Help with making sense of blood test results

[LakeToba]

Hello. I’m 49 with an under active thyroid diagnosed after 1st child nearly 15 years ago. Peri-menopausal, irregular periods with the last being last Oct. Mild symptoms I’d say but quite bad hip/leg pain and stiffness. Had recent blood tests which Dr says are all within normal range. Receptionist read out, on my request, over the phone. I think the cholesterol and TSH are high, although I don’t really know what’s normal for me. Haven’t kept a close eye on it as 100mcg of Thyroxine seems to suit me fine.
TSH: 4.69
T3: 3.9
T4: 17.4
Cholesterol: 6.9
Ferritin: 50.8
HbA1C: 36
I think there was Vit D and B12 as well but forgot to ask about those.
Do these results sound ok? I guess I feel ok but wouldn’t mind feeling brighter, less tired and so easily irritable with the kids! If anyone has any advice on whether I should talk to my Dr, despite him saying the results are all normal, it would be much appreciated. Thank you.

I never understand them, this is helpful
www.markvanderpump.co.uk/blog/posts/what-do-the-results-of-my-thyroid-test-mean

You could do with knowing your vitamin D & B12 results really and the lab reference ranges. Could you get a printout of all your results to see?

I had awful bone pain with vitamin D deficiency and neurological symptoms with B12 levels at the low end of normal. Some people don’t feel great until levels are in the optimal range for things and I only feel ok if my ferritin is in the upper range of normal.

Most people on thyroxine feel better around 1 certainly lower than 2 as per the link above. (Vanderpump is a good U.K. endo on this.)

Everyone is an individual however. I'd say that tsh is too high personally and trying 125 or alternate days 100/125 would be helpful (try 125 first.)

You might feel a bit buzzy at first but see how you are after 6-8 weeks and retest. If still too buzzy, try an alternate dose or 4 lots of 125 a week, 3 100s or similar.

Don't take anything with biotin in (a b vitamin) for a few days/ week before the test; it can alter the results.

Cholesterol may come down if thyroid improves. I'd try taking some iron too (4 hours away from thyroxine and with vitamin c.) as a higher ferritin is better for thyroid people, and most women anyway.

Your periods may resume but if they don't, watch the iron and get a retest as you won't be loosing as much each month and you used to and you don't want a high out of range iron! Around 100- 125 is a good place to stay.

Vit d result would be helpful as aches can also be linked to that. (I'm terribly achey at tsh 4 though.)

@Totallyworthit, thank you for the link. I will have a proper look at that. I will ask for a printout and ranges and my Vit D and Iron.

@WarriorN thank you for your reply. I actually found a letter from an endocrinologist my Dr contacted for advice 3 years ago! This coincided with me starting a new job so I didn’t follow up as job was my focus. Anyway, endo said my TSH should ideally be between 0. something and 2. something and that I should take 100mcg for 3 days and 125mcg for 4. Pretty much your advice! I will talk to my Dr about this. I did up to 125mcg years ago in the hope it might help me lose a stubborn stone I carry around with me! But I got some funny sensations like ‘aura’ and heart palpitations - probably what you describe as a bit ‘buzzy’, so reduced back to 100mcg.

Do you advise taking the Iron with Vit C? What amount do you think to push me into optimal?

Thank you.

Oh that's great! the letter is very helpful indeed, and hopefully you will feel better at that level.

Have to say in my own area the blood tests are now marked anything over 3 as "possibly needs more."

Iron is tricky; if you're not loosing blood through periods it should be fairly easy to raise on normal vitamin tablets and iron rich food, especially if you drink orange juice or vitamin c with it and avoid caffeine or calcium containing food. It's quicker with the strong ferrous sulphate but that can really mess with your tummy!

You could try the solgar gentle iron, I actually prefer spatone. My ferritin is 45 and I'm taking 2 a day around 2 pm with 250-500 dissolvable vit c (I'm taking berocca mid morning which has 500 in.) I previously had reasonably good results like that and will probably have to pay for a test in 2-3 months. (Gp did my recent test as I was having a lot of fatigue.)

Avoiding anything with calcium a couple of hours either side and any food an hour either side is probably ok, to help absorption. But I don't have any malabsorption issues etc.

I'd rather do it slowly without wrecking my gut but some are ok with ferrous sulphate.

There's a good group on fb called the iron protocol which has guidance around how much to take and when, different types and when to test.