Hello.I am 52.Not had kids.adenoids out when i was 10?Had PCOS when I was at university and had cysts lasered off.was on the pill to regulate periods until advised to have a coil when I was about 40 as up til then horrendous period pain etc.was on anti depressants from age 24 and then for next 25 years..prozac..citalopram ..sertraline..but drank a lot during this time too and smoked.diagnosed with interactive thyroid when I was mid thirties?on 150mg levothyroxine ever since.moods up and down but family life also full of trauma.had lots of jobs but went self employed 2008 but even here struggle with getting up each day as feel like I have been hit over head each morning.I was also told I had the breathing thing at night after having tests and was given a machine to get more oxygen but I hated the thought of the this and tried it only a few times as can't sleep like that with a tube on my face for rest of life and gave me more anxiety.my anxiety can get really bad.i weaned off my ciralopram over 6 months about 3 years ago through surgery and stopped drinking alcohol completely..I then split from partner and had more trauma and then got diagnosed with adhd and started elvanse which initially changed my life and I felt gave me focus.I am living back at mothers house pay tent and work for myself but I am once again on my knees and am in bed having not slept again as wake up unable to take a breathe properly..I think it's anxiety ..as it is incredibly toxic here with my mums husband and her but I cry at how tired I am.my last thyroid test was a few months ago and was this..T3 3.7 t4 12.3 tsh 0.71 all normal according to doctor..is it??any advice guys?I would appreciate any any feedback X
Advice please!!: Hello.I am 52.Not had kids... - Thyroid UK
Advice please!!
T3 3.7 t4 12.3 tsh 0.71 all normal according to doctor..is it??
Can you add ranges on these results
Was test done early morning and last dose levothyroxine 24 hours before test
Ft4 and Ft3 both look very low …..need range to confirm
Also you need vitamin D, folate, B12 and ferritin levels tested
PCOS suggests your hypothyroidism is autoimmune also called Hashimoto’s
About 90% of primary hypothyroidism is autoimmune thyroid disease, usually diagnosed by high TPO and/or high TG thyroid antibodies
Autoimmune thyroid disease with goitre is Hashimoto’s
Autoimmune thyroid disease without goitre is Ord’s thyroiditis.
Both are autoimmune and generally called Hashimoto’s.
Significant minority of Hashimoto’s patients only have high TG antibodies (thyroglobulin)
20% of autoimmune thyroid patients never have high thyroid antibodies and ultrasound scan of thyroid can get diagnosis
In U.K. medics hardly ever refer to autoimmune thyroid disease as Hashimoto’s (or Ord’s thyroiditis)
Sleep Apnea common with Hashimoto’s
Worth going back to sleep clinic to try different machines
Sleep apnea tends to raise cortisol levels and this can affect thyroid levels
Recommended that all thyroid blood tests early morning, ideally just before 9am, only drink water between waking and test and last dose levothyroxine 24 hours before test
This gives highest TSH, lowest FT4 and most consistent results. (Patient to patient tip)
Private tests are available as NHS currently rarely tests Ft3 or all relevant vitamins
Post all about what time of day to test
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
Testing options and includes money off codes for private testing
Medichecks Thyroid plus BOTH TPO and TG antibodies and vitamins
medichecks.com/products/adv...
Blue Horizon Thyroid Premium Gold includes BOTH TPO and TG antibodies, cortisol and vitamins
bluehorizonbloodtests.co.uk...
Only do private testing early Monday or Tuesday morning.
Link about thyroid blood tests
thyroiduk.org/testing/thyro...
Link about Hashimoto’s
thyroiduk.org/hypothyroid-b...
Symptoms of hypothyroidism
thyroiduk.org/signs-and-sym...
Tips on how to do DIY finger prick test
support.medichecks.com/hc/e...
Medichecks and BH also offer private blood draw at clinic near you, or private nurse to your own home…..for an extra fee
THANKYOU SO SO MUCH.Also ..how do I find out about my range?
Also...is this a Death sentence or can my health improve ?😔
What country do you live in?
UK england
This forum is U.K. based
You are legally entitled to printed copies of your blood test results and ranges.
