Blood test results show underactive thyroid - any advice welcome

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Hello - I've not posted in health before but thought someone here might have been in a similar position...

I started exercising a few times a week a few months back which resulted in some horrendous migraines within 30 mins of finishing exercising. I have terrible auras so can't drive and it leaves me feeling exhausted afterwards. After suffering for a couple of months I visited the Dr who suggested a full set of blood tests.

I went back on Monday and the Dr told me that there are signs of an underactive thyroid and to come back in 6 months for further blood tests. After having a sore shoulder all week and trouble sleeping I went back today (different Dr) she gave me some anti-inflammatories so I asked her about the thyroid result (I didn't ask any questions on Monday). She said that I do have an underactive thyroid but they have to retest before treating and to wait 6 months.

I've looked online and I have lots of the symptons (tiredness, feeling down, weight gain - this is why I started exercising, feeling the cold) but I also have other symptons, such as the muscle aches, blurred vision - could these be related too.

I'm not looking for any answers but just wondering if anyone else has been in this situation. Just feel like I'm waiting for my blood test in 6 months time but now wondering if I'm just going to keep putting weight on until then and not feeling great at the same time.

I have been on so many different sites and forums, my mind is boggling.

One had her Thyroid tested from her urine, but no TSH test.
Another has TSH levels as 5-6 mililires /deci.litre, as normal
T4 4-12 ug/dl - optimal 8
T3 27-47 - optimal 37%

I give up!

My GP tests only T4 and TSH.
If my GP accepts the TSH of up to 10 as normal now , or near future, my Thyroxine will be stopped But the poster with 99 . Sure it wasn't 9.9?

No it was 99 hence the phone call the next day from my worried GP and immediate referral to an endo, TSH is thyroid stimulating hormone produced by the pituitary gland to try and stimulate the thyroid to work as my thyroid was seriously inflamed due to the thyroiditis it was likely not working at all. Sending my system into overdrive trying to get it to work. I've tested +ve for antibodies so have hashimotos, which is an autoimmune disorder where the body attacks the thyroid.

I wish I had asked decades ago about my TSH, but was only in my 20s and went from raging overactivity to almost none on the treatment as was overdosed with Carbimazole.
I'd gone from a skeletal , ravenous nervous wreck to a bloated cretin with agonizing muscle cramps and slurring my speech in 10 weeks.

I do know that after I was cured of the overactive Thyroid my TSH must have been 3 something as 20 years later GP said I was slightly underactive and mentioned the number 4. ( that was in Germany)

ps
My last test in UK was a year ago and was 4.8. GP said it was OK

A quick update in case it's of any help to anyone else....i went back to the docs today and asked them to go through my results print out with me(as receptionist had just said everything was ok). There was actually a note from lab flagging up my results for further action / review in 3 months but the dr had not actioned it. My FT4 was 10, the range here is 9-19 so tech not hypo apparently. However after i had gone through symptoms dr has agreed to retest in 2 weeks. If result the same, they may start me on meds. So progress of sorts!

If you're unmedicated, your FT4 should be in the top 30% of the range. Yours is nearly at the bottom. What does that tell you?

It tells you, actually, that you do not have enough thyroid hormone - end of.

Thanks ROckinD, is all very confusing stuff! Dr said ft4 10 showed I had plenty in my body but I guess from my tsh that my thyroid is having to work that much harder?

Symptoms my sis and I had were periods stopped. That is a sure sign of hormonal disturbance

Hi there I havent much more to add other than a voice of support.

I've had Hashimotos since I was 10 and I'm now 34 so I've been through it all! You need to get to a good endocrinologist and stick to them like glue. Refuse any appointments with a stand in or registrar and demand proper treatment. I've found over the years that I need to be massively persistent and demanding to get what I need and I make no apology for that! I was lucky that my parents worked in a hospital when I was diagnosed so I was treated by a Professor - he got me on treatment v quickly however I spent about 4 years severely affected.

