Thyroid antibodies & endo appointment

[katacharin]

Hi again,

I saw an endocrinologist yesterday (Dr N. G. at The Priory Birmingham), he had the results of two recent blood tests I had: one for thryoid antibodies and one for calcium.

He said my thryoid antibodies were elevated at 185, and calcium slightly low at 2.21. I don't have a copy of these myself yet, but will be asking for one from my GP.

I just wanted to check...if I have thryoid antibodies at 185 does that confirm that my hypothyroidism is caused by Hashimotos? I'm trying to address many of these issues with diet and so if I know it's definitely autoimmune / hashimotos I will tackle things from that point of view.

He has also asked for another set of blood tests as he suspects I may have PCOS, many (but not all) of my symptoms match up with that. In addition he has requested that my Vitamin D levels are checked too. (I am taking a vit D supplement at the moment - should I stop taking this before the blood test to see if there is a natural deficiency?)

With regard to my thyroid treatment he thinks my blood test results for thyroid look fine and doesn't think that is what is causing the problems. (See previous post for FT3/FT4/TSH levels).

Thanks for any advice!

Naomi

[Clutter]

Naomi, yes, you have autoimmune thyroid disease (Hashimoto's). If you are naturally vitD deficient you need to supplement to correct the deficiency. I don't see any point in stop supplementing but don't take your vitD until after the blood draw to avoid having a peak level in your blood when you are tested.

I commented on your previous post that I think you are slightly undermedicated and TSH would be better just above or below 1.0.

[shaws Administrator]

I don't know if your Endo has prescribed levothyroxine for you as you have antibodies (Hashi's) as it has been recommended that we should be prescribed levothyroxine to 'nip things in the bud' rather than allow a continued attack on the thyroid gland.

Re PCOS. I don't have a link but this is an article I have read:

Multiple Ovarian Cysts as

a Major Symptom of Hypothyroidism

The case I describe below is of importance to women with polycystic ovaries. If they have evidence, such as a high TSH, that conventional clinicians accept as evidence of hypothyroidism, they may fair well. But the TSH is not a valid gauge of a woman's tissue thyroid status. Because of this, she may fair best by adopting self-directed care. At any rate, for women with ovarian cysts, this case is one of extreme importance.

In 2008, doctors at the gynecology department in Gunma, Japan reported the case of a 21-year-old women with primary hypothyroidism. Her doctor referred her to the gynecology department because she had abdominal pain and her abdomen was distended up to the level of her navel.

At the gynecology clinic she underwent an abdominal ultrasound and CT scan. These imaging procedures showed multiple cysts on both her right and her left ovary.

The woman's cholesterol level and liver function were increased. She also had a high level of the muscle enzyme (creatine phosphokinase) that's often high in hypothyroidism.

Blood testing also showed that the woman had primary hpothyroidism from autoimmune thyroiditis.

It is noteworthy that the young woman's ovarian cysts completely disappeared soon after she began thyroid hormone therapy. Other researchers have reported girls with primary hypothyroidism whose main health problems were ovarian cysts or precocious puberty. But this appears to be the first case in which a young adult female had

ovarian cysts that resulted from autoimmune-induced hypothyroidism.

The researchers cautioned clinicians: "To avoid inadvertent surgery to remove an ovarian tumor, it is essential that a patient with multiple ovarian cysts and hypothyroidism be properly managed, as the simple replacement of a thyroid hormone could resolve

the ovarian cysts."[1]

Reference:

1. Kubota, K., Itho, M., Kishi, H., et al.: Primary hypothyroidism presenting as

multiple ovarian cysts in an adult woman: a case report. Gynecol. Endocrinol.,

24(10):586-589, 2008.