take 1 capsule, one to three times a day. It would depend on your Folate level, how much you took. You'd probably only need 1 a day.

[Battlestar56 in reply to greygoose]

Thank you for the advice i will try changing B 12 and introducing B12 complex

[greygoose in reply to Battlestar56]

B complex.

You're welcome.