Is it autoimmune?

[Jb838]

Im very new to this my GP has only told me today that I’m suffering from under active thyroid and she’s going to start me on medication. I don’t think she’s aware that I also have Vitiligo and Raynards to. After reading online about the connections could this make a difference to how they treat me and what medication they give me?

[shaws Administrator]

Welcome to our forum and am sorry you have now been diagnosed as hypothyroid.

Hypothyroidism is due to our thyroid gland not producing sufficient hormones. An Autoimmune Thyroid Disease is commonly called Hashimoto's and if you have thyroid antibodies you'd have Hashimoo's. Hypothyroidism and Hashimoto's are treated the same.

If we have one Autoimmune Disease we may get more. The medication prescribed is levothyroxine (T4) and 50mcg is the starting dose with 25mcg increments every six weeks after a blood test. The test should always be at the very earliest possible, fasting (you can drink water) and allow a gap of 24 hours between the last dose and the test and take it afterwards. This helps keep the TSH at its highest as doctors are apt to adjust dose according to the TSH.

Ask GP to test B12, Vit D, iron, ferritin and folate as everything has to be optimum.

Always get a print-out of your results, with the ranges, as ranges are important for members to comment upon if you wish to post them.