This morning had a long ‘ difference of opinion’ with a consultant of ‘Geriatric falls and syncope’ about my raised HR ( c.95-115) following various BP/HR problems with 3+ years of Long Covid…she had decided it was likely related to my low TSH suggesting I was over medicated for hypothyroidism. All she had to go on was a TSH of 0.02 amongst an annual full blood count as part of my annual diabetic blood test last November. Talk about the third degree: had I had another test since ( so had to point out NHS lab wouldn’t do it if asked only 7 weeks later), ‘who is your endochrologist?’ Not believing that he could possibly have said that a detectable result was acceptable, and had written to the GP previously specifically saying this. I pointed out that FT4 and FT3 were in the 40%+ range, so hardly ‘overmedicated’. So then got the ‘but your normal might be low in the range naturally ( yes, but it could naturally have been high in range too)…etc etc. I was getting so wound up at this stage, that she sensibly allowed a ‘difference of opinion’, and changed subject and got on with a tilt table test. Makes you wonder if the stress before hand had altered the results? The test did show quite obvious postural hypotension problems on standing and high HR compensating for this…has any record of this ever been recorded/ suggested re. hypothyroidism ( and/ or treatment)? Actually she was a very nice woman/ doctor otherwise, but it was in the Newcastle area ( which has had a reputation among the hypothyroid world).
when does your low TSH stop following you aroun... - Thyroid UK
when does your low TSH stop following you around the NHS?
I'm nearly at three years post-covid. Notable improvement after two years, but I could still provoke some symptoms, including POTS, by activities last month. The past nine months have seen a return to regular testing, and it took a while for my TSH to respond, following cessation of one grain of Thiroyd per day, which I had been adding to levothyroxine. Covid had provoked thyrotoxicosis, and I also agreed to cut my dose of levothyroxine "just to get it over with" (a return to an "acceptable" TSH). My TSH increased to 4.2, so I increased levothyroxine a smidgen, and now my TSH is at 5.8. I had comparatively comprehensive testing included: I thought that, locally, FT4 was only tested for TSH under 1.0; my cortisol was tested, and anti-tTG antibodies for coeliac disease (although I wasn't instructed to consume gluten-containing foodstuffs).
LC has been very problematic, potentially affecting a huge range of organs…the least problemati ( without treatment) though conspicuous , being 3.5 years with lack of smell. With 5 BP/HR drugs and odd blood sugar levels ( as a type 3c diabetic) I am at last getting meds removed , and attuned but since before LC and taking any amount of T3 I seem to be stuck with TSH in the 0.02-0.04 range. It is not obvious to me that LC has altered my need for thyroid replacement …perhaps after decades it was already too knackered to be affected!
The hotline doctor suggested I monitor my blood glucose (I had an unused monitor, bought on a whim), and I went prediabetic, but controlled it with diet, yet my ruddy weight's gone up. However, it does tend to increase after infections, and I needed antibiotics six months ago. Part of my reason to cease taking a source of T3 was eye problems, which I still have, and are now being looked into (excuse the pun). Previous GP would offload to optician, who wasn't much help, and wouldn't/couldn't request anti-TSH receptor antibodies to be tested. Skin condition on lower legs, and their oedema, has worsened, making further infections more likely. Deconditioning was suggested by a GP, about a year after C-19, yet my problems when walking could've been due to sticky blood for all I know, and substantially resolved with no exercise (no walking for more than a couple of minutes) after two years. Throughout my life I've had several hyper phases in response to stresses, including infections. However, despite my suppressed TSH at the time, my FT3 was only 38% through the range, when I self-tested, before switching to treating with levothyroxine, only. Both it, and FT4, had been over-range when self-tested a year before.
Yes, Covid affected my blood sugars during infection stage despite my diabetic drugs/ insulin. Difficult to know whether this was more sinister in LC, my HbA1c is fine but now I have a libre2 monitor 24/7 I can see I have had hours of hypo glucose at night which might have there own knock on affects. Yes FT3 also c.high 30s level, tho TSH 0.02. I’m interested in your ‘eye problems’ , which you relate to T3 source; I am getting call ups for more diabetic eye tests re maculopathy, which is new…I thought this was linked to high blood glucose levels?
