Help please with blood results

[Lucy5555]

Hi everyone I'm hoping someone can give me some advice. I have a multitude of health problems some pretty serious, some more bothersome I suppose. I have recently found out quite a few things which have been getting overlooked like vitamin D levels vitamin B levels, amongst other things, etc and I now find myself with severe osteoporosis on top of everything else. Anyway, That's not the problem I'm wanting help with.

. As everyone knows illnesses like ours often overlap into each other and we end up not knowing what is causing what

I have recently been tested for numerous things again, as I'm having problems with lots of areas of my health. So what it is I need help with, is my thyroid blood tests.

I have more or less every symptom of overactive.?? thyroid which you could possibly have.

I've had symptoms for years.

But things keep getting put down to other problems. So I have just had a thyroid test, the results of which were, 0.357 for the TSH. and the reference range is 0.570 - 3.600.

that has come back from the Lab at the local hospital, to the doctors, saying abnormal.

The T4 says it is 8.8, with the reference range being 7.9 - 14.0. . so that is down as normal.

So I just want an opinion on the TSH result really.

I have recently had to change GP after 30 years which hasn't helped anything at all. The new GP this morning at my new practice is telling me that the TSH level is fine, there isn't a problem. I'm saying to them, that I'm confused about the test, and

as I said I have every single symptom you could name for hyperthyroidism. I have had symptoms for a long time. But as I said I do have a lot of other health problems which mimic the same thing.

So I am being told that I am completely barking up the wrong tree with this result and that it's fine even though it has come back marked abnormal.

can anybody offer some honest advice on this result, if I'm being stupid please say. I'm not looking for anyone to give me a diagnosis I just want to know if I'm misunderstanding or overreacting to the blood test

I hope that makes some sort of sense.

Thanks xxx

[greygoose]

It's only marked 'abnormal' because it is slightly below range. Really not low enough to indicated hyperthyroidism. But TSH levels depend on the time of day of the blood draw - something that doctors and lab techs don't seem to realise. So, what time was the blood draw? And, had you eaten/drunk caffein beforehand? Also, you say that your vit D and B12 are low. That will have an effect on the TSH, too. So, with all these variables, you can see that the TSH is THE least important test result and proves very little.

The most important number is the FT3 and they don't even test that - one can have a guess at why, and doctors will give you all sorts of fob-off explainations, but in my book it's either down to pure ignorance, or a money-saving exercise.

So, the number we need to look at is the FT4, and yours is pretty low. So, it's more than likely that the symptoms you are experiencing are hypO symptoms, rather than hypER. They can be exactly the same.

What you need is full thyroid testing done under ideal conditions, to get a clear picture of what is going on with your thyroid:

TSH

FT4

FT3

TPO antibodies

Tg antibodies

vit D

vit B12

folate

ferritin.

What are you doing about your low vit D and B12, by the way? They can cause pretty awful symptoms that mimic thyroid.

Private testing details here:

thyroiduk.org/help-and-supp...

[Lucy5555 in reply to greygoose]

Hi, thanks for replying to me. X. Right I don't quite know where to start. I am not very well and I am struggling with everything at the moment so if my reply seems short or anything please don't think I'm meaning anything by it.

I've got a long complicated health history. One of the main things being I have adrenal insufficiency therefore I have been on steroids for years. I am totally steroid dependant. I've just had a repeat day curve again, and my own cortisol production is pathetic, my baseline morning level was 22.

I will have to get my blood results together, I'm a bit stuck at the minute, with fractures in my spine, and after having found out bloods I thought were being watched, weren't.

I was hospitalised for fractures, spontaneous fractures, and found out my vitamin d was 9.4.

I had fractures a couple of years ago, spontaneous, and was turned down for bone sparing agents.

I'm not going to go much further into details, as all this has only recently got to this state, and I'm trying to sort what's going to happen. I'm now going to have an infusion of zelondronic acid, my vit D at the moment is up and ok.

My vit B12, which last year was very low, is up and ok as well. I've been loaded up with both. By the way, my magnesium and zinc get rock bottom as well.

Off the top of my head, my folate is good, due to supplementation, my ferritin is always right on the bottom of the scale.

My other bloods at the minute I can't lay eyes on, but I'll try get them off my records.

At the minute, I don't know which way to turn, or what to do, I'm just trying to take one day at a time really xxx

[greygoose in reply to Lucy5555]

Yes, I do understand your dilema.

