I’m new to the forum and need help analysing my results. First of all I’m so glad I found you as all the information has been invaluable and I’m so much more knowledgeable about my condition so thank you.
My history - I was diagnosed at 26 with Hypothyroidism after the birth of my first child but never told whether it was Ords or Hashimotos. Fast forward 27 years I’m still suffering and never been referred to an Endocrinologist even though I’ve begged. Two years ago I had interval bleeding & was told it was because I was over medicated so GP reduced my dose even though I protested & it turned out it was an ovarian cyst. Since January the GP has been reducing my dose and I feel awful. She says my symptoms are due to the Perimenopause and wants to prescribe HRT but I’m sure they’re thyroid related. The results below were done by NHS so I don’t have a full blood panel. I weigh 58kg and since September I’ve been taking 125mcg 3 days a week & 100mcg 4 days a week.
January 2022
TSH - 0.16 mU/L 0.4-4.0
April 2022
TSH 0.05 mU/L 0.4-4.0
Free Thyroxine 22.1 pmoI/L 11.5-22.7
June 2022
TSH 0.09 mU/L 0.4-4.0
Free Thyroxine 20.5 pmoI/L 11.5-22.7
August 2022
TSH 3.9 was only told this verbally and that was when the GP reluctantly increased my dose as she said I was in range to the dose above.
I’m still suffering with weight gain, cognitive problems, insomnia and weak muscles and have a blood test booked for tomorrow at 08.40 and want advise on these results and how to tackle my Doctor as I’m sure I need my dose increased.
Sorry for the long email and I appreciate any help you can give me.
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Redhead16
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It’s been 9 weeks since my last blood test and that was when my medication was increased from 100mcg a day. The brand I’m on and have always been on is Tevo and I started taking multi vitamins after my last blood test however I’ve stopped taking them a week ago in preparation for my blood test tomorrow. I take my meds when I wake up and have been mindful to wait an hour before I eat. I’ve never had my vitamin levels tested or been tested for coeliac. My GP says NHS will only test TSH so I might have to get tests done privately to get a full picture. I’m also thinking about purchasing Levothyroxine online so maybe someone can private message me with a reliable UK online company. I can’t go on feeling like this and need to get well. Thanks for your advise it’s been very helpful.
Hi SlowDragon, in answer to your question I’m not lactose intolerant and my levels were stable until recently and only changed when the Doctor started reducing my medication. I don’t think I’ll win the battle with my GP but I’m going to send her Dr Toft’s Pulse Article & The NICE guidelines to fight my cause. If she won’t increase my dose I’ll get tested privately by the companies you recommend and then will get a full picture of where I’m at and what is wrong. Thanks for drawing my attention to the multivitamins as I would’ve blindly continued taking them. Your advise has been so helpful and this site really is a godsend.
If a patient reports persistent symptoms when switching between different levothyroxine tablet formulations, consider consistently prescribing a specific product known to be well tolerated by the patient.
Physicians should: 1) alert patients that preparations may be switched at the pharmacy; 2) encourage patients to ask to remain on the same preparation at every pharmacy refill; and 3) make sure patients understand the need to have their TSH retested and the potential for dosing readjusted every time their LT4 preparation is switched (18).
Levothyroxine is an extremely fussy hormone and should always be taken on an empty stomach and then nothing apart from water for at least an hour after
Many people take Levothyroxine soon after waking, but it may be more convenient and perhaps more effective taken at bedtime
No other medication or supplements at same as Levothyroxine, leave at least 2 hour gap.
Some like iron, calcium, magnesium, HRT, omeprazole or vitamin D should be four hours away
(Time gap doesn't apply to Vitamin D mouth spray)
If you normally take levothyroxine at bedtime/in night ...adjust timings as follows prior to blood test
Similarly if normally splitting your levothyroxine, take whole daily dose 24 hours before test
If testing Monday morning, delay Saturday evening dose levothyroxine until Sunday morning. Delay Sunday evening dose levothyroxine until after blood test on Monday morning. Take Monday evening dose levothyroxine as per normal
REMEMBER.....very important....stop taking any supplements that contain biotin a week before ALL BLOOD TESTS as biotin can falsely affect test results - eg vitamin B complex
You are describing symptoms of hypothyroidism so presume your T3 is too low for you :
Unfortunately your results do not include a T3 reading so I'm just guessing !!
