I had thyroid cancer in 2015 ,i had a hemithyroidectomy , also hsve pernicious anaemia and fibromyalgia noth of which occurred after my thyroid operation.Since then my ENT has lowered my thyroxine to 25mcg last year and since then had wright gain and hair loss ,bald patches appearing.
Blood test shows thyroid is normal .
Could anyone advise please
'Normal' is a pretty meaningless word. When a doctor says it all he means is that your results are somewhere within the range, he doesn't care where. But 'where' is the important thing. Usually the ranges are so wide they cannot possibly be 'normal' all the way through, that's not logical.
So, if you could give us the exact numbers - results and ranges - we'd be better able to help you.
Doesn't sound like your ENT has much understanding of treat thyroid. He probably things that giving you 25 mcg levo tops up what the other half of your thyroid is making. But it doesn't. It stops your thyroid making hormone and replaces it. That's why it's called thyroid hormone replacement and not thyroid hormone top up. Lots of doctors make this misake. 25 mcg will lower your TSH so that your remaining thyroid will be unable to produce any hormone but 25 mcg is not enough to replace it.
I see in one of your past posts that you have high cholesterol. That would suggest that your FT3 is too low. Have they tested your FT3?
I will obtain my results and get back to you .Thankyou so muchx
You're welcome.
Serum TSH 2.61 mu/L range 0.30- 5.50mu/L .These are my results
They only tested TSH? Incredible! I really get the impression that most doctors are as thick as two short planks! How they can believe that just testing TSH, which isn't even a thyroid hormone, can tell them 'all they need to know' about what's going on in the thyroid, I really don't know. It just isn't logical.
Anyway, that TSH isn't normal. It isn't hypo but it does suggest that your thyroid is struggling. A truly 'normal' (euthyroid) TSH would be around 1.
Important to know: what time of day was the blood draw for this test?
Oh, and many, many people have symptoms with a TSH at that level because the symptoms have nothing to do with the TSH. TSH doesn't make you feel anything. It is T3, the active thyroid hormone that causes symptoms when it is too high or too low. And there's no way anyone can tell the FT3 level just by looking at the TSH. But, there's none so blind as them that don't want to see!
Thankyou so much ,i have just rang ENT and told them my concerns and that i need Ft3 to be tested ,i have spoken before to my thyroid surgeon about the hair loss etc ,i also mentioned to the secretary about my cholesterol levels which currently a special8st is trying to organise injections as i have been statin intolerant.I thankyou so much for your advise and hopefully they will test the FT3 .xx
Injections of what? I don't like the sound of that!
You don't need statins, they're a terrible thing to take. Your probably intolerant to them because your body recognises that you don't need them.
High cholesterol is not a disease, it's a symptom. And it's not a problem, anyway. It won't cause heart attacks or strokes, as doctors want you to believe, but statins might. Statins are far more dangerous than the cholesterol.
How is your iron/ferritin, by the way? If either of those are low, that will cause terrible loss of hair.
Hi .yes Thankyou ,i dont like the sound of that either. Serum iron level is 14 umol/L range 11.00 - 30.oo umol/L .......serum TIBC is 28 umol/L range 45-72Percentage iron saturation 49%
I dont see ferratin on there x
Well, that all looks pretty low. Ask for ferritin to be tested next time. That's your iron stores.
Thankyou ,i will do that xx
You're welcome. 
Hi Greygoose, I contacted ENT ,at first my thyroid surgeon said ,my tsh is normal and that my T3 was tested 2 mnths ago .and to go back to my gp to see what else it could be.I then told her that i have been going for blood tests etc now for 9 months blood tests etc due to hair loss ,muscle weekness etc and all that keeps coming back normal and that this only started when i was dropped to 25mcg.
So i got a phone call from ENT secretary yesterday and was told my Thyroid surgeon said i could up the thyroxine every other day and she will put up my T3 .
What is T3 ???
(I am not really up on thyroid as always just been concerned about my b12 ,which i have been now injecting and buying my own since 2016 after almost having SADC.)
She has asked to see me next week at ENT .
Thankyou for all your advice.xxx
Just got my results which are normal no action 2.61 mu/L .
