I posted a while back asking advice for my Mum.. I now have results.

[JUUJOO]

So my 76yr old mum who is hypothyroid has been struggling the last year with tiredness, sleep, feeling cold and brain fog. After posting on here, I persuaded her to get some blood tests and she finally got the results. Her gp was not concerned at all about the thyroid, said that was all good. Although they only tested Tsh! I believe her folate and b12 are low, although Gp not concerned. Should I buy her Thornes Basic B complex like I take myself? They mentioned pre diabetes previously and she has since improved her diet and lost a stone in weight, but her levels were still high so she is waiting on an appt. to discuss diabetes aswell as high liver results.

[JUUJOO]

Test results

Bloods

[JUUJOO in reply to JUUJOO]

Bloods page 2

Bloods

[JUUJOO in reply to JUUJOO]

Page 3

Bloods

[SlowDragon Administrator]

No vitamin D result

Test twice yearly via NHS private testing service when supplementing 

vitamindtest.org.uk

Suggest you get her vitamin D tested

is she currently taking any vitamin D

Meanwhile start on daily vitamin B complex

Suggest waiting 6-8 weeks after starting vitamin supplements

Then test TSH, Ft4 and Ft3 together. Test early morning and last dose levothyroxine 24 hours before test

Remember to get her to stop B complex 5-7 days before test

cheapest option for just TSH, FT4 and FT3

£32 (via NHS private service ) and 10% off if go on thyroid uk for code

thyroiduk.org/getting-a-dia...

monitormyhealth.org.uk/

Monitor My Health also now offer thyroid and vitamin testing, plus cholesterol and HBA1C for £65 

(Doesn’t include thyroid antibodies) 

monitormyhealth.org.uk/full...

10% off code here 

thyroiduk.org/getting-a-dia...

Only do private testing early Monday or Tuesday morning. 

[JUUJOO in reply to SlowDragon]

Thankyou. I am trying to persuade her for private tests... Plus will ask her to ask her gp about vit D test. She takes them on and off but not regularly.

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to JUUJOO]

come back with new post once you get vitamin D result

Test very easy…..just 4 drops required

[JUUJOO in reply to SlowDragon]

Thankyou.

[humanbean]

I can't find the TSH result. What was it?

I wondered if your mother was taking statins? Her cholesterol is surprisingly low. If she is hypothyroid then she shouldn't be taking statins :

nhs.uk/conditions/statins/c...

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.

Statins don't do women any good anyway. See these links :

drmalcolmkendrick.org/2012/...

spacedoc.com/articles/50-fa...

diabetes.co.uk/forum/thread...

[JUUJOO in reply to humanbean]

Yes she is taking statins and already queried this with her gp as it clearly states on the leaflet that if you take thyroxine you shouldn't take statins.. She is worried of the stroke risk if she stops. Her gp is not concerned in the slightest.

[humanbean in reply to JUUJOO]

You might find this link of interest :

thennt.com/nnt/statins-for-...

And on the right hand side of the page are three links under "Related Reviews" all related to Cardiac Interventions, including statins.

NNT means "Number Needed To Treat".

If someone has medical condition X and it can be treated with one of two different drugs...

If the NNT for drug one is 500, it means that 500 sufferers of condition X need to be treated in order for one person's life to be saved or one person to have their condition treated successfully. I would consider those odds to be appalling and wouldn't take drug one.

If the NNT for drug two is 20, it means that 20 sufferers of condition X need to be treated for one person's life to be saved or one person to have their condition treated. Those odds are much, much better and I would probably be happy to take drug two, depending on the side effects.

...

The other comment I have to make is that statins increase the risk of type 2 diabetes and can make pre-existing diabetes worse.

[JUUJOO in reply to humanbean]

Gosh thanks for all that. I do worry for her when it seems gp's are not on the same page as all the info you can find online..

[JUUJOO]

Sorry it i don't think it uploaded. Her tsh is 0.71 (0.35-.4.94)

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to JUUJOO]

Her tsh is 0.71 (0.35-.94)

Correction - the range is 0.35-4.94 according to page 3 of the results you've posted

[JUUJOO in reply to SeasideSusie]

Changed it, thanks

[Brightness14]

All I can say is it's a good job she has you.

[JUUJOO in reply to Brightness14]

Ha! Thankyou. I'm trying...

[McPammy]

looks like her GP needs to check diabetes and kidney functions looking at those results. Her TSH looks good. But she does need T4 and T3 also to see what really going on with her thyroid hormones. TSH on its own is not good enough. It could be that her T4 is high and T3 very low for example then the TSH would be low. TSH, T4 and T3 is the full picture really. I know it must be difficult as GP’s often won’t do all three together unless the TSH is abnormal. Private testing is easy and not too expensive. Her diabetes and kidney function needs attention. How is her diet. Does she eat healthy.

[JUUJOO in reply to McPammy]

OK thanks for that. Generally speaking her diet is OK, it's varied, but I suppose could always be better. She has cut back on treats recently and lost a stone in weight. But the whole diabetes thing is causing her confusion with what she is and isn't supposed to eat..! Some books say she can eat red meat, others not for example.

[McPammy in reply to JUUJOO]

I think low fat red meat might be ok but not fatty meats. Reduce sugar intake and fatty things like butter, cream ice cream and reduce things like pizza etc. I’m sure your Dr could print off a diabetic diet for you. If it’s type 2 it’s all about improving your diet. Check her cholesterol too.