Thyroid and blood tests

[Emmalizzie831]

I have recently been diagnosed, September 2022, with underactive thyroid.

Been taken levothyroxine 100 mg since then and my levels have been in normal range. However, my hair is still thinning and I am starting to get symptoms again.

They have done a full blood count and full thyroid panel and everything has come back “normal”

However, my ferritin is 51 (normal range, 10-291)
My B12 is 217 (normal range,211-911)

can anyone shed any light on this please? I have an appointment with a doctor as want to speak to them face-to-face because I don’t agree that they are normal as I am still suffering with all these different symptoms.

thanks in advance :)

If you’re in range they’ll probably do nothing. Drs seem to think in range is ok for anyone with an under active thyroid which is nonsense as most are still symptomatic despite Levo which I think is crap - I’ve been on it 44 years. So many people I speak to with thyroid issues tell me they still feel tired, lethargic, brain fog etc despite being on ‘optimal’ dose Levo with normal range blood tests. It is not taken seriously and you rarely get sent to a specialist it’s incredibly frustrating.

hopefully you have a better experience though. I’m fed up feeling crap and I can’t afford to go private so stuck.

@Shopper727 so sorry to hear this! It’s so frustrating isn’t it…!!! I’m hoping the doctor is going to take me seriously, she wants a telephone conversation, but I wanted to speak to her face-to-face! Fingers crossed.

If you Google thyroid uk they have a forum where you will get lots of help and advise on how to advocate for yourself. They've been invaluable for me, around how to word things with my gp to get the actual appropriate treatment. HTH

@onlymyselftoanswerto1 Ahh that’s fantastic!!! Thank you xx

Same
My TSH is 2.5 and my T4 13 and I feel shit

We need to know the ranges for the test results. In my lab the free T4 range is 12-22, so 13 is very low in range and you would probably feel better with an increase.
some people (like me) never feel well in levothyroxine (T4) alone snd need T3 as well, but it is very difficult to get this prescribed and I source my own. I also highly recommend the Thyroid U.K. HealthUnlocked forum.

You might have an issue converting T4 to T3 which make synthetic T4 (levo) useless for you. Did you get your thyroid antibodies tested?

It's the same range
They started me on 25mg levo when I'm 5ft 10 and totally ignored the NICE guidelines of dosing by weight. Now they won't increase it (on 75mg) despite the fact if you go off the guidelines I'm not even on the starting dose as 2.5 is "perfect"

I've thrown a total strop, and changed doctors
Appointment in 10 days with a consultant pharmacist at the new GP who hopefully is the best placed person on dosage

They said they won’t test T3 and T4, if the TSH is the normal range ANNOYING???!!!
spoke to an ANP Who was super unhelpful, very patronising and unsympathetic.
I managed to speak to a few people on the thyroid UK forum which is very helpful. So thank you to whoever suggested that to me.
Going to try B12 vitamins and iron vitamins because they were the low end of normal range. I mentioned this to the doctor and she kept on repeating, but they are in “normal range.”

I have found that forums and social media are a better platform to get help than any doctors.
nhs is going to s*!!

Nhs has been like this for years re thyroids unfortunately. (my entire life)They don’t care. The gp can’t force an endo to see you and if they reject the referral then not much can be done. It is incredibly frustrating and it’s great if you can source your own t3 but how can you medicate yourself?

I have no thyroid so congenital hypothyroidism I have nothing of my own working so rely solely on Levo and I feel crap on it whatever dose I’m on. Always tired etc never feel fully rested or energetic. It’s one thing that I found my gp is crap at and he’s really great otherwise. With iron and other vitamins you need to take them as far apart from your Levo as poss as they can interfere with absorption. I take spray vit d which is good that’s all. I hope you feel better soon op,

I could have written your post OP. I am the same. My hair is still falling out loads and although I feel better than I did, I am still wiped out from it. I have made some changes to my diet which have helped and am considering trying gluten free although haven't taken the plunge yet.

I have a different thyroid issue, but my folate and vitamin D were also very low in range. I've been taking a liposomal vitamin B complex, and the Better You vitamin D and K2 spray for a while now (those were recommended in the Health Unlocked thyroid forum), and it's made a big difference. Hair is growing back.

Optimal vitamin levels are needed for conversion of T4 to T3, from what I understand.