Hi all, I have been unwell (most day pretty bad) for two years and am still trying to figure out what I'm doing wrong. Sorry for the long story, but would appreciate any help. I've been with my job I love 35 years but am thinking about hanging it up at the end of the year if I can't get to feeling better.
To sum it up, 2 years ago I went gluten free after finding out I was severely sensitive and have not been well since. I ended up very overmedicated last year, and have spent this year trying to recover. (By the way, my nutrients are all good - D, B12, ferritin, folate, etc. and I have had many scans, nerve tests, tons of blood work all normal.)
Late 2017 I went gluten free and two months later I started feeling sick (looking back I was absorbing more meds and therefore needed to cut back but didn't know that and doc didn't tell me). Here's my labs:
Sept 1, 2017 (right before I went gluten free and felt real good I was on 60 mc Armour)
TSH: 2.69 (.4 - 4.5)
Total T4: 4.4 (5.4 - 11.5)
Free T4: 1.4 (.82 - 1.77)
Total T3: 123 (71 - 180)
TPO antib: 129 (<35)
Nov 1, 2017 ( at this point I am two months gluten free and starting to feel sick on and off - looking back I was going hyper - high blood pressure, high pulse pressure, head pressure, insomnia, loose bowels, anxious and a sickly weak feeling). Note: in just 2 months my TSH cut in half, my single nodule disappeared and my TPO antibodies dropped in range and have stayed in range ever since).
TSH: 1.3 (.4 - 4.5)
Free T4: .86 (.82 - 1.77)
Free T3: 3.85 (2.0 - 4.4)
TPO antib: 27 (<35)
Questions -- with my TSH cut in half so quickly from going gluten free shouldn't my T4 have gone up and not down? Why would my TSH drop so much in 2 months without T4 increase to signal? Where was the T4 going? I found out a couple months later my Reverse T3 was high so could have been change to RT3?
At this point through early 2018 I kept feeling worse - same symptoms sickly weak, exhausted, rapid heart beat, insomnia, waking up sweating multiple times a night, loose and multiple bowel movements). In Feb 2018 I went back to 75 mcg Synthroid and felt good for about 6 weeks. Then feeling very bad again by end of March.
April 2018 numbers were:
TSH: 1.59 (.4 - 4.5)
Free T4: 1.64 (.82 - 1.77)
Total T3: 96 (71 - 180)
Free T3: 2.8 (2.0 - 4.4)
Reverse T3: 22.8 (9.2 - 24)
RevT3 Ratio: 12.3 (>20)
At this point in April 2018 I had a functional doctor add 20mcg T3 Cytomel to the 75 mcg Synthroid (when I should have reduced meds due to better absorption from GF) and he did not monitor me - I went very hyper and became so sick some days I could hardly stand and talk at the same time. Finally in September, 2018 I had another doc start reducing meds and by Jan 2019 I was on ZERO meds (but never well!!!). Here are current numbers:
November 2019
TSH: 3.0 (.4 - 4.5)
Total T4: 5.7 (5.4 - 11.5)
Free T4: 1.0 (.82 - 1.77)
Total T3: 93 (71 - 180)
Free T3: 2.8 (2.0 - 4.4)
Reverse T3: 15.7 (9.2 - 24)
Since Jan I have not had one good day. I literally feel like I have been tortured for 2 years. Interestingly, 8 weeks after my LAST Synthroid dose I started lower leg tingling and visual problems - had to be from low T4/T3). I now feel very hypo - most of the hyper symptoms have changed over to hypo (very stiff, achy, fatigued, low blood pressure, low pulse pressure, puffy eyes, brain fog bad, tingly lower legs, night vision problems, still have the head pressure and acne). But since my numbers are "in range" the doc WILL NOT give me ANY med. I am seriously considering self medicating and starting a very low dose (12.5mcg Synthroid) on my own. My body is SUPER sensitive to any meds (I take nothing else I was super fit/healthy until 2 years ago) so need to start very slowly.
Question: any other ideas other than to start w low dose self medication? I have even thought about eating gluten again since I feel 100% that going gluten free is what started all this.
If anyone has stuck with me through this long saga, thank you. I am beyond desperate and have to do something. I feel like I have no where to turn. This thyroid site has been my #1 resource for information and consolation these last 2 years and I thank everyone for that.
First of all, I think you're making an awful lot of assumptions here, the main one being that going gluten-free improved your absorption of levo. What proof do you have of that?
