Thyroid symptoms back again

[Zizzy1591]

Have been on 25mcgs of Levo for a few months now and was feeling ok. Just getting over a cold virus which lasted for ages and old symptoms back again, tired all the time, weird heaviness in eyes, dry skin and feeling irritable. Booked in for blood test in Feb but wondered if I should up dosage myself to 50mcgs or wait for blood test and see Dr. Would be grateful for any advice.

[Clutter]

Zizzy1591,

Ask for the Feb blood test to be brought forward. Arrange an early morning blood draw when TSH is highest and fast (water only) as TSH drops after eating and drinking.

[Zizzy1591 in reply to Clutter]

Ok will give them a ring tomorrow. Thanks🙂

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Most people on levo need low TSH around (or even slightly below) 1 to be adequately treated. Do you have your latest blood test results.

Reading your previous posts, could not see any test results for vitamin d, b12, folate and ferratin. These all need to at good (not just average) levels for thyroid hormones (our own or replacement ones) to work in our cells

Also have you had thyroid antibodies checked? There are two sorts TPO Ab and TG Ab. (Thyroid peroxidase and thyroglobulin) BOTH need checking, if either, or both are high this means autoimmune thyroid - called Hashimoto's the most common cause in UK of being hypo.

(NHS rarely checks TPO and almost never checks TG. NHS believes it is impossible to have negative TPO and raised TG. It's rare, but not impossible, there are a few members on here that have this.)

ALWAYS Make sure you get the actual figures from tests (including ranges - figures in brackets). You are entitled to copies of your own results. Some surgeries make nominal charge for printing out. Alternatively you can now ask for online access to your own medical records. Though not all surgeries can do this yet, or may not have blood test results available yet online.

When you get results suggest you make a new post on here and members can offer advice on any vitamin supplements needed

If you can not get GP to do these tests, then like many of us, you can get them done privately

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/testin...

Blue Horizon - Thyroid plus eleven tests all these. £99

This is an easy to do fingerprick test you do at home, post back and they email results to you couple of days later.

Usual advice on ALL thyroid tests, (home one or on NHS) is to do early in morning, ideally before 9am. No food or drink beforehand (other than water) If you are taking Levo, then don't take it in 24 hours before (take straight after). This way your tests are always consistent, and it will show highest TSH, and as this is mainly all the medics decide dose on, best idea is to keep result as high as possible

If you have Hashimoto's then you may find adopting 100% gluten free diet can really help reduce symptoms, and lower antibodies too.

Selenium supplements can help improve conversion and reduce symptoms too

You do not need to have ANY obvious gut issues, to still have poor nutrient absorption or low stomach acid or gluten intolerance

Best advice is to read as much as you can. Vitamin and minerals levels are very important, but standard medics thinking, doesn't at the moment seem to recognise this. You will see, time and time again on here lots of information and advice about importance of good levels of B12, folate, ferritin and vitamin D, low stomach acid, leaky gut and gluten connection to autoimmune Hashimoto's

chriskresser.com/the-gluten...

chriskresser.com/the-thyroi...

scdlifestyle.com/2014/08/th...

[Zizzy1591 in reply to SlowDragon]

Thank you for your post it was interesting reading, in all I have had three blood tests done I asked for two of the results which I have copies the last one dr rang me saying I was deficient in Vit D but that other tests were ok and that a lot of people were deficient in Vit D because of our climate! so not to worry. I haven't got copy of that last test. I am taking Vit D, Vit B12, fish oil caps, selenium and magnesium and zinc, not sure what I'm doing really but I don't seem to get much help from Drs so trying to sort it out best I can. Due another blood test next month so will ask for both copies. I have had really bad acid reflux for quite some time and have been on Lazaprazole for years but last time I went to see Dr she suddenly seemed quite keen for me to cut down and stop them altogether! Thanks again for your info. 😊

[SlowDragon Administrator]

PPI's lower B12 and magnesium

Masses on here about how low stomach acid is often misdiagnosed as high acid

When hypo we tend to have low stomach acid. Similar symptoms for both

But you can't just stop ant-acids. Lots of posts on here about how to ween very slowly off and improve low acid.

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

nhs.uk/Conditions/Anaemia-v...

gov.uk/drug-safety-update/p...

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

dailymail.co.uk/health/arti...

[Zizzy1591]

I'm on a lower dose of lanzoprozole than before and just take it when I need it rather than every day. Thanks for the links and advice 🙂