# I don't understand what my results mean



## Jewls2u (Sep 13, 2014)

Hi,

I am new here and fairly new to Thyroid Disease. I have been overweight my whole life and have battled to try and take of one pound. After going to the Dr for the millionth time, she suggested that we check my thyroid, like it was a lark, just to see if that might be the issue...so I was diagnosed with "underactive thyroid" last November. Once I got the diagnosis I thought, great! now we know why I cannot lose weight, I'll get some medication and I'll shed pounds like water running off a rooftop.

This was not to be. Despite constricting calories and excercising no weight...not one pound came off.

We modified the medication, and still nothing.

About a month ago, I asked to be sent to a specialist to see if my cortisol levels were high, they aren't. My Anti-Thyroid levels are a different story.

My Anti-thyroiobulin is 6.5 where the range is 0.0-3.9IU/mL

My Anti-Thyroid Peroxidase is 237.5 where the normal range should be 0.0-8.9 (that seems high?)

I got a call from the Dr's office that said "You have Hashimoto's, you should have your bloodworked checked regularly", and that was it.

I had my last thyroid blood draw was back in February (I think?) and don't know what my levels of T3-T4 are, I cannot remember where I stashed the results (my brain is broken).

I am currently on 95.5mg of Nature-Thyroid

I am a breast cancer survivor and do have bloodwork done regularly, so I know things like my creatine levels and gluclose are fine.

The only follow up I have had is a phone call from the Dr saying it's Hashimoto's...I didn't know what that was until a few weeks ago. Since then I have gone paleo, cut out nightshades, most carbs and dairy (this is my first week of that). I feel like I have been handed this diagnosis, and then patted on the head and told "good luck with that".

My brain function is waaaay off, and I am not sure what to do about that. I am not sure if anything I am doing is correct or not. I am in a rural community so our medical services are kind of limited, so I am turning to the internet to fill in some of the blanks.

Do I only need to worry about the T number? If I still feel brain fog, is something not working? Is that high Anti-Thyroid Paroxidase number something I should be concerned about? I found Hashimotoshealing.com and the guy seems like he's got good intentions but it also looks like a way to spend a lot of money without really knowing what the anwers are.

I am feeling a little defeated right now because the brain fog I am experiencing has me really struggling and I honestly don't know the cause or if it can be found out. Is it Hashimoto's? Is it chemo-brain or is it ADD? I don't know. I feel like a fat girl running up a hill (I am a fat girl...so please don't take offense).

I am hoping for a staring place...so any thoughts/answers would be appreciated.

Jewls


----------



## joplin1975 (Jul 21, 2011)

First, get the results of your labs. Go to your doctors and request copies. You can only be your best advocate when you have information.

TSH is less important when you are on desiccated meds. You do need to get those free t3 and free t4 numbers.

And, especially with your health history, have you ever had an ultrasound of your thyroid? If not, get one ASAP.

You'll find a lot of different opinions here, but if you wang mine, I think the idea if "healing" your thyroid for most people is asinine. It might work for a very small population of people with transient thyrioditis, but for those of us with autoimmune issues, it just doesn't work.


----------



## Lovlkn (Dec 20, 2009)

Like Joplin said... Free T-4 and Free T3 are the most accurate way to see if you are properly medicated.

You should have these tested every 6 weeks until you reach your set point dosage.


----------



## Jewls2u (Sep 13, 2014)

My recollection is that my last TSH was 7.8 and T4 was 5.6? and T3 was 4.3. I will stop by the Dr and get labs run again.

No one has suggested an ultrasound. What would they be looking for with an ultrasound?

Those numbers would be from back in Feb, and we uped my dose of thyroid medication at that time...the dr started me out on a really low dose, like 10mg, then 35, and now at 95.5mg. I had to ask that it be bumped up and she was concerned it would make me hyperthyroid. I joked with her that I could stand a little hyperthyroidism.

I will say that I feel "unregulated", I have massive crashes at around 2pm everyday. I get so very, very tired and unable to focus. I have thought it was fallout from chemo, but now I am wondering if it's my thyroid. I am just trying to sort out what will for me, but there's so much confusing information out there. Some say do take iodine, some say don't, Some say eat grains, other say don't. In my current state of mind, it's overwhelming.

