Hashimotos bloods

[Stacyfeldi]

Hi all

Trying to make sense of these

21/09 125mg

TSH <0.01 0.27-4.2

T4 free 26.6 12.0-22.0

T3 1.47 1.3-3.1

24/10 125mg

TSH 0.02 same range

T4 free 23.0

T3 1.19

I had gone gluten free and dairy free and started eating Brazil nuts for selenium. T4 has reduced but so has T3. My GP insisted I got down to 100mg Levothyroxine. Have been on that a week and feeling rough. Trying to understand this and I don't think I should be going down in my dose but rather addressing the t4 to t3 conversion..either with armour which I have heard helps..or with t3 separate as well as lower Levothyroxine. Any thoughts?

Don't see an endocrinologist till January and I am losing my mind waiting. Two young kids at home..one still breastfeeding at 4 months old.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Essential to check your vitamin levels

Vitamin D especially as you are breastfeeding

Also Folate, ferritin and B12

B12 gets lowered by pregnancy

You have extremely low FT3. Likely low vitamins playing a part.

You need dose put back up or T3 added

Dr Toft, past president of the British Thyroid Association and leading endocrinologist, states in Pulse Magazine,

"The appropriate dose of levothyroxine is that which restores euthyroidism and serum TSH to the lower part of the reference range - 0.2-0.5mU/l.

In this case, free thyroxine is likely to be in the upper part of its reference range or even slightly elevated – 18-22pmol/l.

Most patients will feel well in that circumstance. But some need a higher dose of levothyroxine to suppress serum TSH and then the serum-free T4 concentration will be elevated at around 24-28pmol/l.

This 'exogenous subclinical hyperthyroidism' is not dangerous as long as serum T3 is unequivocally normal – that is, serum total around T3 1.7nmol/l (reference range 1.0-2.2nmol/l)."

You can obtain a copy of the article by emailing [e-mail] print it and highlight question 6 to show your doctor.

Email Louise at a Thyroid UK for list of recommended thyroid specialists

[Stacyfeldi in reply to SlowDragon]

Thanks I got the pulse article. I think I need to go back and ask for T3 as well. Really feeling rotten on the 100mg, with the classic sore throat radiating to my ears. I believe I had this previously after my first pregnancy but it seemed to have gone away by now. But then this pregnancy I had Hashis and gestational diabetes (insulin resistance), which I have read can be two sides to the same coin.

[shaws Administrator]

Poor you - to deal with hypo and also a little baby and a youngster. A lot for people with a healthy gland. Many people become hypo after pregnancy.

Did you allow a 24 hour gap between your last dose of levo and the blood test? Was it also the earliest?

[Stacyfeldi in reply to shaws]

I take Levothyroxine at 1am every night and the tests were morning. Does that make a difference?

[Stacyfeldi in reply to Stacyfeldi]

Do I need to not take my medicine before the blood test you mean?

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Stacyfeldi]

Yes next time delay taking until immediately after blood test.

[Stacyfeldi in reply to SlowDragon]

Never been told that but often wondered if there was merit in doing that so you can actually see thyroid function without thyroid replacement therapy

[shaws Administrator in reply to Stacyfeldi]

Miss night dose and take after dose and again at night as usual. Some can take one week's levo in one go. I wouldn't fancy that though.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Importance of vitamin D for breastfed babies

unicef.org.uk/babyfriendly/...

Hashimoto's causes/results in low vitamin D

hypothyroidmom.com/92-of-ha...

[Stacyfeldi]

Hi all..so last bloods were 24 October. I have since gone down to 100mg..not feeling too zingy. Is it too early to get another set of bloods to see what is going on? Planning to go to GP tomorrow for blood tests for Ferritin, vit D etc. Wondering if I also go ahead and get some follow up of my thyroid bloods as also antibodies have still not been tested. Lab is being irritating not doing the antibodies even when requested..need a prod.

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Stacy

started eating Brazil nuts for selenium

Does the packet say "Grown in selenium rich soil" or give the country where they originate? If not there will be little to no selenium in them.

See the difference in selenium content of brazil nuts in the table in this link honey-guide.com/2012/11/19/... They have to come from Central Brazil or Eastern Amazon to contain the most , so unless your pack confirms where they're from and you can check the selenium content on that table, then you'd be better off supplementing with selenium l-selenomethionine 200mcg daily so that you know exactly what you're getting.

Also, see Dr Izabella Wentz's answer to the question "Why do you recommend a selenium supplement instead of Brazil Nuts?" here thyroidpharmacist.com/artic... (scroll down a bit).

[Stacyfeldi in reply to SeasideSusie]

Hi seasidesuzie

Since I had thought about the low selenium that might be in the Brazil nuts, I have started a selenium supplement 200mg as suggested by Dr Jolene Brighten (who wrote a book about Hashimotos Thyroiditis postpartum).

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Stacyfeldi]

That's good, I always think supplementing is best for selenium