Help please with test results. Needing to adjust thyroid replacement due to huge weight loss...

[Poppy_the_cat]

Background.* Hashimotos, for which I take Bovine replacement "Metavive".

I am allergic to Thyroxine and cannot tolerate Porcine.

* Sjogren's.

* 17 different food allergies.

* Gall bladder issues.

* HRT replacement.

* Huge stress; mother very unwell post Covid / PMR & GCA, and other huge stress issues.

Currently:

Recent discovery of a lump in my chest; expertly and promptly fast tracked to breast clinic in hospital. Massive stress, keeping it from everybody in the family. Thankfully all tests negative. No cancer.

But... Massive trigeminal nerve issue raised it's ugly head simultaneously and has 'combined forces' with myofascial pain. All in the last 4 weeks; it has been a nightmare. Given Diazepam which I took minimally to 'drag me over the worst'; quitting has been extremely unpleasant, side effects were tough. Tension and stress exacerbated by dealing with this unexpected lump.

Last year I was hospitalised for 7 days on up to three antibiotic drips a day for 6 days. ... All, only 3 months after having been told by one GP that "all my pain was in my head"...

*The Gall bladder issues; currently I have chosen to manage the situation through diet/lifestyle change for the time being, until my personal life improves - my mother is better; I have managed it so far, successfully. In 14 months I have gone down from an 18+ (almost a size 20 in the M&S ladies linen shirt range) to a size 14... I estimate I was heading north of 80 kilos....and am now down to 64 kilos wearing cotton leggings and trainers. I could have my own weight loss Tik Tok channel at this rate!

I have finally managed to get a huge raft of full blood tests, only thanks to a very cooperative nurse practitioner. We've figured out how to find T4 and T3 testing permissions on the computer system too 😉

These are some of my test results.

TSH 0.02

T3. 4.9

T4. 14.4

Vit. B12 is 395 Ng/l

Calcium profile.

Serum calcium level

2.22 mmol/L. [2.2 - 2.6]

Serum inorganic Phosphate level

0.90 mmol/L. [0.8 - 1.5]

Serum alkaline phosphatase level

53 IU/L. [30.0 - 130]

Serum ferritin level 31 ug/L. [11.0 - 307.0]

Serum albumin level

35 g/L [35.0 - 50.0]

(Notes, below reference limit)

Magnesium 0.88 mm/L

Vit D. 82 mmol/L [0.7 - 1.0]

Serum Sex hormone binding globulin levels 112 nmol/l [18.0 - 136.0]

Serum Testosterone level

1.6 nmol/l [<2.7]

Free Androgen 1.4 % [0.8 - 9.0]

Serum bilirubin level

8 umol/L. [<21.0]

Clearly, the huge weight loss has meant I am a much smaller body mass for replacement levels which before had me ticking over very sweetly.

I have been given a prescription for iron (I feel I've experienced hair thinning - which is also possible with speedy weight loss I understand, as well as gall bladder issues, so it's a double whammy)

The HRT patch on the ' derrière ' is not noted for influencing hair loss, in actual fact it is the tablet form of HRT that can. I use the slow release patch.

My calcium appears a little low, so I will seek out the sardines with bones..but in brine to keep the oil/fats to a minimum.

My vitamin B12 and Vitamin D and magnesium are looking as good as they are, because I've been supplementing. My previous vitamin D result was 52 back in February and I felt awful. Instead of taking Vitamin K, I have X2 poached eggs for breakfast which fulfils the RDA of vitamin K so I'm set there

All in all, the combination of HRT patch and what 'was' the correct thyroid replacement level meant I was pretty good.

A crisis just before Christmas when the 111 Dr. made my mother, who had hitherto tapered her prednisolone down to 4, told her to go up to 46 for 5 days and then come down to 3 on the 6th day... The GP had not been available. I was extremely concerned at such instructions from what little I know, only because of what I read here... These instructions precipitated all kinds of problems. When the GP discovered this, he called the consultant back from holiday on the 28th December to see my mom... Shortly after in January with all the stress, I had shingles again...3rd time in 12 months, so I followed advice on supplementing with vitamin B12 and managed to overcome these beastly shingles pretty well all things considered.

My current dose of Metavive bovine replacement is.

Metavive IV (80 mg complex) X2 tablets.

Metavive III (40 mg complex) X2 tablets.

Taking one of each in the morning and the same dose at night.

Splitting my dose of thyroid replacement... And going on HRT was a combined game changer for me.

On this dose I used to be great. Any less and I just wasn't well...but now it's very different.

Now I obviously need to come down.

Weighing 64 kilos now, I estimate I've lost 15% of my body weight approx so I'm wondering how much I need to come down by?

Any suggestions very welcome.

If anybody needs help losing weight I'm your gal! Discipline is easy when you get so much pain from your gallbladder you think you could expire!!

I must say, doing up my shoe laces now so easy it is a joy.

Many thanks in advance.

Poppy the Cat 😺

[janeroar]

hello you need to add the ranges to your blood results to make them meaningful.

[Poppy_the_cat in reply to janeroar]

I have not been given them. This is all I have.

[Stourie in reply to Poppy_the_cat]

Contact your surgery and ask for a printout of your results but they have to include the reference ranges. Jo xx

[Bertwills]

Hi, what an awful time you’ve had, I’m sorry to hear about it all. Glad to hear about weight loss. Can you add the ranges to your test results, it’s vital to see where in range you are. Every lab has different ranges. The TSH, T4 &3 are what we need.

I’ve taken Metavive but years ago so not very informed now. I guess you just start slowly reducing the doses & test as often as you can although leave 6 to 8 weeks after a dose change. Your TSH is low which is to be expected due to the T3 in Metavive. Any doctor is likely to want that higher. Don’t go too quickly with any reduction , you’ve done so well.

[Poppy_the_cat in reply to Bertwills]

Thank-you.I have only been given these figures, no reference ranges.

I know I am over medicated just by my handwriting...it looks like it's been written remotely by a very spiky pantograph!!

I will decrease slowly by a half tablet and see how I feel and retest in 6 weeks as you suggest.

I stopped the Diazepam abruptly after only 5 days and that was very unpleasant, I simply couldn't continue with it at all...

Right now getting on top of this myofascial/ trigeminal pain is also a priority. Having to bite down on your tongue in an attempt to gain 'feeling' in it once more, is not good!

Thankyou for your reply.