Possibly the TSH is below range, and that scares the proverbial out of doctors. And maybe he thinks you'll find that scary, too, although it's totally irrelevant.
Presumably the FT4 was tested at the same time as the TSH, but I doubt if your doctor even looked at that because he probably doesn't even know what it is. The lab just did it as part of the protocol.
Don't know if you know this but T4 is the thyroid storage hormone that doesn't do much until it is converted to T3. And the higher the FT4, the lower the TSH, in general, and vice versa. So, yes, there is a strong connection. However, once the TSH gets below 1, it becomes a very poor indicator of thyroid status (although doctors think it tells them all they need to know!) so your FT4 could be high - impossible to say without the range, though - but your FT3, the active hormone, could be low. Frankly, thyroid testing is a mess because doctors have no idea how it all works.
So, I'm afraid you won't have much real idea what's going on inside his tiny little head until you actually see him. But, refused to allow your dose to be decreased due to a simple TSH result, because, as I said, far from telling the whole story, it doesn't even give you the introduction! And at that level is totally unreliable.
The range is from 5-12 (which is very important to know) and the level is 11.1? So it's 87.14% through the range. Which is quite high, and would suggest that you aren't converting it to T3 very well. And you wouldn't want it at that level long-term because that's not good, and is possibly making your conversion worse.
BUT, how long was the gap between your last dose of levo and the blood draw? And do you have Hashi's? These things are also important to know.
I had 24 break & have hashi’s for years. The blood draw was 9.30. I am not quite sure what to do next ask to see an Endocrinologist that won’t be time soon.
Well, he's obviously decided to do nothing! lol 8 weeks does sound a little excessive, 6 weeks would do. And in that time, things could change, as you have Hashi's.
An endo would be of little use to you, at this point. They don't know much about thyroid, either. What you really ought to do next is private labs to find out what your FT3 is like. But, leave it until nearer the time you have the NHS labs, so that you can compare them, and give the FT4 time to go down, if it's going to. All your GP can do is reduce your dose. And that might not be very helpful if you're a poor converter. But we can't know that until you've had the FT3 tested, and he isn't going to test it!
Once you know for certain that you are a poor converter, then ask to see an endo with a view to getting T3 prescribed.
Well, don't be surprised if you don't get the FT3. Doctors tend not to want to test it because they don't really know what it is. They make all sorts of excuses but basically, that's what it comes down to. And, even if they do order it, the lab can refuse to do it. Yes, a lab technician can over-rule a doctor in this crazy hypo world!
Why does poor conversion happen? Could be low nutrients: vit D, vit B12, folate, iron/ferritin, zinc, selenium..., could be low calorie consumption, or low carbs. Could be a cortisol problem. Some drugs, like propranolol, can cause it. Or it could just be because you have Hashi's - Hashi's people are usually poor converters. But, there are many, many reasons for poor conversion.
In any case, you need optimal levels of nutrients for your body to be able to use the hormone you're giving it, so if you haven't had them tested recently, I would ask for them to be tested soon.
I had a call from the GP he is saying to reduce so that is 50mg per month which is good & slow. I did need reassurance that this high t4 may not be showing me I am now a poor convertor no you are like this because you are taking too much Levo. I agreed but my German brand does not do 25 or 50 so cutting this very fine tablet is <>^#*•. He said our best indicator of thyroid function is TSH but I had to disagree with that as you said. He has acknowledged that my symptoms are indicative of too much. What do you think grey goose.
I think he's talking out of his backside. How does he know how well you convert without testing the FT3? There's no way he can possibly know that. The TSH certainly cannot tell him because the pituitary cannot distinguish between T4 and T3, it just goes by the total amount of both hormones put together. He's making statements that he cannot possibly prove. Ask him how he knows you're not a poor converter. He will not be able to answer. He's all bluff.
I did say will this be safe for me to reduce as my TSH is low is are there any complications in this.
I don't understand what you mean, here. Reducing your levo will cause the TSH to rise. But the TSH is irrelevant, anyway, so why wouldn't it be safe because your TSH is low?
So, yes, your FT4 will slowly come down, but the problem is, your FT3 will probably drop, too. And as we don't even know what the FT3 is, it's a bit like shooting tin cans in the dark, and just hoping you'll hit one! Total madness! I do not understand how doctors can justify this type of action. Myself, I would refuse to reduce my dose unless my FT3 was tested first.
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.