2 years ago I went gluten free after finding out I was severely sensitive and have not been well since.
Did you never try eating gluten again? How did you find out you were severely sensitive? Seems to me that if you were, you would have felt better being gluten-free, not worse. Did you never feel well on gluten-free?
I ended up very overmedicated last year, and have spent this year trying to recover.
The labs you've given us show no sign of over-medication. Do you have other labs with over-range FT3? You're only over-medicated if you have over-range FT3 plus a suppressed TSH.
Did you change your dose at all during that time? You do know you have Hashi's, don't you? Do you know how Hashi's works? If so, how do you know you were over-medicated and not just having a Hashi's 'hyper' swing?
my nutrients are all good - D, B12, ferritin, folate, etc.
Numbers? 'Good' is an opinion, not necessarily backed-up by fact. Who said they were good?
Sept 1, 2017 (right before I went gluten free and felt real good I was on 60 mc Armour)
TSH: 2.69 (.4 - 4.5)
Total T4: 4.4 (5.4 - 11.5)
Free T4: 1.4 (.82 - 1.77)
Total T3: 123 (71 - 180)
TPO antib: 129 (<35)
Your TSH is very high for someone on Armour. But, if you felt good, fine.
Total T4 gives us very little useful information.
Total T3 gives us none at all. It's the Free T4/3 that you need.
The high antibodies tell us you have Hashi's.
Nov 1, 2017 ( at this point I am two months gluten free and starting to feel sick on and off - looking back I was going hyper - high blood pressure, high pulse pressure, head pressure, insomnia, loose bowels, anxious and a sickly weak feeling).
Those symptoms aren't really saying 'hyper'. They could have been hypo symptoms, or due to something else.
TSH: 1.3 (.4 - 4.5)
Free T4: .86 (.82 - 1.77)
Free T3: 3.85 (2.0 - 4.4)
TPO antib: 27 (<35)
Those labs give no indication of hyper/over-medication, or anything else, much. Your FT4 is very low. Your FT3 is in-range. TSH still high for someone on NDT - were you still taking only one grain?
The change in antibodies is meaningless. Once you've had a high reading, it means you have Hashi's, and that doesn't go away, no matter the level of antibodies.
Why would my TSH drop so much in 2 months without T4 increase to signal? Where was the T4 going? I found out a couple months later my Reverse T3 was high so could have been change to RT3?
Were both tests done at the same time of day? TSH is highest early morning, and drops throughout the day. But, you can expect to have levels that jump around with Hashi's, so if there was no change in dose, it doesn't mean much.
Your two rT3 tests were both in range, so not considered high. Besides, your FT4 has never been high enough to cause excess rT3.
In Feb 2018 I went back to 75 mcg Synthroid and felt good for about 6 weeks. Then feeling very bad again by end of March.
So, did you increase to 100 mcg at the endo of March?
April 2018 numbers were:
TSH: 1.59 (.4 - 4.5)
Free T4: 1.64 (.82 - 1.77)
Total T3: 96 (71 - 180)
Free T3: 2.8 (2.0 - 4.4)
Reverse T3: 22.8 (9.2 - 24)
RevT3 Ratio: 12.3 (>20)
TSH still a little too high. FT4 good, but FT3 way too low. No wonder you didn't feel good! You're a poor converter. You needed that T3 that NDT gave you, but you were under-medicated on it.
Interestingly, 8 weeks after my LAST Synthroid dose I started lower leg tingling and visual problems - had to be from low T4/T3).
Does that mean that you stopped the levo in January? That's not very clear. Are you taking anything now? Your FT4 wasn't low in February, but your FT3 was. And it's low T3 that causes symptoms.
I am seriously considering self medicating and starting a very low dose (12.5mcg Synthroid) on my own.
Not a good idea. A) a small dose like that is likely to make you worse, rather than better. B) you do not convert well, so the Synthroid will not raise your FT3. If you're considering self-medicating, why not go back on NDT?
I have even thought about eating gluten again since I feel 100% that going gluten free is what started all this.
I think that's worth a try, yes. It's certainly what I would do. But, having said that, I'm not convinced that it was giving up gluten that caused this problems. Far more likely to have been the Hashi's and under-medication. Unless you cut your carbs too far, and that affected your conversion. Hypos do need some carbs, even if they don't need gluten.
