# I have a Hashi's diagnosis.



## Elegant_Phoenix (Feb 26, 2011)

Again with the labs and tests.

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

RAIU:
Radiologist suspects Hashi's - is recommending further bloodwork and a FNA. 
33% absorb rate over 24 hours. No nodules. The endo said that it could have been the diet he put me on before hand. **ugh!**

Ultrasound:
Increased vasculatization and enlargement. No nodules.

_________________________________

Bad appointment with the endo. He treats based on TSH alone. He told me I need to take a vacation. I have little stress in my life, but I am SICK. I KNOW something is wrong.

So he tells me I have Hashi's. A definate diagnosis.

He said that it is not my thyroid that is causing my symptoms. Huh??? Just go down the list of symptoms for Hashi's and you can see a picture of me. To the letter. Never mind my thyroid is painful and I have a goiter. Never mind I have gained 25 pounds since this started. Complete fog, exhaustion, the foot pain, the low vitamin D (he said that it's not related to Hashi's at all), the kidney stones, the dry skin and hair loss.

He is sending me back to my PCP to have them figure out why I am so symptomatic, but he will not treat me based on my TSH and said that it would be like filling an already full gas tank. He said that eventually I will go hypo and when I do, he will see me again. (NO WAY!) Until then, get my bloodwork checked once a year. Don't bother with a nutritionist, either. Sorry you feel so crappy - here's the door. He even had the nerve to suggest I was depressed. Take a vacation, he said. I'm floored!

Now what? I could just scream.

Maybe it's a kidney issue. I don't know. :sad0049:


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## lavender (Jul 13, 2010)

Find a new doctor who is willing to treat you this guy is not worth your time. Perhaps your PCP will be willing to send you for the FNA. I also think you need to have TSI antibodies tested.

My endo kept telling me all my symptoms were not related to my thyroid as well. Shocking that once my thyroid was properly treated, they have all disappeared. I got tons better after I fired him and found someone who was willing to give me proper treatment.

Just keep on walking. There is a doctor who can help you. Too bad we have to spend our $$$ to find out how terrible someone is!


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## lainey (Aug 26, 2010)

Let me say first that I am sorry that you have so many symptoms, and that your appointment with the endo wasn't as fruitful as you hoped.

It is unfortunate that your labs do not match how you feel.

It is unfortunate that this disease sometimes requires the patient to wait until they can be treated, because the results are not definitive enough to allow it.

It is not generally good practice to give thyroid medication to someone whose labs don't support that. And the RAIU? That did not show your thyroid to be hypoactive yet, did it? Even if you find another endo, and test for TSI as some have suggested here, you are not going to be in any better of a situation regarding the ability to take medication. To excess, thyroid medication is dangerous, it can cause heart rhythm irregularities and deplete bone stores. Regardless of your symptoms, you cannot give thyroid medication prophylactically, the patient has to have lab values that are at least outside of the ACCE range to do so with good confidence that they are not going to become hyperthyroid. Most doctors aren't going to buy the idea that they should trial medication because your frees are "low" in the range, they need to see the TSH out of range, or at least quite higher than the 50th percentile where yours is now.

You need to understand this, because seek as you might, it will be the rare practitioner of any stripe who will prescribe replacement medication to someone with your TSH. You are going to look long and hard to find one if this is what you believe is the answer.

In the meantime, you need follow up. One year is too long, 6 months is better. Your levels may or may not fall out of range, hopefully for you they will fall out of range sooner, but the path in this process for each person is different.


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## Elegant_Phoenix (Feb 26, 2011)

Thank you, both.

I get that thyroid meds are not right for me at this time. However, his approach was less than OK with me and he offered up nothing other than to take a vacation - it was incredibly insulting. No information on what Hashi's is, what could possibly cause it and what to do about it in the meantime while I wait for my thyroid to poop out. Nothing. He even had me keep a food log and never even bothered to look at it.

