Postpartum hoshimoto: I have postpartum... - Thyroid UK

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Postpartum hoshimoto

Wgriffy profile image
16 Replies

I have postpartum Thyroiditis and my eyes are starting to hurt. There is a lot of pressure and they are swollen. Is there anything natural (breastfeeding) I can do about that? I have an eye appointment next week but they hurt so bad I just wanted some advice on how to take swelling down.

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Wgriffy profile image
Wgriffy
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16 Replies
ShootingStars profile image
ShootingStars

Which medication and dosage are you on? The best remedy is getting your FT3 and FT4 into the optimal area of the range. What are your current levels and laboratory ranges?

Hashimoto's might be the cause of your hypothyroidism. What are your latest TPOab and TGab levels? If you have Hashi's, what are you doing for it?

Wgriffy profile image
Wgriffy in reply to ShootingStars

I am not on any medication, I had my levels checked 8 weeks ago from pbgyn and tmshe told me to go to my primary Dr so i went last week and am waiting for new blood results. These are my last levels 8 weeks ago

TSH1.09 uIU/mL0.34 - 4.82 uIU/mL

Free T40.90 ng/dL0.76 - 1.80 ng/dL

Thyroid Perox AutoAb (TPO) 63 IU/mL<35 IU/mL

Free T33.23 pg/mL2.3 - 4.2 pg/mL

ShootingStars profile image
ShootingStars in reply to Wgriffy

Hi Wgiffy. Thank you. This definitely explains some of your symptoms. I'm sorry to tell you this. You have Hashimoto's. Did you know that? You are hypothyroid caused by Hashimoto's. When your TPO is over range as your's is, that's what that means. So this means you have an autoimmune disease where your body has determined that your thyroid is a bad thing, so it's decided to attack your thyroid. That attack is what causes hypothyroidism.

Your thyroid levels show hypothyroid Hashimoto's. Your TSH is not very high, but your thyroid hormones are not where they should be. This is very common with Hashi's. Mine was around 1.5 when I was diagnosed and my free's were both very much too low.

The two frees are your thyroid hormones. Your FT4 is too low and barely existent at 0.90. It should be over half range, so over 1.28. Your FT3 is also much too low. It should be over 1/2 range too (3.25) but much closer to and not much over 3/4 range, which is 3.72.

The only treatment for Hashimoto's is thyroid medication because your body cannot make enough on it's own, plus it has the autoimmune attack going on. If you do not take thyroid hormones, your the attack on your thyroid will increase, increasing your thyroid antibodies and lowering your thyroid hormones even more. Hashimoto's cannot be cured. It is possible to lower thyroid antibodies and put it into remission, but it is not easy. Your antibodies are barely over range, so if you went on thyroid medication, it's possible that you could eventually suppress those antibodies.

Some people take only T4 or levo, others take T3 or liothyronine. Some people like me and many others take both. Other people take NDT, natural desiccated thyroid, which contains both T3 and T4. The starting dosage for T4 is 50 mcg. 6 weeks later all your thyroid levels (not antibodies) are retested to assess your levels. At the 6 week point, your medication will be increased. 6 weeks later, you'll retest again. You will keep increasing medication every 6 weeks and retesting every 6 weeks until your levels are up where they should be and until you do not have symptoms. If any doctor tries to tell you differently or makes you wait, please find another doctor. You should start to feel better within days of starting medication and should have little to no symptoms by the 3-6 month mark, if the above standards are followed. If not followed, you won't get your levels where they should be in the fastest manner.

I'm not sure if you can edit your title or if you need to create a new post, but if your title stated Postpartum Hashimoto's, you would attract a lot more responders.

:-)

Wgriffy profile image
Wgriffy in reply to ShootingStars

Thank you for all the info!

ozthyroid profile image
ozthyroid

when you take sufficient Levo to reduce your antibodies and remove most symptoms, and your blood tests come back saying "euthyroid", i do not understand.... does this mean that Hashimotos hypothyroidism has gone into remission and your thyroid is no longer being attacked because it's being treated OR does it mean that your thyroid is still being attacked (albeit a slowed down attack) and that gradually you are losing your thyroid gland..... I've never really understood, especially when the GP sees "euthyroid" on my blood test results and simply says everything is fine..... and my symptoms have considerably lessened, except for the fatigue which I think will be with me for the rest of my life. I had a blood test many years ago which showed i'd been exposed to the Epstein Barr virus and when I went to google there was research that suggested an association between this virus and Hashimotos... I've also read that most people (was it 90%) of the American population has been exposed to EBV (whether they suffered symptoms or not, some people are not aware because the symptoms were so mild and/or they were exposed in childhood).. but then I've also read that thyroid disorders are very very common (many people suffer from symptoms but remain undiagnosed for years or they are subclinical and doctors do not pick up on it) ...is there a connection between EBV and Hashimotos?

ShootingStars profile image
ShootingStars in reply to ozthyroid

Hi ozthyroid. Yes, it's possible and very complicated. But are you truly euthyroid or is the doctor just telling you that? ;-) What are your exact levels and the ranges and reducing antibodies to what? Being back in normal range or just less than previouslye? Are FT3 and 4 optimal? If you have positive antibodies, your thyroid is being attacked. There are even complicated cases of people who have never test positive for antibodies, but they still have Hashi's. If someone had positive antibodies and later tested negative, if they thyroid was very stable and levels rarely fluctuate, then it's possible they are in remission.