Greygoose thank you for responding I greatly value your feedback - see below for my answers.
First of all, I think you're making an awful lot of assumptions here, the main one being that going gluten-free improved your absorption of levo. What proof do you have of that?
-----There are multiple medical reports/case studies that show Celiac/Gluten Sensitive increases need for thyroxine (or going GF reduces need in some). Among others see:
2 years ago I went gluten free after finding out I was severely sensitive and have not been well since.
Did you never try eating gluten again? How did you find out you were severely sensitive? Seems to me that if you were, you would have felt better being gluten-free, not worse. Did you never feel well on gluten-free?
-----Stool test had markers that were off the chart gluten sensitive and several doctors agreed. Yes going GF should make a person feel better unless in my case I believe that is when I started encountering symptoms of overmedication due to better absorption. I did see other improvements - like no more constipation.
I ended up very overmedicated last year, and have spent this year trying to recover.
The labs you've given us show no sign of over-medication. Do you have other labs with over-range FT3? You're only over-medicated if you have over-range FT3 plus a suppressed TSH.
-----Sorry didn't want to overload w labs... in March 2018 I added the 20 mcg of T3 Cytomel to the 75 mcg of Synthroid. My labs from roughly May - Oct labs showed out of range/thyrotoxic:
TSH: .01 (.4 - 4.5)
Free T3: 6.0 (2.0 - 4.4)
Did you change your dose at all during that time? You do know you have Hashi's, don't you? Do you know how Hashi's works? If so, how do you know you were over-medicated and not just having a Hashi's 'hyper' swing?
-----Stayed on the 75 Synthroid + 20 T3 from March through Sept 2018 then started stepping down and immediately felt relief. Yes I know it is Hashi's. I've had Hashi's for 6 years and never felt anything remotely close to this so w doc's input this was pointing to too much med.
my nutrients are all good - D, B12, ferritin, folate, etc.
Numbers? 'Good' is an opinion, not necessarily backed-up by fact. Who said they were good?
-----I get these and others tested a couple times a year. D is usually a higher than it is here. I get B12 shots occasionally and it bumps up too.
B12: 513 (232 - 1245)
Folate: 6.2 (>3)
Ferritin: 58 (15 - 150)
D: 41.6 (10 - 100)
Sept 1, 2017 (right before I went gluten free and felt real good I was on 60 mc Armour)
TSH: 2.69 (.4 - 4.5)
Total T4: 4.4 (5.4 - 11.5)
Free T4: 1.4 (.82 - 1.77)
Total T3: 123 (71 - 180)
TPO antib: 129 (<35)
Your TSH is very high for someone on Armour. But, if you felt good, fine.
Total T4 gives us very little useful information.
Total T3 gives us none at all. It's the Free T4/3 that you need.
The high antibodies tell us you have Hashi's.
Nov 1, 2017 ( at this point I am two months gluten free and starting to feel sick on and off - looking back I was going hyper - high blood pressure, high pulse pressure, head pressure, insomnia, loose bowels, anxious and a sickly weak feeling).
Those symptoms aren't really saying 'hyper'. They could have been hypo symptoms, or due to something else.
-----some symptoms I'd never had before like the high pulse pressure which is tied to hyper vs. low pulse pressure tied to hypo. And it was so odd the way these symptoms would come on quickly - last a day to a week - and then disappear as quickly as they came! Weird - I'd be fine one day and baaad the next then fine again. That seems some kind of hormone related to me.
TSH: 1.3 (.4 - 4.5)
Free T4: .86 (.82 - 1.77)
Free T3: 3.85 (2.0 - 4.4)
TPO antib: 27 (<35)
Those labs give no indication of hyper/over-medication, or anything else, much. Your FT4 is very low. Your FT3 is in-range. TSH still high for someone on NDT - were you still taking only one grain?
-----yes Nov 2017 I was on 60 mcg Armour.
The change in antibodies is meaningless. Once you've had a high reading, it means you have Hashi's, and that doesn't go away, no matter the level of antibodies.
-----Right I realize Hashi's is forever!
Why would my TSH drop so much in 2 months without T4 increase to signal? Where was the T4 going? I found out a couple months later my Reverse T3 was high so could have been change to RT3?
Were both tests done at the same time of day? TSH is highest early morning, and drops throughout the day. But, you can expect to have levels that jump around with Hashi's, so if there was no change in dose, it doesn't mean much.