I figured that if he was so sure that my symptoms were NOT caused by my thyroid, that he may have some other suggestions as to what it might be from his 33 years of experience. Nothing. He just shrugged his shoulders and said to retest in a year.

I feel like there was not a lot of explaining and a lot of trying to get me out the door. It was extremely frustrating.

I think after I see my PCP tomorrow, I am going to look into a natural approach for symptom management until I do go hypo. I know several naturopaths in my area and I think I am going to give them a go to sort out the low vitamin D, calcium kindey stones, low ferritin and iron issue. I spoke with one today and she wants me tested for heavy metals and to do a 24 hour urine collection for calcium. I'll take that for now.

I am going to try to have a positive attitude about this, but right now it's very hard.


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## lavender (Jul 13, 2010)

Lainey may be right, it may be hard to get treatment at this point, but I don't understand why the doc ignored the radiologist's suggestion for a FNA, and TSI could point to hyperthyroid activity which would mean a different course of treatment.

I get pretty passionate about this stuff because I was blown off by docs for years while I gradually became more and more disabled, living like an invalid when I was 30. My condition was near lethal before my doc acknowledged I had a thyroid problem, and I have lost a year of my life trying to recover. I am now healthier than I have been in years without treating anything other than my thyroid. I suspect that a lot of this could have been prevented, but I honestly don't know.

At the least, you found out this is not a good doc, and continuing to look will ensure that you have a good one when your condition progresses. At best, you may find someone who is able to help you now and prevent something worse from happening.

Just be cautious with the naturopaths. There are some good ones out there, but my experience has shown me that many just prey on sick people and bleed them for money on worthless treatment. I don't know anything about heavy metal testing or 24 our calcium testing, but I know that low ferretin and Vitamin D can leave you with fatigue, and I have learned a lot about calcium this past year and how that can affect the functioning of your entire system. A good PCP should be willing to test those, all covered by insurance. Then it could help to have someone recommend good supplements if you need them. I would run fast from anyone who tried to convince me to buy products out of their office that I couldn't get anywhere else.

My chiropractor has been an excellent resource. She does not bleed me for money. She carries supplements in her office, but I can get them elsewhere, and she does not pressure me to buy them. She asks if what she is doing is helping, and if not, she doesn't treat me, and doesn't charge me just for showing up in her office!


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## lainey (Aug 26, 2010)

Elegant_Phoenix said:


> Thank you, both.
> 
> I feel like there was not a lot of explaining and a lot of trying to get me out the door. It was extremely frustrating.


Yes, he should be fired based on that alone. He led you on in the beginning by implying that he was going to get to the bottom of things. Honestly I don't know of a lot of doctors that do a lot of explaining, they are a rare breed. You need to find one that is going to take the time to work with you. I think a lot of them today assume that we patients are getting most of our information from the internet, and bother even less to explain things, they figure we already have things psyched out, when really they should work at that even more, just because of the level of mis-information that exists.



Elegant_Phoenix said:


> I know several naturopaths in my area and I think I am going to give them a go to sort out the low vitamin D, calcium kindey stones, low ferritin and iron issue. I spoke with one today and she wants me tested for heavy metals and to do a 24 hour urine collection for calcium.


Just be wary of the heavy metals tests. As lavender said (and you can read a thread in this folder on mercury poisoning from a few days ago if you care to), be careful on this path, especially of anyone selling their own supplements. The ferritin and vitamin D can easily be addressed by your PCP, and correcting those can help. You may want to consider a urologist for the kidney stones--they are really the most up to date on the diagnosis and treatment of those.



Elegant_Phoenix said:


> I am going to try to have a positive attitude about this, but right now it's very hard.


Well of course it's hard, because you have a diagnosis, but no solution. You are not alone--there are plenty of people on this board to help, and even a couple of posters in the recent past in the same position.

Keep the faith, you'll get through.


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## Elegant_Phoenix (Feb 26, 2011)

Thank you both again.

