new bloods incl Rt3

[Ajva]

hi everyone,

I am having a lot of symptoms still but one of my main issues is my vision and extreme fatigue. Especially around my monthly cycle my vision is blurry and I am so dizzy with vertigo I can hardly see. I have been having this issue for 7 months or so.

My bloods are the best they have been (apart from antibodies) but I am working on diet to improve them. I am Gluten and dairy free.

Bit of background I do have PoTs M.E, and orthostatic intolerance/ hyper & hypotension. Although I feel M.E is questionable when you have thyroid issues, low iron & cortisol low. Vision is mainly blamed on blood pressure. I can understand changes in BP can cause this but my vision is in a constant state of blurry ness.

I just feel a bit lost, I am seeing a private eye consultant this week to rule out any physical eye problems.

I am only 34 and completely housebound & have a 4 year old to keep up with, so any advice would be appreciated.

Bloods were done 24 hours before any t4 and 12 hour gap with t3, no biotin for a week before, fasting bloods.

I am currently taking 1 grain armour with added 75mcg of t4 tiroisint.

Suppliments currently taking;

COQ10

D- ribose

Vit D

b complex

Pro biotics

Iron three arrows

About to start thorne adrenal

[SlowDragon Administrator]

How much vitamin D are you taking

Are you taking vitamin K2 and magnesium as well

Vitamin D still too low

Adding vitamin B complex should help

[Ajva in reply to SlowDragon]

I am taking 2000 vit D and making sure I get 1 hour sunlight in the mornings (if the weathers nice enough). Also taking 150mg of magnesium but I will add in a K2

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Ajva]

suggest you double vitamin D dose

Retest in 2-3 months

Is vitamin D a tablet or mouth spray

Tablets should be at least 4 hours away from levothyroxine.

Mouth spray by Better You- can get with K2 included

Magnesium best taken afternoon or evening, again at least 4 hours away from levothyroxine/NDT

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Ajva

You have a long way to go with ferritin, some experts say 90-110ug/L is the optimal level for thyroid function. Fingers crossed the Three Arrows helps.

Folate would be better in double figures, which B Complex are you taking?

For Vit D at 62nmol/L, to reach the level recommended by the Vit D Council, Vit D Society and Grassroots Health (100-150nmol/L with at least 125 being recommended) , if you check out the Vit D Council's website you'll see they recommend 3,700iu so you might want to double the amount you currently take. Not all of us can make Vit D naturally from the sun. Retest in 3 months. Vit K2-MK7 is the form of K2 that you need.

You don't need to go to the expense of testing rT3, it can only tell you if your rT3 is high, it can't tell you why.

[Jaydee1507 Administrator]

Can you tell us when you last took your Levo & T3 before this blood test? It makes a difference with blood results as false lows and false highs can happen depending on timings.

Recommended blood test protocol: Test at 9am (or as close as possible), fasting, last levo dose 24hrs before the blood draw, last T3 dose 8-12 hours before blood draw & no biotin containing supplements for 3-7 days (Biotin can interfere with thyroid blood results as it is used in the testing process)? Testing like this gives consistency in your results and will show stable blood levels of hormone and highest TSH which varies throughout the day. Taking Levo/T3 just prior to blood draw can show a falsly elevated result and your GP/Endo might change your dose incorrectly as a result.

[Ajva]

yes it was a 9am blood test and I took t4 24 hours prior and t3 (NDT) was 12 hours before the blood test

[Jaydee1507 Administrator in reply to Ajva]

Small tip when using this group. If you want someone to be alerted that you have replied, use the reply button directly under their reply.

Free T4 (fT4) 18.9 pmol/L (12 - 22) 69.0%

Free T3 (fT3) 6.57 pmol/L (3.1 - 6.8) 93.8%

So you have tested correctly to show stable blood levels. Your FT3 is looking a little on the high side to me and could cause more fatigue. It would be worth dropping your T3 slightly but of course this is difficult with Armour as it also contains T4. Perhaps drop by 1/4 grain?

Your folate is too low. Which B complex are you taking and how much and what type of folate does it contain?

