Should I get thyroid re-checked?

[RealLifeClanger]

These are my last thyroid results from December last year. I notice one is on the low side but still 'normal'. Should I ask for it to be checked again? Or go private for a more complete check maybe? I remember reading the NHS don't check all the markers or something? I'm having all sorts of weird neurological issues, fatigue, aches and pains etc and recently been diagnosed with lichen sclerosus that can be linked to thyroid issues.

Why don’t you just discuss this with your GP? Rather than trying to find a MN pretend GP!

For your TSH to be considered low, you would be looking at a level below 2, but also for other thyroid results (T3 and T4) would be high, ie HYPER-thyroidism rather than HYPO.

Given that your T4 is in range (although I’d like mine a bit higher within that range) they have at least not relied solely on TSH. For a full picture you’d want free and total T3 and T4 plus a test for thyroid antibodies (to show whether your body is having an autoimmune response and attacking your thyroid tissue.)

Maybe have a look at symptoms of hyperactive and underactive and see if any of it fits with what you’re experiencing. It could be that you’re swinging back and forth between hyper and hypo, a characteristic of Hashimotos, before it usually settles on the hypo side.

FWIW my TSH is always near 0 due to medication and I still have residual hypo symptoms, so there’s obviously more to it than that, but on its own a low, but still in range, TSH wouldn’t worry me if all others were well within normal range.

At TSH of 4 I’d feel rubbish, despite it being in normal range, so I’d much rather be at the low end as you are.

GPs are notoriously shit at dealing with women’s health, and plenty of posters have lived experience of navigating their own path re healthcare. If you can’t add anything useful why not just scroll on by?

@RealLifeClanger , the website ‘Health Unlocked’ has a section dedicated to thyroid disease. There are a lot of people there with experience and sage advice.
https://healthunlocked.com/thyroiduk

Thyroid issues are not just related to women. I did have something useful to say- and that was to discuss with the GP who is the best person to advise here rather than MN. There are too many factors involved here.
(I am a clinician myself)

Well the GP in my case was absolutely the worst person to ask, hence me going back several times, pleading for tests, giving countless clues (family history of autoimmune conditions etc) that I now understand should have pointed her towards thyroid.

Instead I got antidepressants and diet advice for almost a year. So forgive me for thinking that GPs aren’t actually always the best person to ask. It was only when a locum GP came in and actually listened to me that I got tested at all and found my TSH of 200. When he said “you must have been feeling very poorly indeed” i cried my eyes out.

So yeah, I will post on a thread asking for thyroid advice because I didn’t have that option back then and just had to suffer in silence, and a huge amount pain, plus the guilt I’ve had ever since that I was not the mum I wish I’d been for my newborn son.

N=1

I don't think you understand the concept of this forum.

I'm gauging the experience of others with thyroid issues and I'm asking asking about private testing.

This forum wouldn't exist if GP's and the NHS solved everything with ease. Sadly that's not the case, far from it, unfortunately.

@SnowflakeSmasher86 thanks for your advice, that's really interesting. Sorry you had such a hard time getting diagnosed, I've been struggling with symptoms for years and just keep being fobbed off. I have symptoms of both under and over active tbh. Weight wise, I can't seem to gain and I'm constantly borderline under weight.

I had a look at some previous blood results since 2023 and the results for T4 were - May23 12.0, May24 12.5, Oct24 16.1 and the one I posted above December24 18.5.

TSH was - 0.37, 0.45, 1.3, 0.22, for the same dates.

Don't know if that shows anything of note, other than my T4 gradually increasing. It's such a minefield trying to get to the bottom of everything. I have to wait over a year for a neurology appointment so I want to make sure I've ruled out all potential causes prior to that really.

@Honeydewmelon123You’re only proving everyone’s point here. A dismissive clinician who can’t/ won’t help.