I've had gritty feeling, watery or gummy eyes for over a decade, and double-vision developing since 2019. It worsened with Covid, possibly due to thyrotoxicosis, and hasn't gone away. Someone local rapidly developed double-vision with Covid, last year, and had to change their occupation.
Medical Twitter seems very anti constant glucose monitoring, with respect to raised blood glucose. A family member, also with an autoimmune condition, but whose blood glucose control was fine, was hospitalised with serious consequences of Covid, and was getting hypos then, and when back at home for a couple of weeks. When readmitted (twice) via A&E at a different hospital, there was no food nor monitoring for the first 24 hours.
Like a number of conditions, I didn’t feel or notice anything different with my eyes, just picked up at my annual diabetic retinopathy test! Hadn’t had any problems in almost 20 years diabetic pre Covid, so open to suggestions it has done something as nearby nose definitely whacked…
Symptoms started in May 2020 before I had vax! Think I caught C.3 times and jabbed 3-4 times. Last confirmed C May 21, and I can see from my health dairies that stats like blood glucose levels or BP were elevated with virus but not jabs.
Sorry what is HR please ?
Sorry..heart rate!
Agh OK thanks - was wracking my brains couldn't work that one out - now I know !
? don’t understand
My bit was taken down. Don’t mention the war… no I mean Covid!
It’s the vaccine rather than Covid that’s the no- no.
What was wrong with that film…nothing!
The admin team do not have the time to view 40 minutes videos - and at least scan-read over 19,000 comments - in order to assess the right-ness (or wrong-ness), of videos.
Even if we had the time, we do not have the experience and understanding to make a reasonable and rational assessment.
Clearly, vaccine issues and advisability or otherwise of accepting vaccinations are not on-topic for this thyroid forum.
Please read my reply on this post:
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
Nor is it acceptable to keep posting replies questioning policy within another member's post.
Very interesting. The blanket use of ‘autoimmune diseases’ infers a connection with hypothyroidism. I got the impression that even within hypothyroidism, only a percentage would react to COVID, not all of us, either the virus or the jabs. BUT importantly don’t go on jabbing people who have had a definite reaction to either COVID or the jabs. The bowel microbiome I have definitely heard about over some years and I understand that - perhaps a more clear reasoning behind how many of us improve going gluten free. It all sounded pertinent but as usual still more to be learned. Thanks for highlighting it Marymary7.
This forum, unlike many others both on this HU platform and elsewhere, posted a policy about Covid vaccinations and posting.
This was intended to explain why posts and replies were removed or edited. Putting it in public and avoiding whispers and suggestions that were incorrect.
I hope you will note that mentions of Covid and, especially, long Covid remain. Neither is, in itself, unacceptable. Indeed issues arising from them in relation to thyroid are very important.
Vaccination Posts - Policy
when does your low TSH stop following you around the NHS?
If a doctor checks someone's records at all before a consultation they would probably read just the last few entries. A TSH from last November is still very recent. It might depend on the doctor how much they choose to read.
Yes, plus since my FT3/4 etc are tested privately they don’t appear in these NHS records! It got me so cross when it appeared to be an appointment totally unconnected to hypothyroidism; I’d even take all relevant thyroid letters and test result letters out of my health file to make negotiating discussion easier!
Yes, plus since my FT3/4 etc are tested privately they don’t appear in these NHS records!
Always give GP copy of full private test results at your annual review
Personally I haven’t had NHS test for roughly 10 years. As they only test TSH, and mine been below range or suppressed for years.
I give them printed copies of full test results including vitamin levels
Also printed copies of records of resting heart rate
Yes I do give them hard copies of tests, my monitoring etc etc, but they are only scanned into the records and not cross referenced into the ‘narrative’, so for eg this consultant could not see the endo’s letters or my FT3 etc results, just ‘dry’ routine NHS bloods.
Unfortunately they all seem to have this TSH suppressed thing in their minds. Mine is suppressed and FT3,4 both lowish, and endo happy, but the number of discussions when you see other medics/nurses…
Sadly a bit more heated than discussion having waited 14 months for an appointment I was not in that frame of mind to have a geriatrician wanting to ‘top trump” my endo and fine tuning!
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