The Blood Test

Thyroid GIB
Post Office Box 810
GX11 1AA
Gibraltar
Local Mobile 54009628 Email thyroidgib@gmail.com
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The Blood Test
THE BLOOD TESTS (Thyroid Function Test)
The blood test for thyroid problems is called a Thyroid Function Test. The most usual tests are:
TSH, TT4 AND FT4
There is a range, which is used for the tests. These vary sometimes which is why you must always
ask what the range is, so that you can see where you are in the range.
TSH = THYROID STIMULATING HORMONE
This hormone comes from the pituitary to stimulate the thyroid gland into making more hormone.
TSH rises when the thyroid is struggling.
The approx. reference range for this test is 0.4 to 4.5.
TT4 = TOTAL T4
Thyroid hormones bound to proteins. TT4 lowers when the thyroid is struggling.
The approx. reference range for this test is 50 to 160.
FT4 = FREE T4
Thyroid hormones not bound to proteins. FT4 lowers when the thyroid is struggling.
The approx. reference range for this test is 10 to 24
FT3 = FREE T3
T4 converts to T3 and is the only thyroid hormone actually used by the body’s cells.
The approx. reference range for Free T3 is 4 to 8.3

We at Thyroid GIB believe that you need to know your Free T3 level too because this will often
show low if you are not converting, and high if you have blocked receptor cells. Even if you are
converting, the body needs the extra T3 that a normal thyroid produces. There has been some
research to show that people feel better on a mixture of Thyroxine (T4) and Triiodothyronine (T3).
Effects of Thyroxine as Compared with Thyroxine plus Triiodothyronine in patients with
hypothyroidism – The New England Journal of Medicine Feb.11, 99 Vol. 340.

With all of these tests, your results could be anywhere within the range and you would be classed
as “normal”. If you are at the very edge of the range, either at the bottom or at the top, you could
be classed as “borderline”. Neither you nor your doctor truly knows what your normal is, if you did
not have a blood test done before you became ill. There are also particular reasons why the blood
tests remain in the normal range. If you are not converting from T4 to T3 or if your cells are not
taking up the T3 normally, your T4 levels and your TSH levels will still show as normal.

The Broda Barnes Foundation tell us “Dr Barnes found that the primary reason for the inaccuracy of
the blood tests for thyroid function is that the thyroid hormones are not utilized in the blood, but
are utilized intracellularly. Therefore a patient can have enough thyroid hormones circulating in the
blood to give a “normal” reading, but if the hormones are not getting into the cells, the patient will
be hypothyroid.
Also, there is a problem of low blood volume in hypothyroid patients. This means that any blood
test value will appear higher than it actually is because the patient has a lower than normal blood
volume. In many patients with “normal” or “high” thyroid blood levels, but many clinical symptoms,
the patient’s blood levels actually drop lower once the patient is given thyroid hormones simply
because their blood volume increases.
NB: Dr Bayliss tells us in his book Thyroid Disease: the facts “Do not take any thyroxine on the day
when you go for your check-up and have a blood sample taken. The reason for this is that for
about 4 hours after ingesting a tablet of thyroxine, the blood level of thyroxine peaks and will give
a spuriously high reading”. Other doctors I have asked tell me that it makes no difference. You
decide!!

TAKEN FROM MEDICINE INTERNATIONAL 1993
“The aim of thyroxine replacement therapy is to normalise plasma TSH and to achieve a clinically
euthyroid state. To obtain this, FT4 and TT4 have to be maintained at, or just above, the
upper reference interval”.
NB: Dr. Toft, Consultant Physician, states in the British Thyroid Foundation newsletter Issue No. 23
that normal ranges are: T4 (10 – 25) and TSH (0.15 – 3.5). He also states that “the correct dose is
that which restores good health; in most patients this will be associated with a level of T4 in the
blood towards the upper part of the normal range or even slightly high and a TSH level in the blood
which is in the lower part of the normal range.

MYXOEDEMA
Myxoedema is the medical term for severe hypothyroidism.
Mucopolysaccharides – Gel-Like Substance.
Myx = mucin (gel-like) - Oedema = swelling.
The body makes mucopolysaccharides in normal quantities. When the thyroid is malfunctioning,
they are mass-produced. Hence the bloated look that patients sometimes have. These
mucopolysaccharides infiltrate into all the connective tissues and cause many problems i.e. joint
pains and muscular pains.  Did you know that the thyroid becomes more effective in the summer? So if your symptoms come  back a bit in the winter, you may need a slightly higher dosage of your hormone replacement.

