Help with test results please.

[Lyndseymoody]

Hi, so it’s been just over 3 months since my last bloods were done and had them done again last Wednesday. I received some really helpful suggestions from a few on here, so Thankyou.

I have Hashimotos and for the last three months I have been dairy and gluten free in the hope of bringing the level of antibodies down. The gp also upped my levothyroxine to 125mcg from 100mcg as I was feeling symptomatic and reynauds had kicked in (it always seems to happen if my tsh goes above 0.8) .

I’ve progressively felt better (as much as you can do with an almost 7 month old) and my weight has stabilised again (constant battle) I’m not bloated etc, so I’m pretty happy with myself having stuck with the gluten and dairy free diet and feeling better for it. I think?

Results came back today and I’m really disappointed that the antibodies have gone up instead of down. Seems like the gluten and dairy free hasn’t helped. Any positives I can take from this as I know the levothyroxine is going to have to come down again.

[greygoose]

Why should the levo have to come down again? Your FT4 and FT3 are well in-range. You're not over-medicated. Your doctor really shouldn't be dosing by the TSH. That's the best way to keep a patient sick!

Antibodies fluctuate all the time. And there was never any guarantee that going gluten and dairy-free would reduce them. And even if you got rid of them completely, you would still have Hashi's. The antibodies are not the disease.

[Lyndseymoody in reply to greygoose]

Thankyou so much for your reply. I’ve had to battle with my gps frequently. They really don’t like anything close or below the “norm”. I’ve heard the “It’s better to be tired and alive, than go into cardiac arrest” a couple of times now.

I don’t know how much fluctuation is considered normal with Hashimotos? I’ve only just started with medichecks to try and get a better picture of what’s going on. Rather limited with the nhs unfortunately. Three months ago, my thyroglobulin levels were 300 or so units lower than they are now, and my thyroid peroxidase was 31.5? It seems like a big jump, but I have no idea really, and I was hoping the change of diet would have helped and brought them

down, but as you said, no guarantees. For all I know a cold might enough to bring them right up. I’ve still got a lot to learn!

[greygoose in reply to Lyndseymoody]

What brings antibodies up is an attack on the thyroid by the immune system. During the attack, traces of TPO and Tg leak into the blood, and the antibodies come along in force to clean it up. Then the level goes down again. So, no, it's not a big jump. But, as to what is considered 'normal', there's no such thing as 'normal' where thyroid is concerned because we're all so different. Some Hashi's people don't even have elevated levels of antibodies. It just depends on the person.

Tell your doctor that a suppressed TSH will not send you into cardiac arrest, because TSH has nothing to do with hearts. They're confusing the low TSH with high levels of FT3 found in people with Grave's - when, of course, the TSH is low. But, it's the very high FT3 that is the problem, not the TSH itself. It's far more dangerous for your heart to be under-treated hypo.

[Lyndseymoody in reply to greygoose]

Thankyou for that! I will be armed with this when I next go to see the gp this week. It’s mind boggling at times.

[greygoose in reply to Lyndseymoody]

Sure is!

[SlowDragon Ambassador]

With Hashimoto's low vitamin levels are extremely common

Have you had vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 tested?

If not, these need doing

What supplements, if any do you take ?

[Lyndseymoody in reply to SlowDragon]

Hi, all my vitamins were the very low end of “normal” when they were checked 3 months ago, so I’ve upped them all and will test again at some point. Surprisingly my active b12 was very good. Thanks, for pointing it out.