I have recently had blood tests to check for potential under active thyroid… the results show my TSH levels are up to 3.47 (when they were last checked a couple of years ago it was 1.32) and a se thyroid peroxidase ab level of 6 (am I right I’m thinking this is thyroid antibodies? If so they’ve always been undetectable in the past tests I’ve had)… does this mean anything to anyone? It’s over a months wait for a phone call from the GP to discuss! I am also prone to Vitamin D deficiency, and this too has shown up on the test (low calcium and high alkaline phosphatase)
If anyone has had any experience of results like these so I have some idea what to expect, if anything at all, I would be very grateful!
Thank you. I also noticed that the lab put a note on the tsh results saying Ft4 should be checked for pituitary function. So I will query this when I eventually get to speak to someone about it! I am not on any thyroid medication.
I will mention it. I am under an endocrinologist anyway and he is aware of my asthma, he wants the results from the GP tests to see but will be another 12 months before I can discuss with him about it all. I believe I am still waiting for a full blood count too. My inhaler is low dose Fostair and I haven’t had to have oral steriods.
One other question I have, does the thyroid have any effect on the liver? One of my liver results, Serum Gamma GT I believe, came back slightly high? Thanks!
If you have an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism), treatment may be delayed until this problem is treated. This is because having an underactive thyroid can lead to an increased cholesterol level, and treating hypothyroidism may cause your cholesterol level to decrease, without the need for statins. Statins are also more likely to cause muscle damage in people with an underactive thyroid.
A TSH of 3.47 is in range but it’s higher than what is considered very healthy (around 1)
The TSH is a pituitary hormone which signals thyroid to work harder. Lots of doctors think unless it’s really high above range the thyroid can manage to produce hormone.
What you need tested is the thyroid hormone. FT4 & FT3. Free thyroxine & free triiodothyronine.
If GP or lab can’t / won’t test, you have private options.
Lab ranges vary but the positive level for TPO / TPOab (Thyroid Peroxidase antibodies) is usually higher than 6 eg it would be negative unless above >34 (eg - the range needs to be checked).
Thanks, that makes sense, so the fact that the TPOab is low is a good thing then? So frustrating I can’t just speak to someone for another month about it and clarify. I also noticed a note from the lab saying FT4 should be checked for pituitary function? I don’t know what that means but when I get to discuss the results I will query it! Thank you
If you have a autoimmune condition attacking thyroid the damage caused means that substances that are usually in thyroid are released into your system. The antibodies are made to “clean up” the debris that shouldn’t be there.
So having a high enough level is accepted evidence of autoimmune activity.
But antibodies fluctuate greatly, don’t always reflect the severity of the problem and sometime antibodies don’t appear at all. For this reason, doctors say they don’t mean a great deal and are only helpful for diagnosis - when at a positive level.
Any treatment is based on thyroid function, not based on antibodies as the autoimmune aspect can’t be treated.
Usually the lab decides of FT4 is test ped usually automatically if TSH is abnormal.
Wondering why lab are noting it should be checked when if they believe is should be checked they aren’t …well checking it.
The FT4 is from thyroid, TSH from pituitary - but you need TSH, FT4 & FT3 tested all at same time to know if TSH from pituitary is responding the level of thyroid hormones.
In a month your results could be different, doctors usually let you know of they think treatment is needed but they aren’t very good at explaining what results mean and why you do or don’t need treatment. It’s simpler if you just comply with what they think.
Which is fine if they are right, but not fine if they are missing information & you are left unwell.
Thank you, yes that note didn’t make sense to me either as to why they didn’t just check it… but I will query it when I get to speak to the GP re the results anyway, and I’ll ask for them all to be redone as I should have had a full blood count too but that doesn’t appear to have been done so I’ll ask about getting the thyroid results clarified and redone when that happens! It’s just so frustrating having to chase things and wait weeks/months. My main symptom really is constant tiredness.
I am not 100% sure what exactly the full blood count I’m waiting for will show, I know they’ll definitely check for anaemia but I’m not sure exactly what the specific tests they’ll do is, I’ll ask for sure!
If ferritin is low 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
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.
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
We have received further information the lab about ferritin reference ranges. They confirm that they are sex dependent up to the age of 60, then beyond the age of 60 the reference range is the same for both sexes:
Males 16-60: 30-400 ug/L
Female's: 16-60: 30-150
Both >60: 30-650
The lower limit of 30 ug/L is in accordance with the updated NICE guidance and the upper limits are in accordance with guidance from the Association of Clinical Biochemists. ‘
I have managed to get a full list of the blood test results I had done last week from my GP surgery, full blood count was missing so that will be repeated in 2 weeks including for anaemia, and FT3 and FT4 too, as well as a repeat liver screening. These will then all be sent to my endocrinologist to interpret, as I have Turner Syndrome which is the main reason to check for an under active thyroid.
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