help?? : hi everyone ! I have hypo .. since last... - Thyroid UK

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help??

Jo-boo64 profile image
7 Replies

hi everyone !

I have hypo .. since last 10 years

Recently last year or so my levels are up and down .. lots of meds adjusting

Anyway had pet scan ( for mediastinal lymph node) biopsy negative but still enlarged cross and esr raised for nearly a year ..so pet scan .. which showed something on thyroid ( no results) but couple days got text telling me I had us thyroid .. again no results given to me .. but again text saying ent appointment .. yesterday .. dr was not very helpful told me nothing when I asked about pet/ us .. said they don’t go by that ?

and I have now got to have neck US ? And after that will get results .. now obviously very worried ..

apologies for long story

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Jo-boo64
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PRJ20 profile image
PRJ20

Hi   Jo-boo64 and welcome to the forum 🙂

- First, you not only have a legal right to know the results of all your tests and investigations but, to have print outs of them. So, please, make that a priority to get print-outs from your GP practice and ensure/request that the blood tests particularly have the reference ranges with them, too, as these can differ from lab to lab. Then you can start posting them here - range in (brackets).

- Secondly, in order to be able to help you further, the admin and more knowledgeable members on this forum, really need to see at least some of your thyroid blood tests - expressed as Thyroid Function Tests or TFT - in as much detail as possible (T3, T4, TSH and any auto thyroid antibodies tested) and particularly those from when you were diagnosed "hypo", as well as any replacement thyroid hormones you have been on since.

- Thirdly, it really helps to be able to get a picture of your thyroid journey if you can at least start to fill in your Bio (any questions on how to do that just ask), particularly once you get those results and can start putting those on your Bio to save you having to keep repeating them from post to post.

- Lastly, but by no means least, I am so, so sorry that you too have a very unhelpful GP/Dr who seems to think it's acceptable to send you texts to 'order' you to the next test, scan or whatever, whilst telling you the previous ones were "normal" or "negative" - all without discussion or proper explanation - and expect you to have unending trust and faith in them. This is not acceptable and, I assure you, you are sadly far from alone: you have absolutely come to the right place to start taking back control of your own health and care; to start getting answers to your questions, certainly in relation to your thyroid and its function; and to, hopefully, get you back on track with your health. This is a wonderfully caring, supportive and knowledgeable forum. 👍 Please don't hesitate to ask any further questions. 🙂

Jo-boo64 profile image
Jo-boo64 in reply to PRJ20

hi thank you so much

I will be requesting all results from my gp for latest scans etc

I have tpo ( 600)from 2021 and all tft also from then and recent do I post here or in bio? .. I also have copd and pet scan requested by respiratory.. they do eventually go onto my gp record but takes weeks sometimes .,

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator in reply to Jo-boo64

High thyroid antibodies confirms autoimmune thyroid disease aka Hashimoto’s

About 90% of primary hypothyroidism is autoimmune thyroid disease, usually diagnosed by high TPO and/or high TG 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.

Low vitamin levels are extremely common when hypothyroid, especially with autoimmune thyroid disease

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

what vitamin supplements are you taking

Have you had coeliac blood test

Are you on strictly gluten free diet and/or dairy free diet?

Jo-boo64 profile image
Jo-boo64 in reply to SlowDragon

Hi not actually diagnosed as hashimoto

Was mentioned but not on gp diagnosis

Last vit d was 17

Folate 2.3

I’m taking d3 20000 once a week for 12 weeks then go to over counter

Folic acid 5mg is one daily

Also on ferritin

Coeliac screen was negative

On normal diet but not eating much at present due to sore throat and nausea

Kind of sticking to soup and porridge

Also can I ask I’ve had recent thyroid ultrasound .. now awaiting neck scan ?

Are they not the same ?

Thank you in advance !

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator in reply to Jo-boo64

Extremely low vitamin levels

Suggests thyroid inadequately treated and/or malabsorption and poor gut function

How much levothyroxine are you currently taking

Which brand

ALWAYS test early morning and last dose levothyroxine 24 hours before test

Please add most recent results

Test vitamin D at end of loading dose

You will need ongoing maintenance dose

Aiming to maintain at least over 80nmol and between 100-125nmol may be better

GP should advise on self supplementing if over 50nmol, but under 75nmol (but they rarely do)

mm.wirral.nhs.uk/document_u...

