Thyroid Cyst / T4 levels

[PoppyCat5]

Hello 🙂 I've been reading through all the posts recently and have learned a lot from the brilliant replies on this forum. I wondered if anyone might have any tips or ideas that could help me please?

I currently have no diagnosis of anything, other than that a thyroid cyst appeared in mid September. I'd not been quite right all summer so I think it might have been growing for a while. It was scanned, and that showed the cyst had been bleeding. I rested for a couple of weeks and the cyst became much less noticeable. I went back to work and it bled again and swelled a lot so I stayed home again and rested some more.

BP and HR kept increasing over the course of the following week and I then got really unwell one morning (faint, sick, lightheaded, high BP, high HR) but I have no clue if this could be related to the thyroid cyst or not. The GP wasn't too sure why I was so unwell but they were very kind and caring. The only trouble is, they didn't re-do my thyroid levels so I tested them myself with a home kit a few days into my recovery.

It's taken a good couple of weeks to get back to feeling okay again and it's really got me wondering whether that morning of being so unwell was linked to thyroid. Could the cyst affect how my thyroid is functioning or is that unlikely? Free T4 in particular had increased so much according to the finger prick test, but I accept that may be an anomaly? (Do anomalous results happen much with the home tests?)

May 2023

Serum TSH 1.15 (0.35 - 5.5) 16%

Free T4. 11.7 (7.00 - 17) 47%

August 2024

Serum TSH 1.12 (0.25 - 4.2) 22%

Free T4. 18.3 (11.0 - 25) 52%

October 2024 (home test)

Serum TSH 1.14 (0.27 - 4.2) 22%

Free T4. 21.4 (12.0 - 22) 94%

Free T3. 5.2 (3.10 - 6.8) 57%

Total T4. 111 (66.0 - 181) 39%

Vitamin levels are not amazing so having read through the replies on this forum I have started with the better you D + K2 spray and will keep testing with home kits and adding supplements as appropriate. I can't do too many finger prick tests all at once and the GP won't test anything extra. I guess that B12 is improving through having a decent diet? I have ordered an iron panel test which should arrive next week 🙂

I'm an active / sporty person so I'm trying everything to get my health and energy back on track after a year of not really feeling quite right so any helpful tips will be massively appreciated, thank you x

May 2023

Ferritin 6 (15 - 300)

B12. 292 (150 - 900) 19%

Folate 9.1 ( >3)

August 2024

Ferritin 30 (15 - 300)

B12. 413 (180 - 900) 32%

Folate 10.1 ( >3)

October 2024

Ferritin 31 (15 - 300)

B12. 460 (180 - 900) 39%

Folate 6.7 (>3)

October 2024 home test

Vitamin D 32 (50 - 200)

[Jaydee1507 Administrator]

Welcome to the group. If you could complete your profile it helps members understand your thyroid journey so far and be able to advise you better. Click on your image icon to start. Fill out the free text box at the top.

I would say that your thyroid results currently look reasonable. Thats not to say that they will always be like that so retesting in 3-4 months time might be worth while.

TSH is below 2, FT4 in the upper quarter of range and FT3 is pretty good too for someone untreated.

As you have realised your vitamins are a different story.

Have you discussed your low ferritin with your GP? NICE states that a level of 30 or less is deficiency. Recommended to get a full iron panel run before beginning any iron supplement as its possible to have low ferritin & high iron & vice versa.

Always take iron supplement 4 hours away from anything else as it can affect absorption of anything else.

A good methyl B complex would raise both B12 & folate plus all the other B vits.

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:

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

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...

[PoppyCat5 in reply to Jaydee1507]

Thanks ever so much 🙂 that's really reassuring to hear that the thyroid levels sound quite reasonable. Phew! I have discussed the ferritin / vitamins with the GP a couple of times - they gave me ferrous fumerate (I think that's what it was) to get the levels from 6 up to 30 but then that's it, no more help. So I'll have to just help myself! I've asked for an iron panel twice and haven't got anywhere so I've ordered a finger prick test.

I really appreciate all the links and comments that you've added; that's very kind of you and I'll have a good look through them in a bit.

[Jaydee1507 Administrator in reply to PoppyCat5]

When you get your iron panel results then do start a new post for comments on them.

Always take iron with vit C or orange juice to help absorption. It can take many months, over a year to raise ferritin to a good level, so keep going.

I'm sure that raising your vitamin levels will help how you feel.

Once you get your levels to a good place then you miht need a maintenance supplement to keep them there. As soon as you stop supplementing, levels will begin to drop back to where they were.

[PoppyCat5 in reply to Jaydee1507]

I will do 😊 aaw thanks ever so much! Have a lovely rest of the evening and I really appreciate your helpful replies x