-----Yes early in the morning, and fasting.
Your two rT3 tests were both in range, so not considered high. Besides, your FT4 has never been high enough to cause excess rT3.
In Feb 2018 I went back to 75 mcg Synthroid and felt good for about 6 weeks. Then feeling very bad again by end of March.
So, did you increase to 100 mcg at the endo of March?
-----No. At end of March 2018 I was on 75 Synthroid only and that's when a new doc added 20mc T3. I started taking the 20mcg T3 the day after these labs were taken.
April 2018 numbers were:
TSH: 1.59 (.4 - 4.5)
Free T4: 1.64 (.82 - 1.77)
Total T3: 96 (71 - 180)
Free T3: 2.8 (2.0 - 4.4)
Reverse T3: 22.8 (9.2 - 24)
RevT3 Ratio: 12.3 (>20)
TSH still a little too high. FT4 good, but FT3 way too low. No wonder you didn't feel good! You're a poor converter. You needed that T3 that NDT gave you, but you were under-medicated on it.
-----That is what it looks like for sure! But adding that 20 mcg of T3 gave me terrible symptoms - bad head pressure, head sensations, breathlessness - I couldn't lay on my right side because the right side of my head hurt not headache but almost like a bruise inside my head. Racing heart, excessive sweating - symptoms I've never had before not even when I first went hypo 7 or so years ago. It's a different feeling.
Interestingly, 8 weeks after my LAST Synthroid dose I started lower leg tingling and visual problems - had to be from low T4/T3).
Does that mean that you stopped the levo in January? That's not very clear. Are you taking anything now? Your FT4 wasn't low in February, but your FT3 was. And it's low T3 that causes symptoms.
-----Yes had stepped down off all thyroid med by Jan 2019 I was medicine free. I have had no thyroid meds for 11 months and I am now feeling very hypo. Labs from last week show TSH at 3 (.4 - 4.5) and Free T3 at 2.8 (2.0 - 4.4). So Free T3 is too low? I need to get that FT3 up to feel better, is that correct?
I am seriously considering self medicating and starting a very low dose (12.5mcg Synthroid) on my own.
Not a good idea. A) a small dose like that is likely to make you worse, rather than better. B) you do not convert well, so the Synthroid will not raise your FT3. If you're considering self-medicating, why not go back on NDT?
-----Oh that makes so much sense! I have left-over Synthroid but no left over NDT :(. If I could get my hands on some NDT what is the smallest dose I could start with?
I have even thought about eating gluten again since I feel 100% that going gluten free is what started all this.
I think that's worth a try, yes. It's certainly what I would do. But, having said that, I'm not convinced that it was giving up gluten that caused this problems. Far more likely to have been the Hashi's and under-medication. Unless you cut your carbs too far, and that affected your conversion. Hypos do need some carbs, even if they don't need gluten.
-----No I have carbs. I see a top doc (who is not an endo but better than any of the half dozen endos I saw this last year they are AWFUL) - and he thinks I did experience overmedication from going GF and says it is a full 6 - 16 months to come through the thyrotoxicosis. I'm not sure exactly what has happened to me - but I AM sure my symptoms have changed and now I feel very hypo and I think my FreeT3 is too low at this point. Really mostly wanting to know if I can get my hands on some NDT what dose I might start with. Or I might try to wait the 16 months as the doc says. SOMETHING weird has happened to my body because I was taking all that med last year and this year without any med I am managing to stay in range (not optimal) but I do not feel well. This has been such a struggle.
There are multiple medical reports/case studies that show Celiac/Gluten Sensitive increases need for thyroxine (or going GF reduces need in some).
Granted. But, the labs you cite in your top post do not show a reduced need. Those labs show under-medication.
Sorry didn't want to overload w labs…
That's very considerate. But, if you're claiming over-medication, the least you can do is put the labs that show over-medication. Otherwise, you make the person responding look like a bit of a berk! lol
in March 2018 I added the 20 mcg of T3 Cytomel to the 75 mcg of Synthroid.
Sorry, but that was insane. Who told you to do that? One usually starts with 5 mcg T3, not 20. So, that makes me suspect that the problem was not over-medication as such, but too much too soon, a shock to the system, and that is what you are recovering from now.
TSH: .01 (.4 - 4.5)
Free T3: 6.0 (2.0 - 4.4)
The FT3 is slightly out-of-range, certainly - we don't care about the TSH - but hardly thyrotoxic. For some people, that would be good.
