I've just left my GP( a different one to my first who diagnosed me with an under active thyroid and gave me 2 months supply of Levo 50 then gave me a form to get my blood rechecked in 3 months!) and I asked this second Dr if she could test my antibodies to see if I had an autoimmune disease.
Her reply was that I was tested-in February along with the other tests- didn't I know the results? No I didn't- I was given a printout at the surgery - but apparently the result fell off the page- so neither I nor the first GP saw them.
It says
Thyroid peroxidase antibo -
greater than 1300iu/ml. (Less than 60)
She said that means I have Hashimoto's thyroiditis .
My result looks very high and I'm not sure what that means.
thanks
ChrisRP
Written by
ChrisRP
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It means you have autoimmune thyroiditis (Hashimoto's Disease).
What happens with that is that your gland is Under attack from your immune system, and is gradually destroyed. The immune system goes a little bit crazy sometimes, and thinks the thyroid gland is the enemy.
How long it will take to totally destroy the gland is anybody's guess. It varies from person to person. But, obviously you have already suffered some damage to the gland, which can now no-longer produce enough hormone to keep you well, and that is why you have been diagnosed. When your thyroid is Under-active (although, technically, I Don't think that's quite the right word, because it's not really Under-active, it's just smaller than it used to be and therefore cannot make as much hormone as it used to).
Anyway, when your thyroid gland is 'Under-active', the blood test results will show high TSH, and low FT4 and FT3. You've probably noticed that, if she gave you a print-out.
The fact that your doctor hasn't seen your antibody result doesn't really matter, because she wouldn't be able to do anything about it. As things stand, there is no treatment for auto-immunity. All your doctor can do is try and replace the hormones that your gland can no-longer produce. That's why she gave you Levo. Levo is T4, a storage hormone, which has to be converted into T3, the active hormone needed by every single one of the trillion cells in your body. It is low T3 that causes symptoms. Although, the antibodies themselves can make you feel ill.
But, whilst your doctor doesn't know how to treat antibodies, there are things that you can do for yourself. Most people find that going on a gluten-free diet helps lower the antibodies. So can a dairy-free diet and/or a sugar-free diet. Taking selenium can also help with antibodies. None of these things are guaranteed to help, but Worth a try. Also, you must try and keep your TSH suppressed - 0.001 - your doctor won't like it, but it's your body, you can do what you like with it!
This is the very beginning of your journey - a life-time journey - and you need to learn as much as you can about your disease. You are going to have a lot of questions in the coming days (months, years) so Don't hesitate to ask them on here. It's doubtful if your doctor will be able to answer them, but someone on here usually can. That's the wonderful thing about pooling knowledge, 9 times out of 10, there's someone that knows!
I'm so glad I've found this forum. I don't feel so alone in dealing with this.
BTW- when I asked about testing for T3- my Dr said 'we don't do that anymore.
And when I asked about my B12 at 352 (180-800) she said it was well within range and I don't need to supplement. When I said PA Society recommend that B12 1000 is optimal, she said- 'that's ridiculous, stop using Google!'
I am due another blood test but they couldn't fit me in for two weeks- so they said go to the city drop in centre if I didn't want to wait.
And on top of all that, my Medical exemption form for free prescriptions has gone astray for the second time.
No, you're definately not alone! lol We're all here with you.
Well, she sounds like a typical doctor - pig-ignorant about all things thyroid! And what she means is, 'stop using Google or you'll find out how ignorant I am'! Well, you've already found out!
FT3 is THE most important number, because T3 is the active hormone. And you can take all the T4 you like, but if you can't convert it, you're still going to be ill. And how will they know if you can't convert it if they Don't do the tests? Sadly, even if she did do them, she wouldn't understand them - but we would!
If I were you, go with Google. Your B12 is low enough to cause irreparable neurological damage. I know this for a fact. I've had peripheral neuropathy since I was about 27, and no-one ever thought to test my B12. When I was 68, I was losing the use of my right arm, and I couldn't hold my head still - it wobbled and jerked! But I knew from this forum that I should ask for my B12 to be tested, Doctor didn't want to do it, because he said B12 was unimportant! It came back at 350, and he said it was perfect. I started supplementing B12 and a B complex, anyway, and everything slowly went back to normal. Thank god for Google!
