Hope you are all well, got more bloods done from gp since after nearly 9 months of levels all over the place swinging high and horrible symtoms apparently december my level came back to normal and now bloods last week show:
Tsh 4.34 range 0.35 - 4.94
T4 14.3 range 9.0 - 19.1
He stopped doing T3 the last few times for some reason!
Anyway I know without T3 it's difficult to tell, but can I ask what ye make of the other two. I'm still waiting to see and endo privately was referred in december? Still have very low moods and bad constipation ( but constipation is life long so not sure whether that's anything to do with it)
As regards the moods, B12 is apparently fine but he hasn't checked it this time either. Vit D was 40 last time but he only put me on 800 ui a day. Range was 50 which meant I was just below.
Any information appreciated.
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Dollc86
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As you have said, no FT3 result but your TSH is clearly calling for more hormone. You need a 25mcg dose increase, would insist on that from GP.
How are you doing with vitamins? I see your GP has dismissed low B12 level but can you ask a different GP at same practice? It was very low as were folate and D3. GPs get no training in vitamins so don't understand the importance of good levels. Ask GP to check for pernicious anaemia unless you are vegan/vegetarian.
GP's never give us enough D3. You need to buy a good D3 with K2 to help it go towards your bones where it is needed. Use this calc to work out how much you need to take to get your level to 100.
Thanks for your reply. I'm feeling very anxious but not as anxious as when i was hyper, and very low as in a bit depressed but not sure if that's all to do with the thyroid. I also seen a gasternologist for my bowel issues they did bloods and I asked them about my b12 and he said it was fine. I'm taking well woman Vitamins which seem to have a good range in it. It has about 200 D in it aswell as the 800 gp has me on. I will ask him about going back upto 100 but he may say no as that was the dose I was on when I started swinging hyper, just wanting to get the app with endo but then she might not be any good either!
As mentioned to you previously the vitamins you are taking are not a high enough strength to really help. Try a different doctor about the B12 because that could be causing you real issues.
If our vitamin levels are not OPTIMAL then our thyroid hormone won't work well. Its really important to focus on getting the vitamins and thyroid right. Low vit levels also affect your TSH and you won't be on the right Levo dose.
With vit D you also need to be taking K2 to help your body use it the right way.
Your ft4 is marginally over 52% of the range so you may feel better with a raise. Especially as Jaydee1507 has mentioned, your tsh is still too high.
You do really need your ft3 result too though, again mentioned below and agreed that when they say ‘vitamins are fine’ it generally means they are within range which isn’t the same thing as fine 🙄.
Low mood and constipation are common symptoms of not being optimally medicated so I’d try and get a dose raise to try but I’d also get a t3 test too if you can. Think monitormyhealth are likely the cheapest at the moment.
Hi Dollc . i just did summary of results/ dose changes but lost it by accident . darn it .
anyway , following your "overmedicated with symptoms" wobble last year (which was probably covid induced in my opinion) your dose was reduced gradually to 75mcg in october as fT4 was over rnage and TSH had become supressed.
on last test 2 months ago on 75mcg , the results suggested a small dose increase may needed because TSH had come back up from being supressed to 1.8ish , and fT4 was back in range about 15 [9-19]
These latest results definitely confirm that a dose increase is needed because TSH risen further to nearly top of range ad fT4 fallen a bit ,
If you /GP feel like being cautious , then ask for an increase to halfway between 75mcg and 100mcg
didn't your B12 look rubbish last test? .... ask SlowDragon to look at vits .
i'd say try getting GP to give 87.5mcg initially for a few months ( 75/ 100 alternate days, or if you prefer , cut a 25 in half to get same dose each day ) as GP will be more confident to agree to this ~ and work on improving vits as per slowdragon advice at same time .. better vits should hopefully help your body use the levo better.
With serum B12 result below 500, (Or active B12 below 70) recommended to be taking a B12 supplement as well as a B Complex
Then once your serum B12 is over 500 (or Active B12 level has reached 70), you may be able to reduce then stop the B12 and just carry on with the B Complex.
If Vegetarian or vegan likely to need ongoing separate B12 few times a week
Thank you for your reply. I started to take well woman original which seem to have high enough B vitamins in them. Again this blood test gp didn't bother to check any vitamins, I'd say he hasn't a clue because he told me supplements won't do much for me. Just trying to navigate this myself which is difficult. I'm going to ask for an increase in my levo, I don't think what I'm taking has folate I'll have to check does have folic acid. And also just still taking the Vit D doctor prescribes think it's called densun 800ui, I might be better just buying one myself with a higher dose.
