I love how knowledgeable and helpful people have been on here so I’m back!
Nov 22 - TSH was 0.13. Doc was concerned I was over-medicated but I felt great, so she left me on my dose which was alternating 75mg one day and 100 the next.
Jan 23 - TSH was 0.37. Not sure if it means anything that it’s gone up, or if it can fluctuate. I have Hashimotos so assume it will go up as my thyroid gets more attacked.
Both times blood was taken about 8:30am, last levo more than 24hrs before and no food or drink before. Had stopped taking anything else (vits etc) two weeks before.
Anyway, more interestingly, because the doc never tests anything other than just TSH, I got a medichecks test done.
These are the results:
Total cholesterol: 6.45 (range 0-5)
LDL : 4 (range <3)
Non HDL: 4.42 (range <4)
HDL: 2.03 (range >1.2)
Total cholesterol HDL: 3.18 (range <4)
Triglycerides: 0.93 (range <1.7)
So they say my cholesterol is high…which I’m not sure if this should worry me?
Inflammation was fine at 4.93 (range 0-5)
Ferritin was high at 239 . (Range 13-150]. I don’t take iron tablets nor eat high iron foods loads…apart from a bit of dark chocolate daily!
Magnesium fine at 0.87 (range 0.7-1]
vitamin B was >150, so considered high. (Range 37.5-150). I had been taking Thorne research basic B complex prior to two weeks before. Should I stop this now?
vitamin D was 89 which was in range (50-200). I was taking Betteryou D3000+K2 spray before now
With that and magnesium showing fine (which I’d also been taking), I’m not sure if they were still in my system for the reading and I should keep on, or I don’t need them?
It’s really interesting finding out all this but not quite sure what to do with it 😬
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Loopnova
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no I’m not gluten free or dairy free. It is something I’ve thought about experimenting with, it’s just so difficult!
Especially when going away on holiday etc.
I feel ok though so prob don’t have lots of motivation for it. I don’t feel quite as good as two months ago when my TSH was lower than range, but was feeling great then, if that was 100% im 98%now.
Main thing bothering me now is the weight I’ve put on (a stone)
I wasn’t sure if my vitamin levels are ok because I’ve been supplementing and I should carry on or not.
thanks so much! You’re much more helpful, and seem more knowledgeable, than my GP!
I don’t know if it’s worth taking these results and info to them to see what they say. Not really sure what response I’ll get.
I am interested to try gluten free and might have to make a determined effort for that. The only dairy I have is in cheese and chocolate but they’re the two best foods😂
I never thought I could give dairy up …..but now after 6 months strictly dairy free I would never go back. I feel so much better and weight falling off without trying.
I don’t even miss cheese
There’s loads of dairy free alternatives
Vegan chocolate too. Most are too sweet, but some are good
I have been strictly gluten free since 2016. Again difference was so astonishing never considered going back
ok, that’s good to hear then. And inspiring!! It’d be interesting to see what difference it would make. I don’t feel bad at the minute but do wonder what difference it could me. How do I know if what I am is me at 100% or not eh!
Hi. Sorry to drag this up again but you said I show a terrible conversion rate. I showed the test results of T3 and T4 to my GP who said they look normal. Probably because the numbers are within the range shown. I’m not convinced she knows that much about thyroid conditions! Just wondered how I can explain the numbers/conversion rate thing etc? I want to be able to say I’ve got it from a reliable source, actual medical guidance etc otherwise she’ll dismiss me.
Down to you to improve vitamin levels and trialing gluten free/dairy free
Next step
Presumably you have been working on Improving vitamins in last 2 months
Are you gluten free or dairy free now
Splitting levothyroxine ?
