medichecks lab results - advice needed please

[CaroMaxx]

Around 6-8 weeks ago I posted looking for private endocrinologist recommendations. I received some great advice about getting my labs done. I did that and all my Thyroid levels were in range (although not optimal) I’ll post those results after I’ve posted this message and the current lab results. SlowDragon messages really supported me, I was given the confidence to ask my GP for a 12.5mg increase in levothyroxine. Reluctantly and after throwing a mini strop (him not me) he agreed. I’ve just had my NHS blood test for TSH and on the same day I did an advanced thyroid function blood test with Medichecks. Results attached. My GP is calling me for a telephone consultation tomorrow afternoon. Do I ask for another 12.5mg increase in levothyroxine even though the more T4 I take the less free T3 I have 🤷🏽‍♀️ any advice would be appreciated on what to bring to his attention (although I get the impression he doesn’t care)

[CaroMaxx]

Vitamin levels and inflammation level from bloods on 20 July

Lab results

[CaroMaxx in reply to CaroMaxx]

Medicheck blood results from 3 June whilst taking 50mg of levothyroxine

Lab results

[CaroMaxx in reply to CaroMaxx]

my inflammation levels were lower in June albeit still high but the pain in my neck and shoulder are still there

Lab results

[tattybogle]

just checking ...were you on the increased dose for 6 wks prior to latest tests ?

same time of day for test / last dose levo 24hrs etc ?

do you know what latest NHS TSH result is yet ? , and if they did fT4 ?

GP will probably be willing to increase by another 12.5mcg if they only see TSH ,,, assuming it's similar to your medichecks result ~ what time of day was GP test done ? , if later than medichecks then GP's TSH result my be a little bit lower .

if they see fT4 result , they may be a bit reluctant to increase further , but if so , you can use this : healthunlocked.com/thyroidu.... my-list-of-references-recommending-gps-keep-tsh-lower-in-range-

in an ideal world you'd add a bit of T3 rather than increasing levo with those results ,, but that would involve getting GP to refer you to endocrinologist .. and a lot of luck and persistence ... so in my book it's worth trying an other small levo increase first , it's lot easier.

Has how you feel changed at all on the increased dose ?

sometimes it's worth giving a dose increase a few months to really bed in before pushing for further increases, especially if fT4 is getting pretty close to the top.. but the TSH of 2 is a fairly clear indication that there is still room for a bit more if you need it . So if it was at least 6 weeks on this dose before you tested , i'd say go for it and ask to try another 12.5mcg .

if it wasn't at least 6 weeks i' d wait a bit longer and see if how you feel improves after a few more weeks on this dose.

[CaroMaxx in reply to tattybogle]

I was on the increased dose of levothyroxine for exactly 6 weeks when both the NHS & Medichecks blood tests were done.

All tests were done at similar times bar the latest Medichecks test which I did at home. That one the blood draw was probably around 730am whereas the previously tests were 8.30am and 8.40am respectively.

My NHS TSH was 3.06 on 30 May and on 20 July TSH was 1.79. Despite the GP requesting the lab look at full thyroid function the lab is doing it’s own thing and giving TSH only..

Initially after taking the extra 12.5mg I thought I might be overmedicating. I didn’t sleep well, if I turned my head to the left I could hear my own heart thumping away, it sounded like a drum. I once woke up to this sound and thought someone was drumming. I went from so intolerant to the cold to actually sweating for the first time in years but only around the back of my neck (just to add that’s when we had that really hot weather). These symptoms settled after a week or two and I got fed up of cutting a tiny tablet and losing half of it so I began taking 50mg one day, 75mg the next and so on. I always take my medication every morning without fail on an empty stomach.

At the beginning of July my Zoe test kit arrived so I began the experiment. I have no idea if the two are connected but it was around this time that my mood turned again to how I felt previously, (before the medication increase) really low, numb, zero motivation, waking up anxious with no reason to feel anxious and the want to burst into tears at any second.

The first memory of this turning point in my mood was when I did the Zoe fat experiment… I chose avocado as my fat and immediately after eating it I felt awful in my mood. My blood glucose was very stable so fat helps my glucose levels but I can count on one hand since then, when I’ve felt a tiny bit like my old self.

I wore a blood glucose monitor for 2 weeks and although the first few days showed glucose peaks and dips (the dips going below the normal range) I soon levelled out my glucose levels but I still crash (could literally fall asleep) soon after eating. In fact this is one thing I’m noticing a lot at the moment with anything I eat, so I’m thinking despite eating more plants and eating wholefoods with minimal ultra processed food I feel worse than when I had a crap diet 🤷🏽‍♀️ I tried cutting gluten and dairy suspecting these to be the culprits but that left me feeling hungrier, craving sugar and just as low as I’d ever felt.

My own interpretation is my levothyroxine could be increased a little but is possibly ok at 62.5mg . My priority is to source a reliable way to determine what foods I’m intolerant to and address these.

OR! Am I barking up the wrong tree and pinning everything I’m feeling and experiencing down to thyroid health when in fact I’m well and truly peri-menopausal? In which case what advice has anyone got for me. I feel desperate to just feel a little normal… to laugh! Which feels like a pipe dream 😏 if I’m honest

[humanbean]

I was given the confidence to ask my GP for a 12.5mg increase in levothyroxine. Reluctantly and after throwing a mini strop (him not me) he agreed.

With a TSH over 2 your GP had no reason to get stroppy.

See this link : web.archive.org/web/2004060...

It is old but I have no reason to believe the info it contains has changed since it was first produced.

There is a thread where that link is discussed :

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

The first post in the thread could have been much better written but the linked info is useful.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

What’s your ferritin level?

Can see in image that it’s got red spot indicating it’s too low…..or too high

[CaroMaxx in reply to SlowDragon]

Too high. Current level 187ug/L slightly down from the previous Medichecks result which was 196ug/L

[CaroMaxx in reply to CaroMaxx]

I’ll just add that I used to take a multitude of supplements but take nothing now. I’ve got a home test for Selenium, Zinc and Magnesium which I will do today. I’ll share the results if the results are way off

[CaroMaxx in reply to CaroMaxx]

My Ferritin levels have been high for a while. I just checked the NHS app and on 17 April they were 191ug/L

I have no idea what it all means?

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to CaroMaxx]

presumably, looking at your age you’re not yet post menopause

Medichecks iron panel test

Test early morning, only water to drink between waking and test. Don’t eat iron rich food night before test

medichecks.com/products/iro...

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Inflammation markers are presumably high too as have red dot

High inflammation results in high ferritin

Iron may not be high, could be just ferritin

Has GP done full iron panel test

[CaroMaxx in reply to SlowDragon]

looking through my NHS app I can’t see anything indicating a full iron panel. I’ve had loads of blood tests on the NHS since January, every time the inflammation and ferritin are high but no further action or investigation into why 🤷🏽‍♀️