I’ve just received my advanced thyroid panel from medichecks and I hoped someone could interpret them for me please?
A bit of history, I developed an overactive thyroid with graves and t.e.d in 2001, I had radio iodine which obviously knocked me underactive.
I got put straight on levothyroxine and was never well, i trialed armour which I bought myself, and then I was lucky enough to get this prescribed but then it got stopped ! I went on naturethroid and did well but then they stopped making it, so I tried metavive and I’ve tried thyrovanz.
I wasn’t well on any of these and earlier this year I had to return to levothyroxine, again I do not feel well.
I take 100mcg, I didn’t take it for 24 hours before my test, and these results are based on me not taking any vitimins or supplements.I took my blood at 9am.
Tsh 3.49 range 0.27-4.2
Ft3 3.7 range 3.1-6.8
Ft4 17 range 12-22
Thyroglobulin antibodies 42.7 range 0-115
Tpa 41.2 range 0-34
Folate serum 4.8 range 8.83-60.8
B12 active 65.6 range 37.5-188
Vit d 78 range 50-250.
I’m very symptomatic aswell.
I have some Tiromel t3 25mcg ready to take, which I know to start slowly but I need some advice please on what to do with this, my levothyroxine and any other supplements please.
I just don’t have the brain cells at the moment to help myself.
Thank you for any advice xx
Written by
Clare78uk2002
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
He actually prescribed me another 25mcg but when I tried to increase it I kept getting headaches, but I can try again.
I’m 78 kg, the brand I take is teva and yes I normally get the same brand.
I must have missed ferritin off that was 83.9 gangs 30-150.
I was taking ferrous fumerate 322 a day and also magnesium glycinate but I hadn’t take any for about 2 weeks prior.
Thank you so much for the advice it’s very much appreciated, I will look thenyour other answers separately as my brain just isn’t working well at the moment !
Teva brand upsets many many people - it’s highly likely the Teva brand causing the issue not the dose
Request new prescription for 50mcg and make sure you get Accord brand - cut in 1/2 for 25mcg
If you still want to start on 12.5mcg ….either take 100mcg and 125mcg on alternate days
Or cut 50mcg into 1/4’s
Most easily available (and often most easily tolerated) are Mercury Pharma or Accord
Accord only make 50mcg and 100mcg tablets. Accord is also boxed as Almus via Boots,
Mercury Pharma make 25mcg, 50mcg and 100mcg tablets
Mercury Pharma also boxed as Eltroxin. Both often listed by company name on pharmacy database - Advanz
Wockhardt is very well tolerated, but only available in 25mcg tablets. Some people remain on Wockhardt, taking their daily dose as a number of tablets
Lactose free brands - currently Teva or Vencamil only
Teva makes 25mcg, 50mcg, 75mcg and 100mcg
Many patients do NOT get on well with Teva brand of Levothyroxine.
Teva is lactose free.But Teva contains mannitol as a filler instead of lactose, which seems to be possible cause of problems. Mannitol seems to upset many people, it changes gut biome
But for some people (usually if lactose intolerant, Teva is by far the best option)
Aristo (currently 100mcg only) is lactose free and mannitol free.
If a patient reports persistent symptoms when switching between different levothyroxine tablet formulations, consider consistently prescribing a specific product known to be well tolerated by the patient.
Physicians should: 1) alert patients that preparations may be switched at the pharmacy; 2) encourage patients to ask to remain on the same preparation at every pharmacy refill; and 3) make sure patients understand the need to have their TSH retested and the potential for dosing readjusted every time their LT4 preparation is switched (18).
With serum B12 result below 500, (Or active B12 below 70) recommended to be taking a separate B12 supplement and add a separate vitamin B Complex after a week
Then once your serum B12 is over 500 (or Active B12 level has reached 70), you may be able to reduce then stop the B12 and just carry on with the B Complex.
If Vegetarian or vegan likely to need ongoing separate B12 few times a week
Igennus B complex popular option too. Nice small tablets. Most people only find they need one per day. But a few people find it’s not high enough dose
IMPORTANT......If you are taking vitamin B complex, or any supplements containing biotin, remember to stop these 7 days before ALL BLOOD TESTS , as biotin can falsely affect test results
In week before blood test, when you stop vitamin B complex, you might want to consider taking a separate folate supplement (eg Jarrow methyl folate 400mcg) and continue separate B12
Post discussing how biotin can affect test results
If symptoms of hypothyroidism persist despite normalisation of TSH, the dose of levothyroxine can be titrated further to place the TSH in the lower part of the reference range or even slightly below (i.e., TSH: 0.1–2.0 mU/L), but avoiding TSH < 0.1 mU/L. Use of alternate day dosing of different levothyroxine strengths may be needed to achieve this (e.g., 100 mcg for 4 days; 125 mcg for 3 days weekly).
I too had RAI thyroid ablation but back in 2005 and didn't know any different and just trusted the medical profession until around 8 years later when I became more ill and in an ever decreasing circle of wellness and totally get the brain fog and clouded thinking.
I was refused both T3 and NDT by the NHS in 2018 and now self medicate with NDT and am much improved.
I think it deplorable that you had Armour prescribed by the NHS which suited you and that then it was removed from your prescription - what reason was given ?
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.
Some people can get by on T4 monotherapy.
Some people find that T4 seems not to work as well as it once did and that by adding in a little T3 - likely a similar dose to that the thyroid once supported them with - they are able to restore T3/T4 hormonal balance and feel better.
Some can't tolerate T4 and need to take T3 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.
As for TED - I have found it's essential to use Preservative Free eye drops :
We do now have some research papers you may like to have :-
if you haven't found Elaine yet - she has Graves and went through RAI thyroid ablation - around the turn of the century and finding no help with her continued ill health started researching herself and now has her own Stateside forum and help line- several published books and a leading authority on this poorly understood and badly treated auto immune disease.
No thyroid hormone replacement works optimally until our core strength vitamins and minerals are up and maintained at optimal levels - I now aim for a ferritin at around 100 : folate around 20 : active B12 75 ++ ( serum B12 500 ++ ) and vitamin D at around 100.
Yes I too trusted them as I knew absolutely nothing about thyroid health and just did what they told me too.
My own gp stopped it and gave the reason “it’s not licensed and it’s unsafe”.
He totally ignored the fact that I was really well on it and that my nhs endo had prescribed it for me, my endo then moved to another part of the country and I was unable to go back to him, the other endo I saw was as bad as the gp, he knew nothing at all and actually told me there are no thyroid symptoms whatsoever !!
I was lucky enough to get orbital decompression so that fixed the cosmetic appearance of my eyes, on some days they get dry and itchy but that’s easily fixed by using drops.
I’m going to work on my vitamins and minerals and see how I feel if I can get them optimal.
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
Blood results help
New blood test results 
Blood test results - not happy!
Thyroid blood test including antibodies results help 
