Blood test results and subsequent reduced T3 leading to hypo symptoms

[Guest guest]

In December 2010 I had to attend a pre-op for non-thyroid related condition and unexpectedly I had to have a thyroid blood test. I also had my pulse and blood pressure taken just before the bloods were drawn and the nurse told me they were both fine.When you look at the results please can you bear in mind that I had taken 40mcg of liothyronine (T3) and 150mcg of levothyroxine within 3 hours of the test.TSH: <0.06 (mU/L 0.35-5.50*)FT4: 20 (pmol/L 10-21)FT3: 13.1 (pmol/L 3.5-6.5)*Anti TPO 402 (U/ml <60)* I was informed by the consultant that my operation had to be postponed due to the 'hyper' results. However I do not think I was clinically presenting as hyper and had none of the symptoms of hyper such as racing heart and if anything I considered any lingering symptoms to be more hypo than anything.As I need the operation I felt I had no alternative but to drop the T3 which I dropped by 10mcg for two weeks and since the end of January I have been on 20mcg. On the very first day I dropped to 30mcg instead of 40mcg I was struck by shortness of breath which is present even if I'm inactive but if I do any form of activity it is more pronounced, sometimes resulting in slight dizziness. Walking and talking leads to shortness of breath! I spoke to my GP about this and she told me it was psychosomatic but I don't believe this to be true.I also have constant headaches, aching limbs (particularly my legs when climbing the stairs in the house and in my arms when doing the laundry), depression and reduced energy and stamina. I am more often than not cold and tiredness is a shroud around me all the time.My GP has arranged for me to see an endo next month. At one time I was the only patient in the surgery being prescribed T3 but now there is one other. My GP admits that she knows nothing about T3 but she had been treating me for depression with Sertraline and has been shocked by the return of my depression since the drop in T3. The endo I am seeing is also the endo for the other patient in the practice. My GP looked at the other patient's notes and was surprised to see that the endo had said that T3 could be used effectively to treat the psychosomatic symptoms of hypothyroidism (ie depression)...I know I have put a lot of information down here and I'm very grateful for anyone who has read through it all but I am not able to have any further blood tests at the moment (other than TSH through my GP as the local hospital refuse to do a full profile!) and the hospital will only do it when they reschedule my operation. I can't really afford to have the tests privately just at this time but I am hoping that the endo will order a full profile next month.I am sure I have read that Dr Lowe said it is very important to know what the antibody levels are and mine appear to be very high. I also am interested to know if autoimmune hypo can require larger amounts of T3 due to cellular resistance for the patient to feel well? Also is the levothyroxine having any useful impact on my health? How would I know if it's being converted to T3? Would pulse and blood pressure be faster if I was hyper?Thank you x

[Guest guest]

Didn't your doctor ask whether you had taken your thyroid hormone

replacement before you had your blood drawn? If not, then contact him

immediately and tell him what you did and that THIS would account for

your high FT3 result as it peaks in the blood after 2 to 4 hours after

taking it. Your endocrinologist should KNOW this. Tell him that you are

prepared to get your blood tested first thing in & nbsp;a morning after

not taking any thyroid medication that morning - & nbsp;and he & nbsp;will

find that your free T3 test result reduces by at least a half which will

show that he can go ahead with the operation.</P>

I would say that you need to increase your T3 back to the level where

you felt good but do this slowly.

Start by adding 10mcgs T3 back and after 7 days, if no adverse reaction,

add the other 10mcgs and see how you feel. You may be suffering with low

adrenal reserve in which case, the thyroid hormone cannot be fully

utilised at cellular level until this is treated. Other associated

conditions that cause this problem also are systemic candidiasis,

mercury poisoning caused through amalgam fillings, low levels of

ferritin, vitamin B12, vitamin D3, magnesium, folate, copper and zinc -

so ask your GP to test these and to let you have a copy of the blood

test results, together with a copy of the reference range for each of

the tests done and we can help with their interpretion.

Sadly, if a doctor doesn't know what is the matter with you or know the

reason why you are reacting in this way, they blame it on the patient

telling them " ...it's all in y our head... " and prescribe

antidepressants to get you out of their office. This is NOT

psychosomatic - honestly! Every cell in your body and brain need

sufficient levels of T3 to make them function. Tell your doctor that

many, many & nbsp; psychiatrists actually prescribe their depressed

patients with T3 - so if psychiatrists recognise this, why don't

endocrinologists?

Write a letter to your GP and ask for a full thyroid panel to include

TSH, free T3, free T4 and that you are specifically asking this to be

done NOW because they made the mistake of testing you shortly after

taking the T3. Evidence has been given at the GMC by the Expert Witness

Professor Weetman saying that NO THYROID HORMONE REPLACEMENT

SHOULD BE TAKEN ON THE MORNING THYROID FUNCTION BLOOD TESTS ARE DONE -

OTHERWISE THE RESULT WILL BE FLAWED.

Patients with Hashimoto's disease should be treated using a combination

of T4/T3 or T3 alone as their thyroid gland is gradually destroyed and

unable to secrete the thyroid hormone that needs to be used at the

cellular level.

I am not able to have any further blood tests at the moment (other than

TSH through my GP as thelocal hospital refuse to do a full profile!) and

the hospital will onlydo it when they reschedule my operation. I can't

really afford to have the tests privately just at this time but I am

hoping that the endo will<BR> & gt; order a full profile next month. I am

sure I have read that Dr Lowe said it is very important to know what the

antibody levels are and mine appear to be very high. I also am

interested to know if autoimmune hypo can require larger amounts of T3

due to cellular resistance for the patient to feel well?

If your doctor point blank refuses to give you a further test, you can

get your thyroid function tested privately through either Genova

Diagnostics or through Lab21.

Luv - Sheila

> I know I have put a lot of information down here and I'm very grateful

> for anyone who has read through it all but I am not able to have any

> further blood tests at the moment (other than TSH through my GP as the

> local hospital refuse to do a full profile!) and the hospital will

only

> do it when they reschedule my operation. I can't really afford to have

> the tests privately just at this time but I am hoping that the endo

will

> order a full profile next month.

> I am sure I have read that Dr Lowe said it is very important to know

> what the antibody levels are and mine appear to be very high. I also

am

> interested to know if autoimmune hypo can require larger amounts of T3

> due to cellular resistance for the patient to feel well? Also is the

> levothyroxine having any useful impact on my health? How would I know

if

> it's being converted to T3? Would pulse and blood pressure be faster

if

> I was hyper?

> Thank you x

>