First Private Blood Test

[man1412]

This is my first post to this excellent website, and I hope someone can help me understand my first private blood test - fasting, last levothyroxine 26 hours previously. No B12 supplement for three weeks prior to the test. I did find it difficult to get sufficient blood, this being my second attempt. I started before 9am but it was almost 9.30am by the time I finished!

My brief history is that I have had hypothyroidism for about 23 years, and for most of the time since 2008 I have taken the same medication - 50mcg levothyroxine and 20mcg liothyronine sodium. I have always been very tired and cold, weight gain, brain fog, constipation, dry skin, hair loss etc. My NHS TSH and T4 tests are always in range, with “Normal. No further action needed” results.

In 2013 I started with Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation, which progressively got worse - longer periods and more frequent occurrences of AF – until it ruled my life. I felt terrible with no quality of life. In June 2023 I had a cryoablation, which has been successful. Great! I did spend a week in hospital just after the op with pericarditis, and whilst I was there, a cardiologist stopped the T3 and increased the T4 to 75mcg. He didn’t consult me or tell me about the change. Since then my symptoms have worsened – I can’t sleep, and some days I am just so tired I can’t do anything. Most nights I have bad cramp in my lower legs and feet. All my joints ache and I have a flare up of Polymyalgia Rheumatica in my upper arms. Weight 68 kg.

I had an appointment with an NHS endo in December. He didn’t consider my symptoms at all, just looked at my test results and said I was on the correct dose of medication and discharged me. The last thing I want is for PAF to start again, but I really feel I need a higher dose of thyroxine. I feel so depressed some days.

CRP HS 1.170 mg/l (Range <3)

Ferritin 58.10 ug/l (30 – 332)

Folate Serum Lab could not test

Vitamin B12 Active >150 pmol/l (37.5 -188)

Vitamin D 95.4 nmol/l (50 -250)

TSH 1.220 mlU/l (0.27 – 4.2)

Free T3 3.6 pmol/l (3.1 -6.8)

Free Thyroxine 17.1 pmol/l (12-22)

Thyroglobulin Antibodies 22.80 kIU/l (0 -115)

Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies 315.0 kiU/l (0 – 34)

[Jaydee1507 Administrator]

Welcome to the group. If you could complete your profile it helps members understand your thyroid journey so far and be able to advise you better. Click on your image icon to start. Fill out the free text box at the top.

There's a definite nack to doing the finger prick blood tests and beng able to get blood to flow well. Following the instructions that usually come with them is very helpful.

Your TSH is still above 1 and the guide dose by weight calculation estimates you would need around 108mcgs Levo.

Your TSH is low in range and as well as a slight uplift in Levo you might benefit from adding a small amount of T3 (carefully) to the Levo.

You can try for a referral to an Endo to prescribe you T3 on the NHS. Email [e-mail] for a list of T3 friendly Endo's. Pick a couple near you and make a new post asking for feedback on them via personal message only.

It can be a postcode lottery getting T3 prescribed on the NHS. The alternative if you are able is to go privately which is faster and more simple.

Your Vit D is good as is B12.

If you aren't taking a separate folate I would recommend switching the B12 for a B complex which contains both B12 & folate and all the other B vitamins that all work together.

my interpretation.

Ferritin should be around 90 - 100 for best use of thyroid hormone. Suggest increasing iron rich foods in diet and eating them often. Chicken livers, pate, red meat etc

Link with ideas for dietary iron:

dailyiron.net/https://three...