Can we have a roll call - thyroid problems - sign in here

[ivykaty44]

Can we please have a roll call on thyroid problems of either type?

pretty please casue I know there will be a few of us on here

As I understand it, TSH tells you how hard your thyroid is working ("normal" range 0.25-5.0) and your Free T4 tells you how much thyroxine is in your system (normal range 9-23). Your Free T3 I think tells you how much is actually being processed by your system (or something like that!)

Different Drs seem to have different ideas what "normal" is, the above are what mine think.

Hello just looking for some advice really. I am having various blood tests tomorrow as I have lost weight recently and am constantly tird. Does this sound like symptoms of thyroid problems? What are the other symptoms?

Hi mummytoplebs. Do you have any tremor in your hands when you hold them out. I also sweated a lot when I was hyper. Other symtoms can include increased bowel movements, mood swings, a feeling of being ravenous and having to eat constantly.

the thyroid UK site freelance posted earlier has a good list of symptoms.

Just found the Thyroid UK page on fb & someone has posted on their wall asking whether they should take their meds on the day of their blood test. The response was to not take them, which seems wrong to me - surely you're having the test to see what your thyroxine levels are on your current medication? What do you think?

I would be inclined to think the same bessie. although I do know carbimazole taks a few weeks to have any effect, however other thyroid meds could be different.

I've not been told to omit my levothyroxine on the morning of my blood test - interesting idea though.

What is the difference between chemical thyroxine and 'natural' thyroxine, please?

The difference as far as I can find out

Chemical thyroxine is T4 and natural thyroxine is T3 which itself changes into T3, whereas the chemical T3 stays as just that T4 and doesn't change into T3. T3 of course does certian things in your blood stream as it wizzes around

animal thyroxine has a different ratio of T4 to T3 than human thyroxine would be in our bodies - so if we naturall for example have a ratio of 2-1 and animal thyroxine has a ratio of 10 - 3 and that was why they wanted and have withdrawn animal thyroxine

that is as far as I understand

Thank you ivy.

I was curious as I am a very strict vegetarian and personal ethics come in to which medicines are non vegetarian.

Ladies (and any men!), when you had your blood tests done and you found out you needed help in the thyroid department, did your dr's surgery call to speak to you about the results? What did they say?

Had test done Tuesday, just had a phonecall from the surgery asking me to book an appointment, they wouldn't tell me the results but just said the dr had specified it wasn't urgent, just that he wants to see me?

I've quite scared now. They said the earliest appointment was next Wednesday but I said I couldn't wait that long and so a dr is calling me to chat tomorrow. What happened in your situation please?

It is so nice to see so many informed thyroid patients on here! With thyroid you really have to arm yourself with as much knowledge as you can and be prepared to fight your corner if your docs aren't up to date.

FudgeGirl Don't be scared. Maybe something has shown up in your thyroid tests but that would be a good thing as it means you would get treated. Just make sure to post the EXCAT numbers they give you here so we can take a look at them. Don't let them just tell you it is 'normal' or over or under active. Copy down the exact figures.

I always go for blood test without taking my thyroxine. Not sure why as it take more than a few days for thyroxine to affect you but I don't want an extra rush of thyroid hormone affecting my results so don't take them just in case.

MaryDances I am a veggie and wouldn't take natural thyroid hormone, but then again thyroxine seems to work for me as long a I am on the right dose. If you wanted to explore more than thyroxine you could try experimenting with adding T3. I know that works for a lot of people. Is thyroxine not working well for you?

Fudge - you need to ask all three main figures - T4, T3 and TSH

T4 and T3 are what wizz around your body
TSH is the trap door/kick back

all of the figures are important, my own t4 and t3 are now in normal range - but my tsh is not anywhere within range...yet!

Ok, spoke to dr. Blood test showed my TSH was 4.3 which doctor said was above normal 4.2 - which indicated my thyroid could be sightly underactive.

They want to see me again in three months for full thyroid test with T3 and T4 but said I can go back earlier if I want.

Does that sound right?

If it was me I would ask why wait? Why not get the t3 and t4 done now so we can have a full picture and take things on now and sort out.

Why wait 3 months.

