My daughter was diagnosed with Hashimotos after a hard fought battle with the GP over a period of two years. She is on 75mg of levothyroxine but is still having symptoms of low mood, anxiety etc. She fights hard to push through it, keeping up an extraordinarily active life.We are having to continue to fight to get supplementary tests apart from FSH. Is this a right for my daughter to have T3/T4, TPO, and TgAb tests as I have been looking into a combination treatment for her which may help.
So much contradictory information out there, dont really know where to start.
Thanks
Juli
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julijkb
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Hi. How did she get the diagnosis? Did she just see GP or an Endocrinologist? It seems as though the TPO and TgAb blood tests have been done if diagnosis is Hashimoto's Autoimmune Thyroiditis.
Did she also have an Ultrasound scan of her Thyroid.
How long has it been since her jncrease to the 75mcg dose. It does take a while to feel the full benefits of the Levothyroxine. Eating a healthy balanced diet and avoiding infections (as far as possible!) should help towards feeling better. Strenuous or excessive exercise is best avoided.
She could also apply for a copy of her medical records. Or just ask for print out of all blood results. Or she could ask for the details - numbers and ranges in brackets - to be read out over the phone whilst she writes them down.
Sometimes after diagnosis and the first three appointments till dose is increased - the follow up bloods annually by GP requested are TFT and our lab only does TSH and fT4.
She saw an endocrinologist for her diagnosis. She has been on the 75mg for a few months but with the anxiety, dizziness, nausea etc, I am wondering whether she needs an increase, or a change to a combination treatment of T3/T4. She is going travelling in September and it would be good to have her, at least stable, by then. Thanks for your help.
Has she been referred to a Gastroenterologist for the nausea? The dizziness and nausea symptoms surely need investigating. Will she see her GP about these?
julijkb As she already has a Hashi's diagnosis, there is no real benefit in repeating antibody tests.
What she can do is try to help reduce the antibodies by adopting a strict gluten free diet which many members find helps. Gluten contains gliadin which is a protein thought to trigger antibody attacks.
Having FT4 and FT3 tested will be helpful. It will tell whether the dose of Levo is enough, and will also show how well she is converting T4 to T3.
You are unlikely to get FT3 tested even if your GP requested it. It's the lab who decides and if TSH and FT4 are in range FT3 won't be done. It's possible to have them tested with a fingerprick test to do at home.
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Also very useful would be to have vitamins and minerals tested. These all need to be at optimal levels, not just in range. You could ask the GP or, again, get them done with a fingerprick test:
Vit D
B12
Folate
Ferritin
Blue Horizon and Medichecks both do fingerprick tests.
If you want to include vitamins and minerals there is
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