I took a look at some of the naturopath sites and OMG! $300.00 an hour? No way. My husband reminded me that a couple of ladies in his office have been bled dry by their naturopath and fired them because they kept changing their diagnosis when their sure-fire supplementation didn't work. Not for me. I'm all for alternative medicine, but when their profit is blasting me in the face, that is a red flag to run elsewhere.

I have been treated by an NP/certified nutritionist in the past for constipation and have used the Standard Process supplements with much success. I will probably see her within the next week or so, but I will see my PCP tomorrow. The PCP had mentioned a 24 hour urine collection in the past and may order one tomorrow. I'm cool with that. These kidney stones are the worst! I'll ask for a referral to a urologist as well. Maybe another Endo. My PCP's NP has Hashi's (told me this when I saw her several weeks ago) but she's out of the office this week. I'm hoping she will be a good resource for me.

So do we just wait around for our thyroids to quit working?

I'm such a planner by nature I would love to know when it would go hypo! lol

I guess in the meantime, I will do what I can with diet and supplements to help alleviate some of the symptoms. It's just that there are so many - they can't all be separate issues. Or can they? But the Hashimoto's! Guh.


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## lainey (Aug 26, 2010)

>>So do we just wait around for our thyroids to quit working?<<

Ummm, well, seeing as there isn't really a way to stop it or hurry it up.....

Sound off to the PCP a little and see if you can get some help with some of the other things--vitamin D and iron, support to investigate why you are having stones. They can handle the follow-up testing too, and now that you know what to ask for, you can direct that a little bit too.

The key may be in seeing the NP with Hashi's. She may be a little more attentive to your labs and symptoms, and may be of some help in lobbying for treatment in the future.


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## Elegant_Phoenix (Feb 26, 2011)

lainey said:


> >>So do we just wait around for our thyroids to quit working?<<
> 
> Ummm, well, seeing as there isn't really a way to stop it or hurry it up.....


lol! Darn it!



lainey said:


> Sound off to the PCP a little and see if you can get some help with some of the other things--vitamin D and iron, support to investigate why you are having stones. They can handle the follow-up testing too, and now that you know what to ask for, you can direct that a little bit too.
> 
> The key may be in seeing the NP with Hashi's. She may be a little more attentive to your labs and symptoms, and may be of some help in lobbying for treatment in the future.


That's what I plan on doing. I'm thinking if I can get that mess untangled a bit, it will keep me busy and hopefully get me feeling better so when my thyroid does poop out, there isn't a question.

I also scheduled with my acupuncturist on Thursday. If he can help the foot pain, I'm in. Hopefully with some time he can help balance out some of the rough spots.


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## lavender (Jul 13, 2010)

If the NP can order labs and prescribe thyroid replacement (if and when you may need them), she may be your best resource. Endos are not always the best at treating thyroid issues since many tend to focus on numbers, not how someone feels.


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## China (Mar 29, 2011)

OMG!! I read your post and it's like I am hearing my own story. I was recently told I have early stages of hashi. I have excessive hair loss, I don't really gain weight but I don't loss weight either I feel that I am stuck. I am super tired and my feet are killing me. My endo said that my syndomes are not related to hashi. I said Say What!!!?? I go for my blood work today they are checking my antibodies as well. I also have a nodule that measures .7cm they say too small for a biopsy. And I was told I have lymph nodes but that it's related to hashi. I was like WHAT??!! I am concern about the whole thing.:sad0049:


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## Jaimee (Aug 18, 2010)

So sorry Phoenix!!! That sounds exactly like what I was told by my Endo when my labs came back positive for Hashi's. I was so frustrated. I was ready to hang it all up right then and just not go back to the doctor for anything! "Lucky" for me it ended up I had cancer... So the thyroid came out and I have eventually begun feeling human again. Now I LOVE my Endo (same guy!). I just don't think many Endos have experience treating symptomatic Hashi's without the numbers being in the wrong place. I wonder if a rheumatologist might be a better fit since they deal with more autoimmune problems? Just a thought.


