Thyroid and B12 results

[leannemcc19]

Hi guys I have just got my results back and as indicated my tsh is too low, B12 levels are now higher thankfully and my antibodies are increased. Can anyone explain the two antibodies to me? I had the peroxides antibody test at my gp and this has come down significantly but I am concerned at how high the other antibodies are. What does this mean?? As in what's the difference between the two?? Also I'm vitamin D deficient so do I just take a daily vitamin D tablet? Is it that simple? Thanks guys for taking the time to look at this for me.

[shaws Administrator]

Having antibodies means you have an Autoimmune Thyroid Disease called Hashimoto's. The antibodies attack your gland until you are hypo but the treatment is the same i.e. levothyroxine. Going gluten-free can reduce the antibodies as sometimes there is too many and at other times lower. Hashi's is the commonest form of hypothyroidism. Vitamin D, yes supplement if doctor has not presccribed D3. I wouldn't worry about your TSH it means Thyroid Stimulating Hormone which is from the pituitary gland i.e. it rises as thyroid gland flags.

[leannemcc19 in reply to shaws]

Hiya thanks for your reply, I should have said that I am already being treated for an underactive thyroid, I am aware that I have hashimotos but I've never had both antibodies tested before so the one over 4000 startled me. My tsh and T4 levels indicate to me that my thyroid is creeping up into over active and this is kind of what started me on a long chain of bother over a year ago, so I am not eager to have it go over again! Are you aware of the difference in the two antibodies?? I guess I'm worrying that my hashimotos is developing into graves, I don't even know if that's possible.i have been supplementing B12, on the advice from this forum so that has alresdy helped me immensely. I find more information here than I did through most gps I've ever seen! I did go gluten free for a while so I guess I need to do this properly

[shaws Administrator in reply to leannemcc19]

I will give you a link which explains better about antibodies.

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

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

I have heard that going gluten-free can be difficult but many have benefited from doing so.

[leannemcc19 in reply to shaws]

Thanks I've read these before but I will try again now that I'm not as foggy in the brain! I found gluten free easier than I expected but only when I wasn't looking for something sweet, the gluten free alternatives to sweet food are not nice but I will have to do it again because my thyroid has become so unstable I will literally do anything just to go back to having a nice quiet life again lol

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

leannemcc19 For Vit D the recommended level is 100-150nmol/L. You need to buy some D3 softgels like these bodykind.com/product/2463-b... and take 10,000iu daily for 4 weeks then reduce to 5000iu daily. Retest in May. When you've reached the recommended level reduce to 5000iu alternate days as a maintenance dose.

When taking Vit D there are important co-factors

vitamindcouncil.org/about-v...

D3 aids the absorption of calcium from food and K2-MK7 directs it to bones and teeth rather than arteries and soft tissues. D3 and K2 are fat soluble so should be taken with the fattiest meal of the day, D3 four hours away from thyroid meds.

Magnesium comes in different forms, check here to see which would suit you best and as it's calming it's best taken in the evening

naturalnews.com/046401_magn...

I don't know anything about active B12 so I don't know why it's so high.

Folate needs to be at least half way through it's range so yours is low. Are you taking B12? If so you should also take a B Complex to balance the B vits and it should contain methylfolate which will help raise your Folate level.

Ferritin should be a minimum of 70 for thyroid hormone to work properly, better is half way through it's range and best for females is 100-130. You can take an iron supplement and take each tablet with 1000mg Vit C to aid absorption and help prevent constipation, plus eating liver once a week will help raise ferritin.

Both antibodies are raised which means you are positive for autoimmune thyroid disease aka Hashimoto's. This is where antibodies attack the thyroid and gradually destroy it. You can help reduce the antibodies by adopting a strict gluten free diet which has helped many members enormously. Gluten contains gliadin which is a protein thought to trigger antibody attacks.

Gluten/Thyroid connection - chriskresser.com/the-gluten...

