Hi I am new I am 19 yrs old and I have TPO antibodies of 673.5 (<34) and taking 100mcg thyroxine but my partner isn't very understanding of my hypothyroidism I have had for 4 yrs. Advice needed please I feel very alone with this problem.
TSH 4.4 (0.2 - 4.2)
FREE T4 9.3 (12 - 22)
FREE T3 4.0 (3.1 - 6.8)
FERRITIN 13 (15 - 150)
FOLATE 4.1 (4.6 - 18.7)
VITAMIN B12 202 (180 - 900)
VITAMIN D 25 OH 40.3 (25 - 50 DEFICIENT)
Vitamin D 800iu, 5mg folic acid, 210mg ferrous fumarate
Hi Ellenj .
I'm sorry that you have had to find us but you have come to the right place for support and advice from fellow sufferers. 
Do you have any other blood results to share such as TSH, FT4, FT3 and any mineral / vitamins tests (with ranges). Since you have antibodies you have Hashimoto's thyroiditis like many of us on here. The nature of the condition being autoimmune means that the poor thyroid is often under attack and this can stem from a compromised gut ie. "leaky gut". Many of us find that adopting a 100% gluten free diet can help lessen the severity of these attacks.
I'm afraid this is a condition where reading up on it will help you as there are many doctors, endo's etc. who can sometimes not be up to speed on latest studies and how to help the patient who can have many many symptoms and feel very unwell. In a nutshell our thyroid hormones enable our metabolic processes all over the body and when those hormones are in short supply we get all sorts of symptoms (there is a list that gives over 300!).
Take a look aroung the Thyroid.org site and maybe jot down the titles of suggested reading matter.........knowledge is power!
Also it can be very tough when our loved ones don't understand what we are going through.
There is a piece of prose called "I Am Hashimoto's Disease" that is regularly shown to our families and friends to try and explain this condition. Maybe show it to your BF? I did to my husband and he appreciated it because I wasn't too good at explaining it at first and got very brain-fog-tongue-tied!
Here's the Facebook link to it..........
facebook.com/notes/thyroid-...
If you have questions, fire away. We are a friendly bunch on here, so welcome.
Well the easy answer is that we are low in them and without them being optimal then our Thyroid doesn't work properly either. It is difficult to understand when not a sufferer. It gets expensive as well but with supplements I feel you get what you pay for. Some cheap brands aren't very helpful.
I just feel like a hypochondriac with my symptoms all the time
You are not! You just want and need better treatment and someone who understands what is happening.
See if your doctor with test/retest folate, ferritin, B12 and Vit D and post them with the ranges. They help the Thyroid so much yet many doctors don't realise this or how to correct low reading properly. I have seen time and time again posts where everything is low and some underange but doctor saying fine. It isn't fine!!!! Sorry not your fault but it gets me so cross that this happens so often so let's go back to fist principles and see if we can improve thubgs for you.
TPO antibodies of 673.5 (<34)
Your positive TPO Antibodies show that you have "autoimmune hypothyroidism" (the name used by UK doctors), also known as Hashimoto's Thyroiditis (the name used by many doctors outside the UK), also known as Hashi's (the name used by patients). Although they haven't been tested there are other antibodies which attack the thyroid, and they are called Tg antibodies.
90% of cases of hypothyroidism in the UK are caused by Hashi's.
stopthethyroidmadness.com/h...
For more info on thyroid antibodies :
labtestsonline.org.uk/under...
Doctors ignore antibodies because they have no pill to fix them. Instead they wait for the antibodies to destroy more and more of the thyroid. Over time the thyroid becomes less and less capable of producing sufficient thyroid hormone to keep the sufferer healthy, and the TSH starts to get higher. Doctors use the TSH to determine when a person is truly hypothyroid. They don't care about symptoms, or the damage that having too little thyroid hormone can do.
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TSH 4.4 (0.2 - 4.2)
FREE T4 9.3 (12 - 22)
FREE T3 4.0 (3.1 - 6.8)
You are seriously under-medicated and you need an increase in your Levo. Your TSH is over the range, yet TSH needs to be 1 or lower for most hypothyroid patients to have a hope of feeling well. If your current GP won't give you an increase in your dose of Levo then you need to try a different GP at the same practice. (In case you didn't know, high TSH is an indicator of hypothyroidism.)
