First blood test in over a year and not feeling good

[Smorzando]

Hello,I haven't actually posted to the forum in a long time - and I am rather ashamed to say I also haven't had a blood test in a long time, either. My GP surgery haven't called me in for one in well over a year so I am afraid I have been rather 'burying my head in the sand' about it all.

However, I have been feeling increasingly dreadful recently so I finally got it together to do the Full Health Screen with MMH.

I have Hashi's and am on 100mcg T4 (Teva, as lactose intolerant) and 10mcg T3 (also Teva). Tests done in accordance with the advice given here:24 hours post levo dose, T3 split into 5+5 the day before with 10 hours before the test which was at 8.45am.

TSH: 0.08 (0.27-4.2)

T4:21 (12-22) 90% of range

T3:4.6 (3.1-6.8) 40.54% of range

Vit D98 nmol/L

Active B12 104 pmol/L

Folate 6.7 ug/L

HB 143 g/L

Ferritin 33 ug/L

TSAT24%

Cholesterol check ok apart from very slightly raised total cholesterol (5.1).

No diabetes result yet.

I have actually been taking Ferrous sulphate tablets for around two years now but probably around 3 or 4 tablets per week. My first ferritin check (Jan 2020) was extremely low (9!) but raised that to 82 in about 6 months of taking 2x ferrous sulphate per day. I have very heavy periods and rarely eat meat.

I am feeling dreadful at the moment - extreme exhaustion, muscle and joint pain, stiffness, brain fog, anxious, low.

I should also point out I have in the past taken 100T4 +15T3, and 100T4 +20T3. I was definitely overmedicated on 20T3 (I can't find the exact results but T3 was over 7 so above range). What I have clearly noticed is that in the week before my period my heart rate increases a lot and I feel a soreness and tightness in my chest that is very similar to the symptoms I had when overmedicated on the 100+20. That's why I dropped down to 100+10 again. I know I should have been testing more regularly but the last year has been.... challenging!

If anyone could give me some advice about what to change I'd be extremely grateful.

[Lalatoot]

I haven't looked at your previous posts. But going on your current thyroid results, I would consider reducing levo by 12,5mcg or 25mcg per day to bring your ft4 level down. Then consider adding in another 5mcg t3. My aim would be to see if a different balance suits you with both ft4 and ft3 over halfway through ranges.

[Smorzando in reply to Lalatoot]

Thank you. I was initially (by which I mean when I started on T3) on 75 T4 + 10 T3 and I felt dreadful, with T4 very low in range. I'm afraid my brain fog is bad at the moment so I'm finding it hard to locate my exact test results. Do you think it's better to only change the T4 initially then retest before increasing T3?

[Lalatoot in reply to Smorzando]

I'm a great believer in changing only 1 thing at a time. That way you know what is having what effect.You could make a small reduction in levo say 100mcg 5days and 75mcg 2 days per week or similar if you want to make only a small reduction. Test after 6 weeks then increase t3.

[Smorzando]

I have just realised I am not much further on in terms of getting on top of this than I was three years ago, when I was first diagnosed. In fact my T3 level is lower than before I was on medication. It is all really disheartening 🙁

[Jaydee1507 Administrator]

You haven't given a range for folate but it looks o the low side. What are you taking for folate?

[Smorzando in reply to Jaydee1507]

There's no range given for folate on MMH but my result is at the lower end of the "green" area.I occasionally take a B complex (Igennus) but tbh not very often, maybe a couple of times a week.

[Jaydee1507 Administrator in reply to Smorzando]

I think the Igennus B complex needs to be taken twice a day or 2 capsules a day to be effective. Suggest taking it more frequently.

[Regenallotment in reply to Smorzando]

I found Igennus to be far less effective than Thorne B Complex and as you have to take 2 spaced through the day it gets complicated with timings and no real savings as the pot lasts half as long. My arm tingles came back on Igennus too. Others seem ok with it. Maybe it’s just me 🌱

[Smorzando in reply to Regenallotment]

Thanks. I think the low ferritin (along with the lowish T3) is probably more of an immediate problem than the folate but I will certainly look at increasing my B complex intake - or possibly add a separate folate supplement.

[Regenallotment in reply to Smorzando]

yea ferritin is my personal challenge too. Imaaan has been super helpful and I’m trying Optifer A which is a heam iron supplement, just a low dose to see if I can dial back the liver eating which gives me a sore tum. I’ll test again and see how it goes 🌱

[Imaaan in reply to Regenallotment]

Hopefully it will help. The last few months I've been taking around 2-3 pills of the heme and 1 or2 pills of the Thorne iron bisglycinate. I've found the heme iron keeps me at midway through the range but I prefer to be 70-80% of the range for my ferratin. That's where I feel my best

[Regenallotment in reply to Imaaan]

thanks so much, it’s always helpful to compare 🌱