Newbie

[Sashaj]

Hi I have Hashimotos, my thyroid antibodies are over a thousand and I take 100mcg Levothyroxine. I still have puffy eyes and swollen legs, breathlessness, tiredness and feeling cold. How is Hashimotos usually treated?

Thanks in advance

[Treepie]

Hashimotos is the most common cause of hypothyroidism and treated no differently to other causes .However,many say being gluten free helps.

[Sashaj in reply to Treepie]

Ok thanks my GP receptionist said I didn't need treatment with Levothyroxine so she is asking GP to take me off it

[Marz in reply to Sashaj]

WHAT ? - and is she medically trained ? She has absolutely no right to do this .... Please do not obey.

Do you have any results with ranges you could post ? Have you had B12- Folate - Ferritin - VitD tested ? They all need to be good for your Levo to work well in the body.

On what grounds did this silly woman think you no longer needed treatment ?

[Sashaj in reply to Marz]

Thyroid results were normal no action

TSH 4.7 (0.2 - 4.2) abnormal pls make appointment

FT4 14.8 (12 - 22) normal no action

FT3 3.3 (3.1 - 6.8) normal no action

[Marz in reply to Sashaj]

On 100 of Levo your TSH should be 1 or under - the FT4 and FT3 should be much higher in the range. How do you take your Levo-T4 ? Away from food and drink for an hour or so ? As I said above you need good levels of Ferritin - Folate - B12 and VitD for thyroid hormones to work well in the body ....

[Sashaj in reply to Marz]

I take my Levo properly also iron deficient and vit D deficient and B12 deficient do I post results?

[greygoose in reply to Sashaj]

It says there that your TSH is 'abnormal, please make an appointment'. So, on seeing that, the receptionist decided that you no-longer needed treatment and is going to ask the doctor to take you off it? I think that receptionist is very lucky that it wasn't me the patient that day! What makes her think that she has the authority or the knowledge to make such a decision?

Do you know why your TSH Is abnormal? It's because your FT3 is at the bottom of the range. You cannot possibly hope to be well with such a low FT3. But, some idiot - presumably in the laboratory - has marked it 'normal, no action'. Exactly how do they tie up those two opposing comments? It honestly beggars belief! I sometimes wonder if the NHS is being staffed by a bunch of chimpanzees!

Not only do you need your levo, but you need an increase in dose. Your FT3 should be up nearer the top of the range, which would bring your TSH down to one or under. I really do wonder if they realise there is a connection between the two results. Or do they honestly believe that they are two unconnected elements - one of which needs treatment, whilst the other doesn't. I don't think they have the foggiest idea how the thyroid works! You have really got to look out for yourself with this bunch of morons, or they're going to make you very, very ill.

[Sashaj in reply to Marz]

Ferritin etc tested no idea what they are

[Marz in reply to Sashaj]

Your results - your body - please obtain the results and post with ranges when you have them ....

[Sashaj in reply to Marz]

Iron deficient

Vit D deficient

Folate deficient

B12 deficient

[Marz in reply to Sashaj]

So how are they being treated ? Treatment plans often are based on test results - without them we cannot advise

[Treepie in reply to Sashaj]

Words fail me.