Folate: 6.2 (>3)
Ferritin: 58 (15 - 150)
D: 41.6 (10 - 100)
They are not good. They are too low. Folate should be at least double figures, and Ferritin and vit D at least 70.
That is what it looks like for sure! But adding that 20 mcg of T3 gave me terrible symptoms
Of course it did! 20 mcg was too much to start on. That doctor was an idiot.
Yes had stepped down off all thyroid med by Jan 2019 I was medicine free. I have had no thyroid meds for 11 months and I am now feeling very hypo.
Well, that was another crazy thing to do, too. If you were over-medicated, you reduce the dose, not stop everything completely. Another horrible shock for the body! And, having stayed off for 11 months, of course you're now very hypo.
If I could get my hands on some NDT what is the smallest dose I could start with?
1/4 grain. But, just for two weeks, then increase by 1/4 grain. Keep increasing by 1/4 grain until you get to 1 grain, hold for six weeks and retest.
So Free T3 is too low? I need to get that FT3 up to feel better, is that correct?
That is correct. It's low - or high - T3 that causes symptoms. T3 is the active hormone. T4 is basically just a storage hormone. And TSH doesn't make you feel anything.
I did experience overmedication from going GF and says it is a full 6 - 16 months to come through the thyrotoxicosis.
Whether or not going gluten-free caused you to become over-medicated is debatable. Far more likely to have been the 20 mcg T3 you added! But, you were not thyrotoxic, that's a gross exaggeration. And, the high FT3 didn't last long enough to take all that time to get over. He sounds like a bit of a drama queen! lol
but I AM sure my symptoms have changed and now I feel very hypo
Well of course you feel very hypo, you've been of thyroid hormone for 11 months! I'm surprised you're still walking around. Is your doctor suggesting that you stay off for 16 months??? If so, ditch him. He'll make you very sick.
SOMETHING weird has happened to my body because I was taking all that med last year and this year without any med I am managing to stay in range (not optimal) but I do not feel well. This has been such a struggle.
You have Hashi's, so nothing unusual there. But, a doctor that suggests a hypo should stay off thyroid hormone for 16 months should be struck off! He doesn't know what he's doing and he's dangerous!
Why didn't you mention this in your original post? You left out all the pertinente bits! Not surprising my reply didn't make much sense.
Greygoose - sorry for the delay I had to go to work...
There are multiple medical reports/case studies that show Celiac/Gluten Sensitive increases need for thyroxine (or going GF reduces need in some).
Granted. But, the labs you cite in your top post do not show a reduced need. Those labs show under-medication.
-----I wasn't savvy enough back then to understand and yes that is the case.
Sorry didn't want to overload w labs…
That's very considerate. But, if you're claiming over-medication, the least you can do is put the labs that show over-medication. Otherwise, you make the person responding look like a bit of a berk! lol
-----yes absolutely I should have added those labs
in March 2018 I added the 20 mcg of T3 Cytomel to the 75 mcg of Synthroid.
Sorry, but that was insane. Who told you to do that? One usually starts with 5 mcg T3, not 20. So, that makes me suspect that the problem was not over-medication as such, but too much too soon, a shock to the system, and that is what you are recovering from now.
-----That WAS insane - my current doc said the same thing -- that size dose of T3 put me over the end and make me so sick I could hardly talk and stand at the same time - I had NO idea it was too much and the doc who gave it to me didn't monitor me! So I went 6 months taking too much and got worse and worse - I could go into all the weird horrible symptoms but will spare that! I feel like I have very slowly come out of it and honestly most of those symptoms have faded - a few lingering. Now I just mostly feel undermedicated which I am!
TSH: .01 (.4 - 4.5)
Free T3: 6.0 (2.0 - 4.4)
The FT3 is slightly out-of-range, certainly - we don't care about the TSH - but hardly thyrotoxic. For some people, that would be good.
----- so sorry will never interchange thyrotoxic with iatrogenic hyperthyroidism again!
Folate: 6.2 (>3)
Ferritin: 58 (15 - 150)
D: 41.6 (10 - 100)
They are not good. They are too low. Folate should be at least double figures, and Ferritin and vit D at least 70.
-----Will definitely work on getting those levels higher now.
That is what it looks like for sure! But adding that 20 mcg of T3 gave me terrible symptoms
Of course it did! 20 mcg was too much to start on. That doctor was an idiot.
