In shock, TSH from 20.3 to 0.103!

[Emma1986x]

hello, I posted a while ago as I was getting so concerned at the rate my TSH was increasing, I had increased my levothyroxine gradually to 175mg with no improvement, the last bloods and drs appointment I had I was given instructions to increase to 200mg which I believe is the limit for my weight.

by this point I was so exhausted physically and mentally.. I increased my dose as instructed but I’d also started to research.

Came across the AIP autoimmune protocol diet and I’ve been on the elimination phase now for 4 weeks. Let me tell you it’s exactly what my body needed, I’m not puffy in the face anymore and I don’t have constant bloat or stomach pains.

I paid for another blood test and my first thought was the test must be wrong… I’m now the other end of the scale. I’ve reduced my levothyroxine slightly and I just hope I can finally be stable!

I’m not a dr but these results just can’t be from my Levo increase as I’ve had increases with no improvement

My antibodies have also improved,

has anyone else had this improvement through diet? Will it last?!

[Jazzw]

Well, you have Hashimoto’s so there are two possibilities at play. (Maybe more than 2, but these are the obvious ones.)

(1) You’re having a Hashi’s “flare” and your thyroid is pumping out thyroid hormone.

(2) Your AIP diet has had an amazing effect on your stomach’s ability to absorb everything that goes down your gullet. Including thyroid hormone.

With an FT4 of over 30, you might want to think about reducing your levothyroxine more than just a little bit. What are you taking now? Alternatively, you ask for another blood test in case something’s gone very wrong with this one. I have occasionally had very odd results from using Medichecks.

More importantly—how do you feel? Do you feel over medicated at the moment?

[Emma1986x in reply to Jazzw]

Hi, I do feel more irritable and moody than normal and also not sleeping well. Energy levels are still improved. It’s so frustrating I’ve never heard of a hashi swing, I was just hoping my Levo was Actually able to work now and it just needed reducing. I reduced to 150 today

[vroooom5 in reply to Emma1986x]

I hope it is the diet which caused this swing. Please keep us updated, thank you.

[greygoose]

I was given instructions to increase to 200mg which I believe is the limit for my weight.

There is no limit. You need what you need. But a bit difficult to tell at the moment what you need because it very much looks like you're having a Hashi's 'hyper' swing (where the dying cells deposite their stock of thyroid hormone into the blood cause the leveo of T4 and/or T3 to rise rapidly). Looks very much like that is what's happening because I don't think even a dose of 200 mcg could raise your FT4 that high. And that is a typical level for a Hashi's swing.

In any case, dosing by weight is just a rough guide, not a hard and fast rule. You might need more, you might need less. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

Anyway, that's why your TSH has dropped: because the FT4 has risen so much.

My antibodies have also improved,

It doesn't matter what the actual number of your antibodies is - it's not even worth retesting them. They are either positive or negative so they can 'improve' - or get worse, for that matter. Even if they disappeared completely you'd still have Hashi's. That doesn't go away.

[Emma1986x]

I had my appointment with a specialist today and it was helpful.

He looked into my current and historic results and thinks It might be due to something called heterophile antibodies, which can cause false readings of TSH and other thyroid results…

Have a blood test for thyroid receptor Ab (TRA) along with a full thyroid panel.

I find it so complicated!