I had an Overactive Thyroid that’s was treated with a mix of Carbimazole and Levothyroxine. Things seemed to settle then around 10 years later I developed an Underactive Thyroid, since then I have never felt 100% well. I am around 17st stone. I have always lost weight then put it back on and more my normal weight was around 11 stone I look thin at that weight. I have developed Acid reflux, anxiety, and more recently high cholesterol and blood pressure. I get terrible cramps in my upper abdomen which causes shortness of breath when walking.
I take 125mcg of Thyroxine and medication for the other symptoms. I don’t want to take all this medication but don’t seem to have an alternative. I’m tired all the time. I do exercise and follow a low fat diet but nothing seems to get better. Every time I mention any of this to the doctor she checks my bloods and says everything is fine,
I have no idea about bloods and what they should be I asked for results to be given to me but these are what I got? Which doesn’t look like anything others are reporting can anyone help as I never feel well.
TSH 0.64
Free T4 20
Creatinine 62
Egrm. >60
Sodium. 138
Potassium. 4.3
I am told these are all “normal” ???
Written by
Janeyf54
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Might be 'normal' but obviously not working well for you, one of the missing pieces of the puzzle are your free T3 levels which is the active hormone and if you don't convert T4 well you remain symptomatic hence your high cholesterol and weight gain etc
Easiest to grab a private test from Monitor My Health using the Thyroid UK 10 discount code, also worth testing folate, ferritin, B12 and Vit D if your GP hasn't, also antibodies
I do exercise and follow a low fat diet but nothing seems to get better.
Could be that nothing is getting better because of those two things. Low fat diets are very, very bad for the health. The body needs fat. And eating fat doesn't make you fat, so it's not fat responsible for your weight-gain. Probably isn't even fat but water retention. And the only thing you can do about that is optimise your T3.
And eating fat most certainly isn't responsible for your high cholesterol! Fat and cholesterol are two different substances. And one does not magically turn into the other when eaten. In fact, cholesterol levels have nothing to do with diet. It is made in the liver and the liver keeps levels steady by making less when you ingest more, and vice versa. However, when T3 is low, the body cannot process cholesterol correctly, and it tends to build up in the blood.
As for exercise, that uses up your calories (and it's not calories either that are responsible for your weight gain) and you need calories to convert T4 to T3. If you become a poor converter, you will become more hypo and put on even more weight. So, my advice is: less exercise and more fat.
For full Thyroid evaluation you need TSH, FT4 and FT3 tested
Also both TPO and TG thyroid antibodies tested at least once to see if your hypothyroidism is autoimmune
Very important to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 at least once year minimum
About 90% of primary hypothyroidism is autoimmune thyroid disease,
Low vitamin levels are extremely common when hypothyroid, especially with autoimmune thyroid disease
What vitamin supplements are you taking…..if any
Recommended that all thyroid blood tests early morning, ideally just before 9am, only drink water between waking and test and last dose levothyroxine 24 hours before 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
Testing options and includes money off codes for private testing
As others have said you need full thyroid panel to find out what is going on. The nhs only tests tsh, very occasionally ft4, and very very rarely ft3. Its best to get these done privately. Its highly likely that your symptoms are a consequence of your thyroid hormones not being optimal. Please post your results when you get them and we can help sort things out.
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Why are we never really 'well' again, once diagnosed?
decreased ndt still not feeling well
So good to feel well again! 
feeling well?
