Hello. I posted on here last week looking some advice on my latest blood tests. I have had and underactve thyroid for almost 3 years but have been experiencing all of the symptoms that I had prior to being diagnosed (and taking Thyroxine - I have always been on 50mg).
I have just received blood results due to feeling unwell and although my TSH reading is within range at 1.70mU/L, my TPO level came back as just over 600 Ul/mL.
i have seen an Endocrinologist today who has said that I don't need to increase my Thyroxine tablet as my TSH levels are in range but the problem is the TPO levels - he suspects Hashimoto’s and said that I will need an ultrasound to see why my levels are so high. I am really worried when anyone mentions an ultrasound.
I also asked whether there are any vitamins that I can take, he has prescribed a high level Vitamin D tablet as my Homocysteine levels were also triple what they should be. He has advised to take the tablet weekly.
Any advice and reassurance would be really helpful. Thank you.
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Flo1000
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There is a vitamin d group on FB I would highly recommend joining, you should take a high level vitamin d with K2, most gp's don't know about this.
Your thyroxin is it levo ? If so it's generally prescribed as mcg not mg. Have you had T3 & T4 tested alongside TSH? If not can you request them to be tested, this can be done by GP surgery.
Starting point if synthetic T4 only (levo) is 25mcg, then built up until you feel well, your Endo should be going by how you feel, not just by blood tests. I'd advise if not bought already to buy Dr Barry Durrant-Peatfield's book, learn all you can about your thyroid health, if your current Endo doesn't specialise in thyroid health ask to be referred to one who does, good luck
Hi, can you pm me about the fb for vit d- I’ve never heard you shouldn’t take k2 with vit d, quite the opposite. Unless this is a typo? It’s always been recommended to take the two together, by all the natural practioners I’ve seen and my dr doesn’t seem to have any idea on vit d! So I’d like to investigate this further.
Sorry definitely typo, you should only take high dose vitamin d with K2. I will pm you the FB group details, as well as the book I would recommend, the person who's group it is wrote the book.
Gp's only prescribe vitamin d not K2 a lot don't know about it, I see adverts on TV about vitamin d I just shake my head putting the wrong message out there to the general public.
Your Endocrinologist sounds clueless about thyroid disease. I’d love to say that’s unusual but these days it really isn’t. Many of them are diabetes specialists who are hopelessly out of their depth
Your TPO levels are high because your antibodies are in a tizz dealing with your autoimmune thyroid disease. The level of antibodies doesn’t really have a lot to do with severity of disease, because it’s actually about how your body is reacting to the attack, not the degree of that attack.
In order to know whether you need a dose rise (and I’m certain you do; 50mcg daily is nowhere near a replacement dose for a grown adult), he should be spending NHS resources on getting an FT4 and FT3 test rather than an ultrasound scan. Not saying a scan won’t be interesting but it’s probably not going to do anything more than confirm autoimmune disease.
I’m so sorry you’re getting substandard treatment. Do you know if you’ve ever had full thyroid blood testing (TSH, FT4 and FT3) and what the results were?
Just testing TSH is completely and utterly useless
you’re highly likely very under medicated and low vitamin levels as direct result
Endocrinologist most likely diabetic specialist
For full Thyroid evaluation you need TSH, FT4 and FT3 tested
Also both TPO and TG thyroid antibodies tested at least once to see if your hypothyroidism is autoimmune
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 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.
Significant minority of Hashimoto’s patients only have high TG antibodies (thyroglobulin)
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 that all thyroid blood tests early morning, ideally just before 9am, only drink water between waking and test 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
Testing options and includes money off codes for private testing
high homocysteinis due to b12 and folate deficiency primarily. These are not uncommon for thyroid patients. You should get these tested for and treated appropriately...
Thank you all so much for the advice, I am not in the UK, this was a private appointment and I didn’t think that they might not specialise in thyroid health but I think that you are right as they completely dismissed how bad I am feeling and just prescribed very high dose vitamin D to take weekly for 8 weeks and an ultrasound. I honestly thought that I would be given a higher dose of thyroxine.
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