Newbie - what can I do?

[IndieKid]

Hello,

I posted for the first time the other day: healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Posting again in the hopes that anyone UK based could add their thoughts?

Thanks in advance.

[FallingInReverse]

Replies coming in on previous post : )

[Jaydee1507 Administrator]

You had some pretty comprehensive recommendations about your vitamin results in your last post: healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

No doubt you will feel quite a bit better once you get your vitamins to more optimal levels. Low vitamin levels are very common with being hypo.

Your thyroid results point towards a failing thyroid but the NHS will only begin treatment once your TSH goes above range in 2 consecutive tests 3 months apart.

All you can do is keep testing every 3-4 months but make sure you test as per the protocol recommended in this group.

Recommended blood test protocol: Test at 9am (or as close as possible), fasting, no biotin containing supplements for 3-7 days (Biotin can interfere with thyroid blood results as it is used in the testing process).

Testing like this gives consistency in your results and will show stable blood levels of hormone and highest TSH which varies throughout the day.

[IndieKid in reply to Jaydee1507]

Fingers crossed sorting my vitamins improves symptoms - I hadn’t realised they could have such an impact.

[radd]

IndieKid,

CRP HS 4.57 (<3)

Ferritin 37.9 (30-207)

Folate - serum 13.2 (>7)

Vitamin B12 - active 55.3 (37.5-188)

Vitamin D 38.8 (50-250)

TSH 3.55 (0.27-4.2)

Free T3 4.9 (3.1-6.8)

Free thyroxine 13.6 (12-22)

Thyroglobulin antibodies 295 (0-115)

Thyroid peroxidase antibodies >600 (0-34)

CRP is elevated evidencing acute or chronic inflammation. It is commonly known to be induced by the IL-6 action on the gene responsible for the transcription of CRP during the acute phase of an inflammatory/infectious process, but as Hashi chronic inflammation is also driven by IL-6, many forum members have elevated CRP levels.

Your ferritin and all nutrients are low. Good advice already given by other members.

TSH is elevated, FT4 low in range, and both sets of thyoid antibodies are elevated. There is thought on the forum by a small percentage of members that the elevation of thyroid antibodies does not matter as they randomly fluctuate. I would strongly disagree as latest research is evidencing fluctuations to be a response to triggers, and elevated levels are indicative of a present or later thyroid problem.

Their presence is indicative of destructive activity against TPO key enzyme & key protein thyroglobulin causing gradual destruction of thyroid gland follicles in varying degrees not always determinable by the antibodies levels. For example in some cases thyroid antibodies can be elevated for many years before a change in TSH is detected, and there lies the confusion.

However, anyone with elevated thyroid hormone levels who is symptomatic with or without thyroid labs evidencing a reduction in hormone should try reducing antibody levels to eliminate the accompanying (auto) chronic inflammation. It is claimed that these elevations are responsible for the aches, pains, shakiness, wonky vision, internal heat, skin issues, etc as may be experienced whether thyroid hormones are high, low or adequate.

Latest science says activated B-cells in the thyroid gland and lymph nodes secrete TPO and TG antibodies (hence many of us have experienced the painful swollen lymph nodes - neck, under arms, groin area) which activate T-cells (WBC lymphocytes) that do the actual damage to the thyroid gland. Therefore, reducing thyroid antibody levels will reduce thyroid gland damage indirectly.

Many Hashi sufferers also have a mix of Graves antibodies and now researchers are identifying other thyroid antibodies including those working against the Sodium-iodine symporter (NISAb) and Pendrin (PenAb). I recently read that TGAb is fairly passive after doing its work against the thyroid gland but TPOAb negatively influences other parts of the immune system that risks inciting other autoimmune conditions.

I suggest you read 'The Root Cause' written by Isabella Wentz who offers great understanding of autoimmune issues and how to manage them.

[IndieKid in reply to radd]

Thank you for your reply and the information radd . I’ve just ordered the book.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Like many vegetarians your B12 and ferritin levels are very poor

Ferritin virtually deficient

B12 and vitamin D both insufficient

Aiming for ferritin at least over 70

B12 over 70

Vitamin D at least over 80

cks.nice.org.uk/topics/anae...

Serum ferritin level is the biochemical test, which most reliably correlates with relative total body iron stores. In all people, a serum ferritin level of less than 30 micrograms/L confirms the diagnosis of iron deficiency.

Never supplement iron without doing full iron panel test for anaemia first and retest 3-4 times a year if self supplementing.

It’s possible to have low ferritin but high iron

Test early morning, only water to drink between waking and test. Avoid high iron rich dinner night before test

Stop iron supplements 5-7 days before testing

Medichecks iron panel test

medichecks.com/products/iro...

Look at increasing iron rich foods in diet

Eating iron rich foods like pumpkin seeds and dark chocolate, plus daily orange juice or other vitamin C rich drink can help improve iron absorption

List of iron rich foods

dailyiron.net

Links about iron and ferritin

irondisorders.org/too-littl...

davidg170.sg-host.com/wp-co...

Great in-depth article on low ferritin

oatext.com/iron-deficiency-...

drhedberg.com/ferritin-hypo...

This is interesting because I have noticed that many patients with Hashimoto’s disease and hypothyroidism, start to feel worse when their ferritin drops below 80 and usually there is hair loss when it drops below 50.

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Posts discussing Three Arrows as very effective supplement (derived from meat)

Great replies from @FallingInReverse

re ferritin and Three arrows

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu......

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Great reply by @fallinginreverse

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Iron patches

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Thyroid disease is as much about optimising vitamins as thyroid hormones

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

restartmed.com/hypothyroidi...

Post discussing just how long it can take to raise low ferritin

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Iron and thyroid link

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Posts discussing why important to do full iron panel test

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Good iron but low ferritin

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Chicken livers if iron is good, but ferritin low

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Shellfish and Mussels are excellent source of iron

healthline.com/nutrition/he...

Iron deficiency without anaemia

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Ferritin over 100 to alleviate symptoms

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Great research article discussing similar…..ferritin over 100 often necessary

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

Low Iron implicated in hypothyroidism

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Really interesting talk on YouTube, link in reply by Humanbean discussing both iron deficiency and towards end how inflammation can also be an issue

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Inflammation affecting ferritin

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Updated reference ranges for top of ferritin range depending upon age

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Thank you for your incredible patience while you have been awaiting the outcome of our ferritin reference range review. We conducted this with Inuvi lab, which has now changed the reference ranges to the following:

Females 18 ≤ age < 40. 30 to 180

Females 40 ≤ age < 50. 30 to 207

Females 50 ≤ age < 60. 30 to 264l

Females Age ≥ 60. 30 to 332

Males 18 ≤ age < 40 30 to 442

Males Age ≥ 40 30 to 518

The lower limits of 30 are by the NICE threshold of <30 for iron deficiency. Our review of Medichecks data has determined the upper limits. This retrospective study used a large dataset of blood test results from 25,425 healthy participants aged 18 to 97 over seven years. This is the most extensive study on ferritin reference ranges, and we hope to achieve journal publication so that these ranges can be applied more widely.

[IndieKid in reply to SlowDragon]

Thank you, I’ve got lots of reading to do!