Guys I need your input PLEASE!

[Babaji1971]

This post is about my mother. She is 73 years old. She suffers from vascular dementia, diabetes, hyper tension and angina. She suffers from symptoms like extreme cold intolerance, fatigue, weight gain, low mood, angina and severe constipation. I have had docs to recently check her thyroid and results are:

TSH - 2.71(0.34-5.6}

T4 - 11.30 (7.5-21.1)

She is also suffering from Hasimotos.

The GP said she is happy with the result and my mother does not need any thyroxine. Im not sure about this. I also suffer from hypothyroid and am on thyroxine. If my TSH goes above 1.70 I start to feel unwell. I appreciate everyone's body is different but she is showing symptoms. Also her ferritin is 20 only. She has been given some iron tablets since a while back but her ferritin is struggling to hardly com up. I suggested may be an iron injection to the GP as Im worried how she will cope with the cold when it really comes. Buy GP says it is dangerous to have an iron injection at her age.

Please guys I need your input. Part of me thinks just to get her a small dose of T4 and give it to her myself. Part of me thinks I should get her seen by another private GP.

Thank you peeps!!

[Nanaedake]

Some recent research on Levothyroxine for subclinical hypothyroidism in older people.

nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/N...

What did the GP suggest is best for low iron in older people?

[Babaji1971 in reply to Nanaedake]

Hi Nanaedake,

Thanks for your reply.

V interesting article thank you.

The GP has just increased her iron dose.

[Clutter]

Babaji1971,

TSH levels rise as we age and TSH 2.71 is within range so there's no chance your mother's GP will diagnose hypothyroidism.

If your mother is taking 210mg iron without improvement give her 2 x 210mg each with 1,000mg vitamin C which will aid absorption and minimise constipation.

There is no cure for Hashimoto's which causes 90% of hypothyroidism. Levothyroxine treatment is for the low thyroid levels it causes. Many people have found that 100% gluten-free diet is helpful in reducing Hashi flares, symptoms and eventually antibodies.

chriskresser.com/the-gluten...

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

I have to say I would be loathe to upset your mother if she enjoys bread and cake etc. as it can take years for improvement in antibodies to occur but if she has any intolerance to gluten that may be causing her weight gain and constipation so it may be worth trying g-f to see if her digestion improves.

[Silver_Fairy]

Has she had B12, Vit D and Folate tested?

[Babaji1971 in reply to Silver_Fairy]

Hi SilverFairy

Yes she is in optimal level of all those you mentioned.