Hashimotos? Think I may finally be getting somewhere...

[bubblesmcgee]

Hi, I’ve been posting for the last couple of months because I’ve been feeling pretty under par. I think I may finally be getting somewhere. My GP took bloods back at the beginning of March and ordered a TPoAb test. As it was taking forever to come back I went and ordered my own medichecks test which soda law arrived back the same day as the test from my GP. I got a phone call from the GP himself to tell me the test was positive and to ask when I was seeing the endo!

GP result was 432 (Positive >100)

Medichecks results posted below. I also note that my tsh is all over the place, tests from jan and early March had a tsh of 4.3, another test mid March showed 2.8 and the medichecks is showing 4.8!

That coupled with the TGAb and TPoAb leads me to think it’s Hashimotos?

Hopefully the Endo will agree when I see him on 15th and give me some treatment to stop me feeling so rubbish and to help me stop the weight gain! I’ve also decided to try going gluten free to see if this helps with my symptoms.

Who knows this might be progress at long last!

[Judithdalston]

Your Vit D, B12, folate and ferritin are low/very low too, need to be well into top of ranges ( see many of SeasideSusie's posts). Hopefully your endocrinologist would help fix them bearing in mind gut absorption with Hashimoto's is compromised you will need high doses, and it can take many months if not years. Good luck with endocrinologist.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Sadly many Endo's are completely disinterested in gut, gluten or low vitamin levels

Your ferritin is very low. gP should run full iron panel to test for Anaemia

B12 - any active result under 70 is considered suspicious.

viapath.co.uk/our-tests/act...

Ask GP to test B12, it may be low enough to qualify for B12 injections

If not then self supplementing a good vitamin B complex will help improve B12 and folate

If you are taking vitamin B complex, or any supplements containing biotin, remember to stop these 3-5 days before any blood tests, as biotin can falsely affect test results

endo.confex.com/endo/2016en...

endocrinenews.endocrine.org...

Vitamin D is too low as well. Better You vitamin D mouth spray is good as avoids poor gut function of Hashimoto's

Aim to improve to around 100nmol. Retesting twice yearly via vitamindtest.org.uk £29

Your Levothyroxine needs increasing in 25mcg steps until TSH around one and FT4 towards top of range and FT3 at least half way in range

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Bubbles

Did you discuss your ferritin and possible iron deficiency anaemia with your GP after replies to your previous thread?

Did you ask about testing for Pernicious Anaemia, as advised on this forum and the PA forum?

[bubblesmcgee]

Hi,

I spoke again with a different GP about the B12 and ferritin results but he agreed with the first and said that I should be using over the counter supplements and retest in 8 weeks from starting supplements. So pretty much hit a brick wall and have decided that another 8 weeks to prove a theory isn’t the end of the world. When I mentioned PA I was shot down in flames! I was going to test privately but with doing the private thyroid and iron panels I’m a bit pressed for cash this month!

When the TPoAb result came in my GP suddenly became an awful lot more keen on me seeing an endo!

I paid privately for a full iron panel:

Iron 10.87 (6-26)

TIBC 71.7 (41-77)

Transferritin 15.23 (20-55)

Ferritin 12.6 (13-150)

Any ideas?

[Murphysmum]

Bubbles - when you say you were feeling unde par, what were your symptoms? I’d be interested to hear your experiences x

[bubblesmcgee]

I’m always cold, my joints, in particular my neck and back ache, my skin on my legs, feet and hands is very dry, I forget or substitute words in a sentence (which is very embarrassing!), I’m literally always dog tired (doesn’t help that I’m a shift worker), I’m very susceptible to colds, a persistent cough, I get really miserable with very changeable moods, my libido has reduced, my hands and feet are always cold, I’m getting very clumsy (my partner thinks it’s endearing thank goodness, especially when I accidentally poke him in the eye getting back into bed!), my nails have got super brittle, my tounge is starting to scallop, I get occasional tinnitus, I get occasional pins and needles and worst of all I’ve gained loads of weight (15kg in a year).

Think that’s the worst of it, are you suffering yourself?

[Murphysmum in reply to bubblesmcgee]

Oh yes! And with a lot of those too.

It’s a bit of a long story but after a very traumatic year last year, I very nearly collapsed last sept holiday weekend. My hr was 30bpm and my bp was raised. I was weak, wobbly, felt like fainting, panic attacks, chest pain etc. I had been having severe migraines for about a month beforehand. Got all checked out... all fine.

Gradually symptoms improved.. a bit but I remained feeling poorly with nausea, fatigue, cold but sweaty extremities, headaches, neck ache, dizziness, vertigo, tinnitus, visual changes, dislike of sunlight and others I have probably forgotten about.

Since Feb I’ve been supplementing vit b (all), Vit D, vit c, mg, uniquinol and milk thistle. Just dropped the milk thistle in case it was causing thyroid swelling... dunno but checking. I’m getting more worried now as the muscle weakness is getting worse and I feel a lot less strong/able. I mainly suffer now with feeling generally yuk, a bit like a hangover but with dizziness and lethargy added in.

I don’t know what to do next, I’m sure this is all thyroid related....