Latest bloods

[sbadd]

So these are my latest bloods on 100mcg twice a week 50mcg other days, definately improvement from 6 weeks ago, do i need further increase, feeling alot better, april and march results were on 50mcg daily but was not improving, see endo in 2 weeks, should i wait to see him or start increase?

[fuchsia-pink]

What a lovely lay-out for your results - so easy to read!

Your TSH bumps about quite a lot - do you have Hashis? - have you tested antibodies? If so, have you tried going gluten free, which lots of people find helpful?

But yes, I'd increase if you don't feel tip-top. Your TSH is still too high and there's plenty of spare room in free T4 and free T3 before you go over range. Maybe 100 mcg 4 x week for a few weeks, and if that doesn't improve things, go to 100 mcg every day?

The UK guidelines suggest initial dosing of 1.6 mcg per kg of weight for most people - so you may want to see what that would equate to for you, just to give you an idea.

Good luck x

[sbadd in reply to fuchsia-pink]

Yes have hashis since 2006 my top results were on 75mcg daily and was fine on that but something went wrong early last year so ive slowly been increasing meds since stopping for 3 weeks last june due to my symptons at the time , so taken around 10 months to get back here, thanks for your advice

[greygoose in reply to sbadd]

Ah, sounds like you had a Hashi's 'hyper' swing. Do you know how that works?

[sbadd in reply to greygoose]

Not really sure but the aug before showed thyroditis on ultrasound, then after b12 injections in jan went downhill fast for 6 months with hyper type symptons as you can see in my profile, i know hashis swing can sometimes last months, not sure what happened but definitely feeling better now

[greygoose in reply to sbadd]

A brief explanation of Hashi's:

OK, so Hashi's is an autoimmune disease, where the immune system attacks and slowly destroys the thyroid. It is diagnosed by testing Thyroid Peroxidase (TPO) antibodies and Thyroglobulin (Tg) antibodies.

Contrary to popular belief, it is not the TPO/Tg antibodies themselves that attack the thyroid:

"When lymphocytes infiltrate the thyroid gland, mistakenly taking it for a foreign bacteria invader, they damage the thyroid gland and release thyroid peroxidase &/or thyroglobulin into the blood stream. These don't belong outside of the thyroid gland so antibodies are developed to mop them up.

The antibodies are a result of the attack on the thyroid gland, the antibodies don't cause the attack."

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/about_...

After every immune system attack on the thyroid, the dying cells release their stock of thyroid hormone into the blood stream, causing the levels of the Frees to shoot up - FT4 to around 30 something, FT3 around 11/12 - and the TSH therefore drops to suppressed.

There is no knowing how long these high levels will persist, but eventually, they will drop by themselves as the excess hormone is used up or excreted, and not only will you become hypo again, but slightly more hypo than before, because there is now less thyroid to make hormone.

(NB: A Hashi's 'hyper' swing is not true hyperthyroidism in that your thyroid is over-producing thyroid hormone. It's physically impossible to 'go hyper' if you are basically hypo. The thyroid cannot regenerate itself to the point of over production of hormones - or even normal production. Very few doctors appear to know that.)

Therefore, it's very important that your doctor does not reduce your prescription, because you’re going to need it again! If you start to feel over-medicated at that point - some do, some don't - the best thing is to stop levo for a few days, then, when you feel hypo again, start taking it again. It's very important to know one's body, and how it reacts.

There is no cure for Hashi's - which is probably one of the reasons that doctors ignore it - apart from the fact that they know nothing about it, of course!

However, between the 'hyper' swing, and the descent back into hypothyroidism, there can be a phase - quite a long one, sometimes - of normality, where the person is neither hypo nor 'hyper'. This is where people sometimes start talking of having 'cured' their Hashi's, by whatever means. But, it doesn't last. Eventually, you will go hypo again.

But, there are things the patient can do for him/herself to help them feel a bit better:

a) adopt a 100% gluten-free diet. Hashi's people are often sensitive to gluten, even if they don't have Coeliac disease, so stopping it can make them feel much better. Worth a try. Some say that going gluten-free will reduce antibodies – I’ve never seen conclusive proof of that, but, you should be aware that even if you were to get rid of the antibodies completely, you would still have Hashi's, because the antibodies are not the disease. It is not the TPO/Tg antibodies that do the attacking.

b) take selenium. This is not only reputed to reduce antibodies, but can also help with conversion of T4 to T3 - something that Hashi's people often find difficult.

c) the best way to even out the swings from hypo to 'hyper' (often called Hashi's Flares, but that doesn't really sum up the way it works) is to keep the TSH suppressed. This is difficult because doctors are terrified of a suppressed TSH, for various false reasons, and because they don't understand the workings of Hashi's. But, TSH - Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (a pituitary hormone) - tries to stimulate the thyroid to make more hormone, which also stimulates the immune system to attack. So, the less gland activity there is, the less immune system activity there will be, meaning less attacks, gland destruction slowed down and less swinging from hypo to hyper and back.

[sbadd in reply to greygoose]

Thankyou

[greygoose in reply to sbadd]

You're welcome.

[BShankly]

Hi sbadd. I hope this message finds you in good health.

I've just been diagnosed with and Underactive Thyroid.

I was reading your post about muscle twitches. I also have muscle twitches, they started in my eyelid, then in my legs and occasionally around my body.

I get them when I'm lying in bed, mainly in the morning when I wake up, but I also feel them at night.

They ease off during the day when I apply Magnesium Oil, but they are constantly there, and causing me a bit of distress.

Can I ask if you still have them? Or have you found medication or supplements to improve them?

Thanks for your time.

BShankly

[sbadd in reply to BShankly]

They have definitely improved now that my thyroid is in a better range, i still have odd one here and there but at one point was having them everywhere calves, back, stomach , pretty much all over, one in my calf went on for 2 weeks at one point and my thumb would move on own, crazy but has definitely settled, ive started magnesium daily atm as my last bloods recently were magnesium

0.85

Range 0.70 - 1.10

But this had all improved prior to starting the magnesium.

[BShankly in reply to sbadd]

Thanks for taking the time to get back to me sbadd 🙏 Greatly appreciated.

I'm only a 2 weeks into taking thyroid meds, so it's reassuring to hear this can be ironed out over time.

I get the twitches mainly in my calves, everyday first thing in the morning but they settle down after a bath.

I've also had some good advice on vitamins and minerals on this brilliant forum, which perhaps my GP would not have given me?

Again. Thanks for the help and support.

Best

B.

[sbadd in reply to BShankly]

no worries definitely have b12 tested aswell as mine was low early last year which can contribute

[BShankly in reply to sbadd]

Thanks. My B12 was 255, just in range, but too low.

B