If you were able to accomplish going from positive antibodies down to negative on just Levo, that is amazingly fortunate. In that case I would guess that antibodies were positive but never super high? The higher antibodies are, the more difficult it is to get them to decrease. It is very hard to get antibodies reduced much in general and they very rarely stay there. Every little thing can cause an antibody increase, sometimes a huge spike: food sensitivities, colds, flu viruses, any type of stress, external molds and fungus, internal fungus (candida), environmental toxins, toxins in the body, seasonal allergies. Antibodies can suddenly spike and it's not always so obvious the cause.

If you still have fatigue, then something is off. It might be that your levels are not optimal, but the doctor mistakenly thinks they are. It could also be your vitamin D, complete iron panel, B12, folate, rbc magnesium or other vitamin and nutrient levels are not optimal.

Yes, there can be a EBV, or any other virus or bacterial infection connection. CMV is another virus that most adults have been exposed to at some point in their lives, as is strep. Pneumonia is another. Any virus or bacterial infection, or antigen listed above can be the trigger that sets off the immune system.

ozthyroid profile image
ozthyroid

Thank you for your detailed & clear explanation. mmm.... now you've got me thinking. I know I had positive antibodies when first diagnosed with Hashimotos over 10 years ago (can't remember the figure but as you say it probably wasn't excessively high at all) .... I don't know what the numbers were when they were retested, if they were retested..... within the last 2 years every time I ask my specialist to check the antibodies, she doesn't see the need for this as all the blood test results are okay and the paper work says "euthyroid"... mmmm I've got a problem, trying to prove why I need my antibodies count retested after all these years....I will post my latest results when I get them in the next couple of weeks....I think I had a calcium blood test at the same time, so will add that in too. Thanks again, you have been very helpful...It's a great forum to be part of.

ozthyroid profile image
ozthyroid

oh I meant I will post my TSH, Free T3 & 4 results when I get them..... not my antibody test results because I'm still having trouble convincing my endocrinologist of the need for this particular test...

You could maybe do with a small increase of thyroid medication but I think your painful eyes need to be seen as soon as possible. Sometimes you can get something called thyroid eye desease even if hypo. Have a look at some of the posts on this forum re thyroid eye desease to see if you relate. If you know a very good optician it maybe worth dropping in to get it looked at or if you have a local eye hospital that does a drop in otherwise you need to see your GP asap. There are also other possible cause of eye pain not related to thyroid that need to be excluded or treated asap. It is also possibly migraine related but it needs to be checked out.

Mary76mary76 profile image
Mary76mary76

Yes I think you should be very direct with doctor, I did not realise my eyes were related to my thyroid issue and it took 5 visits for my doctor to realise too and to send me to the eye clinic at local hospital. Total darkness, lots of water, blueberries or dark grape juice helps me a little.

Wgriffy profile image
Wgriffy

Thank you. My mom has thyroid eye disease and graves so I'm getting my eyes checked this week unfortunately in my area all the Drs are terrible and aren't very knowledgeable on the subject.

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator

Your antibodies are high this is Hashimoto's, (also known by medics here in UK more commonly as autoimmune thyroid disease).

About 90% of all primary hypothyroidism in Uk is due to Hashimoto's

Essential to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12. Always get actual results and ranges. Post results when you have them, members can advise

Hashimoto's affects the gut and leads to low stomach acid and then low vitamin levels

Low vitamin levels affect 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.

According to Izabella Wentz the Thyroid Pharmacist approx 5% with Hashimoto's are coeliac, but over 80% find gluten free diet helps significantly. Either due to direct gluten intolerance (no test available) or due to leaky gut and gluten causing molecular mimicry (see Amy Myers link)

Changing to a strictly gluten free diet may help reduce symptoms, help gut heal and slowly lower TPO antibodies

Ideally ask GP for coeliac blood test first

amymyersmd.com/2017/02/3-im...

chriskresser.com/the-gluten...

thyroidpharmacist.com/artic...

scdlifestyle.com/2014/08/th...

drknews.com/changing-your-d...

thyroidpharmacist.com/artic...

But don't be surprised that GP or endo never mention gut, gluten or low vitamins. Hashimoto's is very poorly understood

Hypromellose eye drops can help with sore eyes too. Available OTC

Wgriffy profile image
Wgriffy in reply to SlowDragon

I read about the leaky gut and have been gluten dairy and soy free for over a month now. Its helping. I just got my lats back today with the vitamins ans whatnot.

Tsh .33 range .49-4.67

T4 free 1.02 range .71-1.85

Ferritin 15.2 range 4.6-204.0

Vitamin b12 380 range 213-816

Folate 13.5 range 7.0->20

Vitamin d 39.9 range 30-80

T3 3.00 range 1.71-3.71

Thyroglobulin 4.9 range 1.6-60

Anti Thyroglobulin 42.1 range 0-40

Tpo 94.3 range <35

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator in reply to Wgriffy

What's the units on vitamin D?

Is it nmol or ng

B12 could be higher

Good to hear that gluten free is helping

Wgriffy profile image
Wgriffy in reply to SlowDragon

The paperwork says ng/ml for vit d

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator in reply to Wgriffy

Ok then level is OK, though you might benefit from improving a bit more

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