Sorry, but that's meaningless. If we're going to comment on your results we need to see the numbers, as I said: results and ranges. Your doctor's idea of 'normal' is probably way off, if I know anything about doctors! It you haven't got the numbers, ask at reception for a print-out. It is your legal right to have one.
TSH is too high for someone on Levothyroxine
See GP
Request 25mcg dose increase in Levothyroxine
Plus test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12
Retest thyroid 6-8 weeks after EACH dose change
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 also autoimmune
Very important to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 at least once year minimum
Low vitamin levels are extremely common when hypothyroid, especially with autoimmune thyroid disease
About 90% of primary hypothyroidism is autoimmune thyroid disease, usually diagnosed by high TPO and/or high TG thyroid antibodies
Autoimmune thyroid disease with goitre is Hashimoto’s
Autoimmune thyroid disease without goitre is Ord’s thyroiditis.
Both are autoimmune and generally called Hashimoto’s.
Significant minority of Hashimoto’s patients only have high TG antibodies (thyroglobulin)
20% of autoimmune thyroid patients never have high thyroid antibodies and ultrasound scan of thyroid can get diagnosis
In U.K. medics hardly ever refer to autoimmune thyroid disease as Hashimoto’s (or Ord’s thyroiditis)
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
Post all about what time of day to test
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
Testing options and includes money off codes for private 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
Thankyou Slow dragon. I have replied to greygoose ,what has happened next. Regarding my ENT ,Thankyou so so much , Your advice made me push this❤️
Ps. My thyroid surgeon is afraid that i will become hypo ,but i have upped my throxine this morning from 25mcg to 50mcg until i see her next week .Xxx
Get bloods retested 6-8 weeks after being on 50mcg every day
Likely to need further increases in dose over coming year
Her secretary at ENT says i can increase every other day ? But i see her next week appointment ,am sure she also said she would increase T3 ,? What is T3 ? I really dont have any idea ?
Majority of thyroid patients take only levothyroxine - which is T4
T4 has to be converted in your cells to T3 (active thyroid hormone) before it can be used
T4 has 4 atoms of iodine……one atom is removed to turn it to T3
T4 and T3 also need be “free” …..unbound to other molecules
Approximately 20% of thyroid patients are poor converters of Ft4 to Ft3
These patients are then prescribed small doses of T3 (liothyronine) alongside Levothyroxine
The consultant seems to be thinking you are taking levothyroxine and liothyronine (T4 and T3)
My surgeon has been reducing my thyroxine over the last 6 years slowly as i had thyroid cancer and she had my thyroid suppressed after surgey as have hemithyroidectomy and wanted me off thyroxine completely as she said i could get osteoperosis ? Xxx
Osteoporosis can be caused by high Ft3 …..but can also be caused by LOW Ft3
Osteoporosis
thyroidpatients.ca/2018/07/...
Being left on inadequate dose Levo and/or being poor converter of Ft4 to Ft3 would result in LOW Ft3
So no……taking levothyroxine won’t automatically cause osteoporosis.
Most people on replacement thyroid hormones do best when BOTH Ft4 and Ft3 are at least 60% through range minimum
Being on inadequate dose levothyroxine will also result in low vitamin levels
Low vitamin levels results in poor conversion of Ft4 to Ft3
Low iron/ferritin linked to osteoporosis too
Osteoporosis and iron deficiency
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
ALWAYS test Ft4 and Ft3
ALWAYS test folate, B12 and ferritin at least annually and maintain at optimal levels
Ideally test vitamin D twice a year
Thankyou so much xx
THANKYOU SO MUCH X
TSH 2.6 is a bit too high for 'optimal' treatment with levo.... so if patients are not feeling well with TSH at this level , GP's ought to be willing to try increased dose .
GP's should really know this already ,the info is out there.. some of the recommendations below have been written specifically for GP resource sites .. and ALL of them advise keeping TSH below 2/ 2.5 in patients on Levo.
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu.... -list-of-references-recommending-gps-keep-tsh-lower-in-range
This may be useful too : healthunlocked.com/thyroidu... the-shoe-size-analogy.
Blood tests
Advise on blood tests
Symptoms but blood tests Normal?
blood tests
