Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Elliebee]

My blood test for thyroid function is showing a slightly elevated TSH level of 4.22 (lab limit is 4.2). T4 level is well within the normal range at 16.2 ( normal range 12-22). Sub clinical hypo thyroidism.  GP has suggested a repeat blood test in 3 months time.
Is this normal practice? I’m not experiencing any symptoms apart from being a little more tired but think that is usual for me at this time of year and period also due !!

[Wrensong]

Hi Elliebee, yes it's usual to retest in a few months for a patient whose TSH goes slightly above the reference range.  It may well be that next time your TSH will be fine, so please don't worry.  Sometimes it's just transiently outside range for reasons other than thyroid disease (e.g if you have/have recently had a virus or another illness), sometimes it can indicate that there is some autoimmune activity ongoing.  If it does progress to overt hypothyroidism over time, most patients respond well to replacement Thyroxine.  Did your GP test for thyroid antibodies do you know?

I've been on thyroid replacement for nearly 30 years & we have quite a few members who are hypothyroid, so you can always ask for advice if need be.
Wx

Later edit: meant to say we have a thread called thyroid issues & support you may like to look at or post on in future, but of course it's also fine to start your own if you prefer.

[Elliebee]

Thank you Wrensong. Gp didn’t test for antibodies. It was just routine blood tests. All others were fine. We have a family history of autoimmune diseases but no one diagnosed with thyroid issues (yet).
I have been feeling ill since Weds this week - tummy bug thing just feeling nauseous, no appetite and achey. Blood test was on Tues. This may have influenced results. I’ll take a look at that thread thank you .
I’m a bit of a worrier and having just been diagnosed with high blood pressure I’m wondering what’s going to be next !

[Wrensong]

This stage of life makes worriers of us all Elliebee.  It could simply be that the tummy bug is behind your TSH being very slightly raised.  It's great though, that your GP wants to retest on the basis of such a tiny degree above top of ref range.  Good on him/her for looking out for you. 

Some hypothyroid patients do have raised BP on diagnosis & I remember my first Endocrinologist saying how satisfying it is to give thyroid replacement & watch their BP quickly normalise.  Not that I'm saying raised BP is a strong indicator for you, with any luck it's just that you're under the weather with a bug that's affected your TSH.  I hope you soon feel better, meanwhile be kind to yourself & rest if you can.
Wx

[Elliebee]

It  certainly does Wrensong ! I’m on BP meds. My GP is very thorough and she is also very understanding of perimenopause ! I am not on HRT and was wondering if declining oestrogen may be linked to TSH imbalance ? Has anyone found HRT has helped their thyroid problems?

[Kathleen]

Hello ladies.

Elliebee - I have been using HRT since 2013 and all blood tests that included thyroid were fine. At the end of 2019 I had Glandular Fever and my GP thinks that this caused a Thyroid problem and I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's Thyroiditis. From this experience would say that HRT doesn't have an impact but illness does.

When I developed Hashimoto's my face became puffy and bags appeared under my eyes. I felt generally unwell and that prompted me to see the doctor. I was prescribed Levothyroxine and had blood tests every six weeks. Before long my TSH and T4 levels were in the normal range and my antigen levels began to fall. After about six months they were also in the normal range. My latest numbers are TSH 1.59mU/L, normal range 0.35-5.5 and my T4 is 19.1 pmol/L normal range 10.5 - 21.0.

I hope all this helps you in some way and gives you some context regarding HRT and thyroid.
I see Wrensong is on the case and she is the real expert on thyroid issues so you are fortunate to have her advice.

Take care.

K.

[Elliebee]

Thank you Kathleen. I’m keeping everything crossed that the levels have returned to normal in 3 months time.
I wonder if any any supplements /dietary changes would help ? I do eat healthily anyway.

[Wrensong]

Ellibee, your GP sounds a gem, hang on to her  .

Your q about declining oestrogen & thyroid function - I expect you know that menopause is a common time for women to develop thyroid issues, but whether directly linked to the decline/dysregulation of sex hormones or more a facet of ageing, I think is uncertain.  Immune function is thought to be strengthened by oestrogen & it's said that's why women have a greater tendency to develop autoimmune conditions than men.  There's also said to be a decline in thyroid output as we age.  As always with endocrine matters though, it's horribly complex & there are lots of research papers & articles out there if you want to know more.

