TSH, T4 and T3 results - are they okay? Hair loss worse.

[Feelingrubbish]

My Levothyroxine was increased to 75mcg at the beginning of September. I am due an NHS blood test next week via my doctors, but I thought I would arrange my own test (Monitor My Health) in advance of this. I mainly wanted to see what my T3 is, as I have never had that tested and also to see if my T4 has increased into the upper quartile as my Endo had said this might help my hair loss/thinning.

I carried out the test under recommended conditions (9am, just water, stopped biotin nearly a week before). My results from Monitor My Health are:

TSH - 26/10/2022

Your result is <0.01 mu/L

TSH levels low (normal range 0.27 - 4.2 mU/L)

Percentage through reference range: -6.62%

FT4 - 26/10/2022

Your result is 20.4 pmol/L

FT4 levels normal (normal range 12 - 22 pmol/L)

Percentage through reference range: 84.00%

FT3 - 26/10/2022

Your result is 6.5 pmol/L

FT3 levels normal (normal range 3.1 - 6.8 pmol/L)

Percentage through reference range: 91.89%

My T4 is now in the upper quartile. It was mid-range back in August when I was on 50mcg.

I am assuming that my T3 is good or is it not good to be so high?

Now my TSH is below the range, I think my doctor will say I am now 'hyper' and will want to reduce my Levothyroxine.

I'm not sure what I want. My Endo said that when my levels are 'normal', my hair loss/thinning should improve. I haven't noticed any improvement and, in fact, I think my hair is worse. Shouldn't I have seen some improvement by now? She has told me she won't refer me to dermatology until March next year. I am worried that as I have lost so much hair in the last 6 months, I'll have hardly any by next March!

Next week's NHS blood test will include Iron but my doctor said she wouldn't re-test my vitamins as they were 'okay' last time. I have been supplementing Iron, Vit C, B12, B complex, Vit D+K, Magnesium since the beginning of September. I suppose I will have to test these myself.

The doctor has also agreed to test for coeliac next week but I don't have many symptoms only occasional bloating and stomach pains.

As I said, I haven't seen any improvement in my hair. The only change in the last 2 months has been with my nails which have been amazingly long and strong and I am less constipated.

[clairel996]

il let someone else who knows more to comment on your results but just my thoughts on your hair and I'm no expert but having experienced hair loss myself I have conducted some extensive research and the main takeaway is that 2 months is not long enough to see any change as the hair cycle is longer. On average 3 months, so for example if you are majorly stressed then hair loss would happen 3 months later and it works the same way for improvements so once you have everything in balance then 3 months later you should start to see less hair loss and some growth. The growth cycle is long so it can take a long time to see "thicker" hair as not only does the hair loss need time to stop but then the replacement hair needs time to grow.

As I said, I'm no medical expert so more than happy to be corrected but this is what I have found and although frustrating, I am just working on getting everything in balance and hoping my hair will benefit!

[Feelingrubbish in reply to clairel996]

Thank you.

That's quite reassuring and maybe why my endo is saying wait until March. I just wish I could feel some improvement is happening not just seeing the balding patches every time I wash my hair

[clairel996 in reply to Feelingrubbish]

i know exactly how you feel! Look out for the ferritin levels when you next get them checked as iv read they need to be on the higher side for hair growth, I can't remember the figures off the top of my head but it can definitely be a factor.

[Feelingrubbish in reply to clairel996]

Hopefully ferritin will be included in my blood test next week. I've been trying to improve that with iron supplements and diet.

[Jaydee1507 Administrator]

Hair loss is frequently related to low iron levels. If you only started supplementing iron in September then you haven't had long enough to restore your ferritin. I have read it can take up to a year to get ferritin back to optimal, so keep supplementing and eating iron rich foods and it will get better in time.

[Feelingrubbish in reply to Jaydee1507]

Thank you.

Yes, fingers crossed my ferritin levels will show some increase from next week's test but I am realising this is a 'marathon not a sprint'!

[SlowDragon Administrator]

previous post from 3 months ago - ferritin 27

It is likely to take at least 6 months to improve very low ferritin levels

cks.nice.org.uk/topics/anae...

In all people, a serum ferritin level of less than 30 micrograms/L confirms the diagnosis of iron deficiency

Also See page 7 on here 

rcn.org.uk/-/media/royal-co...

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

List of iron rich foods

dailyiron.net

Links about iron and ferritin

An article that explains why Low ferritin and low thyroid levels are often linked 

preventmiscarriage.com/iron...

 

irondisorders.org/too-littl...

davidg170.sg-host.com/wp-co...

Great in-depth article on low ferritin 

oatext.com/iron-deficiency-...

drhedberg.com/ferritin-hypo...

This is interesting because I have noticed that many patients with Hashimoto’s disease and hypothyroidism, start to feel worse when their ferritin drops below 80 and usually there is hair loss when it drops below 50.

Thyroid disease is as much about optimising vitamins as thyroid hormones

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

restartmed.com/hypothyroidi...

Post discussing just how long it can take to raise low ferritin 

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Never supplement iron without doing full iron panel test for anaemia first and retest 3-4 times a year if self supplementing. It’s possible to have low ferritin but high iron 

Medichecks iron panel test 

medichecks.com/products/iro...

Iron and thyroid link

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Excellent article on iron and thyroid 

cambridge.org/core/journals...

Posts discussing why important to do full iron panel test

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Chicken livers if iron is good, but ferritin low

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Heme iron v non heme

hsph.harvard.edu/nutritions...

Ferritin over 100 to alleviate symptoms 

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Here’s absolutely excellent reply by @humanbean

on iron and ferritin panel test results for another member 

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Good explanations of iron 

theironclinic.com/iron-defi...

theironclinic.com/ironc/wp/...

Helpful info on iron infusion and supplements 

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Excellent reply by Blearyeyed about iron in this post

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

[Feelingrubbish in reply to SlowDragon]

Thank you, SD.

I will follow the links. I've read some of them already and we now regularly eat liver in our house and I have added iron rich foods to my diet. I hope I see some increase from my blood test next week to show it's working.

What do you think about my T3 result - is it good to be so high in the range?

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Feelingrubbish]

Don’t worry…..Ft4 and Ft3 likely will slowly settle and drop a bit over coming months as vitamin levels improve

[Feelingrubbish]

Okay, thanks. I'm working on my vitamin levels.

Only I know my T3 result, as my doctor and endocrinologist have never tested it. My endo said that as long as when my T4 goes up, my TSH goes down, that was okay. I am a little concerned that if my TSH is the same next week, I may get a call from the doctor to say I'm over-medicated.