ultrasound on neck

[flosslechops]

Hi ,I have just returned from hospital after having had a neck ultrasound, thyroid and other structures are all normal

tsh -1,34 (0.27-4.2mm/L)

t4-16.8 (12-22pmol/L) 40% through range

t3-3.7 (3.1-6.8 pmol/L) 16.2 % through range

these are my blood test results from a few weeks ago by monitor my health.As slowdragon said in my first post,t3 is quite low,I was wondering what would cause this,a few years ago I was tested for acromegaly -,mri,growth hormone blood test,ogtt test and all came back normal but I had a dexa scan aged 50 which showed that my bones are a third larger than they should be and have never found the reason for this-could there be a connection?I also have a hba1c of 145 mmol

[SlowDragon Administrator]

As per previous post

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

ESSENTIAL to test vitamin D, folate and ferritin

Plus BOTH TPO and TG antibodies

Possibly also test cortisol

Suggest initially you test via Blue Horizon as includes a snap shot cortisol test

Test early Monday or Tuesday morning, before 9am

[flosslechops in reply to SlowDragon]

yes,its looking like I don't convert t4 into t3 very well-would taking t3 affect any of the tests you have mentioned?

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to flosslechops]

Yes significantly

Are you currently taking any replacement thyroid hormones

[flosslechops in reply to SlowDragon]

I felt like I was dying so I purchased some 25mg tiromel and started taking them two weeks ago-am feeling much better -no side effects either unlike the diabetic medications I tried

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to flosslechops]

So taking any T3 will render any testing completely irrelevant.

Taking any dose of T3 is likely to significantly reduce TSH, often well below range or suppressed

TSH (Thyroid stimulating hormone) is the message from your pituitary that controls how much your own thyroid releases thyroid hormones

So if TSH drops dramatically your own thyroid will in-effect stop making thyroid hormones ……so it’s difficult to manage starting/being on ONLY T3

Only T3 ….is the choice of last resort

If starting on replacement thyroid hormones, it’s far better to start on levothyroxine as it’s much much easier to control

Typical starting dose is 50mcg levothyroxine….and to increase dose levothyroxine SLOWLY upwards over 6-12 months……retesting 6-8 weeks after each increase in levothyroxine

Typically dose levothyroxine will increase until approximately 1.6mcg per kilo of your weight per day.

Essential to test vitamin levels regularly too

once on adequate dose levothyroxine and all four vitamins at good levels…..Aiming for Ft4 and Ft3 around 60-70% through range

if Ft3 remains low in relation to Ft4 ……. then that would be the time to consider adding small dose T3 ALONGSIDE Levothyroxine