Marc Ryan of Hashimoto's Healing writes: The T... - Thyroid UK
Marc Ryan of Hashimoto's Healing writes: The Thyroid Directly Influences 11 Different Systems in the Body
Fantastic going to print some of the articles and share them with my GP.
I missed this... a very clear explanation - every doc should read this! 
Yep, a very nice and easy to understand explanation. Wondering if my problems stem from Hashimoto's because before this exhaustion, a multitude of other horrid symptoms and the steady downward spiral I have been suffering from over the past decade or more, I was always very much the opposite. I could easily lose a stone in a week if I was slightly more stressed than usual and found it very difficult to put weight on. I used to sweat profusely and when I'd go on an exercise regime, would tone up and put muscle on very quickly compared to other people. I was like a human dynamo, which I really miss, to me that was normal. The downside was extreme anxiety and palpitations and a few other things which I forget for now, but all in all, I miss those days, I thought I was suffering from a nervous disposition but I learnt to live with that aspect.
Emjaytee, I had difficulty maintaining weight most of my life but a few years before I had a Hashi diagnosis went up two dress sizes in 6 months. Weirdly I felt very well during that period athough I previously had fatigue which wiped me out for days at a time. Two or three years later I lost 13kg within a few months and I began to be very unwell although I didn't see a GP until a lump appeared in my neck and was scheduled for hemilobectomy as it compressed my windpipe.
Symptoms were mostly hyper then started to swing between hyper and hypo. GP suspected hyperthyroidism until low-normal thyroid bloods returned with positive Hashi antibodies and surgeon was adamant symptoms weren't thyroidal. I had to have completion thyroidectomy because the nodule removed was malignant and a lot of symptoms improved very quickly. Not sure whether it was due to Hashi's stopping with no thyroid to target or the T3 I was prescribed. Probably both.
It still annoys me that symptoms where deemed not to be thyroidal. Bloods were low-normal but no account is given to how the autoimmune aspect of Hashi's can and does affect people.
Thank you for your reply Clutter, I wasn't being ignorant, I just missed it somehow, but found my way back! 
It's good to hear of your speedy recovery after surgery, I'd have been really scared and not sure whether to risk going through with something that extreme without being sure of the outcome! Thank goodness you were put on T3 immediately!
The more I read and learn, the more angry I become about the delay in effective treatment...... which is more often than not, brought about by our own desperation and determination than being lucky enough to find a decent doctor! 
So many years wasted!
My question is that if you have had hashimoto's and you thyroid is removed and abalated....Does hashimoto's remain? Doctors will say that it is not clinically relevant. Thanks
Sorrell89, Since thyroidectomy and RAI my thyroglobulin and thyroglobulin antibodies are undetectable so I no longer have Hashimoto's.
Doctors may say that Hashi antibodies are not clinically relevant but I would beg to disagree. Hashi attacks and antibodies made me extremely unwell even though my thyroid bloods were euthyroid. I was told symptoms were not related to thyroid but after thyroidectomy symptoms resolved.
Clutter, thank you, I also think it remains relevant, I have no thyroid and every bit of tissue was removed by 6 surgeries and 6 Rai yet I still feel hashimoto's gives me symptoms as listed above. It would take me a very long time to write what is going on with me people even on this forum would loose the interest and I do not have the energy even though I am on Armour😔
They are below 60 that was all the info I was given. 25 years after tt!
Sorrel, I'm assuming you had thyCa to have repetitive RAI? Do they no longer test thyroglobulin and thyroglobulin antibodies? I'm only 3 years in remission and think monitoring continues at least until 5 years but I'm not sure what happens after 5 years.
My thyroglobulin levels have been less than 0.5 for 14 years, I had a blip when they went up to 7.8 whilst I was pregnant 14 years ago and I required further surgery to remove a lump but there were no signs of recurrence from the histology.My other thyroid antibodies were less than 60! My tsh has been well suppressed. Yes thyca 25 years ago! Yes I still monitored twice a year! Thanks again
Sorrel, One of the MDT told me recurrence is unlikely when Tg remains <6. I've not had TPOab retested and assumed that undetectable Tg and TGab <20 meant there was no thyroid activity ergo no Hashi's. Hashi symptoms literally stopped after completion thyroidectomy 3 years ago. I know that some thyroidectomised patients continue to experience Hashi attacks but I thought that was due to remnant thyroid cells in the thyroid bed which surgery alone can't remove.