Supplementing with Selenium L-selenomethionine 200mcg daily and keeping TSH suppressed also helps reduce antibodies.

Hashi's Information:

stopthethyroidmadness.com/h...

stopthethyroidmadness.com/h...

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

[leannemcc19 in reply to SeasideSusie]

So much information, thanks! I'm sorry but I'm trying to get my head around all of this, I do find it so complicated. So from your post am I understanding correctly based on the test results I need to supplement with vitamin D, a B multi vitamin along with the b12 I am already taking, iron, magnesium, iron and vitamin c??? Please also forgive me but what is d3 and k2? I am concerned that my thyroid keeps creeping into overactive, I have had it well maintained for approximately 13 years but this last year and a half it keeps creeping up or crashing under and I don't know why, I take my tablets every morning first thing as advised and never miss a dose. All I want, like everyone else here, is to be well lol thank you for your time and valuable info x

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to leannemcc19]

leannemcc19 I included links for you to get further information. The Vit D Council link explains about co-factors needed when taking D3 (the usual form of Vit D supplement) and K2 and magnesium are two of them.

From your results, they show that the supplements you need are

Iron for your low ferritin

Vit C to aid absorption of iron

D3 for your low Vit D level

K2-MK7 and magnesium as co-factors of D3

B Complex if you are taking B12 as it balances the B vits and will raise folate level.

If you read the links about Hashimoto's you should see that as antibodies fluctuate so do symptoms. Wax and wane is the nature of Hashi's and that is why you are experiencing periods of over active and under active.

[leannemcc19 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thanks Susan, I did have a quick look at the links but I guess I'm getting overwhelmed trying to take it all in at once lol I have to take a step back and just take it one step at a time and understand it all. I can handle it under but once it went over for the first time in my life I found it extremely difficult to feel any way normal for a very long time and ended up on medication for anxiety and I've only just come off that so the thought of it all starting again is not a good one so I am looking for a million answers at once lol thank you so much for taking the time to respond to me it really is appreciated

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to leannemcc19]

leannemcc19 I'm not Hashi's so I've never experienced what it's like to be over active, and I'm grateful for that.

There is a lot to take in, and some days the foggy brain makes it harder. Just keep reading and eventually bits start to sink in.

By the way, add in the supplements one at a time, leave a week before adding the next one so if there are any adverse reactions you will know what caused it.

[leannemcc19 in reply to SeasideSusie]

I used to joke about how I would love an overactive thyroid!! Never will I wish that on anyone after my experience lol foggy brain is the worst but thankfully the b12 has helped me massively with that so I am making progress, slowly! All thanks to the advice on here.

I will do hun thanks x

[SlowDragon Administrator]

With Hashimoto's very many of us find going gluten free really reduces symptoms.

You need to watch out for hidden gluten, read all lists of ingredients

M&S and Tesco have good selection of GFree goodies. M&S even have lovely New range of GF sponge puddings - Treacle or St Clementine - delicious. Very good GFree beer too.

You might find the TG antibodies also fall further when vitamin D level improves.

If you read my profile you will see I was stuck on propranolol for anxiety for decades. Going gluten free was the transformation

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

[leannemcc19 in reply to SlowDragon]

I must try the M&S range, I definitely did well on it but found once I came off I lost the motivation to get back to the gluten free. How interesting that link you gave me, I've never suffered from anxiety in my life until this last year and a half when I had all these low normal results and thyroid all over the place so I can see in my own circumstances how they are linked.

I read your profile too and it seems as though we are both needing the same supplements so it's very reassuring to see that you have felt so much better with them! I am going to introduce them one at a time, as suspected suggested above because I want to see exactly how my body responds to each. I find it sad the NHS don't provide us with more information like this, I get its my health and my responsibility but I feel like it's a lot to take in and can sometimes fly over my head! Thank God for this forum or I know I would still be suffering!!