thyroidectomy

[Sneets]

Hi l had my op to remove a non cancerous lump and half my thyroid in Dec 2023. Since then l have continued to take 125 mg thyroxine. i’ve been on this for 10years. i’m due a blood test but wanted to ask if anyone else has had tiredness/ anxiety/ muscle aches and breathlessness. l can’t seem to get back to feeling ok again. Exercising is hard work now. I’m 47 years old and usually love being active but now l feel like my body is ageing. it’s frustrating. Many thanks

[SlowDragon Administrator]

welcome to the forum

Do you always get same brand levothyroxine at each prescription

What were your most recent thyroid and vitamin results and ranges

Breathlessness often low iron

What vitamin supplements are you taking

Bloods should be retested 6-8 weeks after each dose change or brand change in levothyroxine

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

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

is your hypothyroidism autoimmune

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

thyroiduk.org/testing/

Medichecks Thyroid plus BOTH TPO and TG antibodies and vitamins

medichecks.com/products/adv...

Blue Horizon Thyroid Premium Gold includes BOTH TPO and TG antibodies, cortisol and vitamins

bluehorizonbloodtests.co.uk...

Only do private testing early Monday or Tuesday morning.

Link about thyroid blood tests

thyroiduk.org/testing/thyro...

Link about Hashimoto’s

thyroiduk.org/hypothyroid-b...

Symptoms of hypothyroidism

thyroiduk.org/signs-and-sym...

Tips on how to do DIY finger prick test

support.medichecks.com/hc/e...

Medichecks and BH also offer private blood draw at clinic near you, or private nurse to your own home…..for an extra fee

[Sneets in reply to SlowDragon]

Thank you so much. So good of you to share all this information, lm going to look into all of this and get a plan going. much appreciated

[pennyannie]

Hello Sneets and welcome to the forum :

Since you have been on 125mcg T4 for 10 years and recently ' lost ' half your own thyroid gland and have stayed on the same dose of thyroid hormone support, I'm not surprised you can't get back to where you were and feel exhausted.

A fully functioning working thyroid would be supporting you on a daily basis with trace elements of T1. T2 and calcitonin + a measure of T3 at around 10 mcg + a measure of T4 at around 100 mcg. with T3 said to be around 4 times more powerful than T4.

T4 is in fact a pro-hormone and needs to be converted in your body into T3 the active hormone that runs all your body systems from your physical through to your mental, emotional, psychological and spiritual well being, your inner central heating system and your metabolism.

For optimal thyroid hormone conversion from T4 into T3 we need our core strength vitamins and minerals - ferritin, folate, B12 and vitamin D up and maintained at optimal levels :

Some people can get by on T4 only medication.

Others find that T4 seems to stop working as well as it once did and that by adding in a little T3 - likely at a similar level that their thyroid once supported them with - T3/T4 hormonal balance is restored and they feel better.

Others can't tolerate T4 and need to take T3 only - Liothyroine.

Whilst others find Natural Desiccated Thyroid which contains all the same known hormones as that of the human gland and derived from pig thyroids, dried and ground into tablets referred to as grains, suits them best.

So, first off in order to help you find ' yourself ' again we do need a full thyroid blood test to include a TSH, Free T3 and Free T4 and ideally inflammation, antibodies and ferritin, folate, B12 and vitamin D :

If you doctor can oblige ' wonderful ' but many forum members find they need to get this full thyroid panel done privately - and if so, the details have already been listed by SDragon.

Either way - stop any supplements for around a week before the blood test and on the day of the early morning blood test - remember to fast overnight just taking in water - and do not take your T4 until after the blood draw - having left around a 24 hour window from your last T4 dose -so we measure what your body is holding and not that just ingested.

Once with the results just start a new post with the results and ranges and then you will receive considered opinion on your next best steps back to better health.

There is a lot to take in and understand and it's a bit like a jigsaw without a picture - but slowly corner pieces start to build and take shape and a picture of your thyroid health emerges - and you too will feel empowered and be able to advocate better for yourself.

Please be accepting of your current lower energy levels - your body is struggling and too much exercise will exhaust you - and trying harder - a retrograde step at this point in time.

[Sneets in reply to pennyannie]

oh wow! thank you so much. So helpful. I’m going to look into all of this and l will go down the private root as l’m really struggling.