She says more responsive than mine - it took four months before I even got to speak to her! Hopefully she will help you. What dose (assuming you're on levothyroxine) are you currently on?
1) Yes it does appear you have very high antibody levels and are almost definitely hashimotos.
Has your endo performed an ultrasound of your thyroid to check for nodules and other things?
2) Your free t4 seems low whereas your t3 seems in range. Ndt is a mixture of t4/t3 and others. It might work to supplement levothyroxine t4 alongside ndt... but I have read on this forum that
once on ndt, t4 results are no longer relevant as long as t3 is fine- because the body is using available t3 from ndt and producing less t4 as result.
In ur case t3 is fine. Increasing or reducing ndt dose would be mainly on symptoms - are you having any hypo symptoms ? However as your tsh is high, your dose most likely does need to be increased to reduce Tsh. Or supplementing with partial levothyroxine t4?
Tsh should be/ usually is suppressed with enough t3.... pituitary function testing for central hypothyroidism might also be valid. However worth waiting for those taking ndt on this forum as I know it can skew results.
3)
You could well do with supplementing vit D slightly to bring range to 75 and over.
Ferritin is good.
Folate you don’t appear to have given full result with range? Seems partially missing.
B12 is high! Are you taking any supplements ? Normal range used to be up to 1000 so maybe 1300 isnt too high. Not sure what it would indicate unless you were over supplementing or had taken supplements close to test date.
4) Autoimmunity often runs in families so may be worth letting family members especially female know so they can be tested if having symptoms.
Hi Saya No endo has never said about having a ultrasound. I am on 2 and a half grains on alternate days, so 2 on Monday 2 and half on tues and so, my endo has just rang me I talked through results and she said I need to increase naturethyroid by 1/2 a grain a day so I need to be on 3 grains daily I think... with help of the forum in September last year I started taking B12, D3 with K2, Selinium and Magnessiun I have just started taking SPARTONE for Iron with fresh orange juice every morning.... ferritin I will look at saya and re-post
Thanks for you lovely words yes it is a great help xxx
Hashimoto's Autoimmune Thyroiditis and Hypothyroidism .
Your TSH is too high. Your T4 and FT4 are too low, actually below range range - which is why your Pituitary Gland is overworking producing too much TSH. Your Free T3 is in range but low down on range.
I'm afraid I've no personal experience of the medication you are on but you need enough medication to get your TSH down and your T4 higher.
I'm not sure what needs to be done about a high B12 result, if anything, someone else on here will know though.
Thank you Mary for your help. Yes I know my Nature thyroid has got to be boosted up slowly..and I now know I have Hashimoto's and I have been Hypo since I was 16.
Weren't you ever tested for Thyroid Antibodies before? Probably Hashimoto's causing your Hypothyroidism all along.
However the treatment is the same, because, as you know, it's the Hypothyroidism that's treated.
I didn't have time to read all your previous posts - but you had problems with your Levothyroxine? Do you think it may have been because you weren't on high enough dose? Or could it be you maybe took it too close to supplements or other meds?
No Mary I can never remember ever being tested for Thyroid Antibodies... yes I was on levo for 45 years + I was Ok until I hit menopause that's when the trouble started I changed over to NDT in the hope that it would help me with the nausea etc. but ive been on NDT now for a year and still have the nausea, aching fingers, insomnia and off balance feeling.... some days I am OK but many days I am bedridden!!! thanks for your help
Parathyroid? Calcium and Phosphorus tests? No idea really, just guessing.
Hope you get right balance of meds to get your TSH right down and your T4 up. Expect your Endocrinologist will be retesting in 6 weeks. You shouldn't have to keep on paying .
saya I have been so poorly spent Christmas day in bed .... my symptom's are constant nausea, off balance, aching fingers, hair falling out, , insomnia some nights I an awake all night this has gone on for years................
Hi again- I just read your other reply but thought I’d respond here.
Your folate level was the one I was enquiring about. If low you may need folic acid aswell- it’s a b9 I believe which could be aggravating matters.
Ferritin seems good (which is usually your iron levels) spatone is a much gentler supplement on the tummy so if you’re having digestive problems may be better to take that instead of iron tablets.
If your on vit D/k3 then your tests show quite a low result for vit D even after supplementing. You may want to increase your dose during winter months- what are you on Atm?
Since b12 is high it doesn’t seem to show an absorption issue... so I don’t think b12 deficiency is an issue, although maybe the fact the levels are so high might be causing the same issues as a b12 deficiency? You might want to ask on the pernicious Anaemia Society forum on here as they may be able to advise better.