But, good nutrients are essential to good bones. And, if you're hypo you more than likely have low nutrients due to low stomach acid. Low stomach acid means that you have difficulty digesting food and absorbing nutrients. So, it's not enough to just get your levels up and then stop supplements, because the levels will just fall again. You need to take at least a maintenance dose for life.

If you are taking B12, you also need to take a B complex. All the Bs work together so taking just one isolated B is not going to help, even though levels might be good in the blood.

If you are taking vit D, you also need to take magnesium because the two work togther. Vit D without magnesium won't help you much, and taking vit D without magnesium will deplete your magnesium. You also need to take vit K2-MK7 because taking vit D increases absorption of calcium from food, and the K2 directs it into the bones and teeth.

Low zinc is a typical symptom of hypo. Are you supplementing that?

Do you know the cause of your adrenal insufficiency? It can be caused by long-term untreated hypo.

So I just want an opinion on the TSH result really.

Well, impossible to give one without more information. I've told you as much as I can, but really need to know what time the the blood was drawn.

Is your adrenal insufficiency perhaps caused by low ATCH levels? If so, and taking into consideration your low TSH, it could be that you have a pituitary problem at the root of your health problems. The pituitary makes quite a lot of hormones. So, if they're all low, that will wrech havoc with your health.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Steroids will lower or suppress TSH

Absolutely ESSENTIAL to test TSH, Ft4 and Ft3 together

And test TPO and TG antibodies at least once

About 90% of primary hypothyroidism is autoimmune thyroid disease, usually diagnosed by high thyroid antibodies

Autoimmune thyroid disease with goitre is Hashimoto’s

Autoimmune thyroid disease without goitre is Ord’s thyroiditis.

Both are autoimmune and generally called Hashimoto’s.

Low vitamin levels are extremely common when hypothyroid, especially with autoimmune thyroid disease

20% of autoimmune thyroid patients never have high thyroid antibodies and ultrasound scan of thyroid can get diagnosis

In U.K. medics hardly ever refer to autoimmune thyroid disease as Hashimoto’s (or Ord’s thyroiditis)

Recommended that all thyroid blood tests early morning, ideally just before 9am, only drink water between waking and test

This gives highest TSH, lowest FT4 and most consistent results. (Patient to patient tip)

Private tests are available as NHS currently rarely tests Ft3 or all relevant vitamins

List of private testing options and money off codes

thyroiduk.org/getting-a-dia...

Medichecks Thyroid plus antibodies and vitamins

medichecks.com/products/adv...

Blue Horizon Thyroid Premium Gold includes antibodies, cortisol and vitamins

bluehorizonbloodtests.co.uk...

Only do private testing early Monday or Tuesday morning.

Link about thyroid blood tests

thyroiduk.org/getting-a-dia...

Link about Hashimoto’s

thyroiduk.org/hypothyroid-b...

Symptoms of hypothyroidism

thyroiduk.org/wp-content/up...

Tips on how to do DIY finger prick test

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Medichecks and BH also offer private blood draw at clinic near you, or private nurse to your own home…..for an extra fee

How low is your ferritin

[HowNowWhatNow]

You’re in the right place.

Ask away, however small or obvious seeming the question.

It sounds like diagnosing and also managing your multitude of serious health problems is falling far too much on you. Have you got friends / partner / parents / children who can come to medical meetings (in community / hospital) with you, take notes and advocate for you?

I had a fracture that didn’t set for most of a year and narrowly avoided an amputation. All the orthopod doctors I saw then stressed how important diet is, to generate new bone. And sleep. Pre that time I hardly ate any meat, but I started then, which I have found helpful (with iron issues) since. Hospital food is stodgy but, if you opt for enough vegetables and meat, and take on good amounts of dairy, can work.

Have the hospital physios been helping you? Muscles deteriorate so fast when you are on the ward and joints freeze up, too. I have found U.K. hospitals to be very slow on the uptake with organising physio help but it’s crucial. Also helps to avoid clots.

Sorry if any of this advice doesn’t hit the bulls’ eye. It’s from a place of admiration for your obvious bravery.

[Bearo]

Your question was about your TSH being below range. Don’t worry about that, it’s only just below range. Lots of us here have a far lower reading (including me, 0.02) and we feel fine.

I hope you can concentrate on your low nutrient levels through diet and supplements and I wish you all the best for improvement in your health.