This information is not intended to be a substitute for medical guidance from your own doctor. Thyroid GIB cannot be held responsible for any actions taken as a result of using Thyroid GIB resources. Please check with your personal physician before applying any of these recommendations.

Diabetes Gibraltar

Today i attended Diabetes Gibraltar Annual General Meeting of which i am a member. On top is a picture of some of the committee.   The meeting was well attended.  Why i support this charity is simple many members of my family have suffered with this disease.

Actually it is Diabetes type 1 that is prevalent in my family.  Since i suffer with Hashimoto an autoimmune disorder i am what many GP's call in the high risk group for type 1 diabetes caused by the autoimmune. We must remember that there is a high number of thyriodians that do suffer with diabetes  therefore i would encourage every thyriodian to support and become a member of Diabetes Gibraltar.  Here is the link https://www.facebook.com/groups/8524793025/ 

All i can say is keep up the good work Diabetes Gibraltar and you count on me to be there on the flag day.

For more information contact details as follows;

Diabetes Gibraltar
P. O. Box 221
50 Line Wall Road
Gibraltar


Tel +350 20072420 

Workshops organised by Kusuma Trust and Directory of Social Change

Yesterday i went to an event organised by the Kusuma Trust and Directory of Social Change it took place at Isolas Offices at Portland House. Yesterdays event was run by Noam Kostucki he was brilliant in delivering the message but of all the different workshops he presented it was Social Media Master-class that really made sense for me. So much so that after the workshop i quickly went home and begun to set up the twitter account and Blogger. I now realise how a wonderful tool social media can be to promote and reach people that i would not normally be able to reach.

Social media is the means for me to present to you the vision that Thyroid GIB has for thyriodians. This is your charity a charity that is accessible and within reach for us to keep in touch and work together. Yes we can bring the changes necessary to change the way we are treated by the medical profession but more importantly we can take a proactive lifestyle and make small changes to improve the quality of life.

That is a picture of Noam Kostucki.

Here is link you may enjoy, Noam's talk at TEDxWarsaw http://tedxwarsaw.com explored the virtues of selfishness as a tool for positive growth.

My Story with Hashimoto

That's me at 105kg before been diagnosed with Hypothyroidism or more specifically Hashimoto disease. I have suffered with asthma, rhinitis, sinuses and severe allergies, all my life until about 2 years ago. here is a list of all the medication i have taken, Ventolin, flixotide, Flixonase, clarytin, senokot, fybogel, lactulose. Alergic to penicillin and tetracycline.

Since my weight just shot up i decided to go to a dietitian she recommend some blood tests which i went for and when i saw her again she found out i had thyroid issues she recommended me to go to see my GP which i did. Two days later i went to see my GP and they had a look at the blood test and i was told that i was border line and there was not need to initiate treatment. So i accepted the diagnosis and went home. Two month later i felt more tired and fatigued and the unusual thing begun to happen i spent a whole weekend sleeping it was only because my friends knocked on the door that i woke up and i was shocked when i realised how many hours i had slept so i went to the GP that was on duty for emergency upon seeing me and he reviewed the the previous GP's decision and told me that i was severely hypothyroid and almost in a mexedema coma and that i should begin treatment immediately.

So i was given levothyroxine also known as T4. I begun to get better but about a month later i got worse dosage was increased abut the same thing happened. By then i did some research and found that there was another medication available that would be much better its called liothyronine also known as T3. the local health authority said no that was not available and its very dangerous to use. So i searched out for a private endocrine and i showed him the blood test and i explained everything he immediately adjusted my T4 by lowering and introducing me to T3.

Again i got better then i got worse also at £75 a bottle of 28tablets i could not keep this up so i went to see the manager at the local health authority and i showed him my prescription and ask why could i not get this through the health service, he had a look and asked who gave me the prescription and i said the endocrine that works at the hospital but when seen privately he prescribes the medication you really need. He immediately made the medication available through the health authority to which i was delighted at £2.50 it is very affordable.

Latter on more adjustments and now i am to T3 only i take 80mcg a day taken in 20mcg 4 time a day. I now have no more allergies or asthma actually its all gone i have lost a lot of weight and i now have lots of energy i have taken up cycling my weight is 80kg.