I noticed a post regarding weight gain but I have been getting weight loss with my hypothyroidism, can anyone relate please. I was diagnosed 2012 taking 100mcg levo thank you
other symptoms include back pain, dry skin, fatigue, depression, anxiety, twitchy muscles, constipation, puffy lips and eyes, feeling slow, feeling cold, brain not wanting to work at times, headaches, loss of appetite, muscle aches
33 years old and female
Current weight 50 kg despite eating more lately
March 2019
*TSH 9.21 mIU/L (0.27 - 4.2)
*Free T4 10.3 pmol/L (12.0 - 22.0)
Free T3 3.1 pmol/L (3.1 - 6.8)
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Amber_J8
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Keep ringing back until they've been looked at, then pop in and get a print out. My results get looked at either the day they are received at the surgery or the next day.
Your raised antibodies mean that you are positive for autoimmune thyroid disease aka Hashimoto's which is where the thyroid is attacked and gradually destroyed. Did you already know that.
Fluctuations in symptoms and test results is common with Hashi's, so you can swing from a hypo phase to a hyper phase and back again.
Hashi's is where the immune system attacks the thyroid and gradually destroys it. When the attack happens, the dying cells release a lot of thyroid hormone into the blood and this can cause TSH to become suppressed and Free T4 and Free T3 to be very high or over range. These are called 'Hashi's flares' or 'swings'. You may get symptoms of being overmedicated (hyper type symptoms) to go along with these results that look as though you are overmedicated. The hyper swings are temporary, and eventually things go back to normal. Test results settle back down and hypo symptoms may return. Thyroid meds can be adjusted slightly at these times if necessary, but will need readjusting when hypo symptoms return.
Unless a GP knows about Hashi's and these hyper type swings, then they can panic and reduce or stop your thyroid meds.
Most doctors dismiss antibodies as being of no importance and know little or nothing about Hashi's and how it affects the patient, test results and symptoms. You need to read, learn, understand and help yourself where Hashi's is concerned.
You can possibly help reduce the antibodies by adopting a strict gluten free diet which has helped many members here, although there is no guarantee.
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, as can keeping TSH suppressed.
Hashi's and gut absorption problems tend to go hand in hand and can very often result in low nutrient levels or deficiencies, which is why it's important to test nutrient levels.
I take prescription 2x vitamin D3 800IU (since Jan 2019, was taking 800IU from Nov 2013 - Dec 2018)
Oh wow! You can see you have severe Vit D deficiency and you've only been prescribed 1,600iu D3 daily! The fact that you were taking 800iu daily for 5 years and were still severely deficient should have resonated with your GP. He has been extremely negligent. You should have been prescribed loading doses totalling 300,000iu over a few weeks - see NICE treatment summary for Vit D deficiency: cks.nice.org.uk/vitamin-d-d...
"Treat for Vitamin D deficiency if serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) levels are less than 30 nmol/L.
For the treatment of vitamin D deficiency, the recommended treatment is based on fixed loading doses of vitamin D (up to a total of about 300,000 international units [IU] given either as weekly or daily split doses, followed by lifelong maintenace treatment of about 800 IU a day. Higher doses of up to 2000IU a day, occasionally up to 4000 IU a day, may be used for certain groups of people, for example those with malabsorption disorders. Several treatment regims are available, including 50,000 IU once a week for 6 weeks (300,000 IU in total), 20,000 IU twice a week for 7 weeks (280,000 IU in total), or 4000 IU daily for 10 weeks (280,000 IU in total)."
Each Health Authority has their own guidelines but they will be very similar. Go and see your GP, point out how long you've been on a ridiculously low dose and why didn't he do something rather than keep you on it for 5 years. It really is unforgivable. I would ask that he treats you according to the local guidelines or this summary and prescribes the loading doses. Once these have been completed you will need a reduced amount so you should make sure that you are retested after you have finished the loading doses so that you know how much you should then take going forward. Most doctors, if they continue prescribing, only give 800iu daily which isn't enough. If GP wont retest then do this privately (link below) and post your new result at the time for members to suggest a new dose to bring your level up to what's recommended by the Vit D Council/the Vit D Society - which is 100-150nmol/L - and then you'll need a maintenance dose to keep it there, which may be 2000iu daily, maybe more or less, maybe less in summer than winter, it's trial and error so it's recommended to retest once or twice a year to keep within the recommended range. You can do this with a private fingerprick blood spot test with an NHS lab which offers this test to the general public:
Your GP won't know, because they're not taught much about nutrients, but there are important cofactors needed when taking D3 as recommended by the Vit D Council -
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 such as hardening of the arteries, kidney stones, etc.
