Borderline thyroid

[SendARavenToRiverRun]

So, I've been suffering with typical underactive thyroid symptoms for a few years. I had bloods taken approx 2 years ago and they were all fine, aside from borderline thyroid.
No medication given and I've carried on until last week when I had bloods taken again.
Same story. All good aside from a borderline thyroid. To be repeated in a year! I can't go another year feeling like this.
I couldn't speak to a doctor. The receptionist gave me my results.
Am I within my rights to make an actual doctors appointment? Will they do anything?.
I'm so fed up of feeling crap. My GP (on the phone) was sounding sure I was peri-menopause. Guessing the bloods didn't detect that (and I've had no period issues, sweats etc. I'm 41).
Any one have any advice on where to go from here?.

Hi, I’ve had symptoms for years and also 41 yrs old. My tests have always come back normal but doctors only do TSH which apparently isn’t reliable and we are meant to have more. Now I have a large groiter on my neck appear (now I know why I’ve had restricted breathing for years since having dd). Anyway they now have taken me seriously and I’m booked in ENT in a couple of weeks time. Please check around your thyroid as I didn’t know I had it until I really looked properly. Good luck and I hope you get to the bottom of it.

Ring and say you've not been well for a while and are feeling low and want a face to face with a doc. You don't need to tell the receptionist re the exact problems tell them it is "personal" worked for me. (they may turn around and tell you that reception desk has been cleared to access record etc)

Initially, you get a phone appt but seek face to face - prepared bullet points ie your concerns and what you want to discuss

A doc fobbed me off as I asked about one thing and then when i asked about another thing she said she can only deal with one item per appt - i was nagry but remained polite - she was rude/abrupt so towards the end of the call I said to her "so when I call back and seek another appt I will say the doctor told me to make another appt.." The doc then listened to my 2nd concern - the whole call lasted about 7/8 mins. I am aware gP's have set times per appt but the whole attitude was wrong

What were your results? TSH and T4 T3 if appropriate?

@SendARavenToRiverRun I'm interested as to what borderline meant from your gp if able to share your results please?

I am pushing for more tests (now going privatel) after a normal tsh but low t4. The advice from my family members who have underactive thyroid is to have more test done including t3 and thyroid antibodies. They said you often have to manage it yourself and advocate for how you feel not just what the range is "normal".

I've suffered with symptoms a long time and now had 3 miscarriages. I have researched and t4 is essential for foetal development of which mine is just on the low side but still "normal". It is so frustrating how much you have to push for support for your health needs.

TSH

Your Value

1.12 mIU/L

Standard Range

0.27 - 4.2 mIU/L

Free T4

Your Value

11.2 pmol/L

Standard Range

11.2 - 20.2 pmol/L

If you are under 50, then with the most common forms of thyroid cancer, there is no stage four. Or stage three. If it spreads outside the neck (very rare), it's stage two and otherwise it's stage one. And even with spread outside the neck, the odds of survival overall are 77% for the most common form. And that's across all ages. I think it is significantly higher for under 50s, but I don't know what age you are.

If it is just in the thyroid or just thyroid and lymph nodes, the the odds of survival are...let's put it this way, I've read studies where they ended with "and we also intended to study the impact on survival, but we couldn't find enough people who died of it to get stats." The odds of survival are in the high 90s.

Thyroid cancer, however, really doesn't fit a lot of what one associates with cancer. For most forms, it's better not to really think of it in terms of cancer at all, which is why I just told so many people that I was having my thyroid removed. It describes the situation much more accurately as when people hear "cancer," they think "chemotherapy, survival odds, ongoing treatment, etc," none of which was my experience.

Found on a medical article made me feel a little less anxious thinking of it this way.

@Jodie569 i don’t think the op is suggesting cancer - it’s a borderline under active thyroid. X

I’d really recommend, if you at able to, paying for a full thyroid profile check from medichecks - you will then be able to see where you sit in the ranges for t4/t3/tsh and antibodies. To feel well my tsh needs to be under 1 yet the NHS guidelines say it can be up to 5. There is lots of info on Health unlocked and Stop the thyroid madness. You can buy freeze dried porcine thyroid online that contains t3 but to use it safely, ideally you’d be having regular blood tests that measure t3.

Sorry this was meant for another forum. Just trying to delete it.

I was borderline hypothyroid but was treated with 50micrograms of levothyroxine which was later increased to 75micrograms. This was in 2017 so don’t know if guidelines have changed since then?

Hi Bella, I have most of the symptoms for under active since having my daughter 7 years ago. My TSH is 1.89 but the doctor said they wont test the other ones, they only go by TSH. Mine is classed as normal. I now have a lump (doc said its a goitre). I am worried because it must have been growing for years and now its visible I keep thinking "have I left it too long" I didn't know it was there.

What number is borderline?

@SendARavenToRiverRun Join Heath Unlocked - thyroid section, there are some great admins on there who give brilliant advice and guidance on all things thyroid.

@Dinso I think you’d get some really useful advice from there if you post your results.

What number is borderline? For TSH it would be 4 to be boardline hypothyroid and under 1 to be hyperthyroid

Hi everyone i got my results from private blood test medicheck. Everything came back normal apart from t4 it was high?.

TSH 1.2 mlU/L
T3 4.7 pmol/L
T4 24 pmol/L

Both antibodies was in normal range.

Anyone know what this means? is it overactive?.

all looks really good, T4 is on the high side but within the normal category. I bet you’re really pleased with that

Not overactive. Possibly poor conversion from T4 to T3.

If you have a goitre then I’d request a thyroid antibodies blood test, and referral to an endocrinologist if the antibodies are positive.
I have an autoimmune thyroid disease, and when my antibodies were checked and came back very high I was referred to the endocrinologist and had a thyroid ultrasound and a dye uptake scan to check for nodules (my blood results were very erratic though, overactive and then under active within a year)

If your blood results are borderline but you’re symptomatic of being under active (cold, thinning hair, fatigued, irregular periods, dry skin amongst others), then that’s classified as sub-clinical thyroid disease, and you can request a trial of thyroxine from your GP.

Hi SBAM, I feel so poorly from not sleeping and worrying I can't keep waiting so will look for a private one. I have no clue about all this, so very grateful for advice on what to do.

Thank you Dee I have no clue about T3 and t4 I am too scared to look google I'd rather get it from real people who live with it.

Hi IvyKaty, thank you for replying. I was scared at first but a friend who has it said it wasn't as high as it makes out in the results.

Hey all,
Thanks for the replies. I hasn't realised the thread had any on. You've all been very helpful.
I have no idea of my actual ranges. No one has ever mentioned them.
Some really useful info on here though. I'll be ringing them again next week. The thought of another year like this isn't what I want.
I'll try to post my results in the hopes that one of you lovlies can interpret them for me please.
I hope everyone is doing as well as they can. It's a crappy thing having to fight tooth and nail to feel well. Good luck and thanks again for the helpful replies. (Not entirely sure the one mentioning stage 4 cancer! Definitely the wrong forum).

If your blood results are borderline but you’re symptomatic of being under active (cold, thinning hair, fatigued, irregular periods, dry skin amongst others), then that’s classified as sub-clinical thyroid disease, and you can request a trial of thyroxine from your GP.

the results are if anything leaning towards over active so thyroxine would be dangerous as can speed up heart

id want some answers over the goitre though and what’s to happen with it?

Have you considered peri menopause as lots of similar symptoms and won’t show up on a blood test?

I am afraid in 2022 you have to pay.