I've been on thyroxin for about 28 years on 250 mg about two years ago after blood tests doctor reduced to 200 each test since has been reduced I'm now on 100 mg over the 2 years I've pun on 2 stone in weight tired cold and have muscle weakness.
Recently have had my medical records and on the blood tests is says I'm NOT on thyroxine would it make a difference to the results
philvaughan, can you post the numbers from your most recent thyroid test? That will help us to answer your question more appropriately😊.
free t4 30.9 tsh 0.02
FT4 30.9 is extremely high!
This is whilst taking 100mcg levothyroxine a day? If yes, how long before the blood draw did you take your last thyroxine dose? And what time of day was the blood draw?
no 150 mg blood taken am about 12 hours i think
it says on report only relevant if NOT on thyroxine
So, if you took 150mcg levo around twelve hours before the test, and the test shows FT4 30.9, then your levothyroxine dose is far too high.
If you were not on thyroxine, those test results would imply you are hypERthyroid.
But you are on levothyroxine, which means you are taking too much.
This certainly could explain your symptoms. Yes, you can put on weight, feel cold, tired and weak when over medicated with levothyroxine.
thank you
Having had dose levothyroxine reduced over recent years……it’s likely you may have low vitamin levels
On Levo it’s ESSENTIAL to test and maintain GOOD vitamin levels
What vitamin supplements are you taking
When were vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 last tested
Please add most recent results
Testing thyroid levels it’s ESSENTIAL to test TSH, Ft4 and Ft3 together
Approx how much do you weigh in kilo
Guidelines suggest approximately 1.6mcg Levo per kilo of your weight per day
Do you always get same brand levothyroxine at each prescription
Do you always take Levo on empty stomach then nothing but water for at least hour after …..no other medication or supplements within 2 hours.
Is your hypothyroidism autoimmune?
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...
Medichecks and BH also offer private blood draw at clinic near you, or private nurse to your own home…..for an extra fee
Only do private testing early Monday or Tuesday morning.
Tips on how to do DIY finger prick test
support.medichecks.com/hc/e...
If you normally take levothyroxine at bedtime/in night ...adjust timings as follows prior to blood test
If testing Monday morning, delay Saturday evening dose levothyroxine until Sunday morning. Delay Sunday evening dose levothyroxine until after blood test on Monday morning. Take Monday evening dose levothyroxine as per normal
Monitor My Health (NHS private test service) offer thyroid and vitamin testing, plus cholesterol and HBA1C for £65
(Doesn’t include thyroid antibodies)
monitormyhealth.org.uk/full...
10% off code here
thyroiduk.org/testing/priva...
ft 4 30.9 tsh 0.02 folate 90.8 ferritin 22 b12 454 my weight is 89 kg many thanks
ferritin 22
Ferritin is EXTREMELY deficient
You need FULL iron panel test for anaemia
are you vegetarian or vegan?
cks.nice.org.uk/topics/anae...
Serum ferritin level is the biochemical test, which most reliably correlates with relative total body iron stores. In all people, a serum ferritin level of less than 30 micrograms/L confirms the diagnosis of iron deficiency
Never supplement iron without doing full iron panel test for anaemia first and retest 3-4 times a year if self supplementing.
It’s possible to have low ferritin but high iron
Test early morning, only water to drink between waking and test. Avoid high iron rich dinner night before test
If taking any iron supplements stop 5-7 days before testing
Medichecks iron panel test
medichecks.com/products/iro...
Look at increasing iron rich foods in diet
Eating iron rich foods like liver or liver pate once a week plus other red meat, pumpkin seeds and dark chocolate, plus daily orange juice or other vitamin C rich drink can help improve iron absorption
List of iron rich foods
Links about iron and ferritin
irondisorders.org/too-littl...
davidg170.sg-host.com/wp-co...
Great in-depth article on low ferritin
oatext.com/iron-deficiency-...
drhedberg.com/ferritin-hypo...
This is interesting because I have noticed that many patients with Hashimoto’s disease and hypothyroidism, start to feel worse when their ferritin drops below 80 and usually there is hair loss when it drops below 50.
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
Posts discussing Three Arrows as very effective supplement
Great replies from @FallingInReverse
re ferritin and Three arrows
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu......
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
Great reply by @fallinginreverse
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
Ferrodyn supplement
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
Iron patches
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
Thyroid disease is as much about optimising vitamins as thyroid hormones
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
restartmed.com/hypothyroidi...
Post discussing just how long it can take to raise low ferritin
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
Iron and thyroid link
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
Posts discussing why important to do full iron panel test
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
Good iron but low ferritin
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
Chicken livers if iron is good, but ferritin low
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
Shellfish and Mussels are excellent source of iron
healthline.com/nutrition/he...
Iron deficiency without anaemia
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
Ferritin over 100 to alleviate symptoms
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
Great research article discussing similar…..ferritin over 100 often necessary
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...
Low Iron implicated in hypothyroidism
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
Really interesting talk on YouTube, link in reply by Humanbean discussing both iron deficiency and towards end how inflammation can also be an issue
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
Inflammation affecting ferritin
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
Updated reference ranges for top of ferritin range depending upon age
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
Thank you for your incredible patience while you have been awaiting the outcome of our ferritin reference range review. We conducted this with Inuvi lab, which has now changed the reference ranges to the following:
Females 18 ≤ age < 40. 30 to 180
Females 40 ≤ age < 50. 30 to 207
Females 50 ≤ age < 60. 30 to 264l
Females Age ≥ 60. 30 to 332
Males 18 ≤ age < 40 30 to 442
Males Age ≥ 40 30 to 518
The lower limits of 30 are by the NICE threshold of <30 for iron deficiency. Our review of Medichecks data has determined the upper limits. This retrospective study used a large dataset of blood test results from 25,425 healthy participants aged 18 to 97 over seven years. This is the most extensive study on ferritin reference ranges, and we hope to achieve journal publication so that these ranges can be applied more widely.
no vitamin D result?
Please add ranges on folate and B12
no vit d folate range 8.8 to 60.8 b12 145 to569
How much vitamin D are you taking
Test twice yearly when supplementing
Can test via NHS private testing service
B12 and folate
Are you taking a daily vitamin B complex?
not been on vit d for many years
So likely vitamin D very low
Even U.K. government recommends everyone supplement vitamin D as minimum daily between early October and end of April,
Very common for thyroid patients to need to supplement daily and at significantly higher doses than average person
For GOOD conversion of Ft4 (levothyroxine) to Ft3 (active hormone) we need to maintain GOOD vitamin levels
ESSENTIAL to test TSH, Ft4 and Ft3
Likely your Ft3 is low with low ferritin levels
Typically aiming to maintain
Vitamin D around 100-125nmol
Serum B12 over 500
Folate at top of range
Ferritin minimum 70 …..and frequently over 100 better
Low stomach acid more common as we get older …..leading to poor nutrient absorption and low vitamin levels as direct result
Low stomach acid also common as result of reducing Levo
my weight is 89 kg many thanks
Weight suggests you might need 142mcg per day
Some people need a bit more than guidelines..
some a bit less
Everyone on levothyroxine needs to maintain GOOD vitamin levels
Otherwise we end up with high Ft4 and low Ft3
Blood tests 
Blood tests on Thursday 
Help with blood tests 
Re Thyroid Blood Tests