I would recommend sublingual methylcobalamin, 5000 mcg daily for a few months, then you can decrease to 1000. With it, take a B complex, with methylfolate, rather than folic acid, to balance the Bs. You cannot over-dose on B12 because it's water-soluble.
When you book your blood test, make sure it's as near to 8 am as possible. Fast, just drink water, and leave 24 hours between your last dose of Levo and the test. That way, you will get the best results. Always try to have your test at the same time of day because TSH rises throughout the day.
You're going to have to get well despite your doctor! lol
Oh my goodness, Geygoose. What a battle you've had! Why are Drs so badly informed? I just can't believe it.
I will definitely take those supplements you suggest. Can you tell me where I can get them, please. I plan to join Thyroid UK later after work. Is that the best place?
I'll get to the drop in centre in the city at 7.00 am tomorrow ( as surgery can fit me in for two weeks) so hopefully there won't be too long a wait to get my blood test done. I did ask to check my Vit D levels and Rheumatoid Arthritis factor as they haven't been done before. I'm worried about arthritis as my mum was severe and all my fingers ache terribly and I've a knobble developing on my little finger.The Dr begrudgingly added the two tests to the form.
Oh, you Don't know the half of it! I was hypo for over 50 years before I was diagnosed!
Anyway, I always get my suppléments on Amazon. Supermarket suppléments are inferior, Holland an Barrett use undesirable fillers, and pharmacies are just hopeless for so many reasons! lol
If you are going to choose some supplements (or anything at all) Thyroiduk.org.uk have a link to Amazon which means they get a small contribution if we order anything. This is the link:
My son who is 20 had a B12 of 262 which doc said was perfectly normal and offered him anti depressants for his depression anxiety and psychotic episodes ... He refused and I supplemented him with Methy B12 and complex B vitamins ... In six weeks he's like a different bloke and we can't believe it ... He says he no longer feels dead ... We've had a real struggle with GP recognising that he has Hashimotos but finally convinced her to refer him to Endo which he has on 11/5 so take the B12 supplements you won't regret it
I buy nearly all my supplements from shops on Ebay UK.PM me if you want more info.I take the most active forms recommended on this forum & find good sources of those from Ebay Shops.If I can't get them from EbayUK or Amazon UK(post free)I use
Thanks for your reply. The Pharmacist in Boots told me that- but unfortunately my 1st prescription was 8 weeks ago- I sent the form off then- but they didn't receive it - and they only backdate for 1 month so I can't claim now-I sent a second form 3 weeks ago- and they claim they never received that either- I got a third form today- from a very cross receptionist at my Drs who had a go at me! saying all this wastes surgery time!!! And I had to send it registered post at a cost of £6.50.
When having a Hashi attack you may go into a hyper state as large numbers of white blood cells called lymphocytes accumulate in the thyroid that drive the autoimmune process, causing a large amount of hormone to be secreted into the blood stream.
TPO antibodys attack an enzyme in the thyroid gland, TG antibodies attack the key protein in the thyroid gland - either will eventually cause destruction of follicles in the thyroid gland and deplete thyroid hormone. Medicating thyroid hormone replacement should help to suppress Hashimoto attacks and rebalance thyroid hormone levels, hopefully alleviating symptoms.
Because the immune system is in a heightened state, many experience an over reaction to gluten ( and dairy ? ) which can cause autoimmune damage to the intestines resulting in poor absorption of nutrients. Many members benefit from a gluten free diet and supplementing selenium, known to not only to reduce TPOAb's but also help with thyroid hormone conversion to the active T3 that gives wellbeing.
The aim is to reduce thyroid antibodies and keep them low as having one auto immune disease may predispose you to others. Common ones found together with Hashimotos are Rheumatoid Arthritis, Pernicious Anaemia and Celiac Disease.
This following link explains the importance of vitamins and where they may be obtained. This forum is supported by the charity ThyroidUK. You do not have to join the charity to benefit from this forum but by doing so you will be supporting the charity and also entitled to various discounts when buying supplements, as detailed in the link below.
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