My Medichecks results are back.

[Diyena]

Do these results mean I am Hashimotos? What do I do next, what do I say to my GP if I take them in? His lab had refused to test my FT3 because I'd had an in range result before and refused to test the thyroglobulin antibodies as I had peroxidase tested and they were normal. I'm panicking a bit!

[Diyena]

I take 100mcg Levothyroxine, plus high D3, it doesn't seem to be rising though.

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Yes Diyena You have Hashimoto's. Your GP probably wont say much. Hash's isn't treated, it's the resulting hypothyroidism that is treated. What you need to do now is learn as much about Hashi's as you can and help yourself.

You have high (positive) TPO antibodies. The antibodies will fluctuate and they will attack your thyroid eventually destroying it. You can help to reduce the antibody attacks by adopting a strict gluten free diet, some people also need to be dairy free. Many members have been helped enormously by being gluten free. Gluten contains gliadin (a protein) which is thought to trigger autoimmune attacks so eliminating gluten can help reduce these attacks.

Keeping TSH very low, also supplementing with Selenium will help reduce antibody attacks.

Your antibodies were low last time because that is the nature of autoimmune thyroid disease, the antibodies fluctuate, causing your symptoms and results to fluctuate too.

Some reading about Hashi's:

stopthethyroidmadness.com/h...

stopthethyroidmadness.com/h...

hypothyroidmom.com/hashimot...

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/about_...

Your Vit D still has a way to go, you should be aiming for 100-150. You say it's not rising. What is the brand of the D3 supplement you are taking?

[Diyena in reply to SeasideSusie]

amazon.co.uk/dp/B003B6RB98

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Diyena]

That's a good one @Diyena. How much are you taking?

[Diyena in reply to SeasideSusie]

i take a 5,000 daily and my GP had prescribed a monthly vial of 25,000 which i also take.

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Diyena]

What's your latest Vit D result?

[Diyena in reply to SeasideSusie]

That's it above, I did it yesterday

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Diyena]

Sorry, yes I'd seen it, trying to two things at once here, it doesn't work!!

Your last Vit D test a month ago was 79. I wonder why it's dropped?

How long have you been taking the Jarrows Vit D? Just wondering if you were taking a less good brand that made it drop and have only just got the Jarrows? Just things popping into my head to try and understand it.

You could increase to 10,000 daily for a week to give it a boost then drop back to 5,000 daily.

[Diyena in reply to SeasideSusie]

I've always taken the Jarrows. I can't single task anymore let alone multitask! lol

I thought the monthly dose would do that, I actually took the last 2 months together in a bid to raise it.

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Diyena]

I don't seem to be doing too well at multitasking this evening either!

Well, you've always taken a decent brand and as it's been the same one all through it's a mystery why it's dropped.

When you had your previous one done last month, had you been sunbathing?? And maybe that boosted your Vit D level. And now we're not getting so much? Clutching at straws here.

[Diyena in reply to SeasideSusie]

Lol. no. I rarely sit in the sun, if anything I'd had more sun this time as I've been on holiday from work for the school holidays.

I'm a mystery!

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Diyena]

Mystery woman Diyena Revel in your uniqueness!

Maybe give the 10,000 daily a try for a week, hopefully that will help. It just needs a nudge up and then the 5,000 daily should keep it there.

I'm lucky, mine shot up very easily from 15 to 200 in 2.5 months, dropped down to a maintenance dose and it settled at 150. A bit higher again now probably due to the sun, I don't sunbathe either, I don't tolerate that sort of heat very well.

[Diyena in reply to SeasideSusie]

Blimey how often do you get your levels checked? Always private?

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Diyena]

I've had mine done with City Assays, blood spot test, £28. They recommend twice a year when supplementing.

I originally found I was severely deficient with a Blue Horizon package. Did a massive loading dose (40,000iu daily) for 2-3 weeks then dropped to 5000iu daily. Did City Assays test to check how things were going and found Vit D was 200. Reduced dose and retested after 6 months and it was 150.

Have been feeling unwell lately and am in the process of doing some tests, Vit D happened to be the first one as it's cheapest and it's back up to 190. Have dropped dose for now.

[Diyena in reply to SeasideSusie]

I was originally 35 so it has gone up. Just not lately. I'll try the 10,000 daily for a week as you suggested

[bluebug in reply to Diyena]

I'm optimal e.g. around 100nmol/L so get it tested once a year.

However if I have issues with any other lab results I may end up having it done more while I sort those out.

One thing with your vitamin D supplementation are you taking it a lunch time or dinner time when you have a fatty meal? This increases absorption.

[Diyena in reply to bluebug]

I was having it at breakfast but now lunchtime, but I tend to eat low fat as I'm always trying to lose weight!

[bluebug in reply to Diyena]

Eating low fat won't help you lose weight as you will be hungry too often and eat refined carbs like bread, pasta and breakfast cereal to fill you up. These are in turn turned into sugars so you get a sugar high, which is addictive, then when you get the low you will be hungry again and will eat more of them.

Instead eat normal fat foods including dairy products and limit the amount of refined carbs e.g. bread, pasta, white rice, breakfast cereals, cakes, normal potatoes you eat.

There is loads of information on the high fat low carb diet online plus how doctors, the government and the food industry have been misleading the public for years. In fact dietitians who work privately don't advocate the diet the NHS pushes as they know it's harmful not only for those with diabetes and heart disease but other people.

[Diyena in reply to SeasideSusie]

I supplement selenium but its only a recent thing

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Diyena]

Well that's good. Hopefully a good brand and 200mcg daily?

[Diyena in reply to SeasideSusie]

The present selenium is just a holland and barrette one but i have just received my order from Amazon of this

amazon.co.uk/dp/B000F4ZVKK

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Diyena]

That's the best and most bioavailable form of selenium so start that now and bin the H&B one.

[Diyena in reply to SeasideSusie]

My peroxidase antibodies were low ( as they are now) but i hadn't had the thyroglobulin tested before.

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Diyena]

Yes, sorry Diyena . I'm used to seeing Blue Horizon results and they put TPO first and TG underneath, I see now Medichecks are the other way round.

TG can often be positive when TPO aren't. Never understood why the NHS doesn't test both, they just seem to rely on TPO.

[Diyena in reply to SeasideSusie]

I think I read on here that it was rarer for thyroglobulin to be raised if TPO isn't? My GP requested i had the Tg abs but the lab refused.

[gabkad]

Diyena, to maximize absorption of vitamin D3 you need to take it when you eat a meal that contains fat (which is most meals). Don't take it with a cup of coffee, for example, because it won't get absorbed.

[Diyena in reply to gabkad]

Thanks, I usually try take it with lunch and I don't drink coffee. I was taking it with my K2 but someone told me to separate them as they fight against each other for the fat or something. 🤔

[gabkad in reply to Diyena]

Not that I'm aware of. i take k2 every third day and just dose up on D3 once a month during the winter. But I take 5 mg of K2. Not the microgram doses.