Subclinical hypothyroidism

[Lolacat1234]

Just been diagnosed with the above - TSH raised at 4.3 but T3 (4.6) and T4 (17.2) in normal ranges.

I've been having non specific symptoms for a long while - depression, anxiety, low sex drive, irritability, tiredness. But the main one is inability to shift any weight despite an active lifestyle and good diet! I consistently get 10K steps daily, do resistance based weight exercises, always get my 5 a day and eat sensibly but I just feel like I'm getting fatter and fatter! It's soul destroying!

I guess my question is can raised TSH only be causing the inability to lose? I know T3 and T4 ok but I spent ages working out a ratio calculation and it appears the T3 is low in relation to how much T4 I have?

Also any advice on where I go next? This was diagnosed on a private blood test check site and they have advised I contact my GP, is it worth taking a thyroid support supplement first like something containing selenium and iodine and see if that helps first?

Just to add as well I have had kidney problems the last few years and feel it's all related and interlinked.

Thanks for any advice and words of wisdom!

Hi OP
Try posting on the auto immune thread you may get more traffic specific to your question

Thank you I didn't realise there was one! Helpful xx

Even when I got on the thyroxine I didn’t drop the weight I’d put on.

How old are you ? Your symptoms sound like peri menopause

My TSH was around 12 and my T4 normal when the GP offered to re do bloods in 6 months and see, or nip it in the bud and start thyroxine. The thought of free prescriptions swung it to taking the thyroxine !

Hi I had a TSH level of 4.2 but you have to have a level of 2.5 or below if you are trying for a child which a lot of gps don’t seem to understand. (If you are trying to get pregnant but are struggling this could be one of the reasons). Anyway I was privately diagnosed with an autoimmune condition where you thyroid is attacked by your own body. I was put on levothyroxine by the ivf clinic. They also put me on a steroid to increase the chances of the embryo transfer working. (The evidence is shaky but it worked) After taking levothyroxine the biggest thing I noticed is that I seemed to have more energy and when I looked at things they seemed clearer it was like my brain fog improved massively. You might want to get checked for antithyroid antibodies probably worth doing so privately, gps don’t tend to do them even though I had a family history of a thyroid autoimmune condition they stared at me blankly and said my TSH level was within a normal
range. My blood test showed I had an extremely high level of antithyroid antibodies which I took to my ivf clinic and they prescribed a steroid for after my embryo transfer. I have always struggled with weight gain so that hasn’t changed much.

I'm only 35.

I've had kidney problems the last year or so, my egfr is a bit reduced and from the reading I've done so far I believe thyroid and kidneys have a very close relationship so I think it's probably that rather than peri menopause although I spent the 3 years leading up to my kidney issues convinced I was in peri.

Thank you for all your advice, im not planning on any more babies but would like to start feeling better, do you think I could ask to be put on thyroid medication?

From what I have been researching it's not necessarily that my free T3 and T4 is especially low, but that the FT3 is low compared to the FT4 so maybe im not converting very well.

It's a complete minefield!

Two brazil nuts a day will sort out the selenium...

Me neither. GP started me on 25mg then increased every 3 months and all the time I'm putting on stones.