Could thyroid be causing the issues ? - Thyroid UK

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Could thyroid be causing the issues ?

BigMamma17 profile image
15 Replies

I have enclosed my daughters ( age 22 ) last thyroid result panel. Her TSH in June last year was over 6 then swung down to under 2 in September but is on the rise again. Her T3/ T4 are always just above minimum. Her father has Hashimoto’s as did her Grandfather and so does her male cousin. Grandad unfortunately died last year of a rare and very aggressive thyroid cancer. Her father has a nodule which is being kept check on.

Daughter seems to have been unwell for over 2 years now , triggered by a bout of tonsillitis it seemed. However she has many of the symptoms of underactive thyroid - dry skin, constipation,brain fog , lethargy, low blood pressure and anxiety.

Although her results are ‘ in range ‘ do you think thyroid numbers at these levels can cause an issue - doctor thinks thyroid is not connected to her many issues. Any help / advice would be very welcome.

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BigMamma17 profile image
BigMamma17
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15 Replies
greygoose profile image
greygoose

That TSH may be in-range - and that's all they look for - but it's saying she's hypo. A 'normal' (euthyroid) TSH would be around 1, never over 2, and when it reaches 3 you're hypo. And in some countries they would start treatment at that level. However, the NHS likes it to get to 10 before they will diagnose - unless, that is, antibodies are high, and/or FT4/3 are under-range and TSH is over-range on two consecutive blood tests.

Yes, her levels could very well be the cause of her issues, but I wouldn't expect a GP to understand that. :(

BigMamma17 profile image
BigMamma17 in reply togreygoose

😞

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply toBigMamma17

:'(

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator

Likely she has low Vitamin D, folate, ferritin and/or B12

Essential to get these tested

Low vitamin levels tend to lower TSH

With 2 separate tests with TSH over 5 and symptoms she should be offered trial on levothyroxine

Starting levothyroxine - flow chart

gps.northcentrallondonccg.n...

Request ultrasound sound scan of thyroid

20% of Hashimoto's patients never have raised antibodies

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Paul Robson on atrophied thyroid - especially if no TPO antibodies

paulrobinsonthyroid.com/cou...

Gluten intolerance is often a hidden issue too.

Request coeliac blood test BEFORE considering trial on strictly gluten free diet

BigMamma17 profile image
BigMamma17 in reply toSlowDragon

Lots of great info there - I’ll go through all that tonight thanks.

I am going to ask Doctor if he’ll refer her for an ultrasound as she is having some difficulty swallowing tablets now but I honestly have had no help from them. She is already gluten and dairy free but is always borderline anaemic. Her Vit D levels were low and she has been supplementing over past year

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator in reply toBigMamma17

She is already gluten and dairy free

So this may account for TPO antibodies being low

Her Vit D levels were low and she has been supplementing over past year

Retest twice a year when supplementing

How low is her ferritin

What’s GP doing to improve

Low ferritin in particular will often lower TSH

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator in reply toBigMamma17

Test her B12 and folate levels too

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator in reply toBigMamma17

Are you in U.K. ?

Private ultrasound around £100

thyroiduk.org/?s=Ultrasound+

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator

Can test vitamin D via NHS private testing service

vitamindtest.org.uk

Vitamin D mouth spray by Better You is very effective as it avoids poor gut function.

There’s a version made that also contains vitamin K2 Mk7.

One spray = 1000iu

amazon.co.uk/BetterYou-Dlux...

It’s trial and error what dose we need, with thyroid issues we frequently need higher dose than average

Vitamin D and thyroid disease

grassrootshealth.net/blog/t...

Vitamin D may prevent Autoimmune disease

newscientist.com/article/23...

Web links about taking important cofactors - magnesium and Vit K2-MK7

Magnesium best taken in the afternoon or evening, but must be four hours away from levothyroxine

betterbones.com/bone-nutrit...

medicalnewstoday.com/articl...

livescience.com/61866-magne...

sciencedaily.com/releases/2...

