I have been living with Hypothyroidism since around 2002 when I was treated with RI to deal with Graves. My T3, T4 & TSH seem to be under control, however, I seem to be having more and more periods where I am forgetful and I make stupid judgements. I suppose you may call it Brain Fog.
When I make these judgements or do stupid things I seem unable to remember what I was thinking to make these calls. Understandably my wife gets frustrated with this.
Has anybody had similar difficulties if so how have you dealt with it?
thanks
Keith
Written by
schrodinger
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Can you add your most recent thyroid and vitamin results and ranges
TSH, Ft4 and Ft3 plus vitamin D, folate, Ferritin and B12
ALWAYS test thyroid levels early morning, ideally just before 9am, only drink water between waking and test and last dose levothyroxine 24 hours before test
Is this how you do your test
How much levothyroxine are you taking
Do you always get same brand levothyroxine at each prescription
Do you always take levothyroxine on empty stomach and then nothing else apart from water for at least an hour. No other medications or vitamin supplements within 2 hours
My levo I take at least 2 hours before breakfast and any other meds / vits.
I did recently have my gp take a blood test (TSH T4 only) but I can't find the results but they were very similar to last year. I am currently waiting on the delivery from Medichecks to do a thyroid hormone check.
A fully functioning working thyroid would be supporting you on a daily basis with trace elements of T1. T2 and calcitonin + a measure of T3 at around 10 mcg + a measure of T4 at around 100 mcg - with T3 said to be around 4 times powerful than T4.
T4 - Levothyroxine is a storage hormone that needs to be converted by the body into T3 the active hormone that runs all your bodily functions, from your physical through to your mental, emotional, psychological and spiritual wellbeing, your inner central heating system and your metabolism.
It is essential that you are dosed and monitored on your Free T3 and Free T4 results and ranges and not a TSH reading with an occasional T4 - which I totally understand is what many people find themselves monitored by on the the yearly function tests.
We generally feel best when our T4 is up in the top quadrant of the range as this should in theory convert to a decent level of T3 at around a 1/4 ratio T3/T4:
The accepted conversion ratio is said to be - 1 / 3.50 - 4.50 - T3/T4 - with most people feeling at their best., once the T4 is up in the top quadrant, when their conversion comes in under 4 - so to find your conversion ratio simply divide your T4 result by your T3 result - and so in 2021 your conversion was at 5 and in 2022 was was coming in at around 4.46 - so some improvement but both are wide of the centre and showing a struggling body.
Optimal conversion of T4 into T3 needs optimal core strength vitamins and minerals - especially those of ferritin, folate, B12 and vitamin D.
Conversion can also be compromised by any physiologic stress ( emotion or physical ) inflammation, depression, dieting and ageing - so harder to manage but worth mentioning.
RAI can be a very slow process by ultimately your thyroid gland is rendered fully disabled and burnt out in situ.
RAI is known to trash vitamins and minerals :
RAI induced hypothyroidism is said to be more difficult to treat as the TSH is now, not a reliable measure of anything as your HPT axis - your Hypothalamus - Pituitary - Thyroid feedback loop on which the TSH relies on working well is now disabled / broken - and this circuit loop defunct.
Some people can get by taking T4 only :
Some people find at some point in time that T4 doesn't seem to work as well as it once did and that by adding back in that little bit of T3 that their thyroid once supported them with - their T3 / T4 hormonal balance is restored and their health and well being restored.
Some people can't tolerate T4 and need to take T3 - Liothyronine only.
Whilst others find their health restored better taking Natural Desiccated Thyroid which contains all the same known hormones as that of the human gland and derived from pig thyroids, dried and ground down into tablets referred to as grains.
I too have Graves Disease and given RAI thyroid ablation back in 2005, becoming more unwell some years later - at one stage I seriously thought I had dementia - details on my profile page - just press the face icon alongside this reply :
For all things Graves and Auto Immune - elaine-moore :
Barbara S Lougheed - Tired Thyroid - from Hyper to Hypo to Healing - Breaking the TSH rule.
We now have some research though doesn't make for good reading ;
Thyroid UK - thyroiduk.org - the charity who supports this forum also holds more information on all things thyroid and there is a list of private companies who can run the relevant blood tests for you if your doctor is unable to help you with this.
Once we have a full set of blood tests with the necessary vitamins and minerals etc - it's around 10 blood analysis - we can help you better understand where you are in all this and advise on your next best steps back to better health.
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