Hi guys,
Male, UK in my 30s here. Have lots of typical thyroid symptoms, tiredness, aches, not the best stomach health, elevated cholesterol etc etc. My TSH is 5.8, it's always between 5 and 6 so not a one off. t3 is 5.5 ref range 3.1-6.1 so that looks decent at least. t4 15.7 ref range 12-22. TPO Antibodies 18 Kiu/l ref range 0-34. TG antibodies 133 Kiu/l ref range 0-115. So the TSH seems a bit of a problem, TG antibodies always elevated though it seems TPO is more valued for hashimotos so I dont know. Saw an endo the other day who said these results were "absolutely not" a thyroid problem because t3 is normal. Is that definitely true? Lots of thyroid posts I see suggest otherwise but I dont know. All other bloods, testosterone etc are ok though that's on the lower end of ok. Do people think I should see someone else? Or would an ultrasound possibly help? I don't even mind the cost really, just want to get better but I see people say the UK won't care if TSH isn't above 10 so confused at what to do next. Thanks so much for any advice!
Preparing for Endo appointment, new blood tests with lower TSH
Should I have my own antibodies tests done while I wait for my endo appointment?
No improvement with Levothyroxine increase
any one help please. possibly hypothyroid.
it’s my understanding that according to The NICE guidelines which GP’s follow; if your tsh is above range but under 10 on at least two separate tests, and youre symptomatic then ou can trial levothyroxine. An optimal TSH is below 2 at the most and your t4 is lower than optimal too. If you have antibodies also (which means you have hashimotos) then there’s an increased chance of developing full hypothyroidism so definitely worth trialling Levo. I’m sure some of the more experienced people on here will help. My own tsh was at 4.89 and I have hashimotos so I’ve just started levothyroxine as I had horrendous fatigue. I can feel an improvement already. Best of luck!
Hiya, thank you for the reply, didn't know that, very interesting! Might take that back on a print out and wave it in his face haha. Super happy to hear you are feeling better, that's awesome, hopefully I can tell a similar story soon too!
nice.org.uk/guidance/ng145/...
Thanks mate!
HiWhat I can tell you about levels is the GPS and endos focus way to much on them, I myself saw an endo in 2014 after suffering with hyper symptoms, my TSH was suppressed and according to the endo I had an episode of thyroiditis but my T3 was in normal range, she ended the report with: this could be subclinical HYPERthyroidism I recommend she has regular thyroid blood tests because of her thyroiditis episode.
I'm afraid I never saw this report until I requested my medical records in 2020 and my gp never did any follow up thyroid bloods ( can't find any in my records) so I continued to suffer with my gp now telling me it was my menupausal state, this carried with me having frequent visits to my surgery with no help, me becoming very ill until sep 2018 when I collapsed, got an emergency appointment at my surgery saw a new gp and she diagnosed me on the spot, bloods confirmed this the next day.. Hyperthyroidism I then went into thyroid storm, was in hospital for 15 days then had full thyroidectomy.
I had graves which is auto immune, the lovely doctor in the hospital said I'd probably been attacking my own thyroid for years in affect killing it slowly causing me to have the symptoms, I always wonder if my gp had been on the ball would I have even lost my thyroid?? So it's not all about the levels, it can also be about how you are feeling to.. Personally I'd get a second opinion good luck 🍀
Hiya. Thanks so much! Hope things are getting much better for you now, sorry you had to go through all that and that's what I fear really, I feel crap now but still function just about but know it can get much, much worse over the years so would rather get treatment now and potentially save myself years of awfulness!
Hi
Yep if only I had another way out!! I pushed my gp as much as I could, I put my symptoms into the nhs search engine it always came out as over active thyroid, I mentioned this to my gp in 2017 and got backlash, if only he'd looked back in my records and saw the report the endo did in 2014😠
This is why I take everything with a big pinch of salt when a gp tells my anything, unfortunately it's not over for me my pth/calcium went over range in 2020 (hyperparathiyroidism /normocalcemic) and again my endo gp have brushed me aside, but I saw a private parathyroid surgeon on the 18th November he did an ultrasound scan of my neck and found a 7mm nodule to the left side but it looks like it's on a nerve causing me pain😢
I now need a pet chlorine scan to confirm what it is, as it could be an enlarged para gland a piece of thyroid left behind or an enlarge lymph node, but it just shows you how bad the nhs are at the moment, they really don't want to deal with you unless your dying of something, no wonder people are not getting the diagnosis they need 😠
Damn, that sounds a nightmare. Best wishes in dealing with it all and hope you get some answers and treatment soon!
Knack........can you tell me how long you've been on levo..........and what the dosage is? i started on levo about 3 months ago at 25 mcgs........then upped to 50 mcgs about 1 month ago........which doesn't seem to be helping me yet...........although my TSH is down to about 1. now. I do have hashimotos, also. thank you