I’ve been experiencing a lot of hypo symptoms, such as tiredness, brain fog, bloating, weight gain, skin issues. I did some blood tests a week ago and the results are:
FT3 6.8 (3.1-6.8)
FT4 21.4 (12-22)
TSH <0.01 (0.27-4.2)
My folate and ferritin have been going up since I started supplementing. I’m also taking a B12 complex. But with these symptoms I was expecting to feel hyper. After the results I’ve dropped 25 mcg Novothyral and am now at 150 mcg (so results are from 175 mcg).
My question is why am I getting hypo symptoms with these blood results? And what can I do about it?
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Alex_p
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Ferritin is 47, folate 16.2 and active B12 is 72. I don’t see ranges for them, but they all say normal. I do remember that ferritin and folate need to be higher than this so I’m supplementing.
Recommended level for D3 is 100-150 so yours was fine. You could slightly reduce what you are taking. If you stop it will just slip back to where it started.
The B complex is good but you clearly need a bit extra.
Are you vegan or vegetarian?
Did you see your GP about Pernicious anaemia? If not then do.
I'd recommend adding a separate B12 until your level gets higher. Any one of these.
Thank you for the recommendation, I’ll try to add more B12. My GP tested my vitamin B12 but it came in range (towards the lower limit) and he said it’s fine. So he has not recommended any suplements. I am not vegan or vegetarian and I eat meat and eggs daily.
B12 simply does not work that way, unless you have a dietary deficiency - which you clearly do not. It is not normal now, off you go. Doctors are often out to lunch on this issue due to lack of training and knowledge with deficiencies.So you need to find your lowest result on record. If that number is below the range, definite absorption issue. But it seems like you already have a very low number at hand, so possible absorption issue.
Here are some concise and informative links that contain medical footnotes as well -
Alex_p, The symptoms you describe are not exclusive to hypo. As Jaydee1507 says, symptoms cross over. Very few symptoms are exclusive to being under or over dosed.
Your test numbers definitely indicate too much hormone, so as you've reduced your dose, symptoms should start to reduce too.
My readings are similar to yours.Ive been suffering constant brain fog and some gastro issues.I too thought I was undermedicating but received advice on my recent tests on here and have now reduced to 100 and 125 on alternate days.Maybe my imagination but I have felt slightly brighter last 2 days.I will stay on this dose 6-8 weeks and then retest and tweak if needed.
I think your decision to drop your dose is the right one. As your last dose was 18 hours before your test it’s probably showing a false low so you’re possibly over medicating. For your next test, I would split your dose the day before and take your last dose 8/12 hours before to get a more accurate reading. Hope the reduction solves your problems.
Ok - so the breakdown of T3 and T4 in this Novothyral is, I believe at a 1 / 5 ratio - T3/T4:
Personally I take NDT which is the original treatment option for hypothyroidism and the most fullest of all the thyroid hormone treatment options as it contains all the same known hormones that are found in the thyroid.
The source is pig thyroid - dried and ground down into tablets, referred to as grains with each grain / tablet containing trace elements of T1. T2 and calcitonin plus a measure of T3 plus a measure of T4 at a unique ratio of 1 / 4.22 - T3/T4 :
A fully functioning working thyroid would be supporting you on daily basis with trace elements of T1, T2 and calcitonin plus a measure of T3 at around 10 mcg plus a measure of T4 at around 100 mcg.
It just seems logical to me that those of us who have lost our thyroids through a medical intervention should be readily considered for the fullest of all thyroid hormone replacement options but I'm Doing It Myself as i was refused all treatment options other than T4 monotherapy and became very unwell some years after RAI thyroid ablation for Graves Disease.
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