Daughter, 13, with Hashimoto's

[KIRM]

May this year, confirmed goitre with small nodules. Started on Eltroxin 25mcg/day.

Ab 728.00 (range<116)

TPO Ab 41.57 (range <35)

Free T3 4.5 (3.1 - 6.6)

Free T4 10.7 (10 - 17.7)

TSH 3.21 (0.53 - 5.27)

ESR 35 (range 0 -14)

Latest Bloods (Ranges as mentioned above) no real change in goitre, but thankfully only noticeable because I know its there. Dosage upped to 50mcg/day

Ab 620

TPO Ab 38.46

Free T3 4.81

Free T4 12.14

TSH 1.54

B12 232.32 (range 156 - 698.00)

Vit D 45 (range 50 - 200)

Folate (serum) 10.5 (range 4.6 - 18.7)

Red Cell Folate 526 (range 158 - 1099)

Ferritin 20 (range 7 - 14)

Feedback please on where she lies within the ranges.

We see an immunologist as no paediatric Endo in Dubai and we disagreed about supplementing especially over B12 as I thought her level should be higher and he disagreed as claimed I was confusing Hashi's with Hypo?? We also disagreed over an iodine test but relented and will be tested in her next bloods.

Her GP suggested Iron supplement but only ever 3 days, immunologist disagreed and told me to stop until her next bloods in 8 weeks, so have stopped?

She now takes, (on top of her 50mcg), Vit D, 50,0000/week for 8 weeks. Daily Vit C, selenium, magnesium and probiotics. Any other supplements to recommend?

She is very sluggish and lethargic and carries out her life at a snails pace without much enthusiasm for anything, but at 13 you don't know if its anything to do with the above or being a teenager or both? She has put on 6.6kg in 5 months but had a small growing spurt over the summer.

I would also like advice on this comment from the immunologist - as she has Hashimoto's she will always have high AB and TPO Ab and the thyroid meds won't alter this?

Thank you in advance for any feedback.

[Clutter]

KIRM, your daughter's thyroid results have improved on 50mcg. FT4 still needs improvement which should also boost FT3 so have another test in 8/12 weeks in case TSH rises which would mean she needs a slight dose increase.

B12 is low and as neurological symptoms can be experienced <500 most of us supplement until we are high in range. I would recommend 1,000mcg daily sublingual lozenges, spray or patches.

Is the ferritin range correct? In the UK it usually goes up to 200 or 300 and 20 would be considered very low and iron supplementation recommended. Good ferritin levels (70-90 optimal in UK) aid absorption of thyroxine. If the range is correct then there is no need to supplement iron.

I don't understand the immunologist's comment about confusing Hashi with hypo. Hashimoto's has caused your daughter's hypothyroidism. Some members have seen antibodies reduce substantially and even disappear after optimal thyroid replacement and by following a gluten-free diet.

[KIRM in reply to Clutter]

Thank you for your feedback. I am trying to get hold of the lab now to confirm the Ferritin Range but it does say range 7-14 / Units ng/ml, on the lab report.

With regards to the immunologists comment I think he was referring to when we were strongly disagreeing over where Isobel should be within her levels to aid with maximum absorption for all that she is taking and me insisting that she needs B12 (doesn't matter anyway as in Dubai you can buy anything over the counter without a prescription), and as always, if she is within range then all is progressing nicely? He appeared to be claiming that she will now have Hashimoto's for the rest of her life, that any blood test will always show elevated AB and TPO Ab? However I didn't think that was necessarily the case?

[donna8077 in reply to KIRM]

It isn't necessarily the case! If you can look for a book by Izabella Wentz Hashimoto's Thyroiditis: Lifestyle Interventions for Finding and Treating the Root Cause. It is invaluable and contains a lot of the information you want to arm yourself with.

Antibodies can come down to a normal level if you tackle diet, healing of the gut, optimal levels of vitamins and then optimal thyroid medication. This can include cutting out gluten from the diet and dairy and soya. In the end it's worth it though because potentially if the antibodies continue they eventually destroy the thyroid and then start having a go at other parts of the body.

Nearly all doctors will not address the antibodies and that is a massive failure on their part for Hashimoto's sufferers.

I wish your daughter well and I hope I've been of some help.

[Clutter in reply to KIRM]

KIRM, It's important to know where a result is in the range as within range isn't the same as optimal. TSH 5.26 is within range but optimal is just above or below 1.0.

As said, antibodies can reduce/disappear but they don't always even with Levothyroxine and dietary changes.

[KIRM in reply to Clutter]

Thank you

[KIRM]

Oh my gosh! Thank you so much for steering me in the right direction, will order the book today. It is so hard to find the right foods here never mind vitamins, even those stocked at the Organic shop are full of fillers and all sorts of processed rubbish.

[donna8077 in reply to KIRM]

I agree. It's not easy to find anything that is free of everything.

I was shocked that so many places claiming to be healthy stock so much with dubious ingredients.

[KIRM]

Very true!