Just had my 1st private blood test done.

[Britishfencingstink]

Hi all.I've only recently found this forum. Was diagnosed hypothyroid in 2011. I take 100 levothyroxine. Brand changes all the time. I never know what I'll get at the chemist. My daughter was diagnosed as hashimoto and she told me that I probably am too. When I asked my GP he said it doesn't make any difference as we treat you the same, only offering levothyroxine. Refused further blood tests.

I decided to use medichecks. My results are back. Nearly all results say that I am within their range parameters.

Except for thyroid peroxide antibodies which is over 408. Confirming hashimoto's.

My confusion lies in interpreting the results having read others on this forum. Do labs have different parameters?

Many thanks.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

High thyroid antibodies confirms autoimmune (hashimoto’s)

Free T4 (fT4) 17 pmol/L (12 - 22) 50.0%

Free T3 (fT3) 3.4 pmol/L (3.1 - 6.8) 8.1%

Results show you need dose increase in Levo

And currently very poor conversion

Did you test vitamin levels too?

Next steps

1) get dose increase in Levo to 125mcg

If GP reluctant, request as a “trial”

2) get coeliac blood test before trialing strictly gluten free diet

3) get vitamin levels tested and improve to optimal

4) work out which brand Levo suits you best and only get that brand. Get brand specified on prescription

Retest again in 2-3 months

[Britishfencingstink in reply to SlowDragon]

Hi. Thanks for reply. Yes vitamin levels all came back within range.

Screen shot

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Britishfencingstink]

What vitamin supplements are you taking

Are you on gluten free or dairy free diet already

[Britishfencingstink in reply to SlowDragon]

I am taking vitamin b12 and vitamin D+k. And omega 3. I am not on gluten free or dairy free.

[pennyannie]

Hello Britishfencing and welcome to the forum ;

The ranges can change depending on the machinery used to measure the blood test samples within the laboratory used -

and just being in a range somewhere does not give you back your wellness - with some ranges being too wide to even be sensible.

When on T4 monotherapy we generally feel best when the T4 is up in the top quadrant of its range at around 80% and converting to a good level of T3 at around 60/70 % through its range at around a 1/4 ratio T3/T4.

Once on thyroid hormone replacement the TSH should be kept under 2 and If with a thyroid Auto Immune disease we generally feel best with the TSH down below 1 and towards the bottom of the range.

No thyroid hormone replacement works well until the core strength vitamins and minerals of ferritin, folate, B12 and vitamin D are up and maintained at optimal levels and down regulation of T4 into T3 can also be hindered by inflammation, antibodies, any physiological stress( emotional or physical ) depression, dieting and ageing.

Looking at the above your TSH too high and your T4 is at around 50% through its range with your T3 way behind at around 8% -

Do you have a full thyroid panel there and share the rest of the results and ranges please ?

With Hashimoto's you are liable to ' wings ' in symptoms as this AI disease progressively attacks and disables your thyroid -

gut and food intolerance such as gluten, dairy, wheat etc seem common issues and since the thyroid hormone is absorbed and broken down in the gut - this might be where you need to also start looking in order to get back to a better thyroid health and well being.

Many forum members follow the research and suggestions of Dr Izabella Wentz who writes as thyroidpharmacist.com

[Britishfencingstink in reply to pennyannie]

Thank you so much for your reply. That's helpful. I don't have further thyroid hormone results. The medichecks test only gave the 3 shown.

[pennyannie in reply to Britishfencingstink]

Yes - thank you - I meant the vitamins and minerals which we now have but can't see a ferritin, antibody or inflammation marker which is detailed as CRP :

[Britishfencingstink in reply to pennyannie]

Thanks

Inflammation

[Britishfencingstink in reply to Britishfencingstink]

Ferritin

Result

[pennyannie in reply to Britishfencingstink]

Everywhere I researched when very unwell suggested ferritin needed to be over 70 - for any thyroid hormone replacement to work well :

I now aim to maintain my ferritin at around 100 - folate at around 20 - active B12 around 125 ( serum B12 500++) and vitamin D ar around 125.

I think we are just missing the CRP reading for inflammation - now see it - ok - would be better under 1 - so some but not too much upset going on inside :

as this and all the other bio markers can affect your ability to convert the pro-hormone T4 into the active T3 hormone.

[Britishfencingstink in reply to pennyannie]

Thank you. I was worried about taking too much vit. B12 and bit D. But I guess I can keep taking them.

[pennyannie in reply to Britishfencingstink]

I would think so - my ' aim to maintain ' is a work in progress as all things thyroid are - but yes, I think these numbers pretty much where we all need to try and be :

Just keep reading around - we are a patient to patient open forum and you'll learn more and realise you are not alone in all this and that there are positive outcomes once you know more and are able to advocate for yourself.

[Britishfencingstink in reply to pennyannie]

Thank you, again. So helpful. I'll keep reading.

[pennyannie in reply to Britishfencingstink]

If you get lost reading around - go back to your Profile page - press the Profile ion alongside My Hub - Chat - Post Alert - Menu icons and this takes you back to everything you have written and all your replies.

Conversely if you want to read anybody else's Profile just press the icon alongside their name in any reply -

We can all read all that is written on your post and if you want to reply to a named person please ensure you reply using their reply button within their message and their name automatically comes up when you write to them and then they get a message to come back to :

You can also draw someone's attention back by adding @ directly before their name which then should turn blue and they get a message to come back - eg Britishfencingstink - such a strange ' handle ' I couldn't type the end bit !!

Private Messages comes through the Chat icon - it is a different screen and private to the 2 people using it - as we are not allowed to opening discuss any medical professional by name.