The best way to get access to current and historic blood test results is to register for online access to your medical record and blood test results
UK GP practices are supposed to offer everyone online access for blood test results. Ring and ask if this is available and apply to do so if possible, if it is you may need "enhanced access" to see blood results.
Link re access
patients-association.org.uk...
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
In reality some GP surgeries still do not have blood test results online yet
Alternatively ring receptionist and request printed copies of results. Allow couple of days and then go and pick up.
Different labs have different ranges
Most common is 12-22 or 11-21 or similar
But some labs have range 7-14 or similar
Your Ft4 result of 12.3 would be low if range was 12-22
But it would be fine if range was 7-14
Most people on levothyroxine when on correct dose find they need Ft4 (levothyroxine) at least 70% through range - testing early morning and last dose levothyroxine 24 hours before test
Absolutely your health can improve
A) getting levothyroxine dose fine tuned
B) many members find they do better always getting one brand of levothyroxine
C) getting vitamin levels tested and improved by supplements to optimal levels can significantly reduce symptoms
D) assuming your hypothyroidism is autoimmune……gluten free diet and/or dairy free diet often results is astonishing improvement
E) sleep apnea. Trial different sleep apnea machines until find one that works best
Thankyou so much for all this info realky grateful.The only thing is the apnoea machine as it just gives me HUGE anxiety..I just cant do it.Is anyone else the same?I can't face a lifetime of sleeping like that
Getting thyroid and vitamin levels fine tuned should help sleep apnea
Gluten Free / dairy free may help with this too
Lots on members on here have sleep apnea
There’s great strides being made on different options on treatment
Ask for referral back to clinic if it remains an issue once your thyroid and vitamin levels are excellent
Lots of similar in my background. I always worked on the premise that “ if only I could work harder, I could sort this out”. Unfortunately hypothyroidism is very badly treated in the UK and even getting a diagnosis is, for many patients a very tricky path.
You have had excellent starting advice.
I just want to mention sleep apnoea. I have used the very words you have used. However now I feel very relaxed using it. Why? Desperation is one. I decided to give it the best chance I possibly could (with support on this Forum). It’s been a Hate/Love thing. Using the machine is not a cure for sleep apnoea, although your sleep can improve enormously. I am told that the best thing for sleep apnoea is losing weight. That’s difficult for most of us on this Forum because of our hypothyroidism and lack of proper treatment. I am doing very well on it now (after getting over myself) but there are still issues. However these issues are giving me pointers to understanding my hypothyroidism more ‘roundly’. I would not have this information if I was not using the machine.
I still hope the machine might become unnecessary.
I take the view if I can’t help myself, I can’t help myself.
Get this issue out of the way so you have a clearer view of what’s happening!
I started with the ‘waking’ @ 47x per hour. It’s 5 now and considered ‘normal’. Mostly I am unaware of these episodes now (before I just felt as if I was awake all night but changing thyroid dosage still causes problems for my sleep apnoea BUT I now know what they are and why they are. Your reasons will probably be different from mine, but at the root is sub optimal hypothyroid treatment.
Some people think it’s just about snoring. I am assured I don’t snore. However the whole throat thing is my problem. It collapses during sleep. Having tonsils removed I am sure makes this worse most likely, as there is less ‘tissue support’ left in the area plus a thyroid gland perhaps shrivelled or enlarged (depending on your diagnosis). I did read somewhere early on that tonsillectomy might even be the cause of hypothyroidism in some patients. The blood loss can be very heavy with that operation and ‘starve’ the thyroid of its blood supply. It’s such a thyroid issue (at least in my case) and until I find I can get better thyroid treatment, I think better quality sleep can only help.
It’s horrific what you have been through. In the end using a CPAP machine is no big deal in the whole picture of things. You are more important than that.
Don’t deny the help you can get for sleep apnea whilst sorting out all the other hypothyroid sh1t.
Not a death sentence! If you get the correct diagnosis and correct treatment, you can improve. I've had so much improvement since I started treatment. The information on here is amazing and people are so helpful.
Advice please
Advice Please
Advice needed please.
Any advice please?
Advice please - bit long, sorry