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

Elegant_Phoenix said:


> Again with the labs and tests.
> 
> Labs:
> TSH: 1.060, Range: .358-3.8
> ...


This is one scary dude! Please do not go back. This guy is a TSH worshiper and frankly, I don't think he even understands that part of it. Your FREES are in the basement. The radiologist recommends FNA.

You do need those other antibodies' tests; you really do but the most important thing right now should be the FNA and getting someone to listen to you.

TSI (thyroid stimulating immunoglobulin),TPO (antimicrosomal antibodies) TBII (thyrotropin-binding inhibitory immunoglobulin), Thyroglobulin Ab, ANA (antinuclear antibodies), (thyroid hormone panel) TSH, Free T3, Free T4.

You can look this stuff up here and more.........
http://www.labtestsonline.org/

I hear you; loud and clear. There is no question but what you have thyroid disease and that is not to say that something else is not going on but whatever it is, it could be secondary to the primary of thyroid disease.

Your thyroid should not be painful. You need that FNA; you "really" do!

Thyroid cancer symptoms
http://www.cityofhope.org/patient_care/treatments/thyroid-cancer/Pages/symptoms.aspx

This is not the first time I have seen labs like yours. Very suspicious.

Thyroglobulin Ab and cancer
http://qjmed.oxfordjournals.org/content/59/2/429.full.pdf

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

Vitamin D
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-04/arf-vdm040809.php


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## Elegant_Phoenix (Feb 26, 2011)

Jaimee said:


> So sorry Phoenix!!! That sounds exactly like what I was told by my Endo when my labs came back positive for Hashi's. I was so frustrated. I was ready to hang it all up right then and just not go back to the doctor for anything! "Lucky" for me it ended up I had cancer... So the thyroid came out and I have eventually begun feeling human again. Now I LOVE my Endo (same guy!). I just don't think many Endos have experience treating symptomatic Hashi's without the numbers being in the wrong place. I wonder if a rheumatologist might be a better fit since they deal with more autoimmune problems? Just a thought.


What tests did you have done to determine that you had cancer? The radiologist said that my thyroid didn't suggest cancer after I had my RAIU.

I'll ask about a rheumatologist. Thanks for the suggestion.


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## Elegant_Phoenix (Feb 26, 2011)

I swear, I do know know where I would be if I hadn't found this board! My sanity thanks you!

I feel better today about the whole thing. This guy threw me for a loop yesterday. I was beginning to question if this is all in my head.


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## Elegant_Phoenix (Feb 26, 2011)

Oh - Andros...

He had the nerve to suggest that I might have an esophagus issue that is causing the pain and burning across my neck and the difficulty swallowing crunchy food. (The swallowing issues comes and goes depending on how painful the thyroid is that day.)


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

Elegant_Phoenix said:


> What tests did you have done to determine that you had cancer? The radiologist said that my thyroid didn't suggest cancer after I had my RAIU.
> 
> I'll ask about a rheumatologist. Thanks for the suggestion.


Why then did the radiologist recommend FNA?

Thyroglobulin, Thryoglobulin Ab. I put 2 links in previous post.


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## lavender (Jul 13, 2010)

I'm confused. Why would the radiologist recommend FNA if he's also saying the RAIU results don't suggest cancer? It sounds like he contradicted his own recommendation.

FNA is done to check for cancer. If you have a nodule, that could be causing the pain. FNA may be able to detect cancer, but it is not 100% because sometimes it comes back positive for cancer and sometimes it comes back inconclusive. The only 100% sure method to check for cancer is to have a pathologist look at your gland after it has been surgically removed.

Bloodwork, RAIU, and FNA are used as tools to help you and your docs decide if surgery is warranted.


