[F/34] Please help me :(

[bluerthanabruise]

Morbidly obese since early childhood. All time highest: 300 lbs in early 20's. Was diagnosed with insulin resistance at 14; never treated / medicated. A year ago, after a decade and a half of vegetarianism, I was diagnosed as insulin resistant (Insulin 2.56 & 30.1 uIU/ml) and anemic (FER 4.1ng/ml, FE 42mg/dl, HB 10.3 g/dl, Hematoctrit 33.6%, Mean Cell Volume 78 fl, Mean Cell Hemoglobin 23.8 pg). Added animal protein back into my diet and struggled to drop to 235 lbs from my usual 275 lbs. Today, my thyroid lab results are confusing me: IRON 40mg/dl, TSH 1.09 mIU/ml, FT3 2.74 pg/ml, FT4 0.81 ng/dl, TGA <20.0 IU/ml, Anti-TPO 59.3 IU/ml.

Am I hypothyroid?

Do I have hashimoto's?

Could I still be anemic (full blood count next week)?

If anemic, did hypothyroidism caused it?

Or did anemia caused my thyroid dysfunction?

Can anemia cause Hashimoto's?

Can TPO be elevated for reasons other than Hashi's?

If TPO levels are due to possible anemia, with my TSH/T3/T4 results, am I still hypo?

If I am hypothyroid, and isn't Hashimoto's, is it reversible?

My symptoms (mostly last four months): severely constipated, fatigued/lethargic, hair falling out at an alarming rate, dry skin, stalled weight loss...

I also have IBS.

My multi has 200mcg of iodine from kelp. Is it safe to still take it? It also provides 200mcg of selenium. It's the only product I have found that agrees with me and my troubled digestion.

One of my supplements contains kelp, kale, broccoli, cauliflower and other goitrogens in amounts of less than 1.5gr/day. Should I stop taking it?

Please help... I'm devastated and frustrated and the more I read the less I feel I know... My endo is not helping... Just wants to put me on metformin and maybe levothyroxine soon...

Thank you very much.

[shaws Administrator]

Welcome to our forum and I am sure you will get answers which will help you.

Members who are knowledgeable about blood test results will respond. It would be helpful if you can give the ranges for your thyroid tests, i.e. TSH, T4 and T3 as well as your others tests. The reason being that labs differ throughout the country and use different machines - thus different ranges.

Offhand, just looking at your FT4 and FT3 they seem extremely low but some doctors are happy if they are 'within the range' whereas we feel better towards the upper range. I would stop the giotronic supplements at present until you are diagnosed.

Your symptoms do sound hypo and it good that you are now researching why you are unwell. Antibodies dictate whether you are hyperthyroid with hashimoto's as they attack your thyroid gland until you become hypothyroid.

Usually iodine is counter indicated with hypothyroidism. I would avoid goitrogens at present.

Apparently Metiform is for diabetics but others will clarify. You certainly have a lot of clinical symptoms, some of which sound as if you have a thyroid gland dysfunction.