T4 question

[Tpink123]

good afternoon quick question my TSH is 36 1 and my T4 is 9.0 is this ok? P

[tattybogle]

(Edit: .... just checking is that TSH meant to be 36.1 or 3.61? )

No ... not ok .... these results show you are hypothyroid.

Can you give us a bit more history and detail.

is this your first thyroid test ?

are you already diagnosed with any thyroid condition ?

are you taking any thyroid hormone replacement ?

any other current/ recent illnesses/ medications ? (these can temporarily affect thyroid results)

What is the ref range for that fT4 result (it should hopefully be shown in the report somewhere , it will look something like this eg. [12-22] or [7.9-14] or other.

[Tpink123 in reply to tattybogle]

thank you replying I’ve been porky for past year my Tsh has been ridiculous was 66:3 now 33.1 and t4 only been tested today as I’m in hospital I had a heart attack 4 weeks ago I’m sure it’s down to these levels I had my thyroid removed 20 years ago total removal. Past year just been out of control

[Tpink123 in reply to Tpink123]

taking 175mg thyroxine

Photo

[HealthStarDust in reply to Tpink123]

These are awful results and I hope the care team realise the risks to heart and undertreatment of hypothyroidism.

I can’t understand how a medical professional would keep your dose low enough for such awful levels.

Feel better soon.

[Tpink123]

thank you they don’t seem to care all they put it down to is menopause! I’m so dried

[tattybogle]

have you been kept in hospital since you posted last month ?

was it a heart attack then ? , (last post mentioned asthma attack /fast heart rate).

What dose of liquid levo have you been on since last post ? ... (or have they changed you to somthing else)

[Tpink123 in reply to tattybogle]

Came in to hospital with chest pain they didn’t believe me said it was my asthma’ knee it wasn’t did a blood test that showed I had heart attack has some Calle SCAD which is not very common it’s a tear in artery. Was kept in for 4 weeks was home for 19 days came back in 3 days ago with pain feeling absolute crap. I’m on 175 liquid thyroxine

I’m on heart medication the only thing different but my levels were bad before that

[Tpink123 in reply to Tpink123]

My T3 just came back 2.4

[tattybogle in reply to Tpink123]

Have your heart doctors ever talked to you about your very high TSH / low T4/T3 levels.

if so what have they said they are planning to do about that .... surely they can't be happy to leave you on 175mcg with TSH over 30 and such low T4/T3 levels ?

i'm very surprised they haven't increased the dose of liquid levo already , a month ago when you went in with heart issues TSH was over 60, but then i don't know what else is involved in their decisions when there are serious heart problems happening at the same time.

[Tpink123 in reply to tattybogle]

That havnt a clue I tell you they don’t seem to be worried they need to do something I can’t keep feeling like this I’m exhausted don’t sleep horrible

[HealthStarDust in reply to Tpink123]

See my response to tattybogle below.

[HealthStarDust in reply to tattybogle]

It’s really tricky in hospital settings (in the UK) and I believe highly dependent on the willingness/experience of consultant.

In hospital settings there is far more focused (lending itself to the risk averse/lazy professionals) on a non thyroid illness being the cause of skewed thyroid numbers. In the OP’s case, the heart attack. However, there are examples when people are actually diagnosed with thyroid disease while in hospital.

I do think it is imperative for someone to insist on a second opinion from endocrinology rather than another cardiologist.

[tattybogle in reply to HealthStarDust]

yes HealthStarDust, the TSH of 60 was at hosp while having heart attack ... so i can see why they may discount that sef of results as being due to Non Thyroidal Illness .. but they need to take into account Tpink was having significant problems with treating hypothyroidism before the heart attack. ( 10 mths ago TSH was 30 ish on liquid levo )

i agree about needing ot make sure the has been a second opinion on this ......

..... Tpink123 .. try asking the next doctor who passes that you would like an endocrinologist to have a look at your thyroid blood results and explain it to you ... because you are very worried that your hypothyroidism is not being addressed.

if that doesn't get you anywhere ,ask the next one ~and keep asking till someone explains to you what they are intending to do about treating your hypothyroidism

[Tpink123 in reply to tattybogle]

I saw that doctor when I was on here after the heart attack he said he wasn’t to worried and to stay on that dose will see me in November 🥲

[tattybogle in reply to Tpink123]

well we have no idea why he wasn't worried ... but your thyroid results of TSH over 30 and very low Ft4 / fT3 are very worrying ... so someone needs to explain to you why they are not worried

tell the next doctor you see that you ARE worried about it.

[Tpink123 in reply to tattybogle]

in April it was even worse

Colour

[HealthStarDust in reply to Tpink123]

The low result in March is very strange. Was that at the same dose? It’s yet another reason you need urgent input from endocrinology.

If you are able, insist on 2nd opinion from endocrinology and if not, request chaperone to discuss with or speak to hospital pals.

[HealthStarDust in reply to tattybogle]

Also… hasn’t Martha’s Law just been introduced for second opinions?

Yes, totally agree that the history before heart attack needs urgent review by endocrinology.

[arTistapple]

Start with doing tattybogle suggestion, immediately.

I can’t really read this post properly. Pretty much because I am incensed. ‘Everybody’ seems to know the connection between heart issues and thyroid. That is, everyone but doctors. This is downright negligence. I am going through similar stuff right now. I survived a heart attack 20+ years ago and I am still in the same situation with all this ignorance going on. My bloods showed ever so slight subclinical hypo before the original MI but was ignored. I find that today the same thing would happen again, due to the lousy National Guidelines. Basically because of the level of ignorance if ALL involved and especially the NHS endocrinologists who are directly involved in writing these so called guidelines AND they seem to have no clout as far as cardiologists are concerned.

Now off course I am no longer subclinical but my treatment remains unresolved.

I was just involved in a webinar yesterday (Professor Leilani B Mercado-Asis) who clearly states the connection between thyroid and heart issues. She also states that patients who are subclinical with heart issues should be thyroid treated immediately. It’s that important even at that stage. So how much more important is it now for you to be correctly treated? I wonder how long it will take this message to filter through to practising doctors?

How are we to be treated correctly in the U.K? Can’t the NHS apply some common sense to this issue? Idiots, the blooming lot of them.

You will probably need a good dose of T3 to help you get over this well. If you were not suffering from Low T3 before the heart attack you will be now. You will need it for your full recovery. You must push for an endo. Where are you in the country? Any good endos you can demand to see?

Tpink123 time for a change in our characters. If I find out how to do this effectively I will let you know.

[Tpink123 in reply to arTistapple]

I was sent home from hospital yesterday told me not to worry about it upped thyroxine to 200 and the Endo team see me in November!! Give up 😔

[arTistapple]

Ok so you need to make a pest of yourself using A&E as often as you feel the need. It’s tough but GPs only seem to be dealing with emergencies now, which of course is nonsense because real emergencies go to A&E. I can’t understand what GPs are actually doing now. Certainly can’t seem to get one to discuss ‘chronic’ problems.

There is always private but that has its own issues, especially for patients with heart issues. My private endo refused to treat me further when I had an issue with T3.