**EDITED 17.06.24 TO ADD MORE SYMPTOMS I REMEMBERED**
My Private Doctor wants to trial me on combined T4/T3.
Lab Results
Feb 2023
TSH - 1.33 (0.27-4.2)
T4 - 18.9 (12-22)
T3 - 4.6 (3.1-6.8)
D3 - 158 (50-200)
Iron - not tested
Ferritin - not tested
B12 - 204 (25.1-165)
Folate - not tested
May 2024
TSH - 1.9 (0.27-4.2) *had stopped taking metformin for a few months
T4 - 16.2 (12-22)
T3 - 4.6 (3.1-6.8)
D3 - 171 (50-200)
Iron - 10.2 (5.8- 34.5)
Haemoglobin - 114 (120-150)
Stauration - 18 (15-50)
Ferritin - not tested
B12 - not tested
Folate - not tested
June 2024
TSH - 3.05 (0.27-4.2) *still not taking metformin, but planning to restart
T4 - 19 (12-22)
T3 - 4.9 (3.1-6.8)
D3 - 130 (38-180)
Haemoglobin - 118 (126-270)
Ferritin - 20 (20-420)
B12 - 76 (39-210) * have not been taking b complex with B9/B12 for a few months
Folate - 4.6 (4-25)
So the question is should I be medicated on the basis of the above results, or should I just be focusing on increasing my Iron and Ferritin ?
My other concern with medication is - if I start medication, do I then have to commit to thyroid medication for life?
I have seen the struggles of thyroid patients when attempting to find their ideal dose and dealing with Drs and Endos and I am worried about being a thyroid patient given the care that is present under the NHS and tricky that can be to navigate for thyroid patients.
I am already being monitored privately for my pre-diabetes and hormones and have had surgery privately for the latter (fibroids) so I am trying to keep interventions to that which is strictly necessary.
History
I feel as if my thyroid has been up and down now for over 12 years and maybe longer.
I started having blood tests for another reason i.e. hormones and pre-diabetes and this is when the Thyroid issue was picked up.
As far back as I can remember i.e. @ 12 years ago, I’ve had hypo symptoms but my thyroid results have been ‘mostly’ in range for most markers but never really across the board i.e. I do not think I’ve ever had optimal TSH, T4 and T3 concurrently.
For example historically;
TSH
- TSH remained in range from @ 1.1 - 1.4 when I was younger, but in recent years now hovers around 2 - 2.3 and has on more than a few occasions crept up above 2.5 and further still on a few occasions above 5 and 6 (range (0.7 - 4.6).
- I have also noticed a trend from my blood tests that when my FT3 is higher than usual (but still not 'optimal') that my TSH is very high i.e. between 2.5 and 6 suggesting that my thyroid is possibly working harder?
- It’s also possible that my TSH has gone above 5-6 more than I realise (basing this on how I was feeling at the time) but was not tested as the NHS is not great for thyroid patients with the average diagnosis time being @ 10 years and I believe my case has only being discovered as I am monitoring another issue privately which is also dependent on the Thyroid working well.
- T4 - has hovered up and down between 12 and 18 over the last 12+ years but rested mainly around the 14-16 mark (range 12-22).
- T3 - has always been very low i.e. hovered around the high 3’s and low 4’s (range 3.1 - 6.8)
- rT3 - this has not always been tested. Apparently there are no labs in the UK that test rT3, so it has to be shipped abroad making it very expensive and so Dr’s don’t tend to test it. But on the few occasions when it was tested between the years of 2017-2019 it was always very high i.e. above or at the top of the range i.e. 20, 20, 29 (range 10-24) and 0.37 (range 0.14-0.54)
- Antibodies - have always remained consistently low or undetectable, although I will ask my Dr to test them again in @ 2 months.
My suspicion is that I have a rT3 or possibly a conversion issue caused by a few issues, which I have been working through over the years;
Iron/ Ferritin - this I believe to be the primary issue.
- My Iron/ Ferritin/ Haemoglobin/ saturation etc has been chronically low my whole life and even to the point where I would be dizzy walking down the road as a teenager when my periods began. I have struggled repeatedly to get this up only to give up in frustration.
- I am currently trialing heme iron to see if this will work.
- Also had a surgery a number of years ago, which necessitated a blood transfusion and I had the best months of health I’ve ever had in my life shortly after.
Cortisol/ Adrenal Health - I would say this is a close second to the Iron/ Ferritin issue.
- My AM Cortisol is always chronically low when it has been tested in the past.
- I have a very disrupted cycadian rhythm and have struggled with Insomnia for years I.e. over 15 years. I am not sure why this is but I have had periods of incredible fatigue to the point my GP thought I might have CFS.
- An Endo did a ‘Short Synacthen’ test a few years ago and I only just passed it i.e. my body reacted very weakly in the finally moments. I remember him commenting on this fact when he got the test results back. It’s possible that this is why my thyroid is working harder? (He also decided to put me on Metformin as part of that consult as he likely saw the pre-diabetes no one had yet picked up on.)
- D3 - again it was only until I started monitoring my hormones and insulin levels that I realised that this was chronically low and likely the reason I had HORRIBLE flu’s and colds every year. Previously I was at the very bottom of the chart i.e. not even in range i.e. chronically insufficient. Supplementing D3 10,000 iu + K2, helped me get this to a very good part of the chart to the point where I only supplement now @ 3x a week. I have dark skin so I probably should have always been doing this years ago. I also have an autoimmune condition and feel best when this is at the top of the range = no relapses.
- B12 and Folate - I have always had high-ish B12 or B12 over range with Folate being mainly at the bottom of the range unless I supplement. The B12 is a mystery because it has at times been very high even when I am not supplementing?
- HBA1C/ Insulin - this has been getting better the last two years and I think this has helped or rather ‘masked’ my TSH. My Doctor has me on metformin for this and I do mild intermittent fasting I.e. 16/8 to keep this under control and feel this has had a positive effect on my health. I understand that good FT3 levels however are necessary for good insulin signalling.
To date my SYMPTOMS have included the following:
- Fatigue / Exhaustion
- Insomnia
- Carpel Tunnel
- Cold hands/ extremities
- Weight gain
- Cracked/ breaking nails
- Thinning hair
- Dry skin
- Thick calloused cracking skin on feet (EDIT)
- Missing outer eyebrows (EDIT)
- (Anaemia ???) (EDIT)
- Edema - this has been very severe in the past (EDIT)
- Unexplained bouts of depression, anxiety, low moods, low motivation, low level agrophobia, and just feeling not great.
- Constipation (for as long as I can remember)
- Heart palpitations (noticeably when B12/ folate is high ???)
- Pain in calves
- Frozen feet i.e. neuro symptoms
- Body aches
^^ I’ve found the above extremely frustrating and wondering if it is now time to medicate despite ‘being in range’?
Long post so thanks in advance for your help/ thoughts.
Updated blood results
Help with additional test results please
VITAMIN RESULTS AND WHAT TO DO NEXT
Tests results just in -please, need help with interpretation :)