Kathleen is very knowledgeable on healthy eating Ellibee & sounds like your diet is good already.  Personally I'd concentrate on continuing to eat healthily & wait for your next TFT result rather than start taking supplements of anything you haven't been found deficient in or advised to take by a medical professional, but others may have different views on that.  I'd just caution to stay away from supplements containing high levels of iodine as this can do a struggling thyroid more harm than good.  I do take Vit D & test regularly to make sure the level's right, but that's because I was found to be deficient in it a few years ago.  I don't take anything for my thyroid condition other than prescribed thyroid replacement, though there was a time when I tried all sorts to improve my health.  I try to eat healthily & do a variety of exercise.

Hi Kathleen, your comment is very kind but I'm no expert  .  The little I know is absolutely minimal & simply comes from having been round the block a good few times.  As the bedroom mirror I have to pass several times a day increasingly reminds me !  Not only that, but as you know from your own interest in it, research is evolving all the time, so keeping up is impossible!
Wx

[Elliebee]

Thank you Wrensong. I guess at this stage of life everything is out of balance and slowing down 😬I’ll carry on as I have been, try to stress and worry less 😬 !

 I have read that if you had blood test done early in the morning and whilst fasting this could lead to a falsely elevated TSH. I did fast as I was being tested for cholesterol too. There seem to be conflicting advice on whether to fast or not for a thyroid blood test. I guess you want to have it taken at a time of day to show the worst case scenario?

[Wrensong]

Yes Elliebee, the fasting v non-fasting state is said to have some effect on TSH levels.  But time of day is said also be a factor & I'm not sure whether there's research showing definitively that it's a fasting state that accounts for a higher TSH or the fact that a fasting blood test is usually carried out early morning, so that circadian variation in TSH levels could be the reason for the higher TSH (which is said to peak overnight).  There are other factors such as seasonality that are also said to affect TSH levels.

I usually don't fast before my TFTs, having a good breakfast early on & blood drawn mid-morning, but I do defer my thyroid meds for that day until after testing as that's what my Endocrinologist prefers, to get background levels. 

I can't find anything reliably authoritative on fasting/non-fasting conditions pre-TFT, so I'd ask your GP what conditions she wants for your next test as she may want to compare like for like.  If she has no preference & you still don't feel hypothyroid so you're hoping not to be started on replacement, I think I'd have breakfast at your usual time & test later if that suits your schedule.  It might be helpful to know whether your thyroid antibodies are raised though, if your GP thinks that sensible.
Wx

[Elliebee]

Thank you Wrensong I will definitely discuss with my GP. I don’t have any symptoms at moment. Occasionally tired but linked to my menstrual cycle. I do have a resting heart rate which can be lower than the std. 60bpm. But this has been the case for many years even when thyroid tests were within normal ranges. Sometimes when at hospital appointments they comment on it being low. But I do exercise regularly running 6-7k 4 times a week and a weekly Bootcamp. My heart rate rises in response to exercise . Recent and past ECGs have been ok. I know a slow heart beat may be a symptom of under active thyroid. No other obvious symptoms - yet 🤞

[KaraShannon]

Hi Elliebee

if you're running like that you sound very healthy.  I know that's not a helpful comment as such but it is really good that you can do that. 

I've been hypothyroid for 20 years now.  The others here have covered most things so I'll just say that when I started HRT I noticed that the progesterone phase gave me more energy and I did a little research and progesterone apparently supports the thyroid.  So to answer your question did HRT help.  Yes, in my case it has helped, but not before it was needed (ie the thyroid meds worked well enough until peri menopause)

Selenium is important in supporting the thyroid.

Wishing you all the best, let us know how you get on. 

[CLKD]

What would your symptoms have been, may I ask B4 your sought blood tests?  Since Feb. my head hasn't wanted to wake up in the mornings so I began VitD capsules in March until August.  My head felt muggy until I stopped those.

I still have problems waking ......... this morning I could hardly lift head from pillow  so went back to sleep.  I've done 3 hours gardening and now feel weary [?? low VitD levels ?? ] and warm: although it may be muggy here  .  I've had intermittent pins/needles in arms/legs which I put down to gardening. 

I am getting bloods done this week as I take statins; so blood sugar, VitD and I need to discuss this sleepy head