hashi/autoimmune query : hi Would would you... - Thyroid UK

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hashi/autoimmune query

Cup-cake7 profile image
51 Replies

hi

Would would you think I have Hashimoto because of only once having over range thyroid antibody.?

now I take HRT My TSH has gone to 0.5 whereas it was always at around five before I took it so I was given levothyroxine which made me feel a bit better without vertigo, but my TSH stayed high.

....I even wonder if I actually have hypothyroid? I'd be grateful for your thoughts on this and if I didn't take Levo what chance is there that I'd be okay without it, could thyroid take over? The interesting thing is it seems to be the sex hormones that caused the high TSH and now they are replaced.

Also through my life I have had psoriasis. Vitiligo I had pre-eclampsia and always had hayfever and dust allergy. I presume this is auto immune. Is it an endocrine who diagnoses it as I've told GP practice but it's still not mentioned on my notes as a condition

I would appreciate my record being accurate!

Can you advise on any of this please? Thank you.

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51 Replies
greygoose profile image
greygoose

Can't answer many of those questions without seeing some blood test results - preferable those from your diagnosis and the most recent - with the ranges.

But highly unlikely you were give levo without being hypo. A lot of people have to beg for it!

Sex hormones do not cause high TSH, low thyroid hormones cause it.

And even if you have only ever had over-range antibodies just once, you still have Hashi's. Antibodies fluctuate all the time but Hashi's never goes away.

Psoriasis and Vitiligo are autoimmune, but not the other things. :)

Cup-cake7 profile image
Cup-cake7 in reply togreygoose

Helpful Thankyou. ... I just wondered if pre eclampsia is an autoimmune as the baby waters disappeared into body like it's attacking itself maybe , I think it remains a bit of a mystery even now. Unless, I read to do with vit d deficiency 🤷‍♀️

Il look to see if can get old results. I went time & time again & begged for trial like you said. A Borderline thing on their ranges! I can't begin to understand - if antibodies are only out of range once I kind of see it as a tendency :) do most folk with Hashimoto have them in range all the time then when on Levo ?

re sex hormones, I mean when they reduce at menopause it seems to cause the thyroid hormones to go pear shaped in the mix🤔 or why do thyroid numbers fix when you replace ostregen & progesterone ? It seems all the hormones work together, it would be good to see thyroid numbers you had in those days but don't think they were measured the same to compare

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply toCup-cake7

I have never heard that pre-eclampsia is autoimmune. But who knows, they might one day find that it is. But I doubt it because pregnancy is not a permanent state, is it.

if antibodies are only out of range once I kind of see it as a tendency :) do most folk with Hashimoto have them in range all the time then when on Levo ?

As I said before, antibodies fluctuate all the time, so it's a matter of catching them when they're high. Just because they go back into range at the time that you test doesn't mean they're not high in between tests.

Most Hashi's people only ever have their antibodies tested once. I've only had them tested the once. So no-one knows if they're high all the time - with or without levo. It's a badly researched area - like most things thyroid.

All hormones do work together, but it's the thyroid hormones that lead the others - when T4 and T3 are out of kilter, most of your other hormones are too. And most people find that they need to increase their thyroid hormone replacement when they start HRT.

it would be good to see thyroid numbers you had in those days but don't think they were measured the same to compare

You mean the ranges are different? Probably. That's why we translate them into percentages, so that we can compare them.

Handy percentage calculator:

thyroid.dopiaza.org/

Sparklingsunshine profile image
Sparklingsunshine in reply toCup-cake7

Having high antibodies only really means you might have a tendency to go hypo at some point, we have all sorts of antibodies floating around inside us, ironically some people with actual autoimmune conditions like Sjogrens or Rheumatoid Arthritis can have no antibodies, or are known as Sero negative.

Yet they clearly have all the hallmarks of the condition. This can lead to long delays in getting diagnosed and is very frustrating.

People with high thyroid antibodies obviously need to be aware of it but not everyone will become hypo. A lot of people never do. And I'm hypo but have never had raised antibodies, to add more confusion.

Cup-cake7 profile image
Cup-cake7 in reply toSparklingsunshine

Thanks. Interesting, into the pot 😊. When I got the over range antibodies, I was just getting into the supplements and decided to cut out most of the gluten maybe just being a bit healthier kept me in range. I didn't do a test for a long time so I've done it Recently as the GP won't do it, and I'm in range.

