What does it mean if your Free Thyroxine is low (10.8 pmol/L - 12 - 22 R ) and your Thyroid is small ?
My Dr is telling me he is unable to except my recent private blood tests which is annoying as I sent bloods of to MediChecks only this morning to check my Thyroid Antibodies which are normally very high.
I have been very unwell of late and wonted to take the results with me in July to show my endocrinologist. Having suffered with a thyroid condition for many years feel I am in need of some fine tunning.
I'm concerned because I have a heart condition and already suffered a heart failure.
Google.......
Low levels of thyroid-producing hormones, such as triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4), can change the way the body processes fat. This can cause high cholesterol and atherosclerosis (clogging of the arteries), which can potentially lead to serious heart-related problems, such as angina and a heart attack.
Thanks in advance you lovely lot.
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Jillymo
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Reading back on your last post or so it seems your Endo reduced your Levo by quite a lot. This is why your FT4 is so low now so you need to go back up gradually. You just need a dose increase.
Your Endo has made you ill by reducing Levo too much. Its best to adjust dose of Levo by maximum 25mcgs a time and often less.
Low thyroid hormones are as bad for causing heart issues as high thyroid hormones. We need ourlevels to be just right.
Antibodies don't cause symptoms. Once you know yours are positive theres no point testing them any more.
Be sure to test as per the protocol recommended: Test at 9am (or as close as possible), fasting, last levo dose 24hrs before the blood draw, last T3 dose 8-12 hours before blood draw & no biotin containing supplements for 3-7 days (Biotin can interfere with thyroid blood results as it is used in the testing process).
Testing like this gives consistency in your results and will show stable blood levels of hormone and highest TSH which varies throughout the day. Taking Levo/T3 just prior to blood draw can show a falsely elevated result and your GP/Endo might change your dose incorrectly as a result.
I did the blood early this morn before taking any meds . I have only rechecked antibodies because my endo wasn't aware they were raised ! It just showes how they dont bother to read notes !
You know and I know any reduction or increase in meds should be done gradually. My endo dropped my meds by 100mg all in one go ! I am going to take all results with me to my next app.
I had suffered heart failure and the Dr spotted my high levels and panicked I had no say in the matter they changed my prescription ! I tried to speak up but nobody would listen. I am seen by a professor would you believe ? If he doesn't act ASAP I will request to be seen by someone else. If I completely change hospital and clinic I will wait months on a waiting list to be seen.
I dont know off the top of my head what the levels were when they lowered muy dose. The endo I were under then liked to keep my levels higher and the TSH suppressed. Unfortunately he retired hence the new endo.
I have a lot of other conditions to contend with but have gone down hill since the vast drop in my Levo. I have contacted his secretary and attached the results but as yet not heard back. I will chase her again tomorrow.
I continue to be astounded at the treatment we hypos get from our medics. Jillymo I looked at your bio and I am even more shocked. You raise a lot of issues there. Are you suffering or have suffered everything on that list?
Definitely you need to find some practitioner who gives a damn!
Me too, some of the things you hear are beyond belief. Unfortunately the answer to your question is yes ! I have a diagnosis as long as your arm, it seems my antibodies are running riot.
I have seen more practitioners than I care to mention but none seem to converse with the other's. I am a part in various different clinics and all only treat the part of interest to them.
Yes I had to involve cardio (with the expectations you mention)) and same thing as you - no-one taking care of the ‘big picture’. Even going privately I have come across this.
There is a lot on the internet about anti-bodies and I think before your thyroid completely runs out of steam, info about them can be useful but always limited. By the time the anti-bodies show up the damage is done. Hypothyroidism makes me always feel I am looking in the rear view mirror.
How I wish we could get someone (NHS preferably) who is capable and not terrified of ‘thinking’ and using ‘curiousity’ to get us well. Too much avoidance of responsibility. Too comfortable with their careers etc etc.
I have always had very high antibodies and no newbe to this condition. My consultant must be well paid he only does one clinic a month ! You cant find a Dr these days wh does a full week, it's like bashing your head on a brick wall,
I had private bloods done and followed your advice and did early morn.
TSH 2.15mIU/L 0.27 - 4.2 R
Free T3 3.7pmol/L 3.1 - 6.8 R
Free Thyroxine 9.9pmol/L 12 - 22 R
Thyroid Perixidase Antibodies in 2021 63.2 IU/mL < 34 R
My vitamins were all in range........
B12 injections, folic acid, iron, Vit D3, calcium. magnesium, iron, folare and biotin & potassium - I have errosive gastritis and crohns so have absorbtion issues.
TPO antibodies don't 'run riot'. They are high, yes, but they have a job to do, and presumably they've been doing it, and that's why they're high. When the job is done, the number will drop again. They fluctuate all the time so really not worth continuing to test them. They are over-range, so are positive for Hashi's, and that's all you need to know. The actual number doesn't mean anything, it's not a measure of how good or bad your Hashi's is.
When the immune system attacks the thyroid - and it's important to note that it's not the TPO antibodies attacking the thyroid - the damaged cells leak their stock of thyroid hormone into the blood, causing levels to rise sharply, independant of your levo dose. At the same times, traces of TPO - Thyroid Peroxidase - a protein necessary for the production of thyroid hormones - also leaks into the blood, where it shouldn't be. This triggers the appearance of the TPO antibodies to over-see the cleaning up of the blood: the removal and disposal of these traces.
There are two antibodies that are used to diagnose Hashi's: TPO and Tg.
They might both be negative, or both positive. But they don't have to both be postive to indicate Hashi's, it can be one or the other. But, if either one is positive - i.e. over the top of the range - then you have Hashi's.
This is an analogy I wrote the other day. I used TPO ab as an example, but it also works with Tg ab:
Think of ants. There are always ants running around near a nest. But, imagine a dead wasps drops from the sky, just outside their front door. Masses of ants will come running out, cut up the wasp into managable pieces, and cart it away. Then, the number of ants milling around outside the nest will drop considerably and life will continue its normal course.
If you imagine the ants are the TPO antibodies, and the dead wasp is a trace of TPO in the blood, that's more or less how it works. You can't count the ants to know exactly how many there are, and it doesn't really matter. There are ants there, that's all you need to know.
A normal thyroid gland is 10-15 ml. If it is shrinking closer to 5 ml, this suggests the diagnosis of atrophic thyroiditis. TSH receptor blocking antibodies cause the destruction of the thyroid gland in this condition. These patients often need a higher proportion of LT3 medication, as they have difficulty converting T4 to T3. Did you have a thyroid ultrasound, and what did it show?
I had the ultrasound to look at my lymph nodes and they scanned my thyroid at the same time. My thyroid has been shrinking for sometime but written on the consultants report was ' small thyroid '. I am on T3 but only a low dose. I had suspected atrophic thyroiditis. I have increased my leavo by 25mg this morn and emailed my endo informing him of this. The T3 I will discuss when I see him next month.
I have emailed my consultant informing him I have increased my Levo by 25mg until seen in clinic where I can discuss my concern's. All though I suffered heart failure in 2019 I dont want to scaremonger other's on the forum. I do feel you are correct in saying this endo isn't doing me any favours. My main concern is to be able to function and to manage throughout my day. I have more than my fair share of autoimmune conditions so my body is constantly dealing with flare-ups and it's now hard to know what is doing what. I have found a good Reumy who has brought my appt forward so i'm hoping she will also write to my endo to give him a nudge in the right direction.
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