Hi I am new here. I have high TSH and high TPO/TG. Symptoms are tiredness, broken sleep, sweating, dry skin, bone pain, feeling cold, weight gain. I am wondering what I need to do next?
Thanks in advance.
TSH 15.8 (0.2 - 4.2)
Free T4 10.8 (12 - 22)
Free T3 3.7 (3.1 - 6.8)
TPO antibody 804.5 (<34)
TG antibody 376.3 (<115)
Hi and welcome - could you clarify - are you currently on any treatment for this? Have you discussed with your GP?
Thank you I am not on any treatment and I am to discuss results with GP.
Ok, so you have a condition called Hashimotos or auto-immune hypothyroid. The thyroid is a small organ behind the windpipe. This produces hormones that drive your metabolism and every other organ and system in the body. The fact that your Tsh is above range shows that yours isn't producing enough. That is because your immune system ( as shown by raised antibodies) is mistakenly attacking your thyroid and killing off its cells. This causes 90% of all hypothyroid.
What your GP should do is put you on a synthetic form of hormone called levothyroxine to replace what your thyroid can no longer make. The normal starter dose for this is 50mcg but he may be cautious and start you on 25mcg instead. You need to take this first thing in the morning with a glass of water and wait at least an hour before taking anything else including tea or coffee. Alternatively it can be taken at night at least 2.5 hrs after food. Also make sure you don't take any other medications or supplements within 2 hrs of it. It takes 7-10 days to feel any effects and up to 6 weeks to feel the full effect. It is common to feel worse again from about 4-6 weeks. You should have a blood test every 6-8 weeks and your dose raised- by maximum 25mcg a time to avoid shocking the body- until your Tsh is around 1, then fine tuning begins! Do take control of this, don't wait for GP to call you in, be pro-active and set them up yourself. Tests should be as early as possible, ideally before 9am, having fasted from night before (water only) and 24-36 hrs after Levo dose.
Many with Hashis benefit from a strict gluten free diet and a trial of at least 3 months is usually recommended.
Serious nutrient deficiencies are almost universal with Hashis so it is important to test vit d, vit b12, folate and ferritin. These all have to be at fairly high optimum levels, not just in range, to both stop these causing symptoms of their own and for effective use of thyroid hormones. So ask your GP to test. If you get results, come back and post them in a new post for advice.
A good place to start and learn is our parent site thyroiduk.org .
You didn't get hypo overnight, generally it takes many years, and you won't get better overnight either. It takes patience, several dose increases and probably several supplements to feel better. But hang on in there, it will get better, and the more you can learn so you can take control of your own condition and treatment the better.
Lots of helpful people on here, with much more knowledge than the typical doctor as well.
Good luck,
Gillian
You are overtly hypothyroid, with a TSH over 10 and a Free T4 under the range. You need treatment to replace the thyroid hormones your thyroid can no longer produce.
The treatment used by the NHS is always Levothyroxine. Assuming that you are under 50 and don't have heart disease and aren't frail because of other health conditions, your doctor should start you on 50mcg Levo, or possibly even 75mcg. If he suggests a starting dose of 25mcg ask for a higher dose. Starting too low just drags out the process of getting better.
The body takes a while to adapt to new levels of thyroid hormone, so it is necessary to stay on a particular dose for 5 - 6 weeks, then raise the dose by 25mcg per day if your symptoms haven't abated and your blood tests aren't at good levels. Then repeat blood tests again in another 5 - 6 weeks, then get another raise of 25mcg per day, and keep doing this for as long as necessary.
The result you are aiming for (when on Levo) is a TSH of bottom of the range up to about 1, and a Free T4 and a Free T3 in the upper third or quarter of the range. Some people might be happy with levels in the upper half of the range. We're all individuals.
[Note that TSH lowers when you are treated, and Free T4 and Free t3 will increase.]
The antibody results are both positive showing that your hypothyroidism was caused by antibodies attacking your thyroid and slowly destroying it. Destruction of the thyroid takes years, or possibly even decades. Autoimmune hypothyroidism is the cause of approximately 90% of cases of hypothyroidism in the UK.
You may be able to reduce your antibody levels by taking selenium 200mcg per day. Also going on a 100% gluten-free diet helps to reduce antibody levels for many people.
Do searches for Izabella Wentz - she has a website, a Facebook page, has appeared in several Youtube videos, and has published a couple of books. She is a sufferer herself and has managed to put her Hashi's into remission.
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