There's a supplement called Thyroid Support from a company called 1 Body. It seems to hit all the right notes, iodine, selenium, B12, etc. But should you take a supplement when you are on thyroid medication all ready?

I feel like a pain for asking questions...but I am desperate to get my mind back.


----------



## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

TPO and thyroglobulin
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1699-0463.1994.tb04888.x/abstract
http://www.wikigenes.org/e/gene/e/7173.html
(Copy and paste into your browser)

Understanding the Thyroid: Why You Should Check Your Free T3
http://breakingmuscle.com/health-medicine/understanding-thyroid-why-you-should-check-your-free-t3
(Copy and paste into your browser)

Dr. Mercola (FREES)
http://www.mercola.com/article/hypothyroid/diagnosis_comp.htm
(Copy and paste into your browser)

Free T3 and Free T4 are the only accurate measurement of the actual active thyroid hormone levels in the body. This is the hormone that is actually free and exerting effect on the cells. These are the thyroid hormones that count.

Yes you do; especially since you are breast cancer survivor. Please insist on an ultra-sound of your thyroid.

And get the FREE T3 and FREE T4 lab tests. Info above.

I am not exactly clear on your dose of Nature-Thyroid. That is a low dose but getting those FREEs will enlighten all of us in regard to that.

Welcome to the board!


----------



## jenny v (May 6, 2012)

Definitely get copies of all of your labs, that's the first step to getting organized and mapping out a game plan. And insist on an ultrasound; because of your high antibodies and history of cancer, I would think a doctor would have done this first thing already. Even if there's nothing wrong internally it's good to have a baseline.



> There's a supplement called Thyroid Support from a company called 1 Body. It seems to hit all the right notes, iodine, selenium, B12, etc. But should you take a supplement when you are on thyroid medication all ready?


Do not start this supplement; iodine is not good for those of us with Hashi's.


----------



## joplin1975 (Jul 21, 2011)

An ultrasound would look for structural abnormalities...it's often used as a first step when investigating thyroid cancer. For a number of reasons, thyroid and breast cancer are often connected (in fact, my surgeon is considered a general surgeon but he specializes in two things: thyroid cancer and breast cancer).

I wouldn't take that particular supplement for the reasons Jenny mentions, but more broadly, I wouldn't take any type of "thyroid supplement" until you have a better handle on precisely what is going on.


----------



## Jewls2u (Sep 13, 2014)

Thank you all for the information. I will call the Dr this week and get my bloodwork redone and ask about an ultrasound.

I have to say, what a great board this is. You have so much practical information. Re being organized, when I got cancer, I made folders and kept notes, because it's cancer . But when they said I had a sluggish thyroid, I didn't really think too much about the diagnosis initially...they just said my thyroid was out of whack and I needed some medication "it just happens to women". It was when I still coudln't loose weight and my mental focus started going that I asked for the specialist, then they said Hashimoto's a few weeks ago and that's when I started Googling. I realized there was so much more to this than what my Drs seem to understand and it explains sooo much more than just my inability to lose weight.

If I ask for specific tests, they are pretty good about running them. So I know the thyroid will check for T3, T4 and TSH. Is there anything else I should ask for, in addition to the ultrasound?


----------



## jenny v (May 6, 2012)

Make sure it's Free T3 and Free T4 and not something like Total T4 or T3 Uptake.


----------



## Jewls2u (Sep 13, 2014)

I called the Dr yesterday, they will do an ultrasound in addition to new bloodwork. I know the ultrasound is a good idea but the notion of anything growing or any chance of cancer freaks me out a little, just because I went through hell in treatment. Rationally, I'm sure it's fine, but there's a little person running around in my mind yelling "the sky is falling"...she needs some herbal tea, or a valium.

I hope that the tests will help sort out my dosge...I'd like to be just managed so I can focus on being healthy rather than on what's going wrong.


----------



## joplin1975 (Jul 21, 2011)

I think we all do that when we have tests, but anyone with a history of cancer is going to get even more anxious. Hang in there, it's going to be a-ok.


----------

