i have just received the results of my thyroid autoantibodies.
They are. 11.6 U/mL Abnormal result. ( 0 - 9U/mL)
My GP said that they are borderline abnormal and probably raised due to my age, (63 years). I have had sub clinical Hypothyroidism for several years, (l posted my previous thyroid results last week). I have many classical symptoms of hypothyroidism which wax and wane. Most of the time I am exhausted, lethargic, cold and aching etc.
My daughter has Hashimoto's disease and my sister has several auto immune illnesses including pernicious anaemia. Could I have Hashimoto's, or is it just my age causing all these signs and symptoms? My doctor will not increase my Levothyroxine until my TSH goes up again meanwhile I continue to feel a shadow of my previous self.
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Ladyanne
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Ladyanne When antibodies are raised it is positive for autoimmune thyroid disease aka Hashimoto's. Nothing to do with your age, another clueless doctor! (I am older than you and mine aren't raised and I've been hypo for 43 years.) The waxing and waning of your symptoms are indicative of Hashi's.
The treatment won't be any different as Hashimoto's isn't treated, it's the resulting hypothyroidism that is. However, you can help to reduce the antibodies by adopting a strict gluten free diet. Gluten contains gliadin which is a protein thought to trigger antibody attacks.
What are your latest thyroid test results? If you don't have them then ask your surgery for a print out, you are legally entitled to them under the Data Protection Act. Make sure you get the reference ranges too. When you've got them, post them for members to comment.
Hi Thank you for your reply. I posted all my results last week along with the ranges. My GP is worried about osteoporosis and atrial fibrillation. He thinks that I won't get a great deal of improvement by upping my Levothyroxine. I'm on 50 micrograms at the moment but it doesn't seem to be helping. I don't know where to go next. Any advice would be gratefully received
According to the BMA's booklet, "Understanding Thyroid Disorders", many people do not feel well unless their levels are at the bottom of the TSH range or below and at the top of the FT4 range or a little above.
Dr Toft, past president of the British Thyroid Association and leading endocrinologist, states in Pulse Magazine
"The appropriate dose of levothyroxine is that which restores euthyroidism and serum TSH to the lower part of the reference range - 0.2-0.5mU/l.
In this case, free thyroxine is likely to be in the upper part of its reference range or even slightly elevated – 18-22pmol/l. Most patients will feel well in that circumstance.
But some need a higher dose of levothyroxine to suppress serum TSH and then the serum-free T4 concentration will be elevated at around 24-28pmol/l.
This 'exogenous subclinical hyperthyroidism' is not dangerous as long as serum T3 is unequivocally normal – that is, serum total around T3 1.7nmol/l (reference range 1.0-2.2nmol/l)."
You can obtain a copy of the article by emailing louise.roberts@thyroiduk.org.uk to discuss with your GP.
Many doctors like to scare us with stories of osteoporosis and atrial fibrillation, but you would need to have long term over range FT3 for any risk of that. As long as FT3 stays within range then you cannot be over medicated. Unfortunately not many doctors realise this, they have been taught to dose by TSH only.
Do you have the results of your vitamin and mineral tests yet?
50 mcg is very much avstarter dose for over 50's ,your GP thinks you will not benefit from an increase .He is probably wrong .Try to persuade him to a trial. As Seaside Susie says his concerns are not valid.
No not yet , hopefully by the end of the week. I will post them as soon as I get them.
I'm still not too sure how to persuade my GP to up my dose of Levothyroxine . I might have to change doctors but I dread starting all over again with somebody who doesn't know my history.
As you can probably tell, I am finding it difficult to sleep which isn't helping the situation. My muscles ache terribly and my joints are very stiff, I also get restless legs after about two hours in bed, I end up surviving on four or five hours sleep, no wonder I'm shattered.
With a bit of luck my blood tests will explain everything
I will try having magnesium with my vit D. I've not been tested for selenium but I'm waiting for results on B12, folate and Vit D, l'm also on iron as my ferritin was quite low. I've been tested for celiac, Lyme disease and Sjögren's syndrome which were all negative.
Thyroid tests have all been borderline normal or slightly out of range including the thyroid autoantibodies, so as you can see I have been fighting for a diagnosis for my symptoms for over ten years. Eventually I was diagnosed with chronic fatigue a couple of years ago which means I got no help at all. I had to fight really hard to get Levothyroxine at all, they weren't even going to treat my ferritin levels which were at 22. Meanwhile I feel like my life as I knew it as completely disappeared.
Ladyanne please ask your Dr. about Low-Dose-Naltrexone. In accompaniment with Alpha Lipoic Acid taken at bedtime. I live in the United States I'm not sure if that makes a difference for you. This drug is doing some amazing things. Check this out lowdosenaltrexone.org
Thank you for your advice. I have just had a quick look online and from the little bit I have read about LDN it sounds almost too good to be true. How does it work? And is it available in the UK? Are doctors in the UK happy to prescribe it? If not, how can I get hold of it?
The drug is FDA approved at 50-300 mg. The prescribed dose for auto immune diseases is 4.5 mg so it is a micro amount. It is made at a compounding pharmacy. I actually get it from my doctors office. I am not sure if this is available in the UK. You might do some Google searches on that. Here in the united states there are lots of LDN seminars that Doctors attend now. I would talk to your doctor about this drug! They found that taking the vitamin Alpha lipoid acid improves its efficacy.
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