The Perfect Storm of Polymyalgia, Thyroid Levels, Chronic Kidney Disease and the negative impact of the Prednisolone I take for the PMR!

[Benos123]

Good Afternoon,

After posting the following results about one month ago

TSH 0.537 mIU/L (0.35 - 5.5) 3.6%

Free T4 (fT4) 17.9 pmol/L (11.9 - 21.6) 61.9%

Free T3 (fT3) 5.13 pmol/L (3.1 - 6.8) 54.9%

T4:T3 Ratio 3.489 

the main advices I received were:

a) Levels are on the low side if treating but would be considered euthyroid

b) Vit D at 66 nmol/L is very low and should ideally be 100 -150

c) Ft3 and Ft4 look pretty normal for someone not on replacement thyroid hormone

d) The Prednisolone, I've been taking since 2019 for my polymyalgia (PMR), will frequently lower/suppress my TSH level

And then to cap it all off, I discover in recent days that the prednisolone can also have a negative impact on my chronic kidney disease (CKD) results and which btw have varied since my diagnosis in 2021.

My situation now is that my present GP, unlike her predecessor who treated me between 2004 & 2009 and prescribed eltroxin (Levothyroxine) on the basis of my symptoms, will not treat me as my thyroid blood test results are all "in range" although the TSH is marginal.

In addition, and as my GP and the Endocrinologists and Nephrologists that I have seen on numerous occasions since 2021, have never made any mention of the side effects of me taking prednisolone, I'm now at a loss as to how and where I might progress this matter further.

All suggestions are welcome and in particular from those who might have been down this road before.

Kind Regards,

Ben.