Hypothyroid and hoping for a bit more info

[Pennygg]

Hi

I was diagnosed as hypothyroid about 5 years ago while pregnant with my son and ever since my medication has been gradually going up. I've been trying to alter my diet for health and weight loss and went paleo for about 80% of the time last year. I was getting terrible anxiety symptoms at about that time with shakes and worrying about silly things and not sleeping well at all. I went to see a nutritionist and she realised I'd been eating too much fat and protein and not enough good carbs causing my adrenals to become overactive and tired. She really helped me and I now know that I need to eat regularly or I get the shakes. But I've only had the usual test at the Dr's and I'm wondering if I should have a more thorough blood test.

I've been trying so hard to eat well and exercise regularly and I'm finding it hard to shift the weight (I'm not that big but I'm trying really hard), I do feel tired sometimes, more so than I feel I should and I do sometimes still get the brain fog.

Any advice would be appreciated because I really don't understand it really and want to try and take control of it

Thanks

Penny

[greygoose]

Yup. Stop the exercise and eat more! At least until you know exactly where you are with your bloods. Yes, you should have more thorough testing done. The TSH tells you nothing at all. It sounds as if your FT3 is too low, so exercising is going to make it even lower. And dieting is going to make it harder to replace the T3 you've used. You need calories to convert!

You need to test :

TSH

FT4

FT3

TPOab

TgAB

vit D

vit B12

Folate

Ferritin

Once you get that lot done, you'll have a clearer idea where you are, and what to do next.

I hope you're still eating a decent amount of fat, despite your nutritionist. No fat, no hormones - roughly speaking. The body needs good fat.

What are you taking, at the moment, and how much?

[Pennygg in reply to greygoose]

Hi grey goose. Thanks for your reply.

I'm currently on 125mcg of levothyroxine. I've seen on Facebook a company called thriva advertising blood tests specifically for thyroid. Do you now if that's worth doing or should my GP do these tests for me?

I'm pretty sure I'm ok with the fat I eat. I've just tried to add more fruit and veg to what I was eating.

Thanks

Penny

[greygoose in reply to Pennygg]

Your GP - the NHS - won't do half those tests. But, I wouldn't go with a company advertising on Facebook. If you got to the Thyroid UK home page, you'll find details of reputable companies that do home tests.

[Pennygg in reply to greygoose]

Oh ok. Thanks. I'll try and get the bloods done and then, do I take the results to my GP after that?

[greygoose in reply to Pennygg]

If I were you, I'd post them here, with the ranges, so that people can explain them. Then you'll know what you're talking about when you confront your doctor.

But, not all doctors like private tests, they find it insulting that you'd get them, or something, I don't know. Besides, you won't get much joy out of them on the nutrient tests, they know nothing about it!