# Update for me and some questions.



## Elegant_Phoenix (Feb 26, 2011)

I'm still trudging along!

I was feeling WONDERFUL for a while! I even started back at the gym. Then about three weeks ago, I started to feel much worse.

I then thought back to what had changed. My darn vitamins. There was another brand on sale and I negelcted to look at the label closely. It containted SOY and a mushroom blend that contained all of the mushrooms that I reacted to badly to when I was trialing the X-Viromen from my naturopath. All of my symptoms started to return over those three weeks. I promptly returned the vitamins with a huge lesson learned.

I've been reacting to foods like crazy. I now get hives with white potatoes, almonds and I think a few preservatives or MSG. I'm not sure what. My doc ran a serum blood allergy panel, but I only have the results from the inhalents (grasses/trees) - all negative.

When I was feeling so poorly, I went back to my doctor (I also found a new MD who is also an acupuncturist! SCORE!) and she retested some of my thyroid labs. She also prescribed meditation. Love it.

New labs:
TSH: .614, Range: .358-3.8
Thyroxine, Free: .89, Range: .76-1.46
Thyroglobulin: 30.7, Range: 0.0-55.0
Anti-Thyroglobulin: 96, Range: <61
Vitamin D: 25-Hydroxy: 53, Range:30-80

Compared to my old labs:
TSH: 1.060, Range: .358-3.8
Thyroxine, Free: .92, Range: .76-1.46
Free T3: 2.85, Range: 2.18-3.98
Thyroid Peroxidase Ab: 4.9, Range: 0.0 to 9.0
Thyroglobulin: 7.0, Range: 0.0-55.0
Anti-Thyroglobulin: 92, Range: <62
Vitamin D: 25-Hydroxy: 20.0, Range:30-80

This is on 25mcg levothyroxine. They keep on thinking I'm going to push HYPER. Nope. But I am having a lot of anxiety, heart palpitations and very strong patellar reflexes which are indicative of being hyper. (I have been under a tremendous amount of stress lately, though.)

I am concerned about my Thyroglobulin going up much higher. What does that mean???

I am very glad my Vitamin D is getting higher!

I am wondering if I may be developing another sort of auto-immune disease - perhaps Sjogren's Syndome. I had my genome run by 23andme.com and I have positive genetic markers for it. (only one for lupus) My eyes have been dry for weeks and I am always drinking water and use more chapstick than the average bear. How do I get tested for it and what do I need to know? Andros - I think you have this, right??

The diet is going well. Being GF is definately easier than before, but I still have my whistful moments of drooling over a piece of strawberry rhubarb pie a hot dog or chicken nuggets. I would never touch them, though.

I'm feeling better 4 days off of the bad vitamins. Hopefully that will improve over the next week or so.

I'm on sinus and chest infection #3 of the year. That has me concerned as well.

So some of the update is good, some not so much. But all-in-all I feel better than when I first joined the board!


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

Elegant_Phoenix said:


> I'm still trudging along!
> 
> I was feeling WONDERFUL for a while! I even started back at the gym. Then about three weeks ago, I started to feel much worse.
> 
> ...


Is your ferritin good? If not, that can cause palps, anxiety and so on.
Ferritin http://www.thewayup.com/newsletters/081504.htm

Have you ever had a sonogram or RAIU (radioactive uptake?)

Thyroglobulin Ab http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003557.htm

Understanding Thyroglobulin Ab.
http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/thyroglobulin/test.html

http://www.mdlinx.com/endocrinology...963/?news_id=811&newsdt=092010&subspec_id=419

Yes; I have Sjogren's and Lupus. Well, ANA (antinuclear antibodies) is suggestive of Sjogren's and a host of other things. So my doc did this test..............

The dryness of the eyes can be determined in the doctor's office by testing the eye's ability to wet a small testing paper strip placed under the eyelid (Schirmer's test using Schirmer tear test strips).

Combine that w/my symptoms, we concluded that I do have it. I just stay hyrdrated and like you, use a lot of chap stick. It can be very uncomfortable at times; especially the eyes. I have to constantly use lubricating drops. I often think how fortunate I am to be able to purchase the things I need. I could not imagine not being able to afford the drops and ointment for they are very very expensive.

3 infections and it is not even a whole year; that does not bode well. Have you had a chest x-ray? Have they done a smear to find out if your infection is Gram positive, Gram negative or Fungal? Many folks have fungal and antibiotics won't touch that.

Plain white potato boiled or baked is causing hives? My gosh; I just Googled that and indeed! It happens. Much to my surprise and they say it can be life-threatening as well.

Please share your allergen labs if you so desire when you get them back. It sure sounds like your immune system is majorly depressed; that is for sure. I hate this for you!

Have you had Anti-DNA, C3, C4 for Lupus?


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## Elegant_Phoenix (Feb 26, 2011)

Yep. The RAIU showed slightly HYPER. No nodules, just the pattern for Hashi's as was the ultrasound. It looked like swiss cheese. The endo felt that the RAIU was a bust because I followed the iodine-free diet too well so he threw it out of the mix. (insert eye roll here...)

I'm not sure on the Ferritin, but I would wager that it is low. It was before. I haven't been taking my supplement as it backs me up terribly. I know I need to switch back to the liquid one you had suggested before. I actually have a coupon for it. I'll do that today.

I think I'm going to head back to the doc later next week about the chest x-ray and the testing for Sjoren's.

The potato reaction is BAD! lol! My hubby made french fries at home so I know I wasn't contaminated with gluten. Just sliced and baked with olive oil and salt & pepper. Within minutes, my mouth was itchy and swollen and I had hives on my chest and legs. It affected my eyes, too. It gets worse each time. I have to be super careful as there is potato starch in a lot of GF baked goods. I got sooooo ill from eating a pancake I made from a baking mix before I figured out it was potatoes.

Do you think it would be a smart move to see a rhumetologist, or would it be a waste of a co-pay?


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

Elegant_Phoenix said:


> Yep. The RAIU showed slightly HYPER. No nodules, just the pattern for Hashi's as was the ultrasound. It looked like swiss cheese. The endo felt that the RAIU was a bust because I followed the iodine-free diet too well so he threw it out of the mix. (insert eye roll here...)
> 
> I'm not sure on the Ferritin, but I would wager that it is low. It was before. I haven't been taking my supplement as it backs me up terribly. I know I need to switch back to the liquid one you had suggested before. I actually have a coupon for it. I'll do that today.
> 
> ...


I actually do think that would be a smart move. He/she can run ANA, Anti-DNA, C3, C4 etc.. Things have to be ruled in or out here.

My dear sweet friend. Do NOT buy anything you do not prepare yourself from scratch at home. Forget the gluten-free mixes. There is plenty of good wholesome food to chose from.

By the way, that is exactly how my hubby make potatoes (fries in the oven) except he slathers them w/oregano. But don't you even go there.

You cannot take any chances and may I recommend that get the doc to Rx an epi pen? It would be a very wise thing to do.


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