Is thyroid causing my symptoms?

[Legomami]

Hi all, I’m looking for some advice about my blood test results and whether thyroid issues could be the cause of my symptoms. Also if anyone can recommend a doctor in Cardiff / South Wales I’d really appreciate it.

I’ve spent years trying to manage and believing (being told) my symptoms are due to anxiety, depression, being a mother, being a woman, getting old (I’m 40), being overweight and unfit, lack of effort and laziness. To write it all down is emotional because I’m accepting that something isn’t right, whether it’s thyroid or something else. I’m hoping there’s advice and medical help out there that is validating and compassionate to help me find my way through this. GP just says my results are normal.

Symptoms:

Fatigue

Brain fog

Swollen legs and feet, fluid retention

Plantar fascitis

Anxiety

Depression

Weight gain

Snoring / sleep apnoea

Fungal infections

Hair loss on legs

Poor temperature regulation, often overheat and very sweaty

Dry skin

Heavy periods (always had but worsening)

Medical history: gave birth in 2018, had significant nerve damage affecting one leg, bladder and bowel for >3 months. Then admitted with acute pancreatitis at 10 weeks postnatal, caused by gallstones i didnt know i had so had gallbladder removed.

Medication for anxiety since 2019, currently on venlafaxine which I am slowly reducing in case it is contributing to any of the symptoms (I know temperature regulation issues can be a side effect)

Very strong family history of unusual (and serious) autoimmune illnesses in both my parents and wider family.

I am autistic which I know is associated with hypothyroid issues and possibly being more prone to symptoms even when tests are within normal ranges.

Blood tests from May this year (mix of nhs and medichecks but I didn’t know the advice about timings and not eating etc so will follow those in future):

TSH 1.9 (0.27-4.4)

FT3 5.5 (3.1-6.8)

FT4 10.8 (8.9-17.3)

thyroglobulin antibodies 27.7 (0-115)

TPO 32.2 (0-34)

HbA1c 42 (42-47 is “pre diabetic”) has been borderline for a few years, when I tracked with a continuous glucose monitor for 4 weeks my levels were normal and estimated HbA1c from that system was 32. I know this can be affected by iron deficiency and other things.

B12 462 (130-900)

Folate >23.8 (>3)

Ferritin 28 (15-300) taking ferrous gluconate and feroglobin long term, ferritin is always <10 when not supplementing, attributed to heavy periods since first checked 15 years ago.

Haemoglobin 142 (115-165) now recovered after being down to 117 last year, >130 is normal for me.

Vitamin D not checked but I’ve taken daily supplement for 3 years.

Sorry it’s long, thank you for any advice or suggestions!

[pennyannie]

Hello Legomami and welcome to the forum :

In a nutshell - yes most probably - though your results are in the ranges -

your T3 and T4 are inverted - as your T3 is higher in the range than your T4 :

meaning you are struggling to function as there's not enough T4 in the ' tank ' to convert to T3 to give you more energy, health and well being -

and when T4 is too low - the body will ' protect ' T3 at the expense of T4 :

A euthyroid blood test reading would see a T4 at around mid-point and 50 % with a T3 tracking just behind at around 40 % through its range.

Your T4 is running at around 22% with your T3 running at around 65%

Were your T3 and T4 from the same blood draw ?

Your core strength vitamins and minerals need to be maintained at optimal levels -

I now aim for a ferritin at around 100 - folate around 20 - active B12 125 ( serum B12 500++ ) and vitamin D up at around 125.

Your ferritin is very low and this needs investigating - as low iron stores can seriously compound one's health, let alone thyroid function and conversion.

I think you need to see a knowledgeable thyroid specialist - as ' being in the NHS ranges ' is not the issue here - but the fact your T4 is too low -

and you will probably find you will feel better - once your core strength vitamins and minerals are optimised and acknowledged as suffering with hypothyroidism and having a prescription for T4 thyroid hormone replacement.

[Legomami in reply to pennyannie]

Thank you for your reply. I hope I can find a suitable specialist to see in my area, or virtual only if such a thing is an option!

I’ve looked at all the blood printouts again and no those T4 and T3 results weren’t from the same draw. That T4 came from GP but then to get T3 and TPO I went via medichecks and I got them mixed up when I wrote the post.

T4 from the same draw as the TSH and T3 above was 14.6 but with a different reference range of 12-22. Hope that helps.

[pennyannie in reply to Legomami]

OK - yes - I thought that T4 range looked a bit odd compared to the T3 range !!

So Free T4 from Medichecks was 14.60 in a range of 12.00 - 22.00 so that works out at around a T4 of 24.60 % with the T3 running at 65% - so it's still the same issue :

Thyroid Uk - the charity who support this patient to patient forum have a list of recommended endo and thyroid specialists - both NHS and Private - so it might be worth getting and seeing if there's anyone there you might like talk with - and don't forget many are still doing video appointments so distance need not be the issue it might once have been.

If you email admin @ thyroiduk.org you will be emailed the patient to patient recommended list - though have to say - it's only as good as forum members make it - by reporting and updating information -

You can start a new post asking for feedback on any medical professional and your replies must be by Private Message - as we are not allowed to openly discuss anyone - and if anybody replies the PM - Chat button - the paper plane icon - alongside the Alert button lights up and there is a message waitingthere for you on the Private Message page.

I'd first try your doctor and ask for a referral to an endocrinologist - and explain what I've explained if you feel it applies and makes sense - you might get acknowledged as having hypothyroidism - or have you already been knocked back?

Maybe a different doctor will see it differently - ??

[Legomami in reply to pennyannie]

Thank you, I will definitely email for that list!

I haven’t directly asked for a referral from GP yet as wanted to get the medichecks results and get as much knowledge as I can to support the request.

If a GP acknowledged that I do have hypothyroidism, would you expect them to start any treatment as a result or would that be for the specialist to decide?

[pennyannie in reply to Legomami]

I doubt the doctor will acknowledge you have hypothyroidism as your results are all in the ranges unless s/he has an interest in thyroid and have read up more on the subject than that taught at medical school.

A specialist is a better bet - yes - get the list as a start - and hopefully other forum members will respond here and also offer you advice - as we all learn from each other - and no one knows everything.

[pennyannie]

P.S. Forgot to say - as for your TSH - euthyroid would be down around 1.20/1.50 -

and over 2 signs of hypothyroidism creeping in - so at 1.90 it is starting to go out but sadly is still ' in range ' and without over range thyroid antibodies ' seen as good to go ' by most doctors I'm afraid.