hi everyone. This might be a really stupid question, so apologies! How can it be that my Antibodies are going down (currently at 52 and under 30 is considered normal) but my TSH has gone back up again (back up to 3.6, but was 1.8 at previous test)
At every test, my antibodies are reducing further - I have been gluten free for nearly a year and this has really helped. So, I expected my TSH to stabilise. Am I being completely naive?
Presumably you mean TPO antibodies?
TSH and TPO are not connected
TPO may be reducing because you have reduced inflammatory foods….or might be reducing anyway
TG antibodies seem to reduce in direct correlation with how low TSH is
How much levothyroxine are you taking
How long on this dose
What are your most recent Ft4 and Ft3 results
Dose of Levo possibly needs to increase ?
Certainly if TSH remains over 2
When did you last test vitamin D, folate, B12 and ferritin
What vitamin supplements are you taking
Ah, interesting. Yes, I was referring to TPO. Other results are:
TSH 3.6 (optimum 1-2.5)
FT4 15.5 optimum 12-17
FT3 5.5 optimum 3.1-5
My last vitamin results were about 5 months ago, so I’m due another test. D was low, Ferretin, folate and B12 were all at the low end of the normal range so I’ve been supplementing D, B12, B complex.
I’ve been on 75mcg but the doctor has just increased this to 75 one day and 100 the next.
I’m definitely feeling better than I was a year ago when I was unable to get out of bed, but I still don’t feel great. My sleep is awful so I’m not getting a proper chance to rest and rebuild. I could feel that my levo was in need of an increase though, as I was starting to feel really weak and exhausted again.
I’ve been on 75mcg but the doctor has just increased this to 75 one day and 100 the next.
Good 👍
which brand levothyroxine are you taking?
Do you always get same brand
Exactly what vitamin supplements are you taking
Retest including vitamin levels at next test
remember
IMPORTANT......If you are taking vitamin B complex, or any supplements containing biotin, remember to stop these 5-7 days before ALL BLOOD TESTS , as biotin can falsely affect test results
endo.confex.com/endo/2016en...
endocrinenews.endocrine.org...
In week before blood test, when you stop vitamin B complex, you might want to consider taking a separate folate supplement (eg Jarrow methyl folate 400mcg) and continue separate B12 until Serum B12 over 500 or Active B12 over 70
I’ve got Teva this time. Previously, I’ve had two different brands - I can’t remember what they were but one was 50, one was 75. I’ve only taken half a pack of my current ones. I wouldn’t say I’ve had side effects from Teva, but now you bring it up, I certainly haven’t felt as good as I did on my previous brands.
I’m on the Better You D spray, Nature Provides B12 drops and Thorne Basic B. All of your recommendations, I believe, Slowdragon 😉
Sorry, I meant one was 50, one was 25
Many people find Levothyroxine brands are not interchangeable.
Most easily available (and often most easily tolerated) are Mercury Pharma or Accord
Mercury Pharma make 25mcg, 50mcg and 100mcg tablets
Mercury Pharma also boxed as Eltroxin. Both often listed by company name on pharmacy database - Advanz
Accord only make 50mcg and 100mcg tablets. Accord is also boxed as Almus via Boots,
Wockhardt is very well tolerated, but only available in 25mcg tablets. Some people remain on Wockhardt, taking their daily dose as a number of tablets
July 2024
Crescent levothyroxine. Dosages: 12.5, 25, 50, 75, 100
(Not yet known if all approved dosages are or will be available).
Excipients: lactose monohydrate, maize starch, croscarmellose sodium, gelatin and magnesium stearate.
Lactose free brands - currently Vencamil or Teva
Vencamil is lactose free and mannitol free. originally only available as 100mcg only, but 25mcg, 50mcg and 75mcg tablets became available Sept 2024
Prior to March 2023 Vencamil was called Aristo
How to get Vencamil stocked at your local pharmacy
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
Posts discussing Vencamil
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu....
Teva makes 12.5mcg 25mcg, 50mcg, 75mcg and 100mcg
Many patients do NOT get on well with Teva brand of Levothyroxine.
Teva is lactose free, but contains mannitol as a filler instead of lactose, which seems to be possible cause of problems. Mannitol seems to upset many people, it changes gut biome
Helpful post about Teva
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
Posts that mention Teva
healthunlocked.com/search/p...
Teva poll
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
Helpful post about different brands
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
List of different brands available in U.K.
thyroiduk.org/if-you-are-hy...
Once you find a brand that suits you, best to make sure to only get that one at each prescription.
Watch out for brand change when dose is increased or at repeat prescription.
Government guidelines for GP in support of patients if you find it difficult/impossible to change brands
gov.uk/drug-safety-update/l...
If a patient reports persistent symptoms when switching between different levothyroxine tablet formulations, consider consistently prescribing a specific product known to be well tolerated by the patient.
academic.oup.com/jcem/artic...
Physicians should: 1) alert patients that preparations may be switched at the pharmacy; 2) encourage patients to ask to remain on the same preparation at every pharmacy refill; and 3) make sure patients understand the need to have their TSH retested and the potential for dosing readjusted every time their LT4 preparation is switched (18).
And here
pharmacymagazine.co.uk/clin...
Discussed here too
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
Do you know, Slowdragon, I’ve been having really bad panic attacks first thing in a morning. I used to have them before I was diagnosed and now they’re back. I didn’t realise until you posted this that it could be the brand. I put it in the search are there are many posts saying the same thing! I’m going to contact my doctor today and ask to swap them. You’ve reminded me with your post that I was on Wockhardt and Accord before and I was absolutely fine with them. Thanks for your help with this!
When your thyroid is under immune system attack (which shows in the level of thyroid antibodies) the cells of your thyroid get damaged and killed. When that happens the thyroid hormones within each damaged/destroyed cell are released into the body and bloodstream.
This shows up in blood tests by producing a lower TSH, because your pituitary responds to thyroid hormone levels in the blood wherever they come from - healthy thyroid cells, damaged or dying thyroid cells, Levo tablets, T3 tablets.
If the immune system calms down and reduces or stops its attack on the thyroid then thyroid hormone levels will go down because there is less thyroid hormone coming from damaged and dying thyroid cells, so TSH goes up.
This is actually a good sign, because it means that the thyroid is no longer being actively destroyed - until next time when the immune system goes into attack mode again.
This makes sense! Thank you!
NDT causing high antibodies & TSH - please help!
Borderline tsh receptor antibodies
TPO antibodies/TSH in range now 
High TPO antibodies.
New to all of this! Any help appreciated. High TPO antibodies and high TSH 
