I’ve got a telephone consultation with my endo this Friday and am writing to ask for your views on my test results in advance.
I had a lot of blood work done in April in preparation for an endo appt which was rearranged, so I had to repeat the thyroid panel this month. There was very little difference – my results have remained roughly the same for a while.
Test Result Range Average % Average
Thyroid Panel (All “Tell patient normal” apart from TSH (suggest may be over replaced etc)
I followed the HU protocol for pre-test medication.
I take Lio 5 mcg am and late afternoon, Levo 75 just before bed and sublingual Vit D + K.
My diet is restricted (Low FODMAP AIP) following working with a nutritionist in 2019 (stopped 2020). I could do with reviewing this, but
I think I’m very lucky symptoms wise, but am on a long waiting list to see if I have Sleep Aponea which can be common with Hashi’s. My nails are very brittle and break if I look at them. My skin is very fragile and a brush with a cardboard box leaves a blood bruise similar to a blood draw in the back of an elderly person’s hand (I could be classified as elderly – but not by me!)
I’ve not had the vaccine and may have had non-symptomatic covid judging by Beau’s lines. I am careful when going out etc. to protect myself and others.
Interestingly, in the last few weeks I’ve noticed that my deeply scalloped and canyon sized fissure down the middle of my tongue have reduced significantly – no idea why.
Greatly appreciate any thoughts on the test results, discussion with endo, supplements etc.
Many thanks.
PDS1
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I take Lio 5 mcg am and late afternoon, Levo 75 just before bed and sublingual Vit D + K.
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
Was test done as recommended…..levothyroxine 24 hours before test
B12 has dropped significantly
You’re not currently supplementing B12?
….you might want to consider adding a daily vitamin B complex
I don't know why the B12 has dropped. I'm not supplementing because I've only just got the results which show the reduction in level. Previously I thought it was OK.
I take two 5mcg - one am and the other late pm. The endo wouldn't give me more - I'm lucky to get any.
I forgot to ask (serious brain fog - MRI and CAT scans, various tests and more to come):
If you can tell if I’m converting T4 to T3?
Do I need to/can I take any action to improve:
• the low Serum ferritin, Serum Total Bilirubin Level, Total WBCs, Platelet Count and all Differential White Cell Count
Thorne Basic B recommended option that contains folate, but they are large capsules. (You can tip powder out if can’t swallow capsule)
IMPORTANT......If you are taking vitamin B complex, or any supplements containing biotin, remember to stop these 7 days before ALL BLOOD TESTS , as biotin can falsely affect test results
In week before blood test, when you stop vitamin B complex, you might want to consider taking a separate methyl folate supplement and continue separate B12
With serum B12 result below 500, (Or active B12 below 70) recommended to be taking a B12 supplement as well as a B Complex (to balance all the B vitamins) initially for first 2-4 months.
once your serum B12 is over 500 (or Active B12 level has reached 70), stop the B12 and just carry on with the B Complex.
Hello SlowDragon,Many thanks for all of your replies - I've downloaded all the articles you've referred me to. I'll read them this afternoon.
And I'll get the supplements as you suggest.
Do you know of a table or anything else which shows the US and the UK ranges for the same tests and how to convert the UK results to the US ones? May not be expressing that very well, but hope you'll know what I'm trying to say.
The percentage within range is the only way I have come across to legitimately compare results from different labs, wherever in the world the results are taken. The accuracy of the results will only be known to the lab and instrumentation will (should) be checked regularly with reference samples to ensure consistent results.
We have to understand the limitations of blood work. We all respond differently to medication and our bodies will be optimal at different levels. This is when things start to get tricky. However we do have SYMPTOMS. Sadly Doctors would rather work with blood results that they don’t know how to interpret than actually carry out an assessment including consideration of symptoms.
Doctors treat the upper and lower intervals on any blood test i.e. the range as a pair of goalposts and getting somewhere in between them is good enough. It is down to us to calibrate the results to how we feel and this is when we have to argue for adjustments to medication for our own health. I haven’t yet spoken to a Doctor who was aware of the possibility of comparing lab results by using percentages within range.
Hell, they don’t even know that TSH is the least reliable of all the measurements. They should be focusing on thyroid hormones not something made in the pituitary.
So just because doctors do not understand percentages within range, do not take this to mean it is not a valid method, it is simply the case that they are not taught how to interpret data and have a very poor understanding of stats (in the main) this can also be extrapolated to endocrinologists.
Since becoming hypo I have had to come to the conclusion, there is a gulf of difference between ‘doing science’ and ‘doing medicine’.
If your endo turns out to be a ‘keeper’ 😂 you might want to add them to the list thyroid UK Endos list. Not sure exactly how you do that - perhaps a quick email to secretary? 😊👍
Deep horizontal ridges or depressions, known as Beau’s lines indicate something caused the nail to stop growing temporarily. Triggers can include, according to an NHS website, covid symptoms.
They are transverse lines and ridges due to intermittent inflammation causing growth arrest followed by hyperproliferation in the proximal nail matrix. The lines and ridges move out distally as the nail grows.
I’ve read that if you measure them and then divide by – forgotten – it will tell you how long ago the event(s) tool place.
When I saw mine and cast my mind back I realised that I may have had covid and been to all intents and purposes asymptomatic – couple of hours of sniffles or very slight cough.
I’m trying to get an anti-body test to identify whether I might have antibodies and therefore probably did have it. Trying to identify the best test is difficult as major manufacturers are loath to commit to giving usable responses – certainly no recommendations and even if they would not in my life time – chase – chase - chase.
"As the toenails grow at a rate of about 1.62 mm per month, the distance of the Beau lines from the proximal nailfold in our patient reflects the timing of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection"
Hi, I don't think can assume that just because you've no lines that you haven't had covid. Being asymptomatic is tricky. And the lines can be caused by other conditions - nothing's simple!
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