I have read that not all hashis have tpo and TG antibodies (30% of cases). Is it possibly the immune response that makes us feel so lousy not yet determined through blood testing?
Clutter, we ( thyroid cancer patients) should be kept only a little 'hyper' but this is often not the case as this is always evaluated through tsh and we all know how inaccurate that is. my tsh was less than 0.3 Yet I was still 'hypo' in terms of Ft3 levels. Removing the thyroid does not dampen the previous immune response. It just makes a shift??? Comments are very welcome
Sorrel, I don't agree that suppressed TSH = hyper. Mine ranges from undetectable and suppressed <0.01 but with FT3 below range I was very hypo although FT3 is mid range now I'm on T4+T3. Removing my thyroid did dampen the previous immune response but I think my symptoms were relatively recent and not embedded as my levels were euthyroid prior to thyroidectomy.
Clutter, I agreeyour results sound just like me! Yet the doctors always try to reduce our meds because of suspect bone thinning...we cannot win.
Sorrel, I haven't had that problem as my endo manages my thyroid. I was overreplaced initially by oncologist and felt terrible so it was me asking for dose reductions not endo imposing them. Transpires that T4 only didn't suit me so dose reductions didn't help at all. I eventually self medicated with T4+T3 which sorted the problem and endo now prescribes 100mcg T4 + 30mcg T3.
Over a period of many many years my Endo's reduced my Levo base in Tsh and Ft4 reading alone, my ft3 was not checked. An obstetrician tested my Ft3 and recommended I increased my Levo as I was clearly hypo during my last pregnancy. For a further 6 years my Endo's then reduced my Levo again based on tsh and Ft4. I have had my fair share ( probably seen by 25- 30 different Endo's) in my time. t4 failed me eventually I think as my adrenals have suffered ever since. Glad to hear someone is looking after you. You mentioned that you do not feel suppressed tsh= hyper, my tsh is also around the 0.01 to 0.03 mark and I am forever being warned about the risk of bone thinning. I now come to think that we have actually had very different experiences.
Sorrel, I certainly didn't get the help I needed when I was desperately unwell. They were slow to reduce dose when my FT4 was >34 and FT3 over range. It took 7 months to titrate dose and for my FT4 to drop into range and then my FT3 dropped below range. I had been well on T3 for 3 months but on T4 I had so many adverse effects I was 90% bedridden but endo was categoric that Levothyroxine couldn't possibly be the reason.
I resorted to self medicating T3 only for 8 weeks but wasn't any better and decided to stop all thyroid meds for 4 weeks to clear the build up of T4. It worked, but I may have spared myself a very hypo period if I'd stuck with T3 for another 2-4 weeks. I had problems within 24 hours of resuming T4 so I knew it had to be reaction to T4 as there was no possibility of there being a build up after being off it for 3 months. Adding T3 calmed the adverse effects immediately and in a few weeks my FT3 was respectable.
I had quite a heated debated with the endo about T4+T3 combination therapy but he couldn't deny how improved my health was since our last consultation and agreed to prescribe T3, if only to stop me buying it online.
I'm hoping consultations will only be twice a year from now on. I honestly feel I fixed myself without help or guidance from the endo and the MDT but I am getting better support now.
I had a DEXA scan in June which showed mild osteopenia. I think that is due to menopause <42, tall thin frame, low BMI, severe vitD deficiency in 2013, rather than 2 years suppressed TSH. VitD was measured in Dec for the first time and was twice over range so I was advised to reduce vitD and am due a vitD and calcium profile test this week. Certainly bone loss as a result of suppressed TSH has not once been mentioned to me. Possibly it is an issue and may be there's no point in worrying a patient whom they want suppressed.
I'm not sure of the validity of the argument that suppressed TSH with FT4 and FT3 in range causes bone thinning. I think the research has been extrapolated from hyperthyroid patients who have suppressed TSH and high FT4/FT3 which all increase bone turnover. I'm in favour of the minimum dose to feel well as a prescribing protocol but come the day my dose is reduced to the extent I feel unwell I will self medicate until I feel well again. I have been quite clear to my doctors that wellbeing today is more important to me than potential increased risks to health in the future.
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