looking for advice please

[Goinginsane1]

Hi. I am looking for some more advice if possible please?

I have had so many health issues and symptoms since having my baby 18 months ago and towards the end of last year my anxiety was awful to the point where I was in a&e with chest pain and heart palpitations etc 3 times.

I have not gone back on the contraceptive pill since having my boy and have read lots where the pill can affect the thyroid.

I was originally diagnosed with an underactive thyroid when I was around 19. I am now wondering if the pill possibly caused or contributed to it as I started that a year or 2 before.

I was on 100mg for many years and felt fine (and the pill).

Through trial and error I have figured out that the TEVA brand does not agree with me so I do not have that now. even though bloods have come back ‘normal’ a dr and I decided to slightly lower my dose in the middle of December from 100/75 to 75mg everyday. Since this my anxiety symptoms have been considerably better.

I am now wondering whether to reduce it down slightly more to see if that continue to help my anxiety as it is still there albeit nowhere near as bad.

I spoke to a private thyroid specialist last September who said that the thyroid issue I have would not necessarily be treated now and they would take a wait and see approach as things have changed since I was diagnosed. He did say that he thinks I was on the right dose going by my bloods at the time but I was and am still not convinced especially having reduced it and feeling much better.

My question is, do you think I should try and reduce it further to 50/75mg alternate days and see if it further helps my anxiety?

I have only got the one result for latest blood test last week being TSH 1.61. (This was all my dr tested for 😐)

I am constantly getting new and changing moles which I believe is hormonal and I wonder if this is due to the thyroid medication too 💁

Thanks

[Jaydee1507 Administrator]

To make any accurate assessment we need to see full thyroid results to include FT4 & FT3 which the NHS doesn't do, hence members here pay privately to see what they need to. Testing just TSH is inadequate.

Have you recently had tests for ferritin, folate, B12 & D3 if so what were the results? Hypo poeple get low vitamin levels due to poor absorption caused by low stomach acid. For our thyroid hormone to work well we need OPTIMAL vitamin levels.

At 50/75 you would really only be taking just above a starter dose and likely under replaced.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

For full Thyroid evaluation you need TSH, FT4 and FT3 tested 

Also both TPO and TG thyroid antibodies tested at least once 

Very important to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 at least once year minimum

About 90% of primary hypothyroidism is autoimmune thyroid disease, usually diagnosed by high thyroid antibodies 

Autoimmune thyroid disease with goitre is Hashimoto’s

Autoimmune thyroid disease without goitre is Ord’s thyroiditis. 

Both are autoimmune and generally called Hashimoto’s.

Have you ever had thyroid antibodies tested

Low vitamin levels are extremely common when hypothyroid, especially with autoimmune thyroid disease (Hashimoto’s or Ord’s thyroiditis)

20% of autoimmune thyroid patients never have high thyroid antibodies and ultrasound scan of thyroid can get diagnosis 

In U.K. medics hardly ever refer to autoimmune thyroid disease as Hashimoto’s (or Ord’s thyroiditis)

Recommended on here that all thyroid blood tests early morning, ideally just before 9am and last dose levothyroxine 24 hours before test 

This gives highest TSH, lowest FT4 and most consistent results. (Patient to patient tip)

Private tests are available as NHS currently rarely tests Ft3 or all relevant vitamins

List of private testing options and money off codes

thyroiduk.org/getting-a-dia...

Medichecks Thyroid plus antibodies and vitamins

medichecks.com/products/adv...

Blue Horizon Thyroid Premium Gold includes antibodies, cortisol and vitamins

bluehorizonbloodtests.co.uk...

Monitor My Health also now offer thyroid and vitamin testing, plus cholesterol and HBA1C for £65 

(Doesn’t include thyroid antibodies) 

monitormyhealth.org.uk/full...

10% off code here 

thyroiduk.org/getting-a-dia...

NHS easy postal kit vitamin D test £29 via

vitamindtest.org.uk

Only do private testing early Monday or Tuesday morning. 

Watch out for postal strikes

Link about thyroid blood tests

thyroiduk.org/getting-a-dia...

Link about Hashimoto’s

thyroiduk.org/hypothyroid-b...

Symptoms of hypothyroidism 

thyroiduk.org/wp-content/up...