I’m sorry to hear you’re feeling so poorly. I think the fact your antibodies are so high is causing an issue- and most likely increased inflammation in body- have you tried going gluten free?
This would reduce a lot of your aches and pains and absorption issues too.
Gluten free along with selenium (200mcg daily) appears to be the only remedy for it.
Also black seed oil (nigella sativa) has been shown to reduce tsh and is a brilliant anti inflammatory and all round health supplement.
If you’re taking correct doses, and supplements , working on gut health and going gluten free may be best option x
Hi Saya yes I am gluten free and also take Selenium, I only take Spatone Saya and have only been taking it for a few days, My D3 plus K2 is a oil and you put 1 drop on your tongue, but I think I will change this for tablets?? this is obviously not working to well.. I am working on gut health // don't drink caffeine, never smoked, don't drink alchohol (cant spell that) at all tee-total follow FODMAP diet., don't know what else I can do really ??? I want to Live as well doesn't it get boring this disease .... I inherited it from my dad he was the same he didn't run into problems until in later life ...very much like me I was Ok until Menopause then it went CRAZY
Hi Mary. It was difficult to read the range but I’m guessing above 2.9 is fine so yes her folate is ok too.
Ahh so sorry to hear that Christina... but often one autoimmune condition accompanies other... might be worth seeing if you have any others / symptoms of others.
Yes your vit D level & dosage doesn’t seem right- def try upping that. Having b12 supplement close to a blood test can skew the results also. Otherwise your symptoms sounded like a b12 deficiency
Hope you find some answers- I’m currently trying to reduce as much inflammation via black seed oil and turmeric supplements which I’ve read a lot about x
Thanks both for your kind replies I have taken on board everything you say I will start taking folic acid as from tomorrow I was deficient in it last year and my GP got me to take it last Jan for 3 months...I am also going to GP on Monday going to ask to have a scan of the thyroid make sure nothing's going on.... starting from this evening my NDT will go up by 1/2 a grain and see how I get on... again thank you xxxx big hugs
sadly I can not help you much, exept for your selenium intake. it is said to help us reducing the high antibodies....
but
before taking this supplement, you need to know whether or not you need it!
I have taken 200 mg selenium for around 3 month until I paid for a private blood test, including selenium, and it was too high.
in any case you are only suppose to take selenium for 2-3 month and then have a pause.
selenium can be a poison, so be very carefull not to overdoing it.
about your thyroid meds:
if I read right. you wrote you are taking 2-2.5 grains in alternate days? if you want to up it, do it very carefull, why not 2.5 every day?
I had upped my thyroid-s to 3 grains and in the 2 or 4 weeks I was on this dose I was a wreck: no memory, no coherent speech, jittery/shaky, unsettled hairloss galore, nervous and depressed. I am back to 2 grains and now feel like before the mishap of 3 grains.
Hello christa i do take selenium only 100 mg and only started it a week ago...yes i will be taking nt very slowly because i have been on a higher dose and it gave me terrible headaches so came back down to 2.5 grains on alternate days so i will take it slowly
Thank u for your kind message and lots of luck to you xx
are you in England? it has to be midnight there? I am in Australia and just have my coffee now.
my thyroid problems came to light with my menopause ( health problems all my life due to my love of stress! ) so, I think we have the same problem here , overlapping symptoms..
I now take black seed oil every morning and bulett prove coffee (coconut oil in my morning coffee)
by mid year or earlier I hope to get back on levo and lio combo as on that one I lost weight , but I still didn't feel myself, so, silly me bought thyroid-s to try out and my weight got up again (30kg overweight over the last 20 years) and no chance of loosing any !
Christa i am in the UK yes it is 10.30pm here and i am in bed reading ur messages. I have just ordered the black seed oil i will get it in 2 days ...what do you do with it christa ...drink it...rub in on ur skin...what ...ha ha yes i was on levo and lio for years but as soon as menopause hit my body went berserk symptoms were awful and i have been bedbound for 2 years i have good days and i have bad sending hugs xx
@christina, I better get on with my day....so much to do and no energy!
black seed oil is taken internal as far as I know. it taste horrible! you can buy differend strength capsules, one of our friends in here has gread results with them, but here we go, every body is differend. I take it for 3 weeks religiously, but can not see any improvement what so ever! but I will go on and on. what was good for the agyptian Pharos, has to be good for me!! so I hope.
hey, hugging back. out of down under in sweltering heat!
You'd expect free t4 to be low in range (or under) if taking T3, but around mid range if on NDT. Free t3 is too low whatever and TSH too high so you need a dose increase.
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