blood test results

[Norrahsjake]

hi

Could anyone help with this blood test results

Is it ok

Pathology Investigations

Thyroid function test

Serum TSH level 1.10 mu/L [0.35 - 4.94]

Serum free T4 level 14.1 pmol/L [9.0 - 19.0]

Thyroid Therapy Levothyroxine (T4)

General Information

Service Type: New

Status: Unspecified

I have lost weight without trying, in the last couple of months, which is strange as Iv being trying for a couple of years to lose weight and failed and Iv not done anything different.

Are the results ok

Thanks

Sharron

[Lalatoot]

Sharron the results are ok if you feel well and can get on with life. If you still have symptoms then they are not ok for you .

[Norrahsjake in reply to Lalatoot]

Thank you for replying, I’m ok , it’s just the weight loss, I’m not complaining as Iv been overweight since being diagnosed. But it’s just that it’s suddenly dropped off .

[SlowDragon Administrator]

How much levothyroxine are you currently taking

Was test done early morning, ideally just before 9am, only drinking water between waking and test and most importantly last dose levothyroxine 24 hours before

FT4: 14.1 pmol/l (Range 9 - 19)

Ft4 only 51.00% through range

So you probably need dose increase in levothyroxine

ESSENTIAL to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 at least once year

What were last results

What vitamin supplements are you taking

Do you know if your hypothyroidism is autoimmune, usually diagnosed by high thyroid antibodies

[Norrahsjake in reply to SlowDragon]

Hi

I’m on 75mg and my dr does not test for vitamins anymore , they used to .

I will request a vitamin blood test and see what they say Iv never been told it’s autoimmune but the result is higher than my other results in the past .

I did everything that you said, had the test at 7.30am , drank water and took last tablet 24 hours before. I take vitamin D , B12 and folate and iron tabs .

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Norrahsjake]

You need to retest full iron panel 3-4 times year if taking iron

Iron is extremely toxic if you don’t need it

Medichecks iron panel test

Stop iron supplements 5-7 days before test

Test early morning and fasting. Don’t eat iron rich dinner night before test

medichecks.com/products/iro...

Test twice yearly via NHS private testing service when supplementing

vitamindtest.org.uk

Test B12 and folate at least annually

Iron supplements at least 4 hours away from levothyroxine and 2 hours away from other supplements

Most people gain weight when hypothyroid but significant minority of thyroid patients loose weight if under medicated and hypothyroid

[Norrahsjake in reply to SlowDragon]

Thanks, il look into the iron testing , why doesn’t my dr know all this, I thought when I saw the T4 level it wasn’t right as it’s increased.

[Jaydee1507 Administrator]

How much Levo are you taking now?

Do you always get the same brand? It's ideal if you can always get the same brand of levo at every prescription. You can do this by getting GP to write the brand you prefer in the first line of the prescription. Many people find that different brands are not interchangeable.

If you have lost weight without trying then I would suggest you speak to your GP to get checked over.

Testing just TSH & FT4 is totally inadequate. You really need to see FT3 at the same time to know if you are converting well. That said you clearly need a dose increase as your FT4 is only 51% through its range and I would expect it to be upper quarter at least.

Do insist when you see your GP for a dose increase.

Free T4 (fT4) 14.1 pmol/L (9 - 19) 51.0%

When hypo we get low stomach acid which means we cannot absorb vitamins well from our food, regardless of a great diet. For thyroid hormone to work well we need OPTIMAL levels of vitamins. Have you recently or could you ask your GP to test levels of ferritin, folate, B12 & D3? Private tests are available, see link for companies offering private blood tests & discount codes, some offer a blood draw service at an extra cost. thyroiduk.org/help-and-supp...

There is also a new company offering walk in & mail order blood tests in London, Kent, Sussex & Surrey areas. Check to see if there is a blood test company near you. onedaytests.com/products/ul...

Only do private tests on a Monday or Tuesday to avoid postal delays.

Did you do the test as per the protocol recommended here? Recommended blood test protocol: Test at 9am (or as close as possible), fasting, last levo dose 24hrs before the blood draw & no biotin containing supplements for 3-7 days (Biotin can interfere with thyroid blood results as it is used in the testing process)? Testing like this gives consistency in your results and will show stable blood levels of hormone and highest TSH which varies throughout the day. Taking Levo just prior to blood draw can show a falsly elevated result and your GP/Endo might change your dose incorrectly as a result.

What supplements are you taking?

[Norrahsjake]

hi, thanks for replying, yes I did everything correctly, I’m on 75mg and always same brand.

Blood test protocol followed correctly, I will ask my dr for a vitamin test , whether he will do it , I’m not sure, but I will insist he does it.

My doctors do the minimum test for thyroid , I’m sure they are not up to date on thyroid problems.

[Sparklingsunshine in reply to Norrahsjake]

Many NHS GP surgeries do the bare minimum for thyroid testing, the labs dont help as they often refuse requests for FT4 and FT3 if TSH is "in range" . TSH is king, everything else is an irrelevance. No wonder the private blood test market is booming .

[Norrahsjake in reply to Sparklingsunshine]

That’s so true

[Tufty73 in reply to Sparklingsunshine]

This! I have had a nightmare trying to get my Levothyroxine dose increased through my GP Surgery. None of the GP’s I have dealt with have any idea how to treat Hypothyroidism/Hashimoto’s. In the end I paid to see an Endocrinologist and she immediately tripled my Levothyroxine dose (from 25mg to 75mcg). All the things she told me were spot on (I did my research) and it was such a relief to be treated by someone who actually knows what they are doing.

[Sparklingsunshine in reply to Tufty73]

Its good you researched a knowlegdeable Endo and got the treatment you need, sadly most NHS Endos are diabetes specialists and know very little about thyroid. So even a referral to them is often pointless. Its inexcusable as its a very common condition. It makes you wonder what they are being taught at medical school.

[Gingernut44]

An increase in FT4 is what you need just in case you were worried about it increasing. It’s an increase in TSH you have to worry about.