# please help, so confused :(



## hashi (Jul 8, 2016)

Hello,

Please help me, I am so confused and so desperate to feel better. My endocrinologist said hashimotos doesn't cause any symptoms, only a low/high thyroid causes symptoms and that regardless of how high my antibodies are there is nothing they can do. Is this true? I have been from specialist to specialist trying to figure out how to feel normal again with no luck. I was diagnosed with hashimotos when I was 13-15 and now 23, my t3 and t4 have been normal my whole life but I have still had symptoms. I just know something is wrong with my body and no one can figure out what it is or how to fix it. My ana titer is 1:1280, my thyroglobulin antibody was 2.5, my thyroid peroxidase was 179, I have over the past few years developed 3 leaky heart valves, my body is now destroying my platelets and possibly my wbc (platelet count 116-119 and wbc 2.9-3.8), I recently developed lichen sclerosus (which from what I understand is another autoimmune disease), I am exhausted, I get this weird drunk feeling, weakness, horrible anxiety, I am not myself  In the past 4 months I have been to my pcp, who sent me to hematologist for low platelets and wbc, who then sent me to a rhumatologist for such a high ana because he thought I had lupus, who determined I do not have lupus, then to my new endocrinologist who was of no help  So please, anyone, is this common with hashimotos? To still have symptoms but with a normal t3, t4? Is hashimotos causing my body to destroy my platelets?

Thank you so much to anyone who responds <3


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## joplin1975 (Jul 21, 2011)

Hi -- I'm so sorry you feel for poorly.

Can you share your latest lab results with the reference ranges? We don't take "normal" or "in range" as an appropriate answer.

Are you on medication?


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## hashi (Jul 8, 2016)

Thank you <3 My latest t4 was 1.4 (range .8-1.8) t3 was 3.6 (range 2.3-4.2) and that was from april 2016. I don't think I have had my tsh tested in a long long time so I'm not sure. I have paperwork to go get it tested tomorrow. I am not on any medication other than bc for bleeding disorder.


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## joplin1975 (Jul 21, 2011)

Interesting. So, back when they originally diagnosed you, was that on the basis of the presence of antibodies? What lead them to look at the thyroid initially? Have you ever had a thyroid ultrasound?


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## hashi (Jul 8, 2016)

I can't really remember and neither can my parents  I do remember them saying my antibodies were crazy high! I think my thyroid levels must have been off too because they wanted me to take synthroid. I took it for like a week and then decided I didn't want to be on meds for the rest of my life and asked them to retest. When they retested my levels (im assuming t3, t4) were fine so they said I could quit taking it. Yes, I had a thyroid ultrasound done probably around the same time, maybe later. I wish I could remember more but I have quite a few minor things wrong with me so doctor visits seem to be a blur.


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## hashi (Jul 8, 2016)

My mother thinks they might have looked into it because my thyroid was enlarged. That has happened a few times over the years. My mom was diagnosed with graves disease when she was around my age too.


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## joplin1975 (Jul 21, 2011)

Well, your numbers are pretty decent (I wouldn't bother with TSH...your free t4 and free t3 are what's important). That all said, antibodies can skew the results.

What I am not familiar with is your experiences/history with other autoimmune diseases and how those would impact how you feel. I'm bumping this up in hopes that someone else can comment.


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## hashi (Jul 8, 2016)

I have the paper work to get my free t4 and free t3 tested so I will try to get that done as soon as I can.  So on top of hashimotos I also have lichen sclerosus as well as raynauds. (which are both autoimmune from what I understand) I just got back from the hematologist and he said he believes since my body is so actively attacking itself from the hashimotos that it is also attacking my wbcs and platelets. He said once my hashimotos is under control my body should not attack my platelets and wbcs but I don't know how to get my hashimotos under control? He said that since my ANA is so high (1:1280) it can not be ignored and needs to be rechecked yearly because he thinks there is a good chance I could develop lupus down the line.

I am just so confused!!! The endocrinologist said hashimotos doesn't cause any symptoms and could not cause my platelets or wbcs to be destroyed then the hematologist said hashimotos is causing my platelets and wbcs to be destroyed. So confused!


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## pritcharddesign (Jul 27, 2016)

It is confusing. But I'll tell you right now that Hashimoto's DOES cause symptoms. You need to find a new endo because this one will not help you. Ask your hematologist if he can recommend one.


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## creepingdeath (Apr 6, 2014)

Hashimoto's high antibodies most definitely does cause symptoms.

But in my opinion you have some other auto immune disease going on too.

There are a lot of false negatives and false positives with taking tests for auto immune diseases.

How many times have you been tested for lupus and rheumatoid arthritis?

You need to be tested multiple times to be accurate.

Lupus and rheumatoid arthritis are know autoimmune diseases that cause platelet destruction.

Like others said,

Find another doctor.....................


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## hashi (Jul 8, 2016)

Thanks for the info guys  I thought it was really weird when the dr said hashi can't cause symptoms without low thyroid levels. I wish he would have to take updated classes or something so he can actually help people with hashimotos. If I didn't do so much research on my own I would have just gone with the flow. I was just tested for lupus once but this is the first time it's ever been brought up. I don't have all the tell tale symptoms though like the rash. He also tested for rheumatoid arthritis and some other rhumatoid autoimmune diseases. I wish there was one dr I could go to who deals with autoimmune diseases and could figure it out! I'm so tired of going from specialist to specialist without getting any answers! I will look for another endo though and see how that goes.


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## hashi (Jul 8, 2016)

Oh also the hematologist said that he thinks there is a good chance I will develop lupus down the line considering how high my ana titer is and how my body is now attacking my wbcs and platelets.


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