Newly hypothyroid understanding resulrs

[blamethecat]

Last week I was told I had an underactive thyroid, forgot to ask specifics but now have a copy of results. But I don't really understand them. Can someone help my interpret them ?

What do you need to know?

Not sure what the figures mean ?

The free T4 is the level of thyroid circulating in your blood. It is very low - the 'normal' range is provided in the brackets.

The Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) is very high. Over 5 or 10 is considered high and indicating that treatment is needed. Yours is over 100. TSH indicates how hard your thyroid is being instructed to work to produce the required hormones (T4 and also T3).

You need to start thryoxine as your thyroid is not producing enough despite working very hard.

Well your results are well outside the 'normal' ranges, which are given in brackets on the right.
If you post your results and any questions on healthunlocked.com/thyroiduk/posts you should get plenty of help.

Thank you. I guess it explains why I have been so tired for a long time. Put it down to working full time with a child who rarely sleeps through and doing most the house stuff following dp having cancer 2 years ago. Been on thyroxine since last week also anaemic so started iron too.

I'm surprised you are still standing! It may take a few weeks to get your thyroid levels evened out but hopefully you'll feel much better soon. Did they test you for any thyroid antibodies?

I don't know. That is all that I have so far but I got a message the following day about the anaemia so possibly there were other results to follow? I went because I was bleeding between periods but I am always tired! I suppose I was thinking I wasn't that bad and struggled to fit going to the doctors in.

How much thyroxine are you on?

50mg. More blood tests in 5 weeks and a review of dose then

You'll need an increase when you go back as your thyroxine level is so low despite sky high TSH. Definately ask for antibodies for hashimotos to be tested. Also vit D and b12 and folate need checking as they are often low with thyroid sufferers which affects levo absorption.

Hi Op, I've just had a high TSH result and was told I'm heading towards hypothyroidism too, with low iron too. My level was nowhere near yours but I'm already symptomatic and was having tests because of chronic pain and feeling shattered all the time so you must be superhuman!

Not superhuman! I feel guilty because I have put being tired down to everything else when I could have been getting better meaning I have not been up to doing much with ds. Now he is at school we have less time to do stuff once I feel better.

I feel the same - I spent last Saturday either lying down or asleep and DS was just amusing himself. I'm not even at the point where I should be symptomatic!

Albadross many people are symptomatic with a mid range tsh especially if their ft4 is the low range. Those people benefit from thyroid replacement meds. You might need replacement thyroid meds?

I've just been told to get it checked again in six months

Honestly, I'd go back and say you can't go on like this. Get your antibodies, iron etc checked and ask to see an endocrinologist. It's miserable when you just want to go back to bed but don't actually feel anymore lively even then! That's how i was before treatment and i was on the fringes of so-called normal range🙁

Do you know what your levels are Albadross? If you're borderline but symptomatic they should be prescribing thyroxine (according to NICE guidelines).

Can't remember but it was above normal and my T4 and iron were both low. Could it just be a blip?

I doubt it's a blip as you are symptomatic. My TSH was about 4.3 and ft4 was around 12 when i was diagnosed. I asked for antibodies to be tested which showed i had hashimotos, so that encouraged Dr to put me on meds. After that they tested ft3 which was below range so that's why I'm on combination t3 and t4 meds. The range for tsh is very broad, which means people often get left untreated, with consequent lower quality of life. If you are over range, NICE guidelines say you should have thyroid replacement meds.