Retest thyroid levels again after 8 weeks since adding last vitamin supplement or change in diet
See if results are improving……Ft4 is lower and Ft3 higher
If Ft3 still under 50% through range
Will need to see thyroid specialist endocrinologist for small doses of T3 prescribed alongside levothyroxine
Email Thyroid U.K. for list of thyroid specialist endocrinologists and doctors who will prescribe T3 if clinically appropriate
tukadmin@thyroiduk.org
initial consultation £250 Approx
Follow up cheaper
It’s possible, but difficult to get T3 prescribed via NHS endocrinologist……but often about year wait for appointments and might only get junior assistant not the endocrinologist you want to see
Intraindividual variation in serum thyroid hormones, parathyroid hormone and insulin-like growth factor-1
T Ankrah-Tetteh, S Wijeratne, and R Swaminathan r.swaminathan@gstt.nhs.uk
Annals of Clinical Biochemistry: International Journal of Laboratory Medicine March 1, 2008 Volume 45, Issue 2 doi.org/10.1258/acb.2007.00...
These are 10 healthy people's fT4 / fT3 and TSH levels ( tested over a period of 6 weeks to show they are their 'usual' levels, not 'one-off', none are taking thyroid hormone )
Their levels are converted to '%'s through range' for this graph .( graph produced by Tania S Smith ~ ThyroidPatientsCanada)
ask your GP to compare your T4:T3 % through range to these healthy people.
Your '% through range' are fT4 92% fT3 21%
it is NOT 'normal' to have such a huge difference between fT4 and fT3 %'s as you have .
The healthy human body 'normally' keeps fT4:fT3 ratio in much closer balance.
Sometimes easier to get your own head round by reading the articles on thyroid patient canada site (has helped me a lot.. has pictures, lol ).
I can't remember which of Tania's many article's i took that image from as she uses data from that study quite often . have just put ankrah - tetteh et al 2008 into their search box here : thyroidpatients.ca/?s=ankra...
hey good for you getting all those a tests. I’m just learning about all this, but have read posts where they say only leave off the B complex 3-5 days before testing. Was there a reason why you stopped everything for 2 weeks?
Inflammation is right at the top of range, worth working on why this might be the case. Recent bugs, thyroiditis (under medication) other conditions any ‘itis’.
Do you have FT4 and FT3 results to share? Did you get a thyroid panel with your vitamins?
I’ve read that raised cholesterol is common with under medication in hypothyroidism, a FT3 result would help confirm this.
I’m pretty sure over medication can’t be identified from TSH alone, I think you’d need FT4 and FT3 to confirm this.
how do you feel? Any jitters, sweats, palpitations?
Not sure why two weeks actually, I seemed to have that time in mind from somewhere but prob misremembered
I’m generally healthy otherwise. no jitters, sweats or palpitations. Had some headaches this last week. Had another low heart rate notification off my watch last week. I was getting them nearly every day til they upped my meds
The only new symptom is a pulse sound in one ear, which when I Google, it immediately brings up pulsatile tinnitus Haven’t got around to speaking to doc about that yet (they’ll think I’m a hypochondriac!)
oh, also, re the inflammation, I was told once that I have psoriatic arthritis. One patch of scalp psoriasis and one swollen knuckle
Re cholesterol - statins are not good for hypothyroidism as they can cause tissue damage. It’s in the NHS guidelines. If only doctors knew. Please don’t be forced into statins by an ignoramus. They have dropped the guidelines on threshold anyway. It’s a personal decision, but I would never take statins. Hubby and I run a hospitality business and we see so many people come through who have had problems/ serious side effects with statins. So even before the addition of hypothyroidism into my mix of issues I had sworn off them.
We have a dear friend bit older than us and he was diagnosed but untreated for hypothyroidism. He was put onto statins though! Years later he’s had a heart attack, THEN been put on thyroid medication and now has a pacemaker. He still isn’t adequately managed re thyroid. His cardiologist has ‘suggested’ GP might want to up dose of levo. [updated] Wish I could sit down with a family member - go through the basics with them, but that won't happen 😔some people have closed ears and sadly have to leave them to it.
I think the takeaway from this is you have to read and learn and do your own due diligence….. cause it’s by no means guaranteed by seeing a medical ‘professional’ sadly. 😬👍
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