Advice on My Blood Results

[myarde]

Hello Everyone!

So happy to have found this group, as I have been recently diagnosed with Hashimoto's. I was diagnosed a year ago with thyroid disease, and also PCOS about 8 years now. But in retrospect, I think I have had Hashimoto's much longer. I am suffering terribly with all of the major symptoms: weight gain (I am 5"2 & 200 lbs), extreme hair loss, fatigue, insomnia, mood swings, high blood pressure, bad skin, etc. I have been to a series of Endocrinologist's, and as you may already know they have been useless. When I was diagnosed I was told I have a small lump on my thyroid (not cancerous, and that I didn't need to be put on medication, just monitor my diet and exercise. Since my last visit I have done a ton of research and have begun to try and heal my body thru food, diet, supplements and Lugol's iodine. I have an upcoming appointment this Thursday with a new Endo as I am hoping to get a prescription for Nature Thyroid or Westhroid. But wanted to get the community's opinion on my test result so I am a bit more educated when I speak with the doctor. Here are my initial results from last year- T4: 5.7, T3: 93, TSH: 1.13, Free T4: 0.85, Anti Mitochondrial Abs: negative, Thyroid Peroxidase Ab: H 77. I appreciate your input and advice, thank you all in advance for your support!

[shaws Administrator]

If you have the ranges for the above tests, it would be helpful. The reason is that labs differ in the machines they use, and therefore the ranges are also different. This an excerpt from an article re PCOS which may be helpful. I don't have a link for it:-

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 hypothyroidism 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.

[myarde in reply to shaws]

Thank you for your input. I unfortunately do not have a range as yet. I am hoping to the new Endo I see this week (I am in the US by the way) will run new blood tests and I will have more updated results. As far as the article above, I have read a great book while research this condition and I do know that Hashi's can cause ovarian cysts to develop. I was hoping to get a clearer understanding of my past results, as I don't know what the numbers mean, I have been unlucky at having any pasts doctors explain. I will provide an update and hopefully new results soon. Thanks again!

[greygoose in reply to myarde]

myarde, TSH - Thyroid Stimulating Hormone - is a pituitary hormone that is secreted to direct the thyroid to make more or less thyroid hormone. When the thyroid isn't making enough, the TSH goes up (in theory). Yours, at 1.13, is more or less 'normal'. T4 and T3 are thyroid hormones, but it's impossible to say if yours are high or low without the ranges. If your T3 is low, then you are hypothyroid. Thyroid Peroxidase Ab is an antibody, but once again, we need the range, as they vary from lab to lab. If it is high then you definately have Hashi's, but if it's low, it's not conclusive, because antibody levels vary, and you need two or three low ones to conclude a negative.

You can have Hashi's and still have hormone levels in the normal range, but you should be treated with thyroid hormone replacement, to limit the damage. The anitbodies attack when the gland produces hormone.

I'm not sure that you should be taking Lugol's unless you are iodine deficient. It isn't a cure-all for hypo - especially not Hashi's. Hashi's people can be iodine deficient, but not always. And it's best to also get your selenium tested before taking iodine, and supplement deficiencies in that before starting on the iodine. Too much iodine can be as bad as too little. And supplementing with iodine with low selenium can cause problems.

[myarde in reply to greygoose]

Hello Gray Goose,

Thank you for your reply! Your explanation was helpful in me having a better understanding of my results and what could possibly be going on in with my body. Unfortunately i have been self treating because my last endo sent me away with a diagnosis of Hashi and explanation of my results, ect, no recommendation for medication/treatment, just to follow a more strict diet and exercise. And to also have a thyroid sonogram every 6 months to monitor my thyroid and the lump i have on it to make sure it isnt cancerous. Therefore thru reading and various research on this horrible disease, i was forced to self medicate. I will visit a new Endo tomorrow and will request updated test be taken. Thru my research I have decided to ask to be prescribed Westhroid, as i am suffering terribly from numerous Hashi symptoms. I will post my new test results ans look forward to your input as well as the rest of the community. You all have armed with so much knowledge, and i am so thankful. Especially yourself, i notice by your response to others post, that you are very knowledge about Hashi and give great advice. Thank you again and i look forward to following up soon.

P.S Your response was right on time! I am more equipped to deal with yet another doctor tomorrow.

[greygoose in reply to myarde]

You're welcome, myarde. And I have nothing against self-medication - I do it myself! It's just the iodine that can be dangerous if not taken correctly. I have personal experience of that. But there are so many people that just slosh around the iodine without thinking and will tell you that we need massive amounts of it - we don't - and that it will cure everything - it won't. There are some things you can just take without worrying about - like the B vitamins, which are water soluable, so excess is excreted, but iodine isn't one of them.