I totally understand that in primary care many people are monitored and dosed adjusted on just TSH readings, and sometimes a T4 reading neither which tell the whole story and leaves many people very unwell.
The TSH was originally introduced as a diagnostic tool to help identify a person suffering with hypothyroidism and was never intended to be used once the patient was taking any form of thyroid hormone replacement, as then you must test T3 and T4 levels and dose adjust these two vital hormones to be balanced, in range, at around a 1/4 ratio T3/T4.
We generally feel best when our TSH is down towards the bottom of the range, definitely under 2 and more likely under 1 :
T4 - Levothyroxine is a storage hormone and needs to be converted by your body into T3 the active hormone that runs your body, and your physical, mental, emotional, psychological and spiritual well being, your inner central heating system and your metabolism.
Your own ability to convert the T4 into T3 can be compromised by non optimal levels of ferritin, folate, B12 and vitamin D and inflammation, antibodies, any physiological stress ( emotional or physical ) depression, dieting and ageing though more challenge to manage can also down regulate T4 to T3 conversion.
So, hopefully tomorrow morning you find your doctor receptive and able to run a full thyroid panel to include a TSH, T3, T4 antibodies, inflammation and the vitamins and minerals as detailed.
I failed to get any help and so resorted to getting everything actioned by one of the private companies as listed on the Thyroid UK website - who is the charity who support this amazing forum. thyroiduk.org
When with the results you simply start a new post with the results and ranges and you will be given considered opinion as to how you too can get back on track and restore your own health and well being.
It's a bit like doing a jigsaw puzzle - but once you get a few key pieces out, everything starts to make sense, fall into place and picture emerges of your thyroid journey back to better health.
Thank you for all the information pennyannie which will help when I speak to the GP. I’m pretty sure that my levels have remained the same or dropped further and if that’s the case I’d like an increase in dose and would like to get to 1 on the TSH scale & see how I feel then. Over 27 years I’ve only ever been told I’m in range & that’s it but thanks to this forum I asked for a print out of my results & can see exactly where I am on the range.
The TSH doesn't give you symptoms and is the least reliable of all the measures once on any form of thyroid hormone replacement.
In theory the TSH drops as you increase T4 and the issue is some doctors see a high T4 and or a lowish TSH as verging on being ' over medicated ' and dose reduce which is not the answer - as the answer is to test where T3 sits - as you are only over medicated if T3 is over range.
It's a total waste of everybody's time just running a TSH reading and if you scroll up to the very top of the screen you will see we now have almost 128 thousand patients registered on the Thyroid UK website.
Just seen all your readings are likely false high as you take your T4 prior to the blood test - so tomorrow have the blood draw first and then take the Levothyroxine.
If you have a conversion problem there is no point taking more T4 as you aren't even utilising well the T4 dose you are taking - maybe you just need to supplement some core strength vitamins and minerals - everywhere I researched suggested that ferritin needs to be over 70 for T4 to work well - maybe you need to add a little T3 - Liothyronine - alongside your T4 to rebalance these 2 vital hormones - we don't know anything until we see a full thyroid blood panel
Irrespective of how well and clean you eat when hypothyroid and having a slower than normal metabolism the body struggles to extract essential core strength vitamins and minerals from your food and we also tend to have low stomach acid which also hinders the process of digestion and absorption of key nutrients.
For people to send you recommendations of a trusted seller you need to start a new post asking just that and as we are not allowed to openly discuss suppliers you need to ask for replies by Private Message - and your ' chat ' button above should light up with any messages.
That’s good to know pennyannie and I’m becoming more educated on my condition every day thanks to people like you. I’ve had my blood test done this morning and will take stock once I get the results and speak to my GP.
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