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## Elegant_Phoenix (Feb 26, 2011)

lavender said:


> I'm confused. Why would the radiologist recommend FNA if he's also saying the RAIU results don't suggest cancer? It sounds like he contradicted his own recommendation.
> 
> FNA is done to check for cancer. If you have a nodule, that could be causing the pain. FNA may be able to detect cancer, but it is not 100% because sometimes it comes back positive for cancer and sometimes it comes back inconclusive. The only 100% sure method to check for cancer is to have a pathologist look at your gland after it has been surgically removed.
> 
> Bloodwork, RAIU, and FNA are used as tools to help you and your docs decide if surgery is warranted.


Now I'm confused as well.

I'm guessing it was to look for the cells that are indicative to Hashimoto's. Hurthle cells. He talked about that.

But I see what you are saying.


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## Elegant_Phoenix (Feb 26, 2011)

Andros said:


> Why then did the radiologist recommend FNA?
> 
> Thyroglobulin, Thryoglobulin Ab. I put 2 links in previous post.


To look for the Hurthle cells.

I'll ask about those two tests today. I'm still figuring out what means what and haven't gotten that far yet. All of the test names are starting to look the same and I'm trying to keep them straight along with what each does.


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## lavender (Jul 13, 2010)

Hurthle cells can be associated with Hashi's or cancer.

It sounds like you have been given a lot of confusing info between the radiologist and the endo. Perhaps the radiologist told you cancer is unlikely because he does not want to scare you, perhaps he thinks it is truly unlikely, I don't know. The fact is that he recommended further testing and the endo ignored that.

I know that my docs never even uttered the word cancer to me, but I was still sent for RAIU. My glad was still sent to pathology after surgery. It was not until after surgery that I even heard the C word, and that was to tell me I didn't have it.

If it were me, I would want the FNA. The pain in your neck is telling you something. Listen to your body!


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## Elegant_Phoenix (Feb 26, 2011)

Thank you lavender!

Here is a question for you...

I know cancer in general comes in a lot of different forms. It can be granular or in large tumors or nodules, etc... What about thyroid cancer? I do not have a specific nodule. I know I have swelling, pain/fullness and increased vascularization. I so wish I had a copy of the radiology report from the RAIU. I recall the endo saying something about homogenous appearance, but there was one area that was different- possibly that it did not uptake as much as the rest, but I don't know for sure. He had a word for it, but I do not recall. This was after he told me to take a vacation, so I had kind of checked out at that point.

I think I can get a copy of the report today.


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## lavender (Jul 13, 2010)

I honestly don't know a whole lot about thyroid cancer. From what I do know, it's usually associated with a nodule. I have never heard of someone being referred for FNA when there was not a nodule. That's why the radiologists comments confuse me.

I do know that I was not aware of having any nodules until after my surgery when I read my pathology report, which said I had multiple nodules. If any nodules were found in my RAIU, no one ever told me, but I had already decided to have surgery and nodules would not have changed my decision.

Someone else may be able to help you with this, and hopefully the radiologist's report can shed some light on the subject.


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## lainey (Aug 26, 2010)

Elegant_Phoenix said:


> Again with the labs and tests.
> 
> Labs:
> TSH: 1.060, Range: .358-3.8
> ...


Hmm, I believe I said somewhere that he might have screwed you with the low iodine diet--usually you just show up for the RAIU after an 8 hour fast--and you ended up with a normal uptake from an iodine deprived thyroid. Just from the sake of medical testing, I don't think it's smart to expose yourself to the radiation in that test again for a good period of time, however (your guess here is as good as mine, I don't know the research on it, I am applying common sense but a year sounds right).

The RAIU would have shown any nodules. The report did not find any. If you have a nodule, depending on its size, a FNA is performed on it to see if it has abnormal cells. This would be to check an adenoma specifically for cancer.

If you have no nodules, cancer is really, really unlikely. This discussion needs to cycle back around to that. The FNA suggested by the radiologist would have been to confirm the Hashi's diagnosis via the presence of Hurthle cells, but you got that diagnosis on the basis of your blood work antibodies and enlarged gland.

