Thank you for the add, I’m looking for insight from the group and apologies in advance for long post..
I have left thyroid removed in 1997 due to goitre that had been there all through my teens. I was never monitored and this is my own fault for not fully understanding what an impact this has on the body but in 2011 hypo symptoms were very bad had eventually got dr to check bloods and started eltroxin and slowly increased over yrs. currently on 100mg
For past two yrs I have been feeling so tired depressed I’m on immune suppressing meds for psoriatic arthritis two yrs now and since jan 2016 swallow difficulty has been horrendous I’m finding it so hard to engage doctors but so far they have had an X-ray with dye and found reflux with double swallow but as I can get food down they cannot grade this so I’m back to doctors to try next process.
Convinced my doctor to run bloods for thyroid as the tightness feel like when my goitre was there but that’s the side that they removed thyroid.
Bloods came back and wondered if someone could advise given that I’m in immune suppressing injections and living with half a thyroid would you consider that I have Hashimoto’s I’ve an appointment to return to my doctor but the brain fog that I’m experiencing is just not letting me be subjective in my care and don’t know what I should be asking for please if anybody can help I would be very grateful.
I don’t know if I something other than hypothyroidism such as graves due to weight loss. My doctor will not entertain t3 meds and currently looking into getting these but finding this difficult without a prescription.
I will add blood test and if anybody could give me their experienced eye and insight I would be so thankful.
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Jojo887
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Firstly, it is most definitely not your fault that you didn't realise how serious your condition was, it was your doctors fault! He should have explained it better. That's his job.
Secondly, you cannot have Grave's, because your Frees are not over-range, and your TSH is not suppressed, even though you're taking 100 mcg eltroxin.
Your Hashi's antibodies are negative at the moment, but that doesn't rule out Hashi's, because antibodies fluctuate. I would always say : just assume that you do have it, and act accordingly. Which, basically means trying a gluten-free diet and taking selenium.
One of your problems could be that you are under-medicated. 100 mcg is not a high dose - not much more than a starter dose - and your Frees are not much more than mid-range. Most people need them higher than that to feel well.
Your stomach problems could very well be due to low stomach acid - which most hypos have. There's a simple test you can do at home, at the bottom of this article :
And, if you do have low stomach acid, you probably have low nutrients. So, you should ask your doctor to test your vit D, vit B12, folate and ferritin. Low nutrients cause lots of problems, and optimal nutrients are necessary for your thyroid hormone to work properly.
Thank you very much for the detailed response and I’m finding the replies very positive as I can at least try and get an idea of what I should be asking my doctor whom I have an appointment next week.
Reluctantly she had increased eltroxin to 100mg every other day along with 75mg the other days.
My moods are just gone crazy and Feeling of tiredness is overwhelming. Hypo symptoms are coming back faster.
I’m not entirely sure what I should ask gp for as I’m the one that has been requesting care and feel like she has humoured me till now as my last visit I had requested a full blood panel and will attach what I asked for and then what has been done.
My ferritin was at 6 jan 2016 and that hasn’t been monitored so when I showed symptoms of tingling and numbness I was diagnosed with a stroke during July of this year and this was from mri but later I had a private neurologist dispute this and confirmed migraine with aura.
I have such brain fog that I’m finding each process to get answers a real struggle.
I so appreciate your time and effort that you have given to this along with everyone else.
So, what did your doctor do about your ferritin of 6? If she did nothing, then she is guilty of negligence! I wonder you're still walking around with a ferritin that low! I'm not surprised you're ill.
And, as you are ill, she should be doing something about it! Can you not see another doctor who might be less of a sadist?
You need your ferritin tested again, plus vit D, vit B12 and folate. As soon as possible.
To be fair current doctor returned off maternity beginning of this year so she wouldn’t have been the one to start those bloods but I agree they should have been more on top of things but I have only discovered how important it is to get printout of tests as I was putting too much trust in the system,
There's no ranges on you test results, so impossible to say exactly, but suggests likely under medicated and low vitamins
As you have psoriasis, another autoimmune disease, Hashimoto's is likely (and negative antibodies doesn't rule it out. Not everyone with Hashimoto's has raised antibodies)
Low thyroid affects the gut and leads to low stomach acid and then low vitamin levels
Low vitamin levels stop Thyroid hormone working
Poor gut function can lead leaky gut (literally holes in gut wall) this can cause food intolerances. Most common by far is gluten
It's suggested by many autoimmune specialists that anyone with any autoimmune disease should try strictly gluten free diet
But don't be surprised that GP or endo never mention gut, gluten or low vitamins. Gut connection is very poorly understood
Changing to a strictly gluten free diet may help reduce symptoms, help gut heal and slowly lower TPO antibodies
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 articles from Thyroid UK email dionne.fulcher@thyroidUK.org. print it and highlight question 6 to show your doctor.
Prof Toft - article just published now saying T3 is likely essential for many.
Thank you for your really informative response and yes my ranges were all within their numbers but on the lower side if I can put up my tests I will do that next
I have booked an appointment with GP for next week should I be requesting any further bloods and should I be asking for increase on eltroxin?
I have ordered thyroid s waiting on delivery was thinking of trying this as an option but gp or more to the point the surgery will not recognise this as an option.
At this point the lousy mood and energy levels need to be addressed.
Thank you so much the support here has been so fantastic.
Thank you and I will do this can I ask if stomach is not absorbing could I take anything to improve this and I realise that cutting out gluten will help this?
Another option might be to add some Thyroid S to your levothyroxine. At least then if you can't get hold of Thyroid S or supply is interrupted, you're not totally reliant but you still get some T3 along with LT4.
To be honest haven’t researched the amount yet but will as I know to start low for maybe two weeks and gradually up dose but good idea to use both for short term until I can locate doctor to prescribe.
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