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Hypothyroidism?

GrantGam

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,603
Location
Scotland
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Morning all

Visited my GP this morning to discuss treatment options available for varicosis. Whilst I was there, I asked for a run down of results from bloods drawn a few months ago when I visited due to being constantly tired. As I never heard anything from from my GP (no news is good news...) I assumed everything was sound. Although it would seem that I am bordering on hypothyroidism.

The value that was iffy was T4 and it was 11 (unsure of units)...?

Can anyone shed some light/experience on thyroid issues and what my high-ish result of 11 means? I would have asked the Dr but I never made a double appointment and didn't want to put her behind schedule for the day on her very first appt!

Thanks in advance,
Grant
 
Not got a lot of experience but hope this is useful
It seems that there are 3 readings they look at in terms of thyroid funtion - TSH ( thyroid stimulating hormone) T3 &T4 ( 2 different thyroid hormones).
My thyroid came under scrutiny some years ago when tsh was high and the level of T3/4 ( cant remember which) was low
The hospital told me the results had to be off for 3 consecutive readings over 6 months or so before theyd consider treatment necessary - mine were off for 2 but just back in range for the third ( reminds me must get them to repeat it
If you google something along the lines of 'interpreting thyroid function test results UK" you should be able to find the reference ranges
Hope thats helpful
 
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Grant - You need to know your lab's assay ranges before anyone can make a true judgement on your results, however, I'd guess your T4 reading is probably a bit lower than ideal.

This site gives some useful information: http://www.btf-thyroid.org/information/quick-guides/97-thyroid-function-tests

And this forum is decent place to ask plenty of questions: https://healthunlocked.com/thyroiduk

Like here, HealthUnlocked has many, many thyroid patients discussing their own predicaments.

When you were tested, did they test you for thyroid antibodies too? As you are aware those with auto-immune conditions quite often end up with more than one.
 
GrantGam said:
As I never heard anything from from my GP (no news is good news...) I assumed everything was sound. Although it would seem that I am bordering on hypothyroidism.
Click to expand...

This is a lesson many of us have learnt. Always ask for print outs after every set of blood tests and do your own analysis. GPs are busy and not always as knowledgeable about everything as we would imagine. Never assume all is well because you weren't called back in. As you have discovered, you could be within the normal range but teetering on the edge of not being - and test after test may be showing deterioration. GPs won't often notice this. All they look for are abnormal out of range levels., and may even miss those. There have been many stories on this forum about this. We need to know what our results are so we can do something about iffy ones.
 
@GrantGam , a T4 of 11, rather than as you call it, 'highish', it's what I'd consider 'lowish'. Was it accompanied by a high TSH level? You need to view those results in tandem.

A high TSH and low T4 indicates hypothyroidism.

I have a non-functioning thyroid gland and take replacement thyroxine. I work best when my TSH is on the low end of the scale and my T4 is right at the top of the range, which is the low to mid 20s.

I'd suggest you ring the doctor to ask them to confirm both figures, and see whether they want you for a follow-up test.

For the record, I would not want my own T4 to be as low as 11. No wonder you've been feeling tired.

Hugs.

 
Hi @GrantGam About 7 years ago I started getting a squeezing sensation around my heart area. I thought it might be angina, which my father had been diagnosed with, and thought it was just part of getting old.
My sister-in-law who had been a nurse said I should see GP about it which I did. My GP referred me to a the Royal Free, Hampstead who did a heart check up (walking on a treadmill with sensors attached to chest).

I was called into the gp surgery when the results came back, and saw a locum gp who said the tests showed my heart was healthy. The only thing he could think of which might also produce the symptoms I was describing was a thyroid deficiency. He asked if I felt more tired. I said I had a fairly physical job, loading and unloading lorries and pushing containers around, and that I walked 3 miles to work every day. I omitted to mention that I did find walking harder than I used to, as if I was wearing lead boots.

He said most people who had thyroid deficiency could hardly get off their sofas, but he would arrange a test for my thyroid levels.
When the results came back they did indeed show a thyroid deficiency, hypothyroidism, and I was prescribed synthetic thyroxene, Levothyroxene. I have to take one tablet every morning, and my symptoms have gone, though I don't feel as energetic as I used to.

One result was that I have to have annual blood tests to check my thyroxene levels, and this was how my T2 was diagnosed.

I just got out my HbA1c test results from last year. I can't see anything on it about T levels, but it shows my Serum TSH level as Normal, 1.75 mlU/L. It shows the Normal range as 0.27 - 4.20 mlU/L. So if your reading of 11 was a TSH figure it would be outside that.
The good news is that hypothyroidism is usually easily treated with daily synthetic thyroxene, and you will be entitled to free prescriptions, and get annual blood tests.

Edit: It seems that thyroid problems often seem to be linked to T2.
 
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Hey guys

Thanks a lot for all the replies - I hope you don't think I'm rude for not getting back sooner; but I've been out on the motorbike for the last few hours seeing as it wasn't raining!

I'd love to get back to everyone individually, but I'm a little pushed for time today, so I'll try and sum up all the points in one post.