I'm just a bit frustrated because I don't know if I ever needed levothyroxine truly.? Nobody wants to take tablets if they're not needed - my T4 was always a good number, but my TSH had gone to 5 and I had symptoms but since HRT TSH is 0.5, interestingly My T3 has remained at the bottom throughout so I don't convert well. I would love to know if I can try Leo to see if my thyroid picks up, or is there a test that can help me make decision eg should I have my thyroid scanned? All these questions. 😊

Cup-cake7 profile image
Cup-cake7 in reply toCup-cake7

Just read again about low vit D with pre eclampsia. May indicate hypo Maybe also low iron is common 🤔Again combination of sex hormone fluctuations especially in pregnancy I'm sure there's a link to it

🤣🤣🤣 best tell the experts I've cracked it! 😊

Cup-cake7 profile image
Cup-cake7 in reply togreygoose

Yes I appreciate high tsh is caused by low thyroid hormones but the point I'm noticing is this only happened as the sex hormones depleted !? so there is definitely a correlation between them 🤔. 😊...

These days especially why wouldn't you replace sex hormones as you do thyroid hormones , as women are part of the workforce for many older yrs and can't become ailing in bone health heart health etc by lack of ostregen unnecessarily. 😀

My lovely granny had a shawl and blanket in her 60s. In comparison I was working a 30 hr week looking after GC but sadly feeling poorly without top ups Things change

Cup-cake7 profile image
Cup-cake7

thanks again for explanations. Well I had high a/bodies once out of 4 tests so that's what put that thought in place. Plus I'd got into Levo and upped b12 & D which was touching deficient

Politely though its menopause when sex hormones keep decreasing that many seem to then move to hypo, would be u treating to note how it goes for males :)

Maybe women were undiagnosed hypo and just felt worse when meno hit!? That could be me actually as when young I look back and can see how I struggled at times & energy went out my boots. Maybe it's a factor with pre-eclampsia as it was at the end of the pregnancy I doubt my thyroid levels were monitored

Sparklingsunshine profile image
Sparklingsunshine in reply toCup-cake7

I had severe pre eclampsia that led to a stillbirth in 1992, apparently there is a link between subclinical hypo and developing pre eclampsia but as you say its a mysterious condition and scientists are still trying to work out what causes it. I wasn't diagnosed with hypo until 2020.

There's another related condition, autoimmune, called APS, or Hughes syndrome. It causes the blood to become sticky and clot, causing pre eclampsia and left untreated can cause strokes, heart attacks etc. Quite often women with APS will also have thyroid problems.

Or another autoimmune condition like Sjogren's. Autoimmune conditions tend to hunt in packs and having one predisposes you to get another.

Cup-cake7 profile image
Cup-cake7 in reply toSparklingsunshine

Gosh

I'm so sorry about your experience

it's a scary condition, for me, I honestly thought I was dying, the walls were jumping about As my blood pressure had gone through the roof, I fortunately came out of it relatively unscathed It's scary because you don't understand it and don't know if it will affect you next time. Just to give you low-dose aspirin doesn't seem to cut it to me!

have you tested for APS? Who would do that for you?

nightingale-56 profile image
nightingale-56 in reply toCup-cake7

I had/have Graves, but still had pre-eclampsia when pregnant with my second Son as was not treated properly.

Cup-cake7 profile image
Cup-cake7 in reply tonightingale-56

Were u ok with first🤔

Maybe it can do the Hashimoto swing thing!? As after my first & 2 wks in hospital I was anxious but had been through trauma so expect understandable, when I got home I had this wonderful energy but almost too much. I would go out for long walks twice a day with a new little baby., and I wonder if that was swinging related. Just trying to recover all the time, isn't it?How are you after the birth?

nightingale-56 profile image
nightingale-56 in reply toCup-cake7

I had no problems at all with first Son. Full term, 7lb 7oz weight. Graves did not appear until he was 4. I was 27 and suddenly lost 1 st in 3 weeks and got Pompholyx on palms and soles. Had Carbimazole for about 18 months. It was then stopped and I was not given anything for a while. Was then given Propylthiorazide, which caused Hives immediately. Was then only given propranolol which also caused Hives. Then nothing for quite a while. Got pregnant again in 1976 and gave birth to my second Son 6 weeks early. He was still small for dates and has various hormone problems. All on Profile. He is now 48. 20 months after Son I fell pregnant with my daughter and had sub-total thyroidectomy while 14 weeks pregnant. All went well and she was born at 37 weeks 7lb 7.5 oz. She is fine and has two healthy boys.