My GP is extremely vigilant about my blood results and openly discusses them with me. I'm now 16 weeks pregnant and I'm back under consultant care for the first time in about 5 years. I lost 3 stone last year and that weightloss made me unstable so if you are exercising a lot and have lost weight that can affect your blood readings by quite a lot. I went severely hyper in about 2 months.

The Thyroid Foundation website is helpful as there is a lot of overwhelming info out there to confuse you. Keep posting on your progress.

Another lurker popping up for advice.

I had full blood tests done a couple of weeks ago. I was pleased that for everything I was bang in the middle of the ranges, aside for thyroid where I was lower than the halfway point - TSH was 14.7 (range 12-22), while T4 was 2.89 (range 0.30-4.20).

Obviously I am 'normal' by the ranges, but do have symptoms which could be attributed to thyroid - cold all the time, tired, poor sleeping, weak nails, increased hair loss, breathlessness (though I am quite fit), putting on weight for no reason, which I can't shift, real brain fog and memory problems. Could my thyriod be struggling a bit, or shall I just suck it up and get a grip :)

Ta!

i guess it was the tsh that was nearly 3?
not that bad, although t4 seems a bit low at 14, so worth re testing if pos later on in the year, if the gp agrees, or a private test if not
did they also test ferritin and was it up near 100 or low near 10? and b12? if not, those could be worth checking

Ta for your reply mercibucket
Sorry, yes the T4 was 14.7 and TSH 2.89.
Ferriton was 33 (range 13-150)
B12 was 502 (range 197-866)
All very normal, I think.
Don't think GP would test again given I am so normal lol! I suppose I should be grateful, but I had hoped there was a cause of feeling so shite...

ferritin is quite low tbh and often causes symptoms at those levels, you need it a fair bit higher at around 90. i just use floradix or spatone to keep my levels up. when they drop i feel tired, cant exercise, cold etc. for ages i just thought it was my thyroid.
b12 sounds good
i would still try to re test thyroid in a few months tho. tsh is at its lowest in spring.

Ta again mercibucket. Ferritin is iron isn't it? I've not had floradix or spatone, but haven't tolerated ferritin tablets in the past :(. How else can you get levels up naturally?

Hope you are feeling well :)

Hi again all, i've had another round of tests; tsh gone up to 6.5, ft4 is 10 and antibodies "high"- 25 when from print out should be below 6? The lab printout recommends thyroxine and dr wants to do telephone app with me thursday- is there anything i should be asking?

ask for thyroxine! a trial if nothing else. also check all the other levels to see if b12, ferritin, vit d neec supplementing
your tsh shows your body is trying to get your t4 levels higher, so it is not happy with current levels, even if just in range.

sorry to miss the previous post about ferritin, as well. yes, it is your iron stores. try spatone, its v gentle. i hate the proper iron tablets but am fine with spatone. its really helped me feel wellagain

Thanks mercibucket, dr still says my tsh and t4 are borderline but has put me on levothyroxine at 50mcg due to my antibody levels. 3 months till next review so hopefully i will have seen an improvement by then! Getting rid of the tiredness and headaches would be a good start!

hope it works for you

if you start to feel sluggish again after a few weeks it could be time to ask for a blood test and an increase in meds

hi,looking for some more advice! been on 50mg thyroxine now for almost a month. although the numbness in my hands has gone, i still feel pretty tired and dizzy and still getting headaches (but not as many). dr told me to come back in 12 weeks for a review- does it take this long for thyroxine to take effect? thinking if going back next week to try and get dose upped. tsh 6.50, t4 is 10,antibodies 25 (6 is top of range). any thoughts would be gratefully received!!

it takes a couple of weeks but my gp was ok about re testing after weeks. i increased my dose anyway.
it takes quite a while to get back to normal tho, even when levels look ok, the body needs time to heal
make sure ferritin, b12 and vit d are all tested too, as those deficiencies can stop you feeling well

thank you again mercibucket! I've got a blood test appointment soon now, thinking there is no point hanging on till mid September not feeling good, but also don't want the Dr to assume I've given it no time to work!