Just off the phone to a receptionist at the Clinic who pulled up my test results, below are the only applicable thyroid related results:

T4 result: 11
T4 range: (10-25)

TSH result: 3.72
TSH range: (0.55-4.78)

My GP did say that my T4 has been steady (no marked decline) for the last few blood tests. There were only three values on the screen; so they must be done annually (just over three years diabetic).

Once again thanks a lot for all the input and links - it's much appreciated.
Grant
 
Ps. I was advised to thoroughly cook my veg and avoid raw veg and soya.

Hope this also helps.
Seaweed (kelp) interfers with thyroid health @GrantGam .
 
I have an under active thyroid for the last 20 or so years. I dont know much about result means as my dr just normally tells me thats is ok/ high / low. But having a under active thyroid has been no big deal for me, just pop a pill every morning for it , its a hell of a lot easier then being diabetic (which is new for me). so i wouldn't worry too much if you have or develop an under active thyroid but maybe ask your dr to run more test on it so you can get your energy levels sorted out.
 
Many thanks.

From my limited understanding (an hour or so Googling last night) - it seems that the symptoms caused from a poorly operating thyroid gland can be quite substantial; even within the "ideal ranges". Unfortunately I didn't manage to get a follow up appt today so that will need to wait until I get back from work in a fortnight.

Would be quite happy to take a tablet to rid myself of these symptoms; as much as I don't want to be a collector of autoimmune conditions; as a T1 that can be commonplace apparently...
 
Hey @Prem51.

Can you recall your TSH and T4 results at diagnosis of hypothyroidism? I'd be interested to hear what they were and just how "out of range" they were before starting medication. It's not because I'm nosey that I'd like to find out, but I really don't want to be hanging around waiting until my results are well off, rather than just borderline like now, before requiring treatment (assuming that's definitely what is required).
 
DCUKMod said:
Grant - You need to know your lab's assay ranges before anyone can make a true judgement on your results, however, I'd guess your T4 reading is probably a bit lower than ideal.
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Morning @DCUKMod,

Level ranges were posted yesterday afternoon after I called the Clinic, they're in range but marginally, and as far as I can can tell - suggest that something isn't quite right.
DCUKMod said:
When you were tested, did they test you for thyroid antibodies too? As you are aware those with auto-immune conditions quite often end up with more than one.
Click to expand...
It doesn't appear so, the receptionist said the only thyroid related tests were TSH and T4. I've made a list of some further tests which should be able to ascertain what's going on, hopefully in better detail:

B12
Folate
Ferritin
Vit D

Apparently deficiencies in any of the above can impact the operation of the thyroid.

TPOAb & TGAb Antibodies
T3

Thanks for the link to the thyroid forum by the way, the advice was helpful for the most part - especially wrt tests. At least now I won't be going into my GP entirely clueless.
 
Medication should be started if you show the symptoms unless the rest results rule out hypothyroidism, so a border line test results with the symptoms should result in the meds.

For some reasons hypothyroidism and T2 seem to run in the same families often with the same people getting both but many years apart and not in the same order.
 

Ringi - The reality for a lot people presenting with hypothyroid symptoms is the vague nature of some of those symptoms. Quite frankly, they tie in with a whole bunch of conditions, including hypothyroidism. The following link, from Thyroid UK, shows just how extensive the list of symptoms can be: http://www.thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/about_the_thyroid/hypothyroidism_signs_symptoms.html

Most GPs appear to be wedded to the TSH figure as being their metric, and are often unwilling to prescribe without two consecutive readings outside range. Often treatment is not offered unless the TSH breaches the 10 mark.

Grant is T1, so with one AI condition, he will be more likely to have another; hence my query about the antibodies.

@GrantGam - It could be worthwhile downloading the symptoms pdf and take it, completed, when you go to see your GP.

Interestingly enough, when the Consultant Endo saw my thyroid panel ranges at TSH - 3.4 and T4 - 11, he was extremely disinterested. To be fair, on a subsequent test a couple of months later, my TSH had dropped back to 2, and on that basis the lab declined to test the T4.

After that I changed Endos, for reasons I won't trouble you with, and he has gone on the hunt for other AI conditions. Subject to one further test, I'll then be off the a Rheumatology bods.

Oh well. It's good to know I don't have a whole bunch of scary conditions, whilst keeping some kids in public schools.

Good luck with it all.
 
DCUKMod said:
@GrantGam - It could be worthwhile downloading the symptoms pdf and take it, completed, when you go to see your GP.
Click to expand...
A good idea, may present slightly better than my scribbles in a notebook

Will play it by ear and see how we go, I'll check back in as soon as I get anything remotely definitive. Won't be for a number of weeks yet as I'm back off to work.

Many thanks for the input, and many thanks to all the others who have contributed here. It's very much appreciated
 
Hi @GrantGam. I just had a look at my online medical records and test results. I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism in June 2009 after blood test on 20 May 2009.
My Serum TSH level was 10.41 mlU/L. (Normal range: 0.35 - 4.94 mlU/L)
My Serum Free T4 level was 9.1 pmo/L. (Normal range 9 - 19 pmo/L)

The 'Normal' ranges seem to be different from yours, perhaps age related? And it seems I was diagnosed because of my high TSH figure.
 
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