A little advice on latest test results

[totk]

Hello all, you have all been incredibly kind and helpful in the past.. and I wondered if I could pick your brains again about my latest test results.. I have been following Ray Peat’s ‘non diet’ diet, and I’m wondering if actually it’s not working for me. To me I can see that my estrogen is at the lower end, but my other results seem to be fairly good..? A fellow ‘Peater’ told me that testing estrogen via the blood isn’t very accurate and that it can be stored in the tissues etc.. so how does one ever know their true hormone levels? Hack off an arm and send it somewhere?

I also retested my thyroid.. the first set of results I had just been following a carnivore diet, second set was after a few months on a more varied diet, 3rd set is after a few months following Peat’s recommendations to lower estrogen as I thought my symptoms were related to that - mostly bad PMS. My digestion has been better, but I have been taking digestive enzymes. Sadly this month I’ve experienced the most horrible breakdown and rage like symptoms in the run up to my period, amongst other PMS issues again after a good few cycles free of that - so I’m wondering if I should just try NDT.. and stop following diet trends in the hopes they will help things. In reality my mental health suffers because everything becomes about food, and then my stress ramps up and my physical health begins to decline. I did also do a salivary cortisol test in April which seemed to show good levels, I seem to remember queries over central hypo but I’m not sure as my cortisol was good. I think!

(Ranges: TSH: 0.27-4.2 / T3: 3.1-6.8 / T4: 12-22)

Feb 2024:

TSH: 2.25 / T3: 3.2 / T4: 14.3

Ferritin: 61.1 / Folate: 20.4 / B12: 109 / D: 144

April 2024:

TSH: 1.54 / T3: 4.1 / T4: 15.3

Ferritin: 51.7 / Folate: 31.1 / B12: 93.3 / D: 108

Aug 2024:

TSH: 1.94 / T3: 3.5 / T4: 14.1

Ferritin: 68 / Folate: 21.7 / B12: 135 / D: 179

Aug 2024:

Oestradiol: 272 pmol (range 82-1251 luteal phase)

Progesterone: 33.70 nmol (range 13.1-46.3 luteal phase)

Testosterone: 0.584 nmol (range 0.29-1.67)

SHBG: 76.10 nmol (range 32.4-128)

FSH: 4.2 (range 1.7-7.7 luteal phase)

LH: 6.5 (range 1-11.4 luteal phase)

Prolactin: 328 mlU/l (range 102-496)

Huge apologies for the ridiculously long winded message. Any insight would be hugely appreciated 🙏

[Jazzw]

For those who haven’t read your earlier posts—you aren’t currently on any thyroid medication, are you?

How old are you, if it isn’t too personal to ask?

[totk in reply to Jazzw]

Hi there,

No I’m not taking anything other than d3/k2 drops and digestive enzymes. I have never taken any thyroid meds. I’m 35, soon to be 36

[Jaydee1507 Administrator]

Are you remembering to test at 9am or earlier for highest TSH, which varies throughout the day?

Have you had your thyroid antibodies tested - TPO & Tg?

Your FT4 & FT3 are pretty low but TSH doesnt seem to be responding well so possibly an element of secondary hypo.

If you can raise ferritin a little more to around 90-100 this might help a little.

Suggest increasing iron rich foods in diet and eating them often. Chicken livers, pate, red meat etc

Link with ideas for dietary iron:

dailyiron.net/

[totk in reply to Jaydee1507]

Yes I always do my tests before 9am although admittedly this last test was done at about 9.10am because my non dominant hand would not cooperate and I had to resort to pricking my right ring finger and finally got blood flowing. Yes my antibodies are fine, no sign of autoimmunity. I don’t think!

TPO: 11.8 (range 0-34)

TG: 20 (range 0-115)

Thank you for advice on iron - I have a lot of frozen chicken livers waiting for me! I do eat quite a bit of red meat already in the form of ground beef, steak and oxtail. Perhaps not enough! I did wonder about my absorption but perhaps with my enzymes now it will get better.