Hi everyone, this is such a great support site but I just still feel confused about my results:
TSH-5.7 (range 0.3-4.5)
T4 -15 (range 10-22)
Thyroid perioxidase antibody - 368 (range 0-34)
This was taken in October 2019 and was told I wasn't symptomatic yet! That I would only potentially be medicated for fertility treatment reasons if requested by a fertility dr. Thanks so much for any insight
For full Thyroid evaluation you need TSH, FT4 and FT3 plus both TPO and TG thyroid antibodies tested. Also EXTREMELY important to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12
Low vitamin levels are extremely common, especially as you have Hashimoto’s confirmed by high thyroid antibodies
Do you have symptoms?
Ask GP to test vitamin levels and retest thyroid including Ft3
Recommended on here that all thyroid blood tests should ideally be done as early as possible in morning and before eating or drinking anything other than water .
This gives highest TSH, lowest FT4 and most consistent results. (Patient to patient tip, best not mentioned to GP or phlebotomist)
Private tests are available as NHS currently rarely tests Ft3 or thyroid antibodies or all relevant vitamins
List of private testing options
thyroiduk.org/getting-a-dia...
Medichecks Thyroid plus ultra vitamin
medichecks.com/products/thy...
Medichecks often have special offers, if order on Thursdays
Thriva Thyroid plus vitamins
Blue Horizon Thyroid Premium Gold includes vitamins
bluehorizonbloodtests.co.uk...
See flow chart at top of page 2
gp-update.co.uk/Latest-Upda...
List of hypothyroid symptoms
thyroiduk.org/signs-symptom...
Thank you for your reply, will see how GP reacts to a request for all of those!! Symptoms are weight gain cannot lose weight even though I try really hard. Fatigue that hits me and I cannot get on with a normal day, digestive problems that include bloating and diarrhea. Tired eyes and constant foggy head and headaches. I've requested the results that I had 6 months prior to this as I think they did a wider range of tests
Gut issues are very common with Hashimoto’s
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
While still eating high gluten diet ask GP for coeliac blood test first or buy test online for under £20, just to rule it out first
Assuming test is negative you can immediately go on strictly gluten free diet
(If test is positive you will need to remain on high gluten diet until endoscopy, maximum 6 weeks wait officially)
Trying gluten free diet for 3-6 months. If no noticeable improvement then reintroduce gluten and see if symptoms get worse
chriskresser.com/the-gluten...
amymyersmd.com/2018/04/3-re...
thyroidpharmacist.com/artic...
drknews.com/changing-your-d...
restartmed.com/hashimotos-g...
Non Coeliac Gluten sensitivity (NCGS) and autoimmune disease
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/296...
The predominance of Hashimoto thyroiditis represents an interesting finding, since it has been indirectly confirmed by an Italian study, showing that autoimmune thyroid disease is a risk factor for the evolution towards NCGS in a group of patients with minimal duodenal inflammation. On these bases, an autoimmune stigma in NCGS is strongly supported
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/300...
The obtained results suggest that the gluten-free diet may bring clinical benefits to women with autoimmune thyroid disease
nuclmed.gr/wp/wp-content/up...
In summary, whereas it is not yet clear whether a gluten free diet can prevent autoimmune diseases, it is worth mentioning that HT patients with or without CD benefit from a diet low in gluten as far as the progression and the potential disease complications are concerned
restartmed.com/hashimotos-g...
Despite the fact that 5-10% of patients have Celiac disease, in my experience and in the experience of many other physicians, at least 80% + of patients with Hashimoto's who go gluten-free notice a reduction in their symptoms almost immediately.
Keep at it with blood tests.
Section 1.5.4 of NICE guidelines state that if your TSH is over range twice(even if under 10) then, as you have symptoms, then you should get a trial of levothyroxine.
Hello Ejc124
Wetsuiter is right.
2x over-range TSH, +symptoms, +high TPOab antibodies, (Which indicate you are more likely to eventually become 'overtly' hypothyroid ie. T4 under-range with TSH over-range, than someone without high TPOab),
should ,according to NHS thyroid guidelines, allow GP to Start Thyroxine treatment.
By the way , i think its up to you , not the GP ,to decide whether you are symptomatic !
I was diagnosed and treated based on these results;
28/11/02 1st GP visit after feeling rubbish for months. followed by several more before any bloods were done.
13/6/03......tsh 5.7 [0.36-4.1]..... T(otal)T4 94 [65-155]
23/7/03.....tsh 6.8 [ " ]..........................91 [ " ]
5/9/03 TPOab 2499 [0-50]
1/10/03 start 50 mcg Thyroxine
19/11/03 TPOab >3000 [0-50]
So Thyroxine can and should be tried (if life is being affected) if the trend of TSH is rising and the T4 is falling and antibodies are raised. Regardless of Fertility requirements. I definitely wasn't looking to conceive again.
I had to keep going to GP about every month, and keep insisting "i wasn't depressed, but wasn't able to function".
When seeing GP, don't mention 'Internet', or 'forum', or they will assume you have been reading rubbish...... say 'research' or 'Advice from THYROID UK, charity which is recommended by NHS'
Also keep going back ,keep making it clear how your daily functioning is affected, never admit to feeling depressed, as when you do they are off the hook for investigating your thyroid.
Remember TSH drops throughout the day, so get tested as early as you can, even if that means coming on another day for the bloodtest. Say you've got to rush off to catch a bus or something if they spring a blood test on you !
Hope this is helpful. Sorry for all the long sentences with too many comma's...
Best Wishes
Tat
