Help for my mom - Hashimoto’s, weight loss and anxiety

[Molliemoo1]

As many of you know, I have recently found out I have Hashimoto’s. This site has really helped my understanding. My mom also has Hashimoto’s hypothyroidism and has been on thyroxine for many years but has never really looked in to it and has just followed doctors advice when they've said it's normal.

Over the last 4/5 months, she has started feeling anxious with a fast heartbeat, struggling to sleep, no appetite and no interest in things that used to interest her. Over the last 9 months she has lost 2 stone by following slimming world.

The last tsh result she has was 1.1 (0.3 - 4.2) in October 2015. She remembers that and felt healthy at this stage.

A number of stressful things have happened in the last few months including a bereavement and my miscarriages.

I was wondering if thyroxine dose may need altering due to weight loss?

Doctor prescribed beta blockers for her symptoms which she has taken on occasion and they seem to alleviate the symptoms. Doctor has since prescribed antidepressants but she hasn't taken them as they gave her an acidy stomach.

Gp hasn't tested thyroid since October. I encouraged my mom to get a blood test done on Friday and that this forum would start to help her understand her condition better.

I'll post the results when they come through.

Any thoughts or advice in the meantime?

Thanks

[shaws Administrator]

You may already know this - that there should be 24 hours between her last dose of levo and the blood test which should be at the earliest and she should not eat before the test. She can take levo after test. If she has to eat after the blood test, levo can be taken 2 hours afterwards as stomach should be empty.

If anyone has symptoms appear when they've been relatively stable for a while a blood test is the first thing to do.

Did you also include B12, Vit D, iron, ferritin and folate as well. Some seniors do have low B12.

[greygoose]

If she still has symptoms, it may be that she needs an increase in dose, no matter what her weight.

And if all they're testing is the TSH, she'll never know.

She needs to know what her FT4 and FT3 are like - the TSH could be perfect, but the FT3 could still be low. It could be that she's not converting very well.

Beta-blokers are just a sticking plaster, to cover up the symptoms without getting to the root cause.

Sounds like her doctor doesn't know very much about thyroid - surprise, surprise! And needs a little guidance on the matter.