Recipe ideas

bbc.co.uk/food/articles/mag...

Interesting article by Dr Malcolm Kendrick on magnesium

drmalcolmkendrick.org/categ...

Vitamin K2 mk7

betterbones.com/bone-nutrit...

healthline.com/nutrition/vi...

BigMamma17 profile image
BigMamma17 in reply toSlowDragon

Thanks so much for taking the time to provide all this info - it’s more help than I’ve had from the medical profession over the last 2 years!

RockyPath profile image
RockyPath

Alas, MigMamma17, the world has become a very hazardous place for thyroids in recent decades, due to the soup of chemicals in which we soak every day. Chemicals everywhere that infuse our blood, our tissues. Yes, your daughter's most likely suffering from a thyroid that's crashed due to environmental exposure to toxics.

A well-informed friend who has been through medical school in the U.S. said all doctors are trained to presume their patients are complete idiots. I would go so far as to say this gives them cover for their own idiocy and ignorance. Who would want to admit that humanity has so polluted its food and water and air that nothing in clean anymore? Easier to say "nothing ails you" and turn away.

Thyroid hormone is responsible for every nook and cranny of the body's operation. When there's not enough, you see the results you've described. And many more kinds of haywire things, such as goiter.

Your name suggests that you can be like a mamma bear when necessary, and that you will stand up and roar, tear down walls, and plunge across rivers to get the treatment that your daughter needs. You'll need to do all of that, but it is possible.

Good luck.

McPammy profile image
McPammy

My friend recently had her thyroid levels tested as she was experiencing some thyroid symptoms. Her levels came back similar to your daughters. No real evidence of thyroid disease. However, her diet is poor and she’s often thinking about her weight . She is actually slightly under weight. I’m suspecting that her low calorie food intake may be causing her thyroid levels to be low as the thyroid is the metabolic rate alongside many other factors. Maybe in my friends case her body is trying to keep her body from starvation mode by lowering T3 and T4 levels. Her TSH was just under 3.00. Her vitamins are very low also probably due to not eating enough week in month out for a very long time. I’ve asked her to think about ensuring she supplements at the very least.

This is just a thought. Lots of young people are obsessed by their weight and dieting.

BigMamma17 profile image
BigMamma17 in reply toMcPammy

She is very slim and actually was underweight for around a year due to her severe constipation affecting her appetite. We got her cleared out quite a bit ( eventually) and she now has quite a good varied diet but maybe it has affected her. She also has Ehlers Danlos Syndrome and it’s so hard to know what is actually responsible for all her ailments

McPammy profile image
McPammy in reply toBigMamma17

Maybe her rare condition is having an impact overall on her health.

I’d definitely try and ensure a healthy diet is maintained for her future health.

If you haven’t already get a series of vitamin bloods checked. Thyroid uk recommends B12, ferritin, vit D and folate. With my thyroid condition I found I had abnormally low b12 and ferritin probably made worse as I haven’t eaten meat for 35years now

I do hope your daughter feels better soon. If it is a diet thing it may take some months to recover and bring her vitamins and nutrients to a ‘good’ level. But this must be maintained always going forward.

Annoynomice profile image
Annoynomice

I think it's more likely that given your daughters family history of hashimotos, she's got this too. As you know, hashimotos make you swing between underactive and overactive as your body attacks the thyroid. Most hashis is passed down the generations. However, I'm the first to have it in my family.

I second the comments on vitamins. One of the symptoms is poor gut function, so many people with thyroid disease will also be deficient in vitamins. These will have their own symptoms. I can not recommend enough a full thyroid test from medichecks or the similarly recommended blood test providers. You get a discount through thyroid uk. Magnesium can help with constipation and sleep.

Your daughter can be asked to be referred to an endocrinologist. Make sure its one from the recommended list. They can then specify treatment to your gp, if you are finding they are not helpful. Your family history should help put weight behind this referral.

Once your daughter is diagnosed she is eligible for free nhs prescriptions as is any of your family with thyroid disease. She probably already gets this with her other condition.

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