Do I need to go back on thyroxine

[wimpyshrog]

Hello again everyone, I now have the results of my Blue Horizon Gold test and would be grateful for your advice/comments please. Thanks. Sorry read out has decided to print itself above. Tried to move it down but can't.

[DippyDame]

In a word, "Yes!"

[DippyDame in reply to DippyDame]

TSH 3.9 is too high....should be 2 or under

FT4 14.5 (12.1 - 22.1) =24% thro' reference range

FT3 4.7 (3.1 - 6.8) =43.21% ditto

We aim to haveboth Frees roughly approaching 75% thro' the ref range....but bearing in mind we are all different this will vary

But your %age numbers fall below what is considered acceptable and indicate hypothyroidism

Your symptoms are crucial in diagnosis. tick yours off on the following lists

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

The hurdle we have is that TSH now reigns supreme despite the fact it is not a reliable marker particularly since you have previously been medicated.

This might help

bmcendocrdisord.biomedcentr...

Time for a reassessment of the treatment of hypothyroidism

John E. M. Midgley, Anthony D. Toft, Rolf Larisch, Johannes W. Dietrich & Rudolf Hoermann

If you still fell symptomatic then in your shoes I would be discussing this with your GP who should not be leaving you suffering and who should be exercising his professional judgement in addition to referring to guidelines which are far too rigid.

We don't arrive with an instruction book at birth and neither are we machines that can be calibrated to a set point.....as rigid TSH guidelines try to do.

Reference ranges are just that, they are not, as is often quoted "normal ranges", and being within the range is not "normal" or right for every patient and should not be accepted as correct for patients.....it is the exact point within the range where symptoms are resolved that matters.

Current thyroid care is shocking as is evidenced by the number of patients arriving here who are copi g with wrong diagnoses or treatments.

If you are hypothyroid you are inevitably so for life and require life long treatment

If you still feel unwell......build a case for treatment from the evidence you have and ask to have your T4 reinstated. It looks as if you were never optimally treated in the first place....50mcg is just a starter dose

Also important to optimise vit d, vit B12, folate and ferritin to support thyroid function.

It's time medics were properly trained in all things thyroid

So, yes, I think you need levothyroxine....now you need to get that through to your GP. Make a list of all you wish to ask and say, stay calm....and maybe take your husband fo support and a second ear!!

If s/he fails to help and you continue to struggle complain to the Practice Manager that you are not receiving the help to make you feel better

Rant over!!!!

And good luck.

[wimpyshrog in reply to DippyDame]

Thanks for your reply DippyDame. Thank you for the links you have posted. Will get to read them tomorrow. I've been very busy today. Thank you for the time you taken in posting your 'rant'. I'm afraid I'm ranting all the time the way the health service is going down the pan. Doubt whether I'd get a face to face with a GP at our surgery, it's book for a telephone call. That conveniently crept in with covid and has unfortunately stayed.

[tattybogle]

realistically , many GP's would not be willing to restart levo at the moment , as your TSH has remained in range after 12 mths without any levo , and they are unlikely to see any issues with those fT4 / fT3 levels.

[wimpyshrog in reply to tattybogle]

Thanks for your reply tattybogle. That doesn't fill me with hope and I'm sure that is the response I will get from my surgery. It felt like they were on a purge to save money by cutting as many patient's medications as they could.

[tattybogle in reply to wimpyshrog]

To get it re-instated , you probably have to put the emphasis on your returning symptoms off levo and the soundness of your original diagnosis, rather than the current blood results.

and be persistent, keep being a nuisance , they may give it you back just to get rid of you