Blood Test Results! Can Anyone Interpret? - Thyroid UK

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Blood Test Results! Can Anyone Interpret?

Lily905 profile image
19 Replies

I went for a routine blood test today & I've just had the results posted already! I've never been able to read blood results - can someone help me Please.I had my Thyroid fully removed in 2008. I was Poisoned by Thyroxin! I'm on T3 Only. Recently I've found I feel a lot better on NDT Only. Six weeks ago I posted asking how long it takes to get NDT out of my system because I need my GP annual blood test to show I'm on T3 only. I got so much helpful advice. Thank You. Anyway. The max to get NDT out of my system was 6 weeks. I felt a complete change in my health at 5 weeks so now I know it's out of my system at 5 weeks. So I started back on my T3.

I asked the nurse taking my blood test what was on the list to check for & it was Thyroid & most other things. I've looked at my blood results & I don't understand it.

Highlighted in Red is RDW Out of Range - this could be because I stopped taking my Folic Acid because I've been on it for many years & last year a doctor mentioned usually people are only on it for a few months. They suggested I stop taking it & see how I feel. I stopped taking it 6 weeks ago so maybe that is the RDW.

When I look at the blood test results I can't see anything to do with my Thyroid. I'm going to try & upload a screenshot of my results. Sorry this post is long - I felt I needed to explain myself a bit. Nearly forgot I'm 61. Thank You

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Lily905
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19 Replies
Jaydee1507 profile image
Jaydee1507Administrator

The results you have posted are for a full blood count and I don't know how to interpret those. It may be that next week any other results of things they have tested will come through.

5 weeks may not be enough time to normalise your TSH if it was very low or suppressed.

Lily905 profile image
Lily905 in reply to Jaydee1507

Thanks JayDee. I don't think all of my blood test has come through. I can't explain I felt the NDT was out of my system at 5 weeks! And it was time to get back on my T3 Only. Thank You for helping me. I'm not going to worry or stress anymore about my blood. The surgery will contact me when all the results come through if they need adjustments to my blood. Bless You & Thank You. Much Appreciated

Lily905 profile image
Lily905

I've just clicked on my Blood results in the App & it's showing the same results in a different way so I'm posting it.

a Different Screenshot of my Blood Results
Lily905 profile image
Lily905 in reply to Lily905

I've done my own head in now - I'm Dyslexic which doesn't help - now it's popped up saying I'm Out of Range in Red in a few things. How can I have Cholesterol - I eat healthy - on purpose I've not eaten anything sweet or slightly unhealthy like a biscuit for 2 weeks.

Blood Test Results Page 3
humanbean profile image
humanbean

I've never seen test output like yours. It doesn't show any ranges for the tests, it just shows "In range", or "Out of range", or no reference to the range at all. Could you ask your surgery for the results to be supplied with the ranges as well?

The results you've been given are for a Full Blood Count. There are no thyroid results or vitamin/mineral results, or any results for liver function, kidney function, diabetes tests, or anything else.

I suspect that your MCV is high in range, and if I'm right then this can indicate low levels of vitamin B12 and/or folate. But there are no results for B12 or folate.

Your haemoglobin level suggests that you aren't anaemic.

RDW could be affected by your nutrient levels e.g. the B12 or folate I've already mentioned, or possibly some others.

If you have multiple pages of results you can post one picture per reply. This is preferable to posting one picture per thread.

Lily905 profile image
Lily905 in reply to humanbean

Thank You. I forgot to say I stopped taking Vitamin B as well because I wanted to know if my blood needed it or not. Thank You HumanBean for your help. The Surgery will contact me requesting I make a telephone appointment if I need adjustments. Thank you for looking at this. What you are saying makes perfect sense. My blood was being tested for Thyroid, Liver, Kidney, Diabetes & others I can't remember. You've put my mind at rest. Thank You. I'm not going to worry anymore now. Like you say the information I've been given has no ranges. So they've not sent me all the results because they've not all been done. Bless You & Thank You for your help & Advice. Very Much Appreciated. I'm not worrying anymore about my blood. The surgery will be in touch & I'll make a telephone appointment if they request me to

Jaydee1507 profile image
Jaydee1507Administrator in reply to Lily905

Adding this separately as it wont let me edit my last reply.

patients know best lab range
Jaydee1507 profile image
Jaydee1507Administrator in reply to humanbean

The results are from the Patients Know Best website (or apprently there's an app). You can see the range by hovering over where your blood results falls (the black dot on the line).

Its not the best presentation of figures I have ever seen TBH. I've recently had an iron panel done myself and it seems there's no way to show all the numbers in one place so I am waiting for my GP surgery to enter them onto my record so I can screenshot them in the NHS app.

I do like Patients Know Best though as I get an email ping as soon as the results get logged which can be several days before my GP surgery log them.

Lily905

Lily905 profile image
Lily905

Yes. I got an email from my Patients Knows Best App. Thank You for your help & advice. I'll wait for the NHS app. Thanks to the info & advice from you & Human Bean I am Not going to worry. I'll just wait. Thank You so much for helping me - My Mini Meltdown has now completely stopped. I've been so stressed about having this blood test done & the "Results" topped me over the edge! Thank You. All the Best with your results.

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator

Cholesterol will rise when you become hypothyroid

Stopping NDT will result in rapid reduction in thyroid hormones and rapid rise in cholesterol

Ignore the cholesterol result

Really not a good idea to chop and change thyroid medication like that

You risk making your self seriously unwell for many months

Lily905 profile image
Lily905 in reply to SlowDragon

Thank You. Mystery solved of why my Cholesterol is high. Now I know because I felt the NDT leave my body at 5 weeks, I could of restarted the T3 at 4 weeks. I've not been ill changing back from NDT to T3. I was so ill for many months on that Thyroxin Poison it killed The Real Me. The biggest regret of my life is having all of my Thyroid removed because I've never got my sparkle or full health back. I see my life as Before & After T4 Poisoning.