D3 and K2 are fat soluble so should be taken with the fattiest meal of the day, D3 four hours away from thyroid meds if taking tablets/capsules/softgels, no necessity if using an oral spray
Magnesium helps D3 to work. We need Magnesium so that the body utilises D3, it's required to convert Vit D into it's active form. So it's important we ensure we take magnesium when supplementing with D3.
Magnesium comes in different forms, check to see which would suit you best and as it's calming it's best taken in the evening, four hours away from thyroid meds if taking tablets/capsules, no necessity if using topical forms of magnesium.
Check out the other cofactors too (some of which can be obtained from food).
**
Folate 2.59 ng/L (2.50 - 19.50)
I take 5mg folic acid (started Feb 2017)
Is this 5mg daily? Not much has happened in 2 years - again your GP should have noticed this and taken some action.
**
Ferritin 62 ng/L (15 - 150)
Anaemia still present in complete blood tests with below range MCV and above range MCHC
I forgot to note that I received an iron infusion last year which boosted my ferritin to 328
What's happened since the iron infusion? Are you on iron tablets to maintain a decent level?
**
Your dire levels are undoubtedly due to gut/absorption issues and I will ask SlowDragon if she will pop along and give you some information and links about this.
The vit D was rechecked by my endocrinologist who did not view my result at the time. I myself opened this result when she was out of the room because it was still unread. I will be going to GP appointment next week to query this though
Folic acid is once daily
Iron not addressed with any tablets as the ferritin has been left to drop I’m guessing from heavy periods
I am going through the diagnosis process for hypothyroidism, recently discovered high TGaB antibodies (but low peroxidase antibodies). I met with the endo last Friday who has sent me for a thyroid ultrasound and full thyroid panel (I'm a 45 year old male Brit living in the US), will find out for sure April 23rd. I wanted to reply as I struggle to keep the weight on and am trying to eat as much as possible - albeit healthy food. My main other symptoms are joint pain and muscle twitching, perhaps fatigue but I have 2 boys under 4 years old so I put fatigue down to them :). My Vit D was 25 (taken in February) - same scale as yours below, so I am deficient. Just started taking 50,000 IU once weekly as prescribed by the endocrinologist.
Hi. My endocrinologist tested my vit D but did not view the results so I looked myself when she was out of the room and I made a note of the level instead
Also been feeling irritated and angry for no apparent reason. This morning I felt slow and dull, this afternoon I had a bit more energy and into this evening I have been getting easily annoyed
Your TSH is far too high, so you need a 25mcg dose increase in Levothyroxine and then bloods retested in 6-8 weeks
TSH should be under 2 as an absolute minimum when on adequate dose of Levothyroxine
Which brand of Levothyroxine are you currently taking?
Many people find that different brands of Levothyroxine are not interchangeable. Teva brand especially upsets many many people
Your antibodies are high this is Hashimoto's, (also known by medics here in UK more commonly as autoimmune thyroid disease).
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. Dairy is second most common.
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
GP should be doing a coeliac blood test ASAP first or buy test online for under £20, just to rule it out first
Trying gluten free diet for 3-6 months. If no noticeable improvement then reintroduce gluten and see if symptoms get worse
B vitamins best taken in the morning after breakfast
Recommended brands on here are Igennus Super B complex. (Often only need one tablet per day, not two. Certainly only start with one tablet per day after breakfast. Retesting levels in 6-8 weeks ).
Or Jarrow B-right is popular choice, but is large capsule
If you are taking vitamin B complex, or any supplements containing biotin, remember to stop these 7 days before any blood tests, as biotin can falsely affect test results
Thank you Slow Dragon. I take a mixture of lactose containing levo - actavis and wokhardt. I used to be on teva but the acacia filler did not agree with me. I was on teva initially because I was suspected of having lactose intolerance. I’m still not sure if I do have it because I seem to react to whey containing products
I have been given a coeliac blood test to take because of diarrhoea and bloating since eating more gluten
Thank you reallyfed up. The endocrinologist said the previous results showed I was over medicated, and the time before that. They have not been this bad since diagnosis. She wants me to alternate my dose of levo to 100mcg/125mcg per day but I’m worried I’ll lose more weight. I don’t know why I’m so thin but I’ve been this way since about 10 years old
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