I have suspected Hashimoto’s and a referral for an endocrinologist. But I want to go there informed, so I ask for any insights. Sorry in advance for the ramble - I’m noting down anything that may be of relevance!... there are some test results at the bottom.
I have always struggled to keep weight in healthy range, and lower carb diets used to do the trick. Since having my son 4yrs ago I have, at times, managed to lose a little weight by eating a low carb diet and HIIT-style exercise, but always having to stop exercising due to illness, and putting weight back on with a vengeance. I am constantly low on energy and have lost all get up and go. I look and feel like I have aged 15yrs in 4!
Stuff I wonder about being related? I got pre-eclampsia in pregnancy. I struggled to breastfeed, but stupidly soldiered on for 2 long, miserable years. I got mastitis twice, the second time the infection got in to the bloodstream. Have had loads of bouts of lingering chest infections, sinusitis and tonsilitis. Have had a ton of antibiotics.
Family history of endocrine stuff - all females on mum’s side hypothyroid, some (maybe all?!) Hashimoto’s, acromegaly, Cushing’s disease, endometriosis.
I definitely feel better when I don’t eat bread, pasta and potatoes. Sugary things can make me feel bad, in particular jelly sweets and ice cream (no idea why!). And I suspect I maybe need to ditch alcohol - red wine in particular can cause a rash and I get really warm knees. Tend to avoid these things anyway, so happy to give them up (maybe after some wine!) but wonder if best to do so after seeing an endocrinologist.
So in desperation during another 3month bout of tonsilitis and inability to get an appointment with my doc’s surgery any time this decade, I paid to go to a private GP, and she did lots of blood tests to try to get to the bottom of things, and she is going to do a referral to an endocrinologist as a result. Here are some of the results (there are loads of other things too but these seem to be the ones mentioned in here). I assume best to not supplement / alter diet before seeing an endocrinologist? But what are these saying?
TSH 2.17 (0.27 - 4.20)
Free thyroxine 14.0 (12.0 - 22.0)
TG antibodies 1333 (0 - 115)
TPO antibodies 335 (0 - 34)
T3 2.2 (1.3 - 3.1)
Vitamin D 39 (50 - 200)
Active B12 52 (25.1 - 165.0)
Red cell folate 2014 (285.4 - 1474.7)
Ferritin 83 (13 - 150)
Transferrin saturation 35 (20 - 55)
Iron 17.8 (6.6 - 26.0)
Phosphate 0.67 (0.87 - 1.45) - GP recommended further tests on parathyroid because of this one
Cholesterol 5.1 (<5.0)
Any comments, thoughts, suggestions would be most appreciated. Thanks for reading.
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Yppah
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That looks like a Total T3 test which is of no use, it's the Free T3 test that tells us what T3 is available to enter the cells.
TSH 2.17 (0.27 - 4.20)
Free thyroxine 14.0 (12.0 - 22.0)
TG antibodies 1333 (0 - 115)
TPO antibodies 335 (0 - 34)
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. Hashi's isn't treated, it's the resulting hypothyroidism that is. You may find that any doctor will not treat until your TSH goes over range.
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. Most doctors are happy when a result is within range, they don't learn much about nutrients so don't understand that we need optimal levels.
Vitamin D 39nmol/L (50 - 200) = 15.6ng/ml
This is low and in the insufficient category. Your GP may prescribe 800iu D3 to bring it up to 50 but may not. You might want to consider dealing with this yourself (you'll get a better quality supplement that way).
The Vit D Council recommends a level of 125nmol/L (50ng/ml) and the Vit D Society recommends a level of 100-150nmol/L (40-60ng/ml).
To raise your current level to the recommended level, the Vit D Council suggests supplementing with 4,900iu D3 daily (nearest is 5,000iu)
When you have reached the recommended level 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:
Because you have Hashi's, for best absorption an oral spray is recommended (eg BetterYou) or a sublingual liquid (eg Vitabay Organics or Natures Answer).