Plus like most others on T3 I've had the long struggle of keeping on T3 only because the NHS want us all on the cheap synthetic Thyroxin Poison. Chopping & changing was the right decision for me because I know what seriously unwell for many months & then never feeling properly well again feels like. I wouldn't recommend anyone else swapping back & forth like me. I'm 61, I eat mostly very healthy so I feel the changes in my body & I can usually pin point why because I'm not clogged up with additives or junk food.

SteveT3 profile image
SteveT3

Usually on a blood rest they show the result and the range with it. There are so many measures like mml, or uml etc that its difficult even for doctors to know it all.

Regarding your test, If you rdw is out of range then yes it might be because of folic acid because its involved with b12 in haemoglobin of red blood cells. If you are feeling tired then folic acid can help but note that folic acid is in a lot of food products. You might actually need more b12 or iron.

verywellhealth.com/red-cell...

Lily905 profile image
Lily905 in reply to SteveT3

Thank You. I really appreciate your help. I think I need a prescription for B12 not folic acid because I have Osteoporosis in my knees. So that makes perfect sense. For some reason I've ended up on folic acid for multiple years - after your reply I can see it was masking the fact I needed B12. My blood test! For me it's like trying to read a different language. Thank You

in reply to Lily905

Oh dear. Lesson learned. High folate can indeed mask B12 deficiency. For that reason, B12 should be taken for a while first as a separate supplement before Folate. Alternatively, if B12 is not too low, you can take a good B complex which contains both.

I think you mean that you have osteoarthritis in your knees, not osteoporosis (commonly confused). Vitamin D helps joints not B12. Are you taking Vitamin D and Magnesium? Essential for thyroid health and maintaining healthy joints and bones.

Finally, I can’t quite work out why you would want to change from NDT to T3 so that your GP blood results show T3 only. I too had my thyroid removed - in 2012 - and was put on Levothyroxine which I, like you, felt was poisoning me. I was changed to T3 and felt fine but then felt even better on NDT so here I am on 2 grains a day. No complaints from GP or Endo. They were quite pleased I switched to NDT. Are you getting a bit confused about this Lily?

Lily905 profile image
Lily905 in reply to

I'm dyslexic. I've definitely confused my B & D! Thank You. I've got OsteoPorosis in my knees Not OsteoArthritis. I need Vitamin D Not B. I want the gp to prescribe the correct dose of Vitamin D if I need it. Also I'll have Vit B if necessary. I've been self medicating with Vitamin D & B which I stopped because I need to know which my blood needs. I've had so much helpful info on this thread. Thank You. I had a mini meltdown with my blood results. After a few replies on here my stress vanished & they will message me if they need to speak to me about my blood. I asked to be trialed on NDT one of the times they were at me to stop my T3 & they flatly refused even though it's clearly written multiple times in my notes why I am on T3 only & how ill I was on T4.

Are you saying your blood presents as the same whether you are on T3 or NDT?

in reply to Lily905

No. I’m not saying that. I’m saying that if you feel better on NDT than T3 I can see no reason why your GP would expect you to take T3. I’m just wondering whether you were initially given T3 after your bad time with Levo and think that you have to stick with that for some reason.

Rereading your post, I think perhaps they’ve been nagging you to stop T3 and go back to Levothyroxine - when you’d rather actually go to NDT. They won’t trial you on NDT because it’s not prescribed on NHS. That’s why they’re being difficult. Try to stand up to them. You’re obviously buying NDT yourself and doing well on it.

I’m glad we’ve got the Bs and Ds sorted 😉. It won’t hurt you to have a B complex too. The better all your vitamin levels are the better your thyroid levels will be.

Take care 😉

Lily905 profile image
Lily905 in reply to

As the same as everyone & it's probably still the same. I was on T3 for the first year after having my TT. Then they changed me to T4 & I was ill (too long a story!) starting 20 minutes after my first Poisonous Dose of Thyroxin!Because it's not Px by the NHS they will not trial me on NDT etc. When I get the time I'm going back to see my menopause doctor at the private menopause clinic (had to go private because my old female gp did not believe in the menopause!) because she talked more sense about my Thyroid, T3, T4 & NDT than any of the thyroid consultants I've seen. She understands the T3 scandal & how people self medicate & buy from the internet. I'll tell her everything because I know she will tell me the best way forward regarding me feeling better on NDT.

Vitamin wise I only stopped my B Complex about 6 weeks ago. I felt a lot better on it. I needed to just go back to my basic prescribed Px & see what was lacking in my blood. Thank You for your help & advice

in reply to Lily905

I share your frustration Lily. As I told you, I had a total thyroidectomy and they put me on T3 for a year and then changed it to Levothyroxine afterwards and it made me very ill. They then put me back on T3 and everything was fine - until they took me off it and put me back onto Levo. After a long battle I decided to buy NDT and haven’t looked back since. Yes, they told me it wasn’t a good thing to take but I went for it anyway. No alternative. I’ve felt well since.

I too stopped my B complex 3 months ago because I was told levels were too high. Have just started them again after my new GP advised it. Feel better after just two days.

People without a thyroid cannot feel well on Levothyroxine but not enough doctors understand this

I wish you well Lily. I’m glad that the Menopause doctor is able to help you

Take care 🥰

Lily905 profile image
Lily905

Thank You for the advice & info. I'm pleased you are feeling better again. I've not long since moved flats so I'm juggling a lot of things at the moment. I just need to get my blood results from my doctor, I'm expecting to be Px vitamins then a blood retest, then after Christmas I'll see my menopause doctor about my Thyroid. With Thanks

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