First post - what more can I do ?: Hi Diagnosed... - Thyroid UK

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First post - what more can I do ?

Danielj1 profile image
7 Replies

Hi

Diagnosed with hypothyroid tsh of 30 and swollen. Thyroid in February

Went on 50 mcg levothyroxine for a few months and tsh fell to 13 and got stuck

2 months ago raised levo to 75mcg plus 200 selenium plus multivit plus 500 vit c and fish oil plus gave up gluten and milk

Felt i literally threw kitchen sink at it

Test results today

Tsh 6.31 .27-4.2

Free thyroxine 19.9 12-22

T4 107 59-154

T3 4.34 3-6.8

Antibodies 343 & 164 (tpo) latter has just about halved former down little

Advised not to increase dose from medichecks

All I can do is add kelp daily take serrapatese

And stick with existing dietary changes

I feel fantastic compared to before in terms of energy and weight loss

How worried should I be at antibodies etc

Any advise very welcoMe

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Danielj1
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greygoose profile image
greygoose

Well, the first thing you can do, is throw out the mult-vit - useless at best, dangerous at worst - and get your vit d, vit B12, folate and ferritin tested. Only take what you need, in quantities you need, according to the results. when that's done, then we can talk cofactors.

I agree, you really don't want to add any more levo. Your problem is not under-medication, it's low rate of conversion. And keep on upping the levo is not going to help that.

You obviously have Hashi's - aka autoimmune thyroiditis - and there's no point in keep testing the antibodies. Once you've got it, you've got it for life - or the life of your thyroid, anyway. Antibodies fluctuate all the time, so the fact that they've gone down doesn't mean much.

Hashi's people are often bad converters. But it could also be due to low nutrients, which is another reason to get them tested and optimised. A multivit definitely won't do that!

It's very, very doubtful that kelp will help, either. Your problem is not low iodine - and no, you don't need iodine for good thyroid function, your thyroid isn't going to function well, now, whatever you throw at it. And, taking iodine could make things much, much worse.

Serrapeptase... well, I've never heard of anyone that did well on it. Most people seem to find it upsets their stomachs - that's what it did to me, too.

You could take more vit C - up to 5000 mg, up to gut tolerance. You could also take magnesium, which might help. No point in testing that, the test is unreliable. You could also take 15 mg zinc without testing. But, the rest you need to test before taking anything.

You should also avoid unfermented soy like the plague! It will keep you hypo.

Don't focus too much on weight-loss for the time being. You're not going to lose weight with that low T3. Concentrate more on nourishing your body - and whatever you do, don't count calories! Low-calorie diets will make your conversion even worse - you're not on a low-calorie diet at the moment, are you? If so, eat more! You need a good level of calorie intake to convert. :)

Danielj1 profile image
Danielj1 in reply togreygoose

A huge thank you for all this detail

I get your point over having this for

Life but how do any of us with this preserve what remains of the thyroid

When you read stories about others getting clear - is this just fantasy for the majority of us

Other question is that I feel

Overmedicated with 75 mcg do you know anyone in my position who has dropped back to 50 info find I can get hot at night some times

Thanks

Danielj1 profile image
Danielj1 in reply toDanielj1

Also to add back from Feb GP said ferritin and all other tests you note were fine except b12 that was way too high due to I think a very strong b vitamin supplement I had been using - I had reduced to a low strength. Multivit but given your views may drop this now.

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply toDanielj1

Not just my views, general knowledge on here. If I were you, I'd stop the B12 for five months, and get tested, just in case you have Pernicious Anemia. You won't know, all the time you're supplementing.

Never take your doctor's word for it, when he says 'fine'. That is an opinion, not a results, and doctor's opinions are notoriously wrong when it comes to nutrients. Get a copy of the actual numbers. Or ask to be tested again.

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply toDanielj1

Once the thyroid has been destroyed to the point yours has - witness original TSH - there's not much point in trying to preserve the rest. I will never be able to produce enough hormone to keep you well. You will still be on thyroid hormone for life, there's no avoiding it.

Yes, you read stories, but... I have my doubts. Hashi's can go into remission for years, and you think you're back to normal, but sooner or later, it will catch up with you.

When you have Hashi's, you can have hypo and hyper symptoms at the same time. Dropping back to 50 would mean that your FT3 would drop, too. And that would make you feel even worse. What you need, of course, is a drop in levo, but some T3 added to your levo.

As well as what everyone else had said, gut health is very important, even though it is made from milk, get hold of some kefir grains (not the supermarket stuff) and try a glass a day - smells like sweaty socks but it is great probiotic and cheap as chips. Rather than just serrapeptase, you could try a proteolitic enzymes, but they are very expensive and I have no idea if they good for Hashis. It seems odd that your TSH is so high when your FT4 is Ok and FT3 not good but not dreadful - so thinking gut/absorbtion problems.

Danielj1 profile image
Danielj1

For anyone here who stuck with levo rather than supplementary t3 what are the best things done to naturally raise t3

If anyone started at lower end of t3 range where you successful in getting to top half just on changes

To diet plus supplements

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