D3 too low. Need to increase dose and be sure to take K2 with it. You can buy D3 that already has K2 with it. Better you sprays are good like this and also easily absorbed. Your level needs to be 100-150. Use this calculator to work out how much to take to get your level to 100-150. wildatlantichealth.com/vita...

[Ajva in reply to Jaydee1507]

ah yes thank you for the tip. Yes I was thinking this my t3 is quite high. My last bloods 6 weeks ago showed t3 as 5.4 tsh 0.23 and t4 15.2.

I wonder why my results have changed without a dose increase. I have a feeling my visual problems are a result of my t3 being slightly too high as my t3 was 7.61 and I had many of the same symptoms I am having now.

I will drop 1/4 grain and see how I feel. I have been on this current dose since end of feb with no changes.

Hang on as I am typing this I have suddenly had a light switch moment. All my medications the armour and tirisont were coming to the end of their expired date. In fact the tirsont was a month or so out of date with my bloods done 6 weeks ago.

Maybe the potency of the new tablets is stronger causing the increase in blood levels?? I am guessing….

[Jaydee1507 Administrator in reply to Ajva]

I got an alert then, well done.

Maybe the potency of the new tablets is stronger causing the increase in blood levels?? I am guessing….

Thats perfectly possible. Its tricky adjusting dose with NDT due to the combined hormones. Far easier on Levo + T3.

Your folate is too low. Which B complex are you taking and how much and what type of folate does it contain?

I have very similar conditions to yourself and it can be a very slow old job to make progress. You need to cover absolutely every base.

[Ajva in reply to Jaydee1507]

I am taking the thornes b complex supplement (recommend on this forum). It is very difficult to change doses with my added armour. Without the armour I feel absolutely dreadful. I spent the whole year last year on separate t4 tirisont and a compounded t3, kept adjusting doses etc. I honestly felt like I was going to die I felt so awful. As soon as I switched back to my armour again I felt human again within a few days. My RT3 on the separate meds was also getting higher and higher 26 on the last bloods done on separate meds. Now done to 18 since the switch.

I will adjust meds today to the 3/4 grain and see how I go for the next 6 weeks.

[Jaydee1507 Administrator in reply to Ajva]

According to members of this group, noone does well on the compounded T3. You could still try actual immediate release T3 like Thybon Henning and may well get a different & better result.

RT3 is a bit of a red herring as so many things can affect that result and this group doesn't recommend the expensive testing required. Its just not specific enough to be relevant. verywellhealth.com/reverse-...

I would recommend you buy a separate folate supplement of 400mcgs. You may need slightly more in the end but raising your folate to optimal will certainly affect how you feel.

[Ajva in reply to Jaydee1507]

yes I see, I did try a compounded instant release and a slow release but both were horrid. When you say 70% through reference range for t3 would that be more between 5/6?

I will get a separate supplement for the folate.

I am going to drop 1/4 grain today as I think symptoms will hopefully calm down in a few days. Now looking back these are the exact symptoms I had when I was hyper in the past. I should have known

[Ajva in reply to Jaydee1507]

also I am starting to wonder whether to drop the tiro slightly rather than the armour. I am just concerned my symptoms are going to return cutting the armour down. I do take separate 50mcg and 25mcg tablets for the tirosint as it is all the pharmacy stock. So would actually be easier to decrease. That would probably drop my t3 slightly as well

[Jaydee1507 Administrator in reply to Ajva]

Your FT4 is about where it needs to be though and dropping armour will drop that a tiny bit anyway.

Could you do a 1/8th drop?

[Ajva in reply to Jaydee1507]

sorry my maths is terrible. What would 1/8th on armour be?

[Jaydee1507 Administrator in reply to Ajva]

1/2 of a quarter of a grain.

[Ajva in reply to Jaydee1507]

just to confirm basically half of a 1/4 grain? Yes I could do that. I will cut the armour as I think you are right if I drop the tiro my t4 is going to decrease too much

[Ajva in reply to Jaydee1507]

also I forgot to say, what would you say ideally my t3 needs to be?

[Jaydee1507 Administrator in reply to Ajva]

Probably around 70%.

[thyr01d]

Hi, this may not be relevant but I recently read that blurry vision is sometimes one of the symptoms of low B12.