Thyroid 11 test results-help please to decipher.

[Sotonowl]

As title- got these through today from Blue Horizons with Doctors comments. Any comments appreciated.

[Sotonowl]

SeasideSusie help needed Susie.

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Sotonowl

Your thyroid results are euthyroid (normal). One would expect to see a fit and healthy person with a TSH of up to around 2ish.

However, your antibodies are raised so that confirms autoimmune thyroid disease aka Hashimoto's which is where where antibodies attack the thyroid and gradually destroy it. The antibody attacks cause fluctuations in symptoms and test results.

Yours hasn't progressed enough yet to cause an over range TSH which might possibly get you a diagnosis when there are antibodies present. You could retest in, say, 3 months time and if TSH has gone over range you can use the information in the article written by Dr Toft in Pulse magazine where he says that when TSH is over range but not yet reached 10, and when antibodies are present, then starting Levo can "nip things in the bud". If you would like a copy of the article then email Dionne at ThyroidUK, the information is in reply to Question 2.

[e-mail]

You can help reduce the antibodies by adopting a strict gluten free diet which has helped many members here. Gluten contains gliadin (a protein) which is thought to trigger autoimmune attacks so eliminating gluten can help reduce these attacks. You don't need to be gluten sensitive or have Coeliac disease for a gluten free diet to help.

Supplementing with selenium l-selenomethionine 200mcg daily can also help reduce the antibodies.

Ferritin is over range. Are you supplementing with iron tablets? Or do you eat a lot of liver, black pudding, other meat, etc?

Vit D is on the low side, the Vit D Council recommends a level of 100-150nmol/L. If you are a sun worshipper you may be able to boost your level at the moment if you expose plenty of skin, without sunscreen, for about 20 minutes a day (depending on skin colour). If you don't make Vit D naturally very well then I'd buy some BetterYou B12 oral spray to nudge your level up. I'd get the D3/K2 combined spray which comes in 3000iu dose. Use daily and retest in 3 months then you might be able to reduce to a maintenance dose. The K2 is needed because D3 aids absorption of calcium from food and K2-MK7 directs the calcium to bones and teeth where it is needed and away from arteries and soft tissues where it can be deposited and cause problems. Also, start taking magnesium as that helps the body use D3. Check the different forms of magnesium here and choose the one that suits you best naturalnews.com/046401_magn...

B12 is a bit low. According to an extract from the book, "Could it be B12?" by Sally M. Pacholok:

"We believe that the 'normal' serum B12 threshold needs to be raised from 200 pg/ml to at least 450 pg/ml because deficiencies begin to appear in the cerebrospinal fluid below 550".

"For brain and nervous system health and prevention of disease in older adults, serum B12 levels should be maintained near or above 1000 pg/ml."

You could supplement with sublingual methylcobalamin lozenges. I'd start with 5000mcg daily and when you've finished that bottle change to 1000mcg daily.

Folate is below range. In the first instance I would discuss with your GP rather than self supplement, mention folate deficiency. Folate should be at least half way through it's range (although your GP will say anywhere in range is fine).

We do need a B Complex when supplementing with B12 and you could look at Thorne Basic B or Igennus Super B as they both contain the bioactive forms of ingredients. When your B12 and folate level are decent, you may be able to maintain levels with just the B Complex.

[Sotonowl in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thanks for taking the time to write all that Susie, I really appreciate it.

I'll contact the GP with reference to the Ferritin and Folate and ask her for advice.

I am supplementing with a multi vitamin and a small dose of Vitamin D. I did have some B12 injections and large doses of Vitamin D in early February after previous blood tests from my GP. She won't re-test me until end of August/beginning of September so I don't want to blur the tests by spraying anymore B12 or D until after these tests as she'll just say they look fine. I can't figure out why the Ferritin is so high, would the result be affected by being done early Monday after an indulgent weekend do you think or is the level not subject to sudden fluctuations like that do you think.

I have been considering going to see a Lady Doctor privately from the list supplied from Thyroid UK (forget the lady's name who sent me the list through).

Do you think it worthwhile seeing the private Doctor to try and get medicated or do you think she'd encourage me to wait.

What I'm really asking is would getting levothyroxine prescribed be of any use to me.

Thanks again.

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Sotonowl]

Sotonowl

Check your multivitamin and see if it contains iron. By the way, multivitamins aren't worth bothering with. They contain too little of anything to help, generally use the cheapest and least absorbable forms of active ingredients, and often contain things we shouldn't supplement with unless tested and found to be deficient, eg iodine, calcium, iron. If it contains iron that will affect absorption of everything else.

You have to be off B12 supplements for 4-5 months to get a baseline. You can continue with Vit D because the result will tell you if you are supplementing at the right dose or whether you need more or less.

I can't figure out why the Ferritin is so high, would the result be affected by being done early Monday after an indulgent weekend do you think or is the level not subject to sudden fluctuations like that do you think.

I can't say for certain but I doubt that would affect your level.

Do you think it worthwhile seeing the private Doctor to try and get medicated or do you think she'd encourage me to wait.

If the private doctor also works within the NHS then they will toe the NHS line and wont prescribe Levo.

What I'm really asking is would getting levothyroxine prescribed be of any use to me.

Hard to say. If you had symptoms of hypothyroidism (list here thyroiduk.org/tuk/about_the... ) and your TSH was between 4 and 10, along with your raised antibodies, then according to Dr Toft, in his article in Pulse Magazine, then starting Levo is advised to "nip things in the bud". Dr Toft is past president of the British Thyroid Association and leading endocrinologist. You can obtain a copy of the article by emailing Dionne at

[e-mail]

and it is the answer to Question 2 that mentions this.

[Sotonowl in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thanks again Susie. I have PM'd another forum member who has been to see the lady Doctor privately and she did say she was open to prescribing with the consultation seeming to be an adult conversation between Doctor and patient without the constraints applied by the NHS. Obviously she wouldn't prescribe anything she viewed as being of no use so it could be worth a look.

Will look into the selenium and I'm going to lay off the wine and just have a few beers on a Saturday to see if that helps at all.The alcohol intolerance was the first symptom what raised it's head to be honest. Just started taking longer and longer to recover from a few beers. That,I know sounds like I go over the top which I don't, just have a few beers and a bottle of wine on a Saturday night only. So the wines going to cease now. Such a shame,LOL.

Thanks again.