I’ve been so very unwell the past few weeks. Maybe longer (I tend to push on and ignore my feelings). Very tired, achy, tearful and low.
Assumed this couldn’t be thyroid related because I tested in October and all perfect. But! I then got covid a few weeks after that. Do you think covid has messed up my thyroid and immune system? I have hashimotos.
I’ve ordered a medichecks test (ft3 ft4 and antibodies). Are there other tests I need? Is anyone able to interpret the antibodies test once I get them?
Thanks!!
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Suzanneharb
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You are not alone - it has been well documented of thyroid AI patients experiencing symptoms and whose T3 and T4 seem to have gone " a bit off " after the Covid vaccination.
There are actual a couple of posts running on here solely for reporting such a situation :
Suzanne you have said in a previous post you have hashimotos. If you have already had antibodies tested to tell you this then there is no point wasting money testing antibodies again. Antibody levels fluctuate but they don't cause the symptoms. Better to test thyroid and vitamin levels.
No; Hashi's is separate. It can't be cured, so if your antibodies are lower than before, it just means they've gone down a bit - and will go back up again later when they feel like it. so as Lalatoot says. there's no point re-testing. In addition to testing nutrients - ferritin, folate, vit D and B12 - it ma be worth trying a gluten-free and/or lactose-free diet, as many Hashi's people find that helps, even if not diagnosed as coeliac/lactose-intolerant x
Sorry - I misread your post but I think the basic fact is that having had Covid you'll likely find it takes longer to recover as you have an underlying health condition and it is known that conversion of T4 into T3 is compromised when the body is fighting illness.
Look after yourself, give yourself time, and your health will stabilise once your body isn't drawing so heavily on the T3 to repair and rebuild your body post Covid.
Thank you!Rest would be great, but started a new job and life is majorly stressful/squeezed. Starting to wonder of full time work with a family just doesn’t work for me as it burns me out!
I think we’re only just starting to scratch the surface of understanding the “number” catching Covid wreaks on our bodies. I now know personally a good couple of dozen people who’ve had Covid at various points during the past couple of years and who are still struggling on and off now. I don’t think any of those people would describe themselves as having “Long Covid” but they’re still not 100%. Far far better than they were but not back to here they were pre-catching the virus.
I think this is almost certainly compounded if you already have an autoimmune condition. But it’s difficult to guess whether it’s chicken or egg. If you don’t think your doctor will run more thyroid tests so soon after the last set there’s always the option of organising private thyroid tests—I think the cheapest test kit is from Monitor My Health.
But it might be that when those tests come back you see that nothing much has changed and that it’s just going to take time. Definitely the moment to really focus on self-care if you can: eat well, reduce stress as much as possible (I know, often impossible!) and trying to get out in the fresh air for a short walk every day.
Your symptoms may or may not be thyroid related, difficult to say right now without further testing.
Can you please post these " perfect" results?
By " perfect" do you mean they fell within the reference range or that they sit on a point in the range where you feel well. There is a vast difference.
Hashi's causes thyroid levels to fluctuate so labs can alter if you are having a flare.
It is also possible that covid has upset your thyroid function and lowered your levels causing symptoms.
You may have to sit it out for a while
But I suggest you have a full thyroid test if you don't improve in a week or two, to check again for that perfect result.
TSH, FT4, FT3, vit D, vit B12, folate and ferritin....no need to test antibodies again if you have already tested positive
Many of us test privately because the NHS only test TSH and FT4 which does not give the full picture
Thank you!I always test privately as I don’t trust doctors. I know what my perfect levels are for me (drs only care about ranges), so I go with that. I’ve ordered through medichecks as usual but will see if I can get the gp to test b12. For me to be well, my ft3 needs to be right at the top of the range, which it was before damn covid.
Sounds like long covid to me I have had it I was just getting alot better then I got omicronCovid thrives in and creates an acid environment so the best thing is to go alkaline avoid too much alcohol magnesium is a great help and bicarbonate of soda is a cheap alkaline solution but not suitable for anyone with diabetes
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