How to get help when my results are in range?

[karlek]

Hello all

I have posted before and nothing has changed much.

I had some recent tests via my GP and the surgery is on my case as my cholesterol is quite high (7) and there are mutterings about statins which I have refused,

I have had very bad hair loss in the past 2 years with no obvious cause. I have been taking iron and have managed to get my ferritin levels up to 75 finally (ferritin has always been quite low in range).

I am struggling with low energy and mood, weight gain, puffy face/eyes and sluggish metabolism.

I monitor my thyroid after having thyroiditis a few years back.

Recent medichecks results:

TSH 2.11 (0.27-4.2)

T3 4.2 (3,1-6.8)

T4 16.6 (12-22)

Folate 12 (8.83-60.9)

B12 102 (37.5-188)

Vit D 97.9 (50-250)

Thyroid antibodies are very low.

NHS results

TSH 1,14 (0.35-4.94)

T4 13.1 (9.0 -19.1)

Both tests done 8.30-9am, fasting.

I am very doubtful I will get any help from my GP as my results are within range.

Is it worth going private to get NDT?

Thanks, as always.

[Charlie-Farley]

Hi Karlek

If you had thyroiditis a few years ago and you have had vitamin and mineral deficiencies hair loss AND your cholesterol is raised this could indicate Hypothyroidism.

Was there a marked change in your condition after the thyroiditis? Also is there anything else you are dealing with health wise? Any medications you are on Doctors can drop into treating one condition at a time and miss the whole picture.

You did follow the advised protocol for getting the blood tests done? fasting, before 9am but did you stopping any supplements that contain biotin a few days before? Biotin interferes with the test assay. There are medications that can also affect blood tests.

There is a pinned post on NHS and NICE guidelines. It is highlighting the contradictions and showing you where you can get some leverage to discuss with your GP. Please I urge you to look at it 😉

Also you may have been experiencing symptoms that you have never put down to hypothyroidism. When I started reading up I got print outs of all blood tests and looked at the Thyroid UK symptom list. I had a series of seemingly unrelated problems that in hindsight were obviously hypothyroidism and I was symptomatic for at least 10 years before diagnosis.

The doctor didn't diagnose me, I was just walking around for years feeling like I was falling apart - a guest diagnosed me! Doctor grudgingly confirmed it. There on the battle to full therapeutic dose began. I wrote my bio as case study - you can get to it if you click on my face (grey hair icon). I've also written posts on how I tackled the telecons.

[karlek in reply to Charlie-Farley]

Thank you so much and for sharing your experience.

I am not takign any medication now other than HRT, have never been able to get levo even when I have asked and talked about my issues as my results are within range and I get dismissed.

The blood tests were all done fasting, before 9, all supplements stopped for at least a week prior.

I will look through all your info and I did try using the NICE guidelines when I saw the endo but no go.

No other health conditions though I did test positive for some auto immune antibodies linked to possible future liver problems.

After having been hyper for a while things changed and I gained weight, struggled with sluggish metabolism, feeling tired, the hair loss is a recent thing.

[PurpleNails Administrator]

Looking at your history you had a period of hyper before progressively becoming hypothyroid.

Which thyroid antibodies were tested?

Are all negative?

TPOab (Thyroid Peroxidase antibodies)

TGab (Thyroglobulin antibodies)

TRab (TSH receptor antibodies - measures stimulating, neural & blocking antibodies)

TSI (Thyroid-Stimulating Immunoglobulin)

Was it an ultrasound which showed colloid nodules? If negative for antibodies & known nodule, suprised an uptake scan wasn’t done. This shows function throughout thyroid, but seeing how you’ve gradually moved to hypothyroidism, I can’t see that the nodules hyper function.

Odd dr would not test TSI / TRab. Was TRab tested privately? TSI / TRab are sometimes positive without positive TPO.

I was diagnosed with hyper nodule around 5 years ago too. The hospital tested TSI (no other antibodies) as negative confirmed hyper nodule with uptake scan. They also repeated the TSI last year. (Same hospital)

A private doctor may not be willing treat any sooner than NHS Doctor.

If antibodies are positive you can argue for treated as levels approach the treatable level.

TSH can be particularly unreliable if been previously hyper, focus on FT4 & FT3 levels.

Optimising key nutrients will help with compounding any symptoms you have & keep you in a healthier state when starting replacement.

Levo is the standard replacement, private doctors usually recommend Levo first too.

[karlek in reply to PurpleNails]

Thanks so much for your reply.

I had a normal ultrasound nothing further and my levels evened out fairly quickly without having to use carbimiazole.

I asked the endo I saw at the time to check all my antibodies including TRab and she refused (diabetes specialist).

The only ones I have had tested are those covered by the medichecks test, recent results:

Thyroglobulin antibodies 14.4 (0-115)

Thyroid perioxidase antibodies <9 (0-34)

Just wondering how I can try to get some treatment as I am quite sure my thyroid needs some help. Am post menopausal (taking HRT) which I know can cause thyroid to struggle.

Any thoughts on how to get some help?

[PurpleNails Administrator in reply to karlek]

Is GP willing to monitor your thyroid function, given you have a history & on going symptoms you could advocate they do.

They also need investigating all possibilities. Not just saying results are in range. Which means the results for the basic tests are in the normal range for most people. Maybe they should test further things & consider what’s normal for you.

You can continue regular thyroid testing - Prehaps completing full private testing between NHS tests.

Private & NHS doctors are looking for abnormal results.

Optimal nutrients are not same as just being in range, so this is something you might need to take control of yourself.

[Brightness14]

I have read the latest report by US Professor Matt Budoff at UCLA.

Look up Dr Malcolm Kenrick he posts this on his web site The US study provides strong evidence that a very high LDL as seen by people on a KETO DIET has no impact on coronary artery plaque progression.

[Brightness14]

I have read the latest report by US Professor Matt Budoff at UCLA.

Look up Dr Malcolm Kenrick he posts this on his web site The US study provides strong evidence that a very high LDL as seen by people on a KETO DIET has no impact on coronary artery plaque progression.