Yes had stepped down off all thyroid med by Jan 2019 I was medicine free. I have had no thyroid meds for 11 months and I am now feeling very hypo.
Well, that was another crazy thing to do, too. If you were over-medicated, you reduce the dose, not stop everything completely. Another horrible shock for the body! And, having stayed off for 11 months, of course you're now very hypo.
------Beyond reassuring to hear you say this - and my current doc is either going to work we me on meds or I am going to find another who will. My body has been through so much the last year+ and I just want it to settle out w the right med.
If I could get my hands on some NDT what is the smallest dose I could start with?
1/4 grain. But, just for two weeks, then increase by 1/4 grain. Keep increasing by 1/4 grain until you get to 1 grain, hold for six weeks and retest.
-----Beyond helpful.
So Free T3 is too low? I need to get that FT3 up to feel better, is that correct?
That is correct. It's low - or high - T3 that causes symptoms. T3 is the active hormone. T4 is basically just a storage hormone. And TSH doesn't make you feel anything.
I did experience overmedication from going GF and says it is a full 6 - 16 months to come through the thyrotoxicosis.
Whether or not going gluten-free caused you to become over-medicated is debatable. Far more likely to have been the 20 mcg T3 you added! But, you were not thyrotoxic, that's a gross exaggeration. And, the high FT3 didn't last long enough to take all that time to get over. He sounds like a bit of a drama queen! lol
but I AM sure my symptoms have changed and now I feel very hypo
Well of course you feel very hypo, you've been of thyroid hormone for 11 months! I'm surprised you're still walking around. Is your doctor suggesting that you stay off for 16 months??? If so, ditch him. He'll make you very sick.
-----yes as long as my TSH is less than 4.5 (it's hanging around 3) and my T3 is in the lower half of range but IN RANGE he WILL NOT give me meds. So this has confirmed my suspicion I need to switch doctors.
SOMETHING weird has happened to my body because I was taking all that med last year and this year without any med I am managing to stay in range (not optimal) but I do not feel well. This has been such a struggle.
You have Hashi's, so nothing unusual there. But, a doctor that suggests a hypo should stay off thyroid hormone for 16 months should be struck off! He doesn't know what he's doing and he's dangerous!
-----Agree. I have been too through much to go on any longer than I have to.
Why didn't you mention this in your original post? You left out all the pertinente bits! Not surprising my reply didn't make much sense.
-----Can't explain how helpful this information is. Reassuring to have someone so knowledgeable to give feedback. I don't know how to properly thank you other than to say I am so grateful for the input. Thank you.
I forgot to mention - my doc said it takes 6 to SIXTEEN months to work through the overmedication/thyrotoxicosis. I am in month 11.
greygoose, hard to read through all of the labs but sroth2407 didn't include these numbers in the first post:
"-----Sorry didn't want to overload w labs... in March 2018 I added the 20 mcg of T3 Cytomel to the 75 mcg of Synthroid. My labs from roughly May - Oct labs showed out of range/thyrotoxic:
No, they're not interchangable. Thyrotoxicity would involve a lot higher levels than you had, and would be a lot more serious than a bit of over-medication. Because that's what it is. Hyperthyroidism is when the thyroid itself produces too much hormone. But, iatrogenic is right! The idiot had no idea what he was doing when he started you on 20 mcg T3.
One last thing - is there a different set of ranges for people who have already been treated for Hashi's/hypo? Seems to me I've seen that on this forum - there is a narrower range for folks who have already been treated. Maybe not? Thought I could use that as ammunition as I try to get meds one last time before I move on to a new doc who will work better w me.
No, I'm afraid not. Ranges are funny things - well, not really funny because they often keep people sick. But, they vary from lab to lab according to the machine the lab uses to analyse the blood. They are arbitary at best, and doctors don't really understand them. But, it's rare we can use them to help us - the dice always seem loaded in the doctors' favour with unrealistic ranges. But they don't change just because you've been treated and then treatment stopped, I'm afraid.
There are a lot of results to read there. What is your Ferritin now ?and your your Vitamin D level? Vitamin D must be at least 100 for thyroid patients and your ferritin should be near the top of the range. Mine is over the range and is about 400 because I have inflammation in my body. My Doctor said if it reaches 800 he will do further tests and perhaps get me to donate blood to lower it.
