Hashimotos?: Hi do I have Hashimotos? My GP says... - Thyroid UK

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Hashimotos?

Mareena profile image
8 Replies

Hi do I have Hashimotos? My GP says I have no such thing. I am confused, both antibodies are over range! I take 125mcg Levothyroxine and I was found to be hypothyroid in 2012. My symptoms seem to be a mixture of hyper and hypo.

Thank you!

Total thyroxine 75 nmol/L (59 - 154)

*TSH 5.3 mIU/L (0.27 - 4.2)

Free T4 13.9 pmol/L (12.0 - 22.0)

Free T3 3.3 pmol/L (3.1 - 6.8)

*Thyroglobulin antibodies 563 IU/mL (0 - 115 negative)

*Thyroid peroxidase antibodies 275.3 IU/mL (0 - 34)

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Mareena profile image
Mareena
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8 Replies
thyroidorwhat profile image
thyroidorwhat

You clearly do and your GP is stupid. On what basis did they say you don't?

Your TSH is too high, your frees are too low and you have very high antibodies. If that's not hashimotos then what is.

Think you are undermedicated.

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator

Suggest you see a different GP

They often call it autoimmune thyroid disease rather than Hashimoto's.

Essential to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12. These are often too low as direct result of Hashimoto's

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, sometimes 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 and vitamin tests if not been done

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...

Ask GP for 25mcg dose increase in Levothyroxine

Official NHS guidelines saying TSH should be between 0.2 and 2.0 when on Levothyroxine

(Many of us need TSH nearer 0.2 than 2.0 to feel well)

See box

Thyroxine replacement in primary hypothyroidism

pathology.leedsth.nhs.uk/pa...

Dr Toft, past president of the British Thyroid Association and leading endocrinologist, states in Pulse Magazine,

"The appropriate dose of levothyroxine is that which restores euthyroidism and serum TSH to the lower part of the reference range - 0.2-0.5mU/l.

In this case, free thyroxine is likely to be in the upper part of its reference range or even slightly elevated – 18-22pmol/l.

Most patients will feel well in that circumstance. But some need a higher dose of levothyroxine to suppress serum TSH and then the serum-free T4 concentration will be elevated at around 24-28pmol/l.

This 'exogenous subclinical hyperthyroidism' is not dangerous as long as serum T3 is unequivocally normal – that is, serum total around T3 1.7nmol/l (reference range 1.0-2.2nmol/l)."

You can obtain a copy of the articles from Thyroid UK email print it and highlight question 6 to show your doctor

 please email Dionne at tukadmin@thyroiduk.org

Do you always take Levo on empty stomach and then nothing apart from water for at least an hour after?

Many take early morning on waking, but it may be more convenient and possibly more effective taken at bedtime

verywell.com/should-i-take-...

Many people find Levothyroxine brands are not interchangeable. Once you find a brand that suits you, best to make sure to only get that one at each prescription. Watch out for brand change when dose is increased

All thyroid tests should be done as early as possible in morning and fasting and don't take Levo in the 24 hours prior to test, delay and take straight after. This gives highest TSH, lowest FT4 and most consistent results. (Patient to patient tip, GP will be unaware)

Wildbird profile image
Wildbird

I can only echo what’s been said already. You clearly do have the autoimmune Hashimoto thyroid disease. Added to that your tsh is far too high for someone with a treated thyroid condition. You are still symptomatic because you are being under medicated. A different GP may be better informed than the one you are currently seeing. At the very least, your levothyroxine should have been increased. 😉

You GP is ignorant. Your high antibodies PROVE that you have Hashimtos, but you GP would probably prefer to val it autoimmune thyroid disease. Your results also show that you are very undermedicated

Hellonwheels profile image
Hellonwheels

If it looks like a duck and walks like a duck... Jeez. Sure looks like Hashi's to me, although I am no doctor.

helvella profile image
helvellaAdministratorThyroid UK

Some doctors seem to require you to have, or have had, a goitre before they'd call it Hashimoto's. Many years ago that was usual but using the name Hashimoto's, whether or not there is a goitre involved, is now widespread.

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator

Technically if there's no goitre and thyroid shrivels up it's called Ord's thyroiditis

But far more widely all autoimmune hypothyroidism is known as Hashimoto's

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ord...

helvella profile image
helvellaAdministratorThyroid UK in reply to SlowDragon

I think that term has faded into disuse. Though, of course, it is still there to be looked up and found. :-)

Seems northern European genetic makeup quite often has no, or no obvious, goitrous stage. Whereas in some other populations it would be rare not to have a goitre at some point.

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