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.
If you do then list any that you are experiencing and ask your GP to test for B12 deficiency/pernicious anaemia, taking the information from St Thomas' Hospital as well.
Red cell folate 2014 (285.4 - 1474.7)
Ferritin 83 (13 - 150)
There doesn't seem to be anything wrong with those other than high folate level, are you supplementing?
Iron 17.8 (6.6 - 26.0)
Optimal level is 55%-70% (higher endfor males) yours is 58%
SeasideSusie thank you very much, and also to the person who sent me a separate message. Lots of info to work through, feel a bit more positive and and an awful lot less alone. At the moment I am sorry I have nothing to give back, just a taker, but maybe in time 🙂
I might just pay to get the free T3 done then before seeing a specialist, have seen links on here. It’s annoying as I thought I was getting a comprehensive check. The blood test company, via private GP, ultimately, was The Doctors Laboratory. Is there a particular suite of tests I should have taken? I sure as hell hate being ripped off / fobbed off.
Ah, so even though I am 3 stone overweight (and counting), tearful, angry and sleeeeeeeepy, I need to wait until my thyroid has gone. 😯 Grim. Sorry to everyone in this boat, and it sounds like lots of people. 😞
The folate number - I wondered about this as the ranges had 1 decimal point but my result didn’t. If it’s a manual entry I wonder if mine needed a decimal point to make it 10 times smaller. Otherwise, it might reflect my LOVE of kale. And green beans - do they have folate? I eat a lot of these two things. Also broccoli.
Thanks so much for the comments, working through everything...
Free T3 needs to be done at the same time as TSH and Free T4, no point in doing it on it's own.
The Doctors Laboratory is one of the labs used (or used to be used) by Blue Horizon. They do use other labs so if you wanted to ensure yours goes to the same lab then I'd contact them and see if they still use it and if yours could go there. I honestly don't know how their system works if they use more than one lab.
You seem to have had all the relevant tests done that we advise, apart from FT3.
If you wanted to repeat the whole thyroid/vitamin panel then you could use either of the following
Medichecks Thyroid Check ULTRAVIT medichecks.com/thyroid-func... You can use code TUK20 up to the end of May for a 20% discount, thereafter use code THYROIDUK for a 10% discount on any test not on special offer.
Both tests include the full thyroid and vitamin panel. They are basically the same test but with the following small differences:
For the fingerprick test, Blue Horizon requires 1 x microtainer of blood (0.8ml), Medichecks requires 2 x microtainers (total 1.6ml)
Blue Horizon includes Total T4 (can be useful but not essential). Medichecks doesn't include this test.
B12 - Blue Horizon does Serum B12. Medichecks does Active B12.
Serum B12 shows the total B12 in the blood. Active B12 shows what's available to be taken up by the cells. You can have a reasonable level of Serum B12 but a poor level of Active B12. (Personally, I would go for the Active B12 test.)
If you don't want the antibodies and the vitamins then choose
Medichecks THYROID MONITORING or
Blue Horizon THYROID CHECK PLUS THREE
All three veggies you mention are good sources of folate.
I think it will be the greens🙂 A few years ago my folate was significantly over range without taking any supplements but eating lots of leafy greens.
Btw, I had very similar experience of breast feeding my daughter to yours. I also wondered if the low thyroid and adrenal fatigue, which I believe I had then, contributed to it.
When you have blood tests to check your thyroid try to do it as early as you can (I go to the hospital and try to be the first in the queue for 7am) without eating or drinking anything but water. I took many years to get diagnosed and I wonder how much having the test mid morning after a milky coffee and a snack sabotaged my diagnosis. The first time I made an effort for the early test and fasted I got my tsh ever so slightly over the range.
Thanks both. Think I’ll do the medichecks one then. Any ideas what test would be done for parathyroid? GP said to do that. Sorry Sybilla14 that you had similar feeding journey. Crazy, but I know if I got well enough and had another, I’d probably do it all again 🤷♀️😂
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