Cup-cake7 profile image
Cup-cake7 in reply tonightingale-56

How did it come about getting thyroidectomy what were symptoms

nightingale-56 profile image
nightingale-56 in reply toCup-cake7

I became thyrotoxic and kidneys began to suffer.

Cup-cake7 profile image
Cup-cake7 in reply tonightingale-56

Sorry what happens with thyrotoxic

Cup-cake7 profile image
Cup-cake7 in reply tonightingale-56

I'm sorry still suffering, what's T3 like? What are your symptoms

nightingale-56 profile image
nightingale-56 in reply toCup-cake7

I did try T3, but it wasn't as good for me as NDT, which I am now still on.

Think we might be talking cross purpose here as WP Thyroid is NDT and was the best for me. I now have compounded NDT.

Cup-cake7 profile image
Cup-cake7 in reply tonightingale-56

I'd love to try. Did ENDO arrange for you

nightingale-56 profile image
nightingale-56 in reply toCup-cake7

No, I just went ahead and did it for myself after reading copiously and advice on here. I pay for a private Endo and then send prescription to Roseway Labs for what my prescription is written for. This works well for me. Roseway Labs have their own Prescriber, so you could try them.

Cup-cake7 profile image
Cup-cake7 in reply tonightingale-56

Ah Thankyou I'm in process of an appointment Rosedale ! as jaydee mentioned on here last week, Desperate now to get some weight off. I really can't loose and I'm very strict. It's weird how this 3 stone gain happens for many

What is compounded?

How does it differ from plain ndt. ?

I think as I'm on Levo my first call is T3/levo

Do you know how much of each in yours?

nightingale-56 profile image
nightingale-56 in reply toCup-cake7

Compounded means it is specially/individually processed with minimal excipients. Mine is just the NDT powder with Rice powder in a pig gelatine capsule. Normal NDT is usually just a tablet with excipients, not made to order. My NDT has 38 mcg of T4 and 9mcg of T3 in each capsule.

Cup-cake7 profile image
Cup-cake7 in reply tonightingale-56

How are you feeling

Cup-cake7 profile image
Cup-cake7 in reply tonightingale-56

Thankyou. Helpful

nightingale-56 profile image
nightingale-56 in reply toCup-cake7

I was fine aftr the birth, but did not have the wonderful energy that you had. Was not treated for hypo until 19 years after this. Once treated with Goldshield Eltroxin Levothyroxine I felt well within 3 months. Gradually put on 3 stone since then. Began to lose some weight while on WP Thyroid, but since this has gone off the market have not lost any more.

Cup-cake7 profile image
Cup-cake7 in reply tonightingale-56

That's t3 I guess?

Cup-cake7 profile image
Cup-cake7 in reply tonightingale-56

Plus similar for me at menopause! I lost some weight so easily and again had a lot of energy sadly it's settled into hypo. & being fat.

Sparklingsunshine profile image
Sparklingsunshine in reply toCup-cake7

I'm actually hoping to get the blood tests for it soon as there are certain markers in the blood and I have symptoms of APS, migraines, balance issues and pins and needles. It maybe I was tested for APS at the time of my stillbirth but I havent got access to my hospital records so have no idea if I was tested or not.

A GP can order the tests, pre eclampsia is a big red flag, so is any history of DVT or blood clot anywhere in the body or miscarriage, especially recurrent miscarriage.

Cup-cake7 profile image
Cup-cake7 in reply toSparklingsunshine

Good luck with it. His is it treated?

Sparklingsunshine profile image
Sparklingsunshine in reply toCup-cake7

Well low dose aspirin can be used in less serious cases or blood thinners like Warfarin. Its usually lifelong because as I mentioned APS can greatly increase the risk of blood clots.

Cup-cake7 profile image
Cup-cake7 in reply toSparklingsunshine

O right. How did u get diagnosed

Sparklingsunshine profile image
Sparklingsunshine in reply toCup-cake7

I'm not diagnosed yet.I have a GP phone call this week to hopefully get the blood tests I need authorised.

