Cholesterol again

[Aloha79]

My latest FBC (not specifically to look at thyroid) showed high cholesterol. I haven't been taking my thyroid meds religiously as I usually do and my TSH has gone up. So, I will get on the case. I am on 75mg which is usually more than enough to keep my TSH around 1.5. However, my GP was reluctant to keep me on 75mg as there are risks to the heart in long term use - I have not heard this before.

I am 44, BMI 20. Vegetarian, cook from scratch and eat well. Medium exercise (daily). No problems with energy. Not yet on HRT as cycles perfect but I do have adenomyosis.

Anyway, latest results with previous ones for comparison:

March 2023: June 2013:

Total Cholesterol (nmol/L) 4.19 5.97

HDL (nmol/L) 1.15 1.41

LDL (nmol/L) 2.6 4.22

TSH (mu/L) 2.14 2.61

Free T4 (pmol/L) 14.9 17

Again, these were not thyroid panels. Just FBC.

I already follow all the cholesterol advice naturally and so what can I do about my low HDL?

TIA!

[Aloha79]

Sorry, the formatting changed - first measure is March, second is June.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Levothyroxine doesn’t top up failing thyroid, it replaces it

Unlikely that 75mcg daily is high enough dose levothyroxine, unless you’re extremely petite

Most important results are always Ft3 followed by Ft4…..and optimal vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12

When were vitamin levels last tested

Have you had thyroid antibodies tested for autoimmune thyroid disease (hashimoto’s)

Get full thyroid and vitamin testing 6-8 weeks after being on constant unchanging dose and brand levothyroxine

Are you in R o I or Northern Ireland

Let’s get checked offer private testing in RoI

[Aloha79 in reply to SlowDragon]

Thank you, vitamins etc all well within optimal range, apart from ferritin (always very low). Hashimoto's test well within norm. The cholesterol is a mystery.

[humanbean]

I am on 75mg which is usually more than enough to keep my TSH around 1.5. However, my GP was reluctant to keep me on 75mg as there are risks to the heart in long term use - I have not heard this before.

The average TSH seen in a healthy person with a healthy thyroid is roughly 1.25. So I don't understand the point of your GP's comment about dangers to the heart when your TSH is just a tiny smidgen higher than average. And people who are hypothyroid often feel best with a TSH under 2, many of us prefer it to be under 1.

Take a look at this thread :

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

The TSH may be easy and convenient for doctors but it isn't reliable and using it to control thyroid hormone intake in people with hypothyroidism leaves many of us feeling ill.

The most important hormone level for people with thyroid disease is Free T3 - it is the active thyroid hormone and for many of us it needs to be somewhere between 50% and 70% through the range. But this is very flexible, it isn't fixed - so if you feel best with Free T3 at 80% - 90% through the range than that is fine too. There are some people - particularly those who can't tolerate Levo - who feel best with a Free T3 slightly over the range.

[Aloha79 in reply to humanbean]

Thank you. My TSH is certainly much higher than usual lately. Due to a family bereavement I haven't taken my levo consistently for the last 2 months. I plan to take it consistently again, for 6-8 weeks, and ask to be re-tested. The issue is, because I am always under 4 the GP thinks it is not necessary to increase the dose.