Blood test update

[SusieR68]

Following on from my first private blood test in May, I went private and started NDT in June.

Moving forward to date, retested this week and the results are disappointing and I still do not feel myself. Results are posted below.

Any advice, much appreciated. I have been gluten free, since June and taking 1 grain of Amour in the morning, 1/2 grain afternoon. Followed all protocols, changed my vit D meds, taken iron, folate etc. Plus my normal B12 injections

[pennyannie]

Hello Susie :

No thyroid hormone replacement works well until your vitamins and minerals are up and maintained at optimal and I now feel at my best with a ferritin at around 100 : folate at around 20 ; B12 active at around 75 ++ ( serum B12 500 ++ ) and vitamin D at around 100 :

Everywhere I researched when I found my ferritin down at 22 said that ferritin needs to be at least over 70 for any thyroid hormone replacement to work and support your body's ability to convert the T4 into T3.

Conversion can also be compromised by inflammation, depression, dieting, ageing, and any physiological stress ( emotional or physical ) :

So looking at the above your inflammation is over range showing your body to be under stress and this is likely born out by your high over range thyroid antibodies suggestive of your suffering with Hashimoto's auto immune thyroid disease.

Did you know you had Hashimoto's ?

I read that many people with this AI disease need first to heal their gut and need to get checked out for celiac disease and I believe many follow the protocols as per Dr Izabella Wentz thyroidpharmacist.com

Apart from your B12 you need to build up these other vitamins and minerals and I see that this is a work in progress - and you will feel better as these start to hit optimal levels.

Your TSH is very high and shouting out for more thyroid hormone replacement.

The most important hormone to track when on NDT is T3 and this is hardly registering at 10% in the range with your T4 below range -

Both T3 and T4 are much too low, and you must feel very unwell and it looks as though you are not absorbing nor utilising the Armour medication at all.

Are you still taking instruction from a doctor as to how to dose and increase the Armour or trying things out for yourself ?

Did you build up your dose in 1/4 grain increments slowly, over a period of weeks or do a straight swop to this dose from synthetic T3/T4 ?

What were your bench reading for T3 and t4 before you switched to Armour - I've looked.

Ok - having just looked back I see you have had extensive help on the vitamins and minerals and a celiac test advised previously - has this happened yet ?

Your T3 reading when onT4 - Levothyroxine was basically at nil so that leads me think you might need to take T3 - Liothyronine only as your ability to convert T4 seems totally compromised but again, you must first get checked out for any stomach and gut issues as this likely what is causing the problem.

There is liquid T4 medication - I wonder if you might better absorb this - have you tried this option ?

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Well results suggest you need further increase in Armour

Retest again 6-8 weeks after increase

Many people are on more than 1.5 gains

[Jazzw]

Looking at your last post your results weren’t very good on 150mcg levothyroxine either so I think we can fairly confidently say you aren’t absorbing very well.

Plus—you are effectively on a lower dosage if you’re only taking 1.5 grains of Armour. That could explain the worsening results. I know some doctors like to claim that a grain is equivalent to 100mcg Levo but in my experience that’s a pretty big overstatement. It’s more like 75mcg.

Have you had tests to determine the cause of your low ferritin? You’ve mentioned having jabs for B12 deficiency—has that been diagnosed officially as pernicious anaemia or is the cause unknown?

Just wondering whether there is an undiagnosed gut issue here. I see you’ve fairly recently gone gluten free—is that full on, “won’t touch a smidge of gluten” gluten free? It might of course have nothing to do with gluten but we often find that when people say they’ve gone gluten free they’ve just reduced their intake. And if you do have sensitivity, simply reducing gluten intake won’t fix the problem—even the smallest amount can cause major problems.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

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So how much vitamin D are you now taking

Vitamin D has reduced since last test

Likely to need at least 3000iu per day

Are you taking daily vitamin B complex

Ferritin is improving nicely

[grumpyold]

Maybe you need an increase in NDT?

I took Armour for a year and felt wonderful once I had titrated up to 3 grains.