TSH blood result

[Daffodil565]

Hi, I suffer with underactive thyroid. My blood result for my TSH is 28 mlu/l. My GP increased my thyroxine to 125mg daily and will check my bloods again in six weeks time.

Free T4 and T3 is fine. I did have an overactive thyroid for many years and in the end had my thyroid removed. I had a benign adenoma and had radioactive iodine to shrink it. Few years later had thyroid removed.

I'm just wondering why my TSH has gone so high and if any of you have any advice on whether it may be a good idea to see a thyroid specialist.

Thanks

[GlowCoach 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.

Exactly what were you FT4 & Ft3 along with the reference range for each test.

How do you take your Levo?

Levo is an extremely fussy hormone and needs to be taken alone, on an empty stomach, an hour before anything other than water. Manypeople find taking it at bedtime works well for absorption.

Approximately how much do you weigh? Theres a rough calculation to work out how much Levo you might need:

weight in kilos x 1.6 = approx Levo dose

Have you tested and now supplementing low or deficient vitamin levels?

Being hypo affects stomach acid so we cannot absorb vitamins well from our food. Low vitmains very common in hypo people.

[Daffodil565 in reply to GlowCoach]

Hi My weight is 100kg. I usually do not have anything to eat before I take my levo, but do have coffee so that may be why it's not working properly. Will take hour before from now on. Thanks for your advice.

[GlowCoach Administrator in reply to Daffodil565]

So the very rough amount of Levo you would need is around 160mcgs, maybe a bit less but you're under replaced currently.

Strongly suggest you get vitamins tested and post results for comments.

You havent given reference ranges but I see you have a heart problem and your FT3 looks very low. You might in time benefit from adding some T3 to your Levo but essential to have optimal vitamins then.

[Daffodil565 in reply to GlowCoach]

Hi, yes I think I may need a bit more Levo, but my doc said no and that I have to take 125mcg for Six weeks and then repeat bloods. I asked today my GP to increase but she said no. She didn't want to give me too much.

Not sure how to go from here. I take Vitamin B12 and Vitamin D. They were low on my last blood test.

Thanks for your advice.

[GlowCoach Administrator in reply to Daffodil565]

You might be surprised once you stop drinking coffee too near taking your Levo. It will make a big difference.

How much B12 do you take and which form is it?

Exactly what were your low results along with reference range - numbers in brackets after your result?

Its better to take a B complex rather than just B12. This would also contain folate and all the other B vitamins that are needed as they all work together.

[Daffodil565 in reply to GlowCoach]

Hi I take injection for vitamin B12. Sorry don't have my previous blood results.

Thorens 25 000 LU. 2.5ml vitamin D I take.

I will get a copy of my results for my vitamins and post them.

[Daffodil565 in reply to GlowCoach]

I'm wondering why my TSH is rising and seems to be rising quickly as well. It went from 23 to 28 in a matter of days.

[GlowCoach Administrator in reply to Daffodil565]

Most likely due to taking it close to coffee. It just wont absorb well like that.

Most people on 100mcgs Levo would have a TSH under 2.

[greygoose]

Can you post your FT4/3 results, please? Otherwise, no clue what happened. Just saying they're fine is meaningless. It's someone's opinion, and who's to say that person is right.

[Daffodil565 in reply to greygoose]

Hi Free T4 15.19 pmol/lFree T3 2.63pmol/l

[greygoose in reply to Daffodil565]

Sorry, but we need the ranges. We always need the ranges because they vary from lab to lab.

[Daffodil565 in reply to greygoose]

TSH 0.351-5.5

FT4 11.91-21.6

FT3 2.26- 5.63

These are the ranges.

Thanks

[greygoose in reply to Daffodil565]

So, your Frees are not fine, as explained by SlowDragon. And that's probably why your TSH went up so high.

You say you take vit B12 and vit D, but do you take their co-factors?

The B vits all work together so need to be kept balanced. Just taking one isolated B vit won't do much for you. So, as well as the B12 injections you should be taking a daily methylated B complex.

Vit D increases absorption of calcium from food, so you should also be taking vit K2-MK7 to make sure that extra calcium goes into the bones and teeth, and doesn't build up in the soft tissues and arteries.

Also, vit D need magnesium to help it convert to the correct form for the body to use. Most people are deficient in magnesium and being hypo will make that worse, so you eally need to take some if the vit D is going to work for you.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Free T4 (fT4) 15.19 pmol/L (11.91 - 21.6) 33.8%

Free T3 (fT3) 2.62 pmol/L (2.26 - 5.63) 10.7%

My GP increased my thyroxine to 125mg daily and will check my bloods again in six weeks time.

Free T4 and T3 is fine.

These results show you are on too low a dose and Ft4 too low and very very low Ft3

Most people when adequately treated on Levo ONLY will have Ft4 at least 60-70% through range…..and ideally Ft3 at similar levels

Very low Ft3 frequently results in very low vitamin levels

Exactly what vitamin supplements are you taking

Not sure how to go from here. I take Vitamin B12 and Vitamin D. They were low on my last blood test.

How long since last test

Politely request that GP test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12

[Daffodil565 in reply to SlowDragon]

Hi, my last vitamin test was a good while back. I will kindly ask tomorrow if my gp will arrange for me to have those you mentioned checked.

I might just ask again to increase my Levo. I have very bad tingling in my hands, pains all over, swollen feet and wrecked tired and bad constipation

I'll have to discuss with the doc to increase my Levo. Definitely not waiting another six weeks!

Thanks for your advice.

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Daffodil565]

You need to wait 6-8 weeks minimum after each dose increase in Levo

You may not need next increase for several months

[tattybogle]

Hi Daffodil565, assuming your dose has only just been increased to 125mcg after getting those results ?,

if so then GP is correct to say wait 6 wks then retest to see the effect of that dose increase ..... you may or may not need further increases after that... but it takes at least 6 wks for the body to respond to this dose increase before you can tell if you will need more or not ... it takes the new dose a couple of weeks to stabilise to a settled level of T4 in the blood .. and it takes the TSH several weeks to respond to the higher fT4 levels .... and it takes symptoms a few wks to settle down to whatever they will be like after any dose change.

what dose were you on previously ? and when did you increase to 125mcg ?

[Daffodil565 in reply to tattybogle]

Hi, my previous dose was 100mcg five days a week and 25mcg two days a week. My last TSH reading was 6. The new dose 125mcg was just increased two days ago.

Might I add, the blood test I had done was originally 23.19 for my TSH a week ago, and doc did another test, and my TSH increased to 28 in a couple of days. Is that normal?

[tattybogle in reply to Daffodil565]

yes , TSH can rise quite quickly when thyroid hormone levels (T4/T3) are very low. That is quite a small increase, but don't worry about it not being enough just yet. give it a few wks and see how you feel. Taking it further away from coffee may also 'in effect' be a small dose increase.