I would book another appointment now - which will probably be next week or the week after and then insist that you get full bloods done and book again to see gp for the return of the blood tests

fudge my tell your gp its also about how you feel not just sceince - that is what my gp told me!

Thanks IvyKaty.

The dr was lovely on the phone (I thank god I moved drs recently, they have been fantastic compared to the ones I used to go to!) and underlined that it wasn't anything to worry about.

But I think I will call next week and get an appointment with the dr and see if I can get an appointment for the blood tests at the same time - because this isn't going to change or get any better in time, is it?

So no real point to wait three months?

FudgeGirl - I'd be back in there asap
Your TSH is too high and you have hypothyroid symptoms so you should benefit from treatment
Don't be fobbed off

I can't see why it would change on its own over three months - no it isn't any thing to worry about.

With hypo symptoms though why not get treatment which could help you and make you feel better in yourself.

Glad you have a lovely gp - it is worthwhile changing, it took me two years to make the move and when I did I didn't see a gp at the new practice for 11 months, then when I did she rushed me to A&E. At my old practice I wouldn't have even got to see a gp and always had to have a nurse diagnose.

Someone here on MN did have wildly varying results when she got retested, so it is possible.

When my GP told me I needed to be retested in 3 months before they'd given me anything she said it was because a. I was "borderline" and b. She didn't want to risk making me hyper. But ihad just had a MC so perhaps (she thought) that could have affected things?

If your symptoms are bad, then you should defo go back sooner & get the rests redone sooner rather than later.

Good luck!

One problem I used to have (I first fell ill 15 years ago) is that sometimes even when I asked my docs to check T4, T3 and basically look beyond the TSH, and he/she had actually requested this, sometimes the lab would make the decision not to if they thought the TSH was normal!!!! This hasn't happened to me for a few years now so hopefully it's a thing of the past.

Our only problem with going back to be re-tested before 4 weeks was the lab refused to redo thyroid tests any more than 4 weekly without a phone request from the doc or if you are pg. I have had many sets of bloods not tested because I was 2 or 3 days earlier than 4 weeks! I just went to have mine re-done last week and the nurse said - why they should be 8 weekly now but GP said 4 weekly as am still having hypo symptoms although I am at the lower end of normal for ft3 and ft4 and my TSH has only just caught up.

I am just back after having a new test done.
Our surgery do not do tests for T3 and T4.

The only time they will do these tests is if the TSH is abnormally high.

I asked about private tests and apparently they are not recognised by this practice. ffs They only recognise tests done by the area testing lab.

Sorry, but I think this is nonsense.

I managed to get an appointment to see a doctor but the first available on is 31st March. I feel very frustrated by all this. Is there an alternative? (Very rural practice so changing surgeries out of the question - the next nearest one is out of the boundary).

Sorry - this is a bit long!!

My DM was diagnosed with an underactive thyroid (graves) around 8/9 years ago - she's currently on 125mcg of levothyroxine a day. The doctors took over 5 months to diagnose it and she went through a terrible time - tiredness/then not being able to sleep/hair loss/ weight gain - and pretty much the whole host of symptoms that have been described by previous posters.

She managed with the help of her fantastic GP to get the levels of thyroxine right and he makes sure she has regular bloods done so he can keep on top of her levels, but she then developed really bad eye disease. This has to be the worst part of this awful condition - she has had radiotherapy to both eyes, orbital decompression surgery to both eyes (and an eyelid drop to one eye after the surgery) and undergoes a check up with her consultant every 8 weeks or so - another fantastic doctor who gave us his secretary's number so if she's having a particularly bad time he will fit her in to which ever clinic he has that day or as soon as he can.

She also has steriod injections to ease the discomfort in the eyes which do help - probably not the best option in the long run but they help reduce the swelling and redness and do give comfort when her eyes are itchy and sore.

Because of the situation with DM as a family (siblings) when we have blood tests taken our GP includes the thyroid test.

Doh - I had my repeat blood test today and had intended not to take my levothyroxine this morning but completely forgot and took it as ususal!

Oh well, I guess the others have been done after I took the medication so this will keep all things the same.

Wonder what the results wil be.......

Starflleet i was very interested to hear about the steroid injections for your dm eyes. I am waiting on an appointment about mine, they are getting so uncomfortable