OP is in the US where VitD measurement is different - x the result posted by 2.5 to equal UK measurement. I only know after living in Greece for 15 years where they used the same measurement as the US 🤔
So sorry to hear you’ve not been well for so long but I am abit confused. Even without having all the expert knowledge that grey goose has , I have to agree that you seem to be making a lot of big assumptions. I can’t really comment on your thyroid blood tests as others here have much more expertise, but I’m wondering if the issue is something else and not your thyroid.
I am wondering why you thought you were gluten intolerant? I became gluten intolerant some years back, slowly over time I realised. I also have Hashimotos. I’ve now been gluten free for some years with occasional accidental lapses when I always get very specific symptoms. Giving up gluten made zero difference to my thyroid hormone levels or medication needs, but it did clear up a lot of other confusing symptoms like IBS, joint pains, brain fog, confusion, depression,, tiredness etc, it took a long time, perhaps more than a year . these changes take a lot of time . But our bodies have a lot of wisdom and do go back into balance if we keep on making the righ changes. I always try to avoid medication unless essential and keep my diet very simple.
Maybe you have some allergies to medications? Or other unknown allergies.
I would suggest you consider your diet, many gluten free products on the market are full of nasty chemicals and very high in sugars, and should be avoided, eating a lot of fresh and natural food and taking care of your digestion might help, and beyond that, simple and regular exercise and meditation.
Thank you Afshan64 for replying to me. I had 3 docs confirm I am extremely Gluten Sensitive so that is why I stopped eating gluten. I am looking further into allergies and diet and agree completely with you that could play a part.
How did the doctors determine your gluten sensitivity to confirm this. There are no clear tests so were they saying this based on some symptoms you had. In this case it could not be a confirmation . The only way currently to clinically confirm gluten intolerance is to find the antibodies for caeliac disease and if you were positive for that you would be caeliac. Other than that those of us with sensitivity have not actual tests available for a confirmed diagnosis as far as I know and we have to rely on our symptoms monitoring what we eat. I went through a complicated elimination diet initially and subsequently I realised how it feels in my body to be glutened. Hope this helps
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A functional doctor did a stool test that showed some markers indicative of gluten sensitivity. They were: Anti-gliadin IgA 310 ( 1 - 157) and Caprotectin 153 (<50). The Anti-gliadin antibody is what shows your body is sensitive to gluten. As you can see I was way over range. I immediately started a gluten free diet. Unfortunately this functional doctor didn't do a blood test for celiac and once you are gluten free the blood test isn't reliable.
Sroth2507, I would say there is thing strange going on with the story in your original post. None of the blood tests you posted there show overmedication. Most suggest you could do with an increase. The only overmedicated result is the one you've posted in the discussion, from after you added the 20mcg of T3.
It makes me suspicious that you never were overmedicated two years ago, and that you could have tried having a dose increase. The tricksty thing about thyroid symptoms is that these is a huge overlap between hypo and hyper symptoms, and symptoms that seem very characteristic like high or low pulse can actually appear for some people the other way round.
Your vitamin results also look very bad, and you've got several deficiencies that need treating. Others have mentioned folate, vitamin D and ferritin, but I thought the B12 is also rather low if you sometimes have injections. Having injections will usually make testing pointless because the number will just be artificially off the charts high, but yours is still looking borderline, which may be masking much lower levels. A very rough rule of thumb with vitamin tests is you need to see numbers halfway up the ranges at least, but with some like Vitamin D they need to be closer to the top.
I think your idea to start low and slowly increase is a good one. I don't think you will ever get to the bottom of why you started feeling unwell two years ago, because the blood tests don't match at all what you thought was happening. But if you go very slowly and systematically then it doesn't matter what the explanation was, you will eventually find your ideal dose. Just make sure you don't get stuck long term on a low dose. Study the forum and learn to read blood tests, and have a blood test and dose adjustment every 6 weeks. I agree that NDT would be much better for you than Levo.
SilverAvacado everything you said makes good sense and I'm going to work on vitamins immediately. I agree I don't know what my body was going through but I truly believe it was from going gluten-free. I'm going to try to find a doctor who will work with me on low dose and if not we'll try self-medicating. I really can't say thanks enough for the feedback I've gotten here this place is like a safe haven for people who are sick and desperate everyone is so helpful.
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Blood tests feeling very hypo
Update on Labs - What is Going On? :-)
New Labs, Help, Still Lethargic
