Anything I should be doing for auto-immune hypothyroid?

[Fweb]

Hi there, I was recently diagnosed by hypothyroidism as GP blood test showed a high TSH level (14.69) along with the symptoms I was experiencing (general tiredness, terrible immune system and weekly cold sores). They didn't do any other tests, and I was keen to also get a baseline on my T3/T4 levels, see if I had TPO antibodies and figure out any changes needed to my supplements, so I did a home test through Monitor My Health - yay found an old Black Friday code that worked lol. This was about 5 days after starting 50mg/day Accord Levothyroxine.

Thyroid results were:

TSH 11.3 mu/L (normal range 0.27 - 4.2 mU/L)

FT4 16.7 pmol/L (normal range 12 - 22 pmol/L)

FT3 4.7 pmol/L (normal range 3.1 - 6.8 pmol/L)

TPO antibodies 600 IU/mL (normal <35 IU/mL)

Other results (all within normal):

Vitamin D 70 nmol/L

Total cholesterol 3.9 mmol/L

HDL 1.4 mmol/L

Non-HDL 2.47 mmol/L

Triglycerides 1.51 mmol/L

HBA1c 31 mmol/mol

(I also did an 'anaemia panel' including HB, Ferritin, TSAT, Active B12, Folate but apparently that failed due to not being tested in time, so I'm being sent another kit)

So overall, I guess the TPO of 600 seems pretty clear to me there's an autoimmune component to my. low thyroid. Some searches online come up with various things I "should be doing" e.g. cutting out gluten, but I'd really value any advice from you all on what is actually helpful. I'm also feeling reassured from the other test results being normal, and hopefully repeating the missing ones will help me decide on supplements I should keep taking (I basically just stopped all the supplements I take until I can figure out what I actually need/how best to time them with the levothyroxine).

Also if anyone is wondering about Monitor My Health, I'd recommend it but have to say the lancets that come with the kit are ferocious compared to any I've used before haha. Days later I've still got painful bruised fingers! Small price to pay I guess

[greygoose]

Going gluten-free can be helpful - if you have gluten-sensitivity. It won't cure your Hashi's, or even make any difference to it, but it will get rid of any symptoms that are caused by the gluten. Same goes for Dairy-free, and even sugar-free. None of the helped me in any way, but worth a try.

What did help me was avoiding soy. That is very bad for hypos. I would also recommend avoiding artificial sweeteners and highly processed seed oils, like rapeseed.

Do not go on low-calorie diets. You need calories to convert T4 to T3.

Don't over-exercise, that will make things worse - just gentle walking or swimming.

Do get plenty of rest and avoid stress as much as possible - this will also help your adrenals, which are probably very over-worked at the moment.

Do eat plenty of good protein and fats, and fresh fruit and veg.

Do be aware that you probably have low stomach acid which will make digestion difficult and give you acid reflux. So, don't take PPIs, which your doctor will be sure to offer if you talk to him about it.

You obviously know about testing and supplementing nutrients, but have you thought about zinc and copper? Both zinc and copper are important for conversion and need to be kept balanced. But hypos are often low in one and high in the other. That situation can cause terrible symptoms, so good idea to get them both tested and supplement as necessary.

[Forestgarden]

Start a spreadsheet with all your results, dosage, symptoms. Take your levo first thing in morning with water only. Leave at least an hour before food, coffee, tea.

Selenium and magnesium are also important.

Keep a steady levo dose for at least 6-8 weeks before retesting and making any adjustments. And if adjusting dose, do it gradually to avoid giving your system too big a shock.

Good luck x

[TiggerMe]

Weekly cold sores would suggest you are low in zinc, your Vit D needs nudging up to 100+

Could be gluten or dairy? I'd suggest having a week dairy free to see how you feel, as if it helps you'll know by the end of the week... gluten free often takes longer

You free levels aren't too terrible considering you'd only been on T4 for a few days but it doesn't really mean much at this early stage... how are you feeling? This could give you a clue as to where your sweet spot may be if you aren't feeling too tragic at this level once you are fully replaced🤗

You are right about their evil stabbers but really handy to keep the spares to use with others as like you say they aren't as vicious... I used the side of my thumb the other day for the first time and it worked really well 😅