Hello again, I’ve been trying to investigate further since I was here last. I have hashimotos and I can’t understand why my levels have got so much worse since I was first diagnosed a few years ago and I’m desperately trying to reduce the feeling of fatigue. I’ve recently been diagnosed with Sjogrens too. Ay advice you can give on the results below would be much appreciated – I’m hoping to visit Roderick Lane next week but I don’t know whether I should also be trying to see an endo. I’m also wondering whether I should switch brand as I’ve read lots of people do much better on actavis rather than mercury pharma. Thank you
TSH: 0.837 (0.27-4.3)
FT4: 23 (12-23.0)
FT3: 4.22 (3.1-6.8)
Anti thyroidperoxidase antibodies: 600 (0-34)
T4: 110 (66-181)
Anti-thyroglobulin (TGAB) 307 (0-115)
Vit D: 46.7 (50-100)
Folate: 45.4 (8.83 – 60.8)
Ferritin: 50.6 (13-150)
B12: 162 (25.1-165)
Iodine: Not recently tested but was told it was insufficient several years ago
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Piks78
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Unfortunately I don’t have the blood results from back then but I had been feeling fine - my Hashimotos was only picked up as part of a long ivf journey and it was borderline so only treated in case. But since then my thyroid meds have been increased from minimal dose to 100 5 times a week and 50 two days, accompanied by feeling exhausted all the time. Just wondered if the medication had been making it worse somehow?!
No, the medication hasn't been making it worse. Hashi's is a degenerative disease. It slowly destroys the thyroid, so you become more and more hypo. But, the reason you are feeling so exhausted is because you cannot convert your levo (T4, storage hormone) into the active hormone, T3. You have a conversion problem, and continually increasing the levo is not going to help. What you need is a reduction of levo and the addition of some T3. You should have a word with your doctor.
Sorry one more question if that’s okay! Do all endos agree about the conversion thing or are there certain endos I should seek out rather than others? Thank you 🙂
Well, I don't really know, but I would suspect that most endos don't believe it exists. They are of the opinion that everyone converts properly. I believe there's even a quote on STTM about an endo that said to his patient 'God gives everyone perfect conversion'. But, you could write a book about the stupid things endos say to patients. You just have to sound them out about it and find their opinions. Sorry.
Aiming to improve to at least 80nmol and around 100nmol may be better . Vitamin D mouth spray by Better You is good as avoids poor gut function. Suggest you supplement 1000iu for 2-3 months and retest. It's trial and error what dose each person needs. Once you Improve level, very likely you will need on going maintenance dose to keep it there. Retesting twice yearly via vitamindtest.org.uk
Your antibodies are very high, guessing you are not on strictly gluten free diet yet?
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
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