Many, many (most?) of us on levothyroxine, especially with Hashimoto’s, need to supplement a separate vitamin D, separate vitamin B complex and separate magnesium daily
Initially many need daily B12 as well as vitamin B complex when first improving low B12
Once B12 is over 500, then (unless vegetarian or vegan) likely to be fine on just a GOOD QUALITY vitamin B complex, vitamin D and magnesium
B vitamins at least 2 hours after levothyroxine. Best taken early morning after breakfast
Vitamin D mouth spray at least an hour away from levothyroxine
Vitamin D you swallow at least 4 hours away from levothyroxine
Magnesium best bedtime
or early evening…..if taking levothyroxine at bedtime as magnesium must also be at least 4 hours away from levothyroxine
Medics only test for and treat vitamin deficiencies
On levothyroxine/when hypothyroid we need GOOD vitamin levels, that’s down to us as individuals to test for and supplement to good levels
In an ideal world your GP/endo might explain that
Vitamin supplements are not pharmaceutical products and there’s little profit in them ……it’s therefore not mainstream medicine…..
Similarly, with Hashimoto’s changing diet to gluten free and/or dairy free frequently highly effective but rarely suggested, even by thyroid specialist endocrinologists
A trial of strictly gluten free diet is always worth doing
Hashimoto's affects the gut and leads to low stomach acid and then low vitamin levels
Low vitamin levels affect Thyroid hormone working
Poor gut function can lead leaky gut (literally holes in gut wall) this can cause food intolerances.
Most common by far is gluten.
Dairy is second most common.
Only 5% of Hashimoto’s patients test positive for coeliac but a further 81% of Hashimoto’s patients who try gluten free diet find noticeable or significant improvement or find it’s essential
A strictly gluten free diet helps or is essential due to gluten intolerance (no test available) or due to leaky gut and gluten causing molecular mimicry (see Amy Myers link)
Changing to a strictly gluten free diet may help reduce symptoms, help gut heal and may slowly lower TPO antibodies
While still eating high gluten diet ask GP for coeliac blood test first or buy test online for under £20, just to rule it out first
Assuming test is negative you can immediately go on strictly gluten free diet
(If test is positive you will need to remain on high gluten diet until endoscopy, maximum 6 weeks wait officially)
Trying gluten free diet for 3-6 months. If no noticeable improvement then reintroduce gluten and see if symptoms get worse
The predominance of Hashimoto thyroiditis represents an interesting finding, since it has been indirectly confirmed by an Italian study, showing that autoimmune thyroid disease is a risk factor for the evolution towards NCGS in a group of patients with minimal duodenal inflammation. On these bases, an autoimmune stigma in NCGS is strongly supported
In summary, whereas it is not yet clear whether a gluten free diet can prevent autoimmune diseases, it is worth mentioning that HT patients with or without CD benefit from a diet low in gluten as far as the progression and the potential disease complications are concerned
Despite the fact that 5-10% of patients have Celiac disease, in my experience and in the experience of many other physicians, at least 80% + of patients with Hashimoto's who go gluten-free notice a reduction in their symptoms almost immediately.
Similarly few months later consider trying dairy free too. Approx 50-60% find dairy free beneficial
common in early stage Hashimoto’s to have temporary, transient hyperthyroid results and symptoms as thyroid breaks down under autoimmune attack and releases excess thyroid hormones from cells as they break down
I reckon so that I had a hashis flare up and they reduced my meds to 75 but he sticking me with that, but I wonder should I go back to 100 which is what I was on before I got sick.
SlowDragon thank you, I'm in Ireland so my brand is Eltroxin. I am going to speak with my doctor to ask for an increase and see how I go. You all have been very helpful thanks a million 😊
So just an update, asked my gp for more levo because of tsh being higher then last time 4.43 range .35 to 4.94. He said no I don't think that's needed because we don't want you to swing again now that it's back to normal. He said he will check it again in a month. I also went to my aunts friend she studies in neuropathic medicine, she had told me to start b12 spray I think it's like 1200mg a day and also selenium and zinc 1 a day, she said to try these for 6 weeks. My mood it's just so low and the anxiety is creeping back in, I'm seeing a phycologist but can't help but still think all this is my thyroid! I feel I will never get better.
Yes that's what I thought but he doesn't think so, I mean the tsh jumped from 1.88 in November to 4.43 in February! He said there isn't any signs of hypo! I weigh 52 kilos my vit b12 was only 159 and am being told its normal, how don't they have a clue they are the doctors. I'm getting so frustrated.
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