Blood test interpretation

[Carlax]

Morning everyone,Help is needed to interpret test results please? See the pic attached.

I was asked to reduce my Levo by 25mcgrs. This was 3 months ago. This meant a change in brand to Teva.

My T3 dosage remain the same at 20mcgrs a day.

Soon after the dosage change I started feeling very lethargic and within weeks, I was hypothiroid again. The worst symtoms is the constant chivering.

I am seeing my doctor today to go through the results. He is going to say that I am ok because my results fall under the normal range but I do not feel optimal.

What can I tell him to convince him that I need to go back to my dosage before?

Love x

Carlax

[pennyannie]

Hello Carlax :

Well your symptoms since reducing the T4 should be enough proof and if your T4 was over range it has dropped significantly as now it is at just 17% through it's range:

Has your T3 reading changed as well ?

No thyroid hormone replacement woks well until your core strength vitamins and minerals are up and maintained at optimal - just for reference i know now i need my ferritin at around 100 ; folate around 20 : active B12 75++ ( serum B12 500++ ) and vitamin D at around 100:

[Carlax in reply to pennyannie]

Thanks pennyannie! I do not want to sound like a broken record but unfortunately, I have been there before and as long as my results are on the normal range, no further action is required. I was feeling very well on 100mcgrs of levo and 20mcgs of T3. But He did not listen. Same with B12, Vit D, folate etc. I did request all that plus ferritine test and I was told not required even though I stated that i was feeling lethargic and tired.

I am feeling really low becasue I feel as if there was no way out and I would never be on top of my illness.

I did request help here to locate a decent Endo, but I got no DM at all. Not even one. I feel so lost and alone!!

[pennyannie in reply to Carlax]

Snap !

I too am without a thyroid but due to Graves post RAI thyroid ablation back in 2005 - becoming very unwell on T4 monotherapy some 10 years later and dosed and monitored on a TSH reading and dose reduced on T4 because my TSH is stuck down at 0,01 if I am to be well.

Having been refused both T3 and NDT by the NHS and my surgery I gave up around 6 years ago now and decided to do it for myself.

Details on my profile page - just press the icon alongside my named reply and go to my Profile Page ;

I now run a yearly full thyroid panel to include the vitamins and minerals and do it for myself as the stress and anxiety of staying in the system, and getting nowhere, simply exacerbated my symptoms and being referred to as a ' conundrum ' was the last straw.

[tattybogle]

Hi , these two posts have useful information which will help in discussions with Doctors :

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu.... tsh-is-just-the-opinion-of-your-pituitary-about-your-dose-but-your-pituitarys-opinion-is-a-bit-warped-once-you-take-thyroid-hormone.

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu... useful-evidence-that-tsh-between-0.04-0.4-has-no-increased-risk-to-patients-on-levothyroxine-updated-new-study-does-show-small-risk

assuming the results above were taken no longer than 24hrs from last dose levo , and 8-12 hrs from last dose T3... and assuming you have been on same dose consistently for at least 6 wks ...... then this relatively low in range fT4 result after a relatively small dose reduction suggests it was unlikely that the fT4 was over range when the dose was reduced.. and that the dose was reduced based only on low TSH... and that increasing levo back to previous dose would not take fT4 over range .

if you felt well on previous dose , and as long as you had no symptoms that could be caused by overmedication, then inform the GP that you fully understand and are prepared to accept the (alleged) risks associated with low TSH, they should hopefully be willing to put your dose back up... on the basis that your Quality of Life/ ability to work has been compromised on this lower dose .

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Carlax

I did request help here to locate a decent Endo, but I got no DM at all. Not even one.

I've had a look at your posts on your profile page and can't see a post where the title is asking for recommendations for an endo. If you had made that request one of the Admin team would have turned off replies to the post as we can't discuss individual doctors on the forum, they would also have given you the email address at ThyroidUK to ask for the list of thyroid friendly endos.

You could make a new post requesting recommendations for an endo but make sure that you put which area you are in in the title to attract the attention of the right people. Also, contact ThyroidUK and ask for the list of thyroid friendly endos (both private and NHS), by emailing:

[e-mail]

[Carlax in reply to SeasideSusie]

Hi SeasideSusie,

I was asking for recommendations. The post is called Anxiety and Thyroid and it was sent 25 days or so ago. I reached out to the administrator that capped the replies to ask if there was a reason for not getting any response...but I did not get any response either.

Thanks SeasideSusie

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Carlax]

Ah, OK, so your post title didn't request recommendations for an endo and that's very likely the reason you didn't get any response.

To target the people who can help you it's best to make it clear in the post title what you want, many members only read posts where the post title resonates with them and just don't read posts that they either have no experience of, or no interest in what the title suggests. By putting "Anxiety and Thyroid" as your post title there was no clue that you were looking for recommendations for an endo and possibly the only people who would look at your post are those who have experience of anxiety. Those who don't have experience of anxiety probably wouldn't even read your post as they wouldn't be able to help.

I would make a new post now, put in the title something like "Endo recommendations for XXXX area please, also willing to travel anywhere or do Zoom/Skype consultation."

That will then catch the attention of anyone in your local area who knows a good endo, and if you add the Zoom/Skype consultation comment if you're willing to do that then that could be anywhere in the country so it opens it up to lots more possible recommendations.

I hope that helps

[Carlax in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thanks SeasideSusie!

[Khami]

Hi I was asked to reduce from 150 mcg to 125 mcg , found it to be too low adjusted my thyroxine to 137.5 basically. I find with my experience that you have to adjust your medication yourself as to how you feel.

[Carlax in reply to Khami]

The only issue is that you run out sooner but yes, I would do that in future...

And when you get the blood test done, what do you tell the doctor your dosage was? 125 or 137.5?

[Khami in reply to Carlax]

137.5 and explain why! The doc should know that there’s quite a wide band in test results.

[Carlax in reply to Khami]

Quite right!!!! I think going forward I will do as you suggested ... one tends to believe that they know better but it is not unfortunately the case ...

[imogen2010]

I really do feel for you Carlax My doctor reduced my dose to 100mcg I was ok on 150mcg but he said my tsh was too high. My Vit D is only 50 & that’s after high doses of it. Every bone in my body aches since the reduction- he insists it’s bad for my heart as I’m on blood pressure tablets. I personally think they just don’t understand & know enough about thyroid disease- I’m 70 now & have been on 150mcg for 23 yrs - now I feel the worst I’ve ever been. 😩

[Carlax]

Do not give up Imogen2010!!! Try and get your way. Maybe change doctors?

You still have long years to enjoy life...do not put up with their rubbish please!!