Also, due to your levo dose being too low your Free T4 is substantially under the range, and your Free T3 is low in range. People on Levo generally need their Free T4 and Free T3 to be much higher in range.
I would strongly recommend that you read some of SeasideSusie's replies to other members. She posts lots of detail and links that you should find useful :
healthunlocked.com/user/sea...
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FERRITIN 13 (15 - 150)
Ferritin is a measure of your body's iron stores and yours is below range. One tablet of ferrous fumarate 210mg per day is not enough to raise your level this side of doomsday. Preferably, you would get given an iron infusion, rather than rely on iron pills. You should ask your GP for an infusion, it will fix your low iron in 24 - 48 hours. With pills it could take a very long time. I had to fix my own low iron with iron supplements and it took me nearly 2 years to get my ferritin and other iron-related levels up to or close to mid-range.
Ferritin alone is not a reliable indicator of iron-deficiency anaemia. It would be helpful if you could get an iron panel and a Full Blood Count to find out if you are anaemic.
If you are forced to raise your levels of iron with iron supplements, then you should be on 1 tablet 2 or 3 times a day, of ferrous fumarate 210mg or ferrous sulfate. In the UK they can be bought without prescription in pharmacies at the pharmacist's discretion. I've bought Ferrous Fumarate 210mg in boxes of 84 tablets without prescription from Tesco Pharmacy and Lloyds Pharmacy. You can also buy online.
multipharmacy.com/images/P/...
i.ebayimg.com/00/s/NTE3WDUw...
There are lots of brands available.
To test iron-related levels privately with a finger-prick test (if your doctor won't do this for you) :
medichecks.com/tests/iron-s...
medichecks.com/tests/fbc-fu...
It is essential to test iron and ferritin levels regularly because iron in overdose is dangerous. Keep iron pills away from children - an overdose could be fatal.
Take iron pills and Levo or other thyroid meds at least 4 hours apart. Iron reduces absorbency of thyroid meds.
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FOLATE 4.1 (4.6 - 18.7)
VITAMIN B12 202 (180 - 900)
Your dose of folic acid should be raising your folate level, but clearly it isn't working, and you need a higher dose. Your vitamin B12 level is also far too low. Most of us feel best with a level which is at the top of the range or even a little bit over.
For help with B12 and folate you should post on the Pernicious Anaemia Society forum and ask them for advice - post your ferritin as well as the B12 and folate. You should probably be tested for Pernicious Anaemia.
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VITAMIN D 25 OH 40.3 (25 - 50 DEFICIENT)
Your dose of 800 iU Vitamin D is too low. You are still deficient, and 800 iU is unlikely to get your level up to the sufficient level which is usually around 75 - 200.
Vitamin D supplements are reasonably cheap to buy, and you can easily find 5000 iU supplements on Amazon. Take 1 a day for 3 months, then get tested again. Most of us feel best around with a level of 100 - 150 nmol/L. It can be tested with a finger prick test privately from this link :
vitamindtest.org.uk/index.html
There are a couple of co-factors you need to take with vitamin D --> magnesium and vitamin K2. See SeasideSusie's replies for more details.
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The reason your mineral and vitamin levels are so poor is because one very serious affect of hypothyroidism is that it reduces the amount of stomach acid that people produce. As a result your body doesn't break down food well and so nutrient deficiencies develop. Working on improving your gut health is a vitally important part of looking after yourself with hypothyroidism, and you'll find lots of posts on the subject on this forum.
One of the best things you can try that helps a lot of us is giving up gluten 100%. People can't be almost gluten-free. It's all or nothing I'm afraid. You could be tested for coeliac disease and it might come back negative. This is the result that a lot of us get. But people can suffer from gluten sensitivity that there is no test for.
Apart from improving gut health, giving up gluten has the effect on some people of reducing their thyroid antibody counts. This helps a lot.
If giving up gluten has no benefit for you, you can always go back to eating it again. But give it a three month trial first.
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It really helps if you can learn how the thyroid actually works. One particular book that is very popular is this book. You may have to read it a few times to take it in - I know I did :
Advice for block and replace please
VITAMIN D ADVICE PLEASE!
Advice please with supplements
