Blood test results

[Casta]

Thyroid blood results, are they normal please? Chronic fatigue and depression. Began SI B12 2 weeks ago.

Many thanks.

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Casta

Can you please tell us if you have a diagnosis of a thyroid condition and whether you are on any thyroid replacement hormone. This is important as the interpretation of your results depends on knowing this.

[Casta in reply to SeasideSusie]

Hi Seaside Susie, not had a diagnosis and not on any thyroid medication.thamk you so much 🙏

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Casta]

Casta

OK, so in that case your results will be classed as normal because they are within range; however, they do show that your thyroid is struggling.

A normal healthy person would generally have TSH no higher than 2, often nearer one (see image below of TSH levels in healthy thyroid).

You can see that your TSH is high in range and your FT4/FT3 are both low in range.

I don't know the criteria for diagnosis in your country (France?) but here in the UK you would need TSH to be over 10, or over range with raised antibodies, for a diagnosis. A below range FT4 should also prompt a diagnosis.

There is a checklist of signs/symptoms of hypothyroidism here:

thyroiduk.org/wp-content/up...

which you could print off, tick those relevant, and discuss with your GP in the hope of at least checking your levels again in a couple of months but make sure that you follow our advice on how to do your test to get the highest possible TSH:

* Book the first appointment of the morning, or with private tests at home no later than 9am. This is because TSH is highest early morning and lowers throughout the day.

In fact, 9am is the perfect time, see first graph here, it shows TSH is highest around midnight - 4am (when we can't get a blood draw), then lowers, next high is at 9am then lowers before it starts it's climb again about 9pm:

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

If we are looking for a diagnosis of hypothyroidism, or looking for an increase in dose or to avoid a reduction then we need TSH to be as high as possible.

* Nothing to eat or drink except water before the test - have your evening meal/supper as normal the night before but delay breakfast on the day of the test and drink water only until after the blood draw. Certain foods may lower TSH, caffeine containing drinks affect TSH.

[* If taking thyroid hormone replacement, last dose of Levo should be 24 hours before blood draw. If taking NDT or T3 then last dose should be 8-12 hours before blood draw, split dose and adjust timing the day before if necessary. This avoids measuring hormone levels at their peak after ingestion of hormone replacement. Take your thyroid meds after the blood draw. Taking your dose too close to the blood draw will give false high results, leaving any longer gap will give false low results.]

* If you take Biotin or a B Complex containing Biotin (B7), leave this off for 3-7 days before any blood test. This is because if Biotin is used in the testing procedure it can give false results (most labs use biotin).

These are patient to patient tips which we don't discuss with phlebotomists or doctors.

[Casta in reply to SeasideSusie]

Hi Seaside Susie, are there any supplements I could take to help my thyroid.. selenium, idoine etc? thanks so much

[tattybogle in reply to Casta]

Iodine supplementation needs to be treated with caution Casta ... it can have unpredictable effects.

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu... iodine-a-collection-of-useful-information-because-the-search-facility-on-health-unlocked-is-totally-pants

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Casta]

Casta

No, there are no supplements recommended for all hypo patients to take. What we do recommend is to test key nutrients:

Vit D

B12

Folate

Ferritin

and if Ferritin is low an iron panel and full blood count (to check for iron deficiency and/or anaemia).

Iodine is not recommended as it used to be used to treat overactive thyroid before the current radioactive iodine treatment, so it can cause hypothyroidism or make it worse.

Selenium may help conversion of T4 to T3 and is also suggested if Hashimoto's is present, but it's best to test first to see if you need it because many of us have sufficient selenium already.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

what was B12 level before starting supplements

What are most recent vitamin D, folate and ferritin results and ranges

[Cornwaller]

As Seaside Susie shows your results are some way from the average or median. I assume you have b12 deficiency or PA? Probably the most common co morbidity of b12 deficiency is hypothyroidism- they are both autoimmune diseases.

Symptoms of b12 deficiency can take months to slowly improve. Have you seen any improvement?

[Casta in reply to Cornwaller]

Hi Cornwaller, B12 level was 240 so not massively low... before u started SI April 27th.. symptoms were numbness in hands, dark low mood, no energy.Not feeling any better tbh..