I am looking for some advice please. I had bloods done in April and my serum TSH was 0.55, just on the border of being low. I have had them repeated this week and they are now 15.3. I have got a lot of the symptoms of a thyroid problem and someone in work told me it looks like it’s visible in my neck that’s why I had my bloods repeated. I’m awaiting a GP appointment to discuss my results but what is this looking like?
I have attached the recent results
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Your latest results do show that you have a thyroid problem and whats called overt hypothyroidism which really just means that your TSH is high enough above range and your FT4 is also below range which should result in your GP starting you on Levothyroxine.
Have you had thyroid antibodies tested? Results can change quit fast when you have autoimmune hypothyroidism aka Hashimoto's where the thyroid gland is slowly destroyed.
Usual starting dose is 50mcgs, you take for 6-8 weeks then retest and according to results increase by 25mcgs, repeat until your TSH is at or just below 1 where most people feel well.
It's ideal if you can always get the same brand of levo at every prescription. You can do this by getting GP to write the brand you prefer in the first line of the prescription. Many people find that different brands are not interchangeable.
Always take Levo on an empty stomach an hour away from food or caffeine containing drinks & other meds. Many people find taking it at bedtime works well for them.
When hypo we get low stomach acid which means we cannot absorb vitamins well from our food, regardless of a great diet. For thyroid hormone to work well we need OPTIMAL levels of vitamins.
Have you recently or could you ask your GP to test levels of ferritin, folate, B12 & D3? Private tests are available, see link for companies offering private blood tests & discount codes, some offer a blood draw service at an extra cost. thyroiduk.org/testing/priva...
There is also a new company offering walk in& mail order blood tests in London, Kent, Sussex & Surrey areas. Check to see if there is a blood test company near you. onedaytests.com/products/ul...
Only do private tests on a Monday or Tuesday to avoid postal delays.
Recommended blood test protocol: Test at 9am (or as close as possible), fasting, last levo dose 24hrs before the blood draw & no biotin containing supplements for 3-7 days (Biotin can interfere with thyroid blood results as it is used in the testing process).
Testing like this gives consistency in your results and will show stable blood levels of hormone and highest TSH which varies throughout the day. Taking Levo/T3 just prior to blood draw can show a falsely elevated result and your GP/Endo might change your dose incorrectly as a result.
hi thank you for replying. No I have only had the thyroid bloods which are shown on the photo. Could this be why there’s been a big jump in results from April till now?
Thank you, I will see what my GP says when I have my appointment. I actually also have coeliac disease and know that these conditions can be linked.
My ferritin folate and b12 are fine however my d3 is slightly low so they have asked me to start taking some supplements.
A possible reason for the jump in your blood results would be an autoimmune attack on your thyroid. Results can jump either way, so levels go down or levels go up. This is more usual in the early days of the disease (I say early, but this can span many years sometimes).
Its also possible that you have thyroid nodules which can behave strangely sometimes and put out spurts of hormone. You could ask GP for a thyroid scan to check for this.
Certainly coeliac disease is linked to thyroid disease.
Do you have the vitamin results to share with us including the reference range for each test - numbers in brackets after your result.
Often what a GP thinks is OK is only just within range and not optimal which is where we need them.
You are legally entitled to a printed copy of your results, ask at GP reception. In England you can get the NHS app and ask for permission to see your blood results on that by asking at GP’s reception.
Ok great thank you. Actually looking at them now they seem to only just be within range.
Vitamin b12 my result 646. Normal range 197-771
Vitamin D my result 29. Normal range 50-125
ferritin my result 37. Normal range 13-150
Folate my result 5. Normal range 3.9-20.
The B12 result you have is a serum B12 which isnt as accurate as an active B12 result. It may be that on an active B12 your result would be lower and show need for a supplement.
Vitamin D should be around 100 - 150. Buy one that includes vit K2 to help it go to your bones. Some are available in oil or you can take it with an oily meal for better absorption. Many members like the ‘Better You’ range of mouth sprays that contain both vit D & K2. Use this calculator to work out how much to take to get your level to 100-150. Most people need a minimum of 3,000iu per day.grassrootshealth.net/projec...
Ferritin should be around 90 - 100 for best use of thyroid hormone. Suggest increasing iron rich foods in diet and eating them often. Chicken livers, pate, red meat etc
Link with ideas for dietary iron:
Folate - aim for a level of 20. Recommend taking an active/methyl (should say on label) B complex which contains 400mcgs folate (also B12).
B complex suggestions: Slightly cheaper options with inactive B6:
amazon.co.uk/Liposomal-Soft...
Contains B6 as P5P an active form:
bigvits.co.uk/thorne-resear...
healf.com/products/basic-b-...
Explanation about the different forms of B6:
helvella.blogspot.com/p/hel...
B complex comparison spreadsheet:
The thyroid can be disrupted due to illness or other external factors also.
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