Sorry for the rather long post. I’m determined to find out why I feel so ‘unwell’ all the time. I have been wondering for several years whether I have a thyroid problem. Most of the women in my family do, although I realise this doesn’t mean I will. I have felt very tired for some years and have experienced almost all of the symptoms on the thyroid U.K. checklist. In the last eighteen months I have had two ‘flare ups’ and wondered whether they were thyroid related, both of which occurred after a period of very hot weather (coincidence?). The two events were similar at the start ( blood pressure soared, heart palpitations, feeling like rush of adrenaline at times, neck and back pains, shaking, hot, cold) although with a slightly different range of other symptoms , and each period of feeling extremely unwell and ‘weird’ lasted three or four months, gradually improving. Then I was just left with the symptoms I always have - fatigue, poor sleep, painful joints at times, feeling hungover on getting up, cold, dry hair and skin etc. After the first episode had been going on for a couple of months I suddenly had shingles too. Each time the doctor said all blood test results were fine. ( I have now asked for access to results on line so will be able to look for myself in future).
After discovering this site, I followed all the advice and decided to have a private blood test with medichecks, which was about three months after the most recent flare, when I was starting to feel a little better. I also managed to have a thyroid ultrasound as I could feel a small swelling on my neck, and fortunately the doctor agreed to get it checked.
Here are the results.
Ferritin 132 (13 - 150)
Folate serum 15.62 (3.89 - 19.45)
Active B12 115 (37.5 - 187.5)
Vitamin D 77.6 (50 - 175)
TSH 2.15 ( 0.27 - 4.2)
Free T3 4.87 (3.1 - 6.8)
Free thyroxine 15.3 (12 - 22)
Thyroglobulin antibodies <10 (0 - 115)
Thyroid peroxidase antibodies <9 (0 - 34)
Results of ultrasound were as follows
‘Bilateral solid-cystic nodules - appearances in keeping with spongiform nodules. Largest in right lobe 5x8x5mm, largest in left lobe 10x19x8mm. These nodules demonstrate U2 benign appearances. The thyroid otherwise appears normal in size and echo texture. No tracheal deviation or retrosternal extension. No lymphadenopathy. Conclusion: U2 benign nodules throughout the thyroid.’
Am I correct in thinking that these results show that my problems are not related to a thyroid problem?
Thank you so much for any advice you can offer. This site is so informative and helpful, although I confess to feeling a little daunted at trying to understand all the information about the thyroid!!
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I forgot to add that a registrar doctor last year expressed surprise that I was prediabetic and also that my cholesterol was high. He was very surprised as my diet is extremely healthy and I exercise every day. I wasn’t overweight, although this year I have gained a stone for no apparent reason. I have since read here that thyroid problems can lead to these conditions.
“According to the current TSH reference interval, hypothyroidism was not diagnosed in about 50% of the cases in the afternoon.”
“Further analysis demonstrated inadequate compensation of hypothyroidism, which was defined in 45.5% of the morning samples and in 9% of the afternoon samples”
TSH levels showed a statistically significant decline postprandially in comparison to fasting values. This may have clinical implications in the diagnosis and management of hypothyroidism, especially SCH.
If not supplementing vitamin D, suggest you consider starting. Looking at maintaining vitamin D at least around 80nmol and around 100nmol maybe better
Thank you so much for your reply. This group is amazing! The only supplement I am taking at the moment is vitamin d, 1000iu. I’m wondering whether I should take more having seen my test result. I did take a b complex for a while but stopped it about three weeks before doing the blood test and haven’t restarted. Also, I have read here the importance of K2 and magnesium with vitamin d. Is there a particular strength of dose for these? Are there any you would recommend as I obviously need to get some. Yes, I did the test first thing in the morning following all the brilliant guidance on here.
My ths has risen quite a lot in the last year as was always in the range of 1 - 1.6 ( and that was in a range which went higher), so will keep an eye on this.
So, as you think that a gp wouldn’t do anything with these results, is there anything I can do to help myself to feel better? Is there anything dietary which might help?Or do I just have to wait for things to get worse?🙁 I will definitely test again in six months as you suggest.
Finally, does anyone else suffer with intense itching? My head and back have been really itchy for a couple of months. I’m wondering whether this is thyroid related, something to do with having had shingles a year ago (it’s not in the same place as that was), or something different entirely! Thank you so much for any advice.
I have turned off replies to the new thread you created with this reply to SlowDragon. It will only cause confusion and cause members to ask you to link to your original thread to make sense of the post.
I'm sure SlowDragon will pop along when she can to respond.
In the meantime:
The only supplement I am taking at the moment is vitamin d, 1000iu. I’m wondering whether I should take more having seen my test result.
Vitamin D 77.6 (50 - 175)
The Vit D Society and Grassroots Health recommend a level of 100-150nmol/L.
If you wish to improve your level to the recommended level, you could supplement with 2,000-3,000iu D3 daily.
Retest after 3 months.
Once you've 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:
Doctors don'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 Vit 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.
The dose of K2-MK7 is recommended to be 90-100mcg for up to 10,000iu D3.
The brand of K2-MK7 I like is either Vitabay or Vegavero, whichever is available. I get mine from either Amazon or Ebay.
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 D3 as 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 magnesium as tablets/capsules, no necessity if using topical forms of magnesium.
Don't start all supplements at once. Start with one, give it a week or two and if no adverse reaction then add the next one. Again, wait a week or two and if no adverse reaction add the next one. Continue like this. If you do have any adverse reaction then you will know what caused it.
Seasidesusie has given her usual detailed vitamin supplements info
Itching .....could be gluten intolerance....extremely common with autoimmune thyroid disease
I don’t think you are already on gluten free diet?
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
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
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
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.
Thank you very much for your reply. I think I will look into trying a gluten free diet. Gosh, thyroid problems are so complicated and have such a wide range of symptoms! It’s quite bewildering! Thank goodness I found this group.
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