Cup-cake7 profile image
Cup-cake7 in reply toSparklingsunshine

Did gp suggest

Cup-cake7 profile image
Cup-cake7 in reply toSparklingsunshine

.... me too, I wasn't diagnosed hypo sub clinical until 2016. I had pre-eclampsia in 1983. I think I can see I had hypo symptoms when young there was no explanation. I remember a doctor saying you're getting old now I was 30😊🙃

Cup-cake7 profile image
Cup-cake7

'interesting to know how it goes for males' sorry about typo

Cup-cake7 profile image
Cup-cake7 in reply toCup-cake7

...at end of day bro, no definite causes known root causes known about pre-eclampsia I just saw autoimmune on a list alongside other thoughts, there seems to be mention of blood vessels development, we only seem to offer low-dose aspirin which was offered to me basis on a survey basis when I became pregnant again....... although because I had decided to take the homeopathic route. I didn't qualify for the survey. Someone would say it was coincidence, but I went on to have two healthy pregnancies.. In fact, when my blood pressure started to go up near the end, I took homeopathic and my ankle swelling reduced reduce and got me to the due date which was quite amazing to see, I was just pleased I didn't have to go into hospital

Thanks again for your time

Sparklingsunshine profile image
Sparklingsunshine in reply toCup-cake7

Yes I was offered low dose aspirin in my next pregnancy which was successful. I didnt take it in my third as I had no symptoms and the aspirin caused a haemorrhage after the birth, which isnt good. My third pregnancy was also successful. But I decided not to risk it again, its a dangerous complication.

Cup-cake7 profile image
Cup-cake7 in reply toSparklingsunshine

Yes. What symptoms did you have in the second pregnancy?

Sparklingsunshine profile image
Sparklingsunshine in reply toCup-cake7

Well none, I started taking low dose aspirin early on. But unfortunately my son was very big, the labour was long and complicated and I haemhorraged twice afterwards, probably due to the aspirin.

My pre eclampsia was severe and I had a stillbirth at 27.5 weeks so it was early. I had headaches, nosebleeds and the usual high BP and protein in wee but it also affected my liver and kidneys. My consultant didnt want to take any chances second time around so pushed the aspirin.

I was part of a clinical trial. But in my third pregnancy I wasnt keen on the aspirin again as I'm asthmatic and aspirin isnt recommended for asthma, plus it may well have contributed to my blood loss. Fortunately the pre eclampsia didnt raise its ugly head again.

Cup-cake7 profile image
Cup-cake7 in reply toSparklingsunshine

Did you go to 40 wks

I was induced ten days b4 date. No waters left at all

Sparklingsunshine profile image
Sparklingsunshine in reply toCup-cake7

No I was induced at 38 weeks in my second pregnancy as they knew number 2 was going to be big ( he was 10Ibs 4oz). I dont know about my stillbirth if the pre eclampsia affected my waters or not.

Cup-cake7 profile image
Cup-cake7 in reply toSparklingsunshine

10.4!!!!!🥴

Cup-cake7 profile image
Cup-cake7

sad. I'm sorry. There's something about the 28 wk mark

How awful haemorrhaging from aspirin it's a wonder we went through it again. I became so grateful each time. Nothing was explained either to give support. I wonder why sections weren't offered

nightingale-56 profile image
nightingale-56 in reply toCup-cake7

Aspirin wasn't even thought of when I was pregnant 1976 and 1978.

Sparklingsunshine profile image
Sparklingsunshine in reply toCup-cake7

I wanted to avoid a section tbh, but due to my very large son getting stuck I needed a ventouse delivery. I had pretty much every known complication of pregnancy and birth. Hence I shut up shop after my third son lol.

Cup-cake7 profile image
Cup-cake7 in reply toSparklingsunshine

😊 you did well. Me too. I was grateful to get my 3 I wouldn't risk it

Cup-cake7 profile image
Cup-cake7

I wonder if still use it

Not good if caused heommerage ! I hope they linked it

Sadly it can take so long

Cup-cake7 profile image
Cup-cake7 in reply toCup-cake7

...for high forceps. Poor baby. Didn't let me see her for 10 hrs. Bit mean

Cup-cake7 profile image
Cup-cake7

I just thought a section would hopefully prevent bleeding🤔

I had a very urgent episiotomy without time to anaesthetise etc it ran in my mind like a horror film for yrs

Sparklingsunshine profile image
Sparklingsunshine in reply toCup-cake7

I think sections can be worse for blood loss as you have the incision and bleeding from inside. I was offered one but preferred to try the natural route.

Cup-cake7 profile image
Cup-cake7 in reply toSparklingsunshine

Worrying times

We made it 🙏🏼🥰

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