Help with my daughter's results please

[dizzy864]

Hi,

My daughter is 40 years old and a senior secondary school teacher. She's been ill more or less continuously for the past nine or ten years, and getting worse. She's 5ft 7in tall and used to be a size 8. She is really obese now. She has a fairly small apetite but admits to drinking too much white wine as it helps with the depression! As she lives quite a way from us, we only see her every three or four months. Each time we are shocked at her weight increase and how ill she is. She literally is always ill. This time a terrible cough following covid for about the fifth time. A holiday in Malta last October, resulted in yet another hospital stay - severe asthma attack this time. She has a monthly experimental injection for her very severe allergies, which had resulted in several ER visits and hospital stays. She says this knocks down her immune system. She is allergic to gluten and dairy. She gave me access to her medical hub. These are the results:

April 19

T4 11.3 (9 - 23 )

April 20

T4 9.7 ( 9 - 23 )

July 20

TSH 2.95 ( 0.27 - 4.2 )

Free T4 14.4 ( 12 - 22 )

Free T3 4.63 ( 3.1 - 6.8 )

May 21

Thyroid Peroxidase antibodies < 9.0 ( <34 )

Thyroglobulin anti bodies 10.40 ( <115 )

0.77 ( 0- 5 )

Sept 21

TSH 1.19 (0.3 -4.2 )

Mar 23

T4 13.1 ( 9 - 23 )

July 23

Thyroid Perioxidase

0.14 ( 0.3 - 4.2 )

Sept 23

TSH 1.27 ( 0.3 - 4.2 )

T4 11.1 ( 9 - 23 )

Mar 24

TSH 1.85 ( 0.3 - 4.2 )

T4 14.9 ( 9 - 23 )

Thyroid Perioxidase 1.85 ( 0.3 - 4.2 )

I believe the doctors think there is a thyroid issue by the number of thyroid tests she's had over recent years. I am thinking sub clinical hypo but she has a huge array of symptoms. Huge weight gain, estreme tiredness, depression ( hardly surprising! ), severe allergies to lots of things. She really is always ill and her sick record with work is off the chart - coughs, breathing problems, asthma, laryngitus etc etc. Things have got so bad for her that she has quit her job and is moving back home at the end of July. She feels unable to work. She wants to get fit and lose the weight. I don't know what to advise. I posted here a few years ago and as a result she tried self medicating with levo. She started on 25mcg but said it made her a lot worse and stopped it. Her gp refuses to do anything as her results are all within range! She has referred her to counselling for depression. She is refusing to try self medicating again. To be honest, she's in such a mental fog, she can't think straight any more.

Could it be an adrenal issue and not thyroid or as well as?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Does she know to always test thyroid levels early morning for highest TSH

She needs vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 levels tested

Is your own hypothyroidism autoimmune

20% of autoimmune thyroid patients never have high thyroid antibodies

Has she had ultrasound scan of thyroid?

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Paul Robson on atrophied thyroid - especially if no TPO antibodies

paulrobinsonthyroid.com/cou...

Private tests are available as NHS currently rarely tests Ft3 or all relevant vitamins

Post all about what time of day to test

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Testing options and includes money off codes for private testing

thyroiduk.org/testing/

Medichecks Thyroid plus BOTH TPO and TG antibodies and vitamins

medichecks.com/products/adv...

Blue Horizon Thyroid Premium Gold includes BOTH TPO and TG antibodies, cortisol and vitamins

bluehorizonbloodtests.co.uk...

Only do private testing early Monday or Tuesday morning.

Link about thyroid blood tests

thyroiduk.org/testing/thyro...

Link about Hashimoto’s

thyroiduk.org/hypothyroid-b...

Symptoms of hypothyroidism

thyroiduk.org/signs-and-sym...

Tips on how to do DIY finger prick test

support.medichecks.com/hc/e...

Medichecks and BH also offer private blood draw at clinic near you, or private nurse to your own home…..for an extra fee

[dizzy864 in reply to SlowDragon]

Hi Slow Dragon,

Thanks so much for replying. The test was at 09.00 but she forgot that she should not have eaten. She has supplimented with Vitamins B12 and D3 plus K2 for many years. She agreed after her recent visit to start taking iron tablets. Gp won't test vitamins. She had private tests done 29 July 2020. Folate - serum 1.32 ug/L ( >3.89 ), Gp took no action! B12 - Active 39.0 ( >37.5 ), Vit D 109nmol/L (50 - 175 ). I don't think they've been tested since! I will get her to do a full private test when she is with us at the end of July. She's too tired and mentally exhausted to organize or do anything at the moment, hence her quitting work. She believes all her health issues are down to her stressful job and working long hours. She believes that if she has six months off work, she'll be able to exercise and the weight will drop off her and she will miraculously be well again. I seriously doubt it!!

The only time T3 has been tested was when it was a private test.

I have never been diagnosed with any specific form of hypo inspite of it being over thirty years since diagnoses. I did talk to a more knowledgeable gp that I had a few years ago. She refused to discuss it with me, " as it's totally irrelevant." She reluctantly agreed to test anti bodies. They both came back very low. I think it probably is autoimmune though.

My daughter has examined her neck and has no visible sign of a problem. Gp refuses to refer her for a scan without visible evidence of a problem.

She has lots of the symptoms of hypo - weight gain, fatigue, tired all of the time, thinning hair, puffy eyes, horse voice, feeling cold all the time, shortness of breath, allergies and rashes, frequent coughs and throat issues, asthma, very poor recovery from illness. I'm sure she could add a lot more to that list.

All are getting worse. She desperately needs help and I'm hoping when she's living with us, we'll be able to achieve something.

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to dizzy864]

Folate - serum 1.32 ug/L ( >3.89 )

B12 - Active 39.0 ( >37.5 )

These were both desperately low

Active B12 below 70 is considered suspicious and requires further investigation

She has supplimented with Vitamins B12 and D3 plus K2 for many years.

Was she taking B12 BEFORE this test

You can get ultrasound scan done private £100 approx

[dizzy864 in reply to SlowDragon]

No, she wasn't taking B12 before this test. GP refused to help. She bought B12 injections privately and used them for several months. Then went onto tablets, which she's taken since. I can't remember what she did about folate, so I ve asked her and I LL reply when I know. I LL tell her about the ultrasound, I expected that to be a lot more expensive.

[dizzy864 in reply to dizzy864]

She says she's been taking iron tablets since the low result. I ve suggested she retests all the vitamin levels.