But with Hashimoto’s, improving to around 80nmol or 100nmol by self supplementing may be better

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/218...

vitamindsociety.org/pdf/Vit...

Once you Improve level, very likely you will need on going maintenance dose to keep it there.

Test twice yearly when supplementing

Can test via NHS private testing service

vitamindtest.org.uk

Vitamin D mouth spray by Better You is very effective as it avoids poor gut function.

There’s a version made that also contains vitamin K2 Mk7.

One spray = 1000iu

amazon.co.uk/BetterYou-Dlux...

It’s trial and error what dose we need, with thyroid issues we frequently need higher dose than average

Vitamin D and thyroid disease

grassrootshealth.net/blog/t...

Vitamin D may prevent Autoimmune disease

newscientist.com/article/23...

Web links about taking important cofactors - magnesium and Vit K2-MK7

Magnesium best taken in the afternoon or evening, but must be four hours away from levothyroxine

betterbones.com/bone-nutrit...

medicalnewstoday.com/articl...

livescience.com/61866-magne...

sciencedaily.com/releases/2...

Interesting article by Dr Malcolm Kendrick on magnesium

drmalcolmkendrick.org/categ...

Vitamin K2 mk7

betterbones.com/bone-nutrit...

healthline.com/nutrition/vi...

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator in reply to Jo-boo64

what was B12 result

if serum B12 result below 500, (Or active B12 below 70) recommended to be taking a separate B12 supplement

Then once your serum B12 is over 500 (or Active B12 level has reached 70), you may be able to reduce then stop the B12 and just carry on with the B Complex.

If Vegetarian or vegan likely to need ongoing separate B12 few times a week

Highly effective B12 drops

natureprovides.com/products...

Or

B12 sublingual lozenges

uk.iherb.com/pr/jarrow-form...

cytoplan.co.uk/shop-by-prod...

B12 range in U.K. is too wide

Interesting that in this research B12 below 400 is considered inadequate

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

once you finish folic acid prescription

supplementing a good quality daily vitamin B complex, one with folate in (not folic acid)

This can help keep all B vitamins in balance and will help improve B12 levels too

Difference between folate and folic acid

healthline.com/nutrition/fo...

Many Hashimoto’s patients have MTHFR gene variation and can have trouble processing folic acid.

thyroidpharmacist.com/artic...

B vitamins best taken after breakfast

Thorne Basic B recommended vitamin B complex that contains folate, but they are large capsules. (You can tip powder out if can’t swallow capsule)

Thorne currently difficult to find at reasonable price, should be around £20-£25. iherb.com often have in stock. Or try ebay

Igennus B complex popular option too. Nice small tablets. Most people only find they need one per day. But a few people find it’s not high enough dose

Post discussing different B complex

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

IMPORTANT......If you are taking vitamin B complex, or any supplements containing biotin, remember to stop these 7 days before ALL BLOOD TESTS , as biotin can falsely affect test results

endo.confex.com/endo/2016en...

endocrinenews.endocrine.org...

In week before blood test, when you stop vitamin B complex, you might want to consider taking a separate folate supplement (eg Jarrow methyl folate 400mcg)

Post discussing how biotin can affect test results

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

helvella.blogspot.com/p/hel...

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator in reply to Jo-boo64

Coeliac screen was negative

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.

A trial of strictly gluten free diet is always worth doing

Only 5% of Hashimoto’s patients test positive for coeliac but a further 81% of Hashimoto’s patients who try gluten free diet find noticeable or significant improvement or find it’s essential

A strictly gluten free diet helps or is essential due to 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 may slowly lower TPO antibodies

as coeliac test is negative you can immediately go on strictly gluten free diet 

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...

Non Coeliac Gluten sensitivity (NCGS) and autoimmune disease

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/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

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.

Similarly few months later consider trying dairy free too. Approx 50-60% find dairy free beneficial

With loads of vegan dairy alternatives these days it’s not as difficult as in the past

Post discussing gluten

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Porridge - buy certified gluten free porridge oats in the “free from” section at supermarket

Lots of soups are gluten free

Read all labels carefully

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