Other than the additional antibodies blood work, there isn't really a lot you can do re: the thyroid itself, that hasn't been done for the moment. You can repeat the blood work in 3 to 6 months and the ultrasound in a period of time (a year most likely). Hopefully your blood work numbers will fall out of range before that so that you don't have to do the expensive stuff all over again.

If your thyroid wasn't so enlarged on the ultrasound and showing that it is interfering with other structures, then it's actually not that far fetched that the pain and burning when swallowing could be an issue such as GERD or something else with your esophagus. In that case, an ENT would be the choice to check that out.


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

Elegant_Phoenix said:


> Thank you lavender!
> 
> Here is a question for you...
> 
> ...


Probably inhomogenous and hypoechoic. Sound familiar? And vascularity is something that raises an eyebrow also. It could suggest follicular cancer.

Types
Of the two most common forms of thyroid cancer, papillary and follicular, vascular invasion occurs more frequently with follicular carcinoma, as the malignant cells easily move into the veins and arteries inside the thyroid gland.

Read more: Thyroid Tumor With Vascular Invasion | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/facts_5750327_thyroid-tumor-vascular-invasion.html#ixzz1I0oCl7Xw

Please get that FNA.

How utterly insulting to be told to take a vacation. Don't ever forget that guy 'cause when you do get taken care of and I know you will, I hope you let that condscending you know what hear about it. I really do!


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## Jaimee (Aug 18, 2010)

Elegant_Phoenix said:


> What tests did you have done to determine that you had cancer? The radiologist said that my thyroid didn't suggest cancer after I had my RAIU.
> 
> I'll ask about a rheumatologist. Thanks for the suggestion.


We did not get a definitive cancer diagnosis until AFTER my thyroid was OUT believe it or not. I had 2 nodules biopsied. One came back as benign and the other "indeterminate." The endo really didn't think it was cancerous. He also said I could just have that one nodule removed, or half of the thyroid. However the BENIGN one was the one that was causing me throat/neck issues with swallowing, hoarseness, etc. So we opted to take the whole thing out. Come to find out I had one larger spot of partially encapsulated cancer which had spread to 2 smaller spots within the thyroid.

I waivered back and forth on whether to have it out. But I think what finally made up my mind was that my antithyroglobulin (I had to ASK for it to be tested) was in the 900's and I found out here and other places on the web that that can be suggestive of thyroid cancer. Plus I just felt awful and figured it can't get any worse than this ya know!?! lol. Anyway, it did get worse before it got better. I had some complications from the surgery, and a lot of depression and then more complications from the treatment. However, now 4 months post-op I am feeling MUCH better and believe I made the best decision for my health and well being long term.

You HAVE to be your own advocate. It's sad that that's the way it is, but it is. You can be nice and sweet and ask questions respectfully and still get the treatment and information you need. But you may have to doctor shop to find the right fit. Much luck to you in this journey! hugs3


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## lavender (Jul 13, 2010)

lainey said:


> Hmm, I believe I said somewhere that he might have screwed you with the low iodine diet--usually you just show up for the RAIU after an 8 hour fast--and you ended up with a normal uptake from an iodine deprived thyroid.


I was given a list of high iodine containing foods/supplements to avoid for a week or so before my RAIU. Based on the info I got from my endo and the hospital nuc medicine dept, I thought this was standard practice.


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## lainey (Aug 26, 2010)

lavender said:


> I was given a list of high iodine containing foods/supplements to avoid for a week or so before my RAIU. Based on the info I got from my endo and the hospital nuc medicine dept, I thought this was standard practice.


I looked and looked, and really it seems to be at the discretion of the provider. Most sites specifically recommend stopping iodine containing supplements, and avoid high iodine foods, but very few recommend a low iodine diet specifically. Almost all say an 8 hour fast is required.

Now maybe I am mistaken in what I interpret as "low iodine". I am thinking of the specific diet given to thyroid cancer patients before the whole body scan, which you do for a couple of weeks before the scan, that limits you to foods that have almost no iodine in it when I see "low iodine diet".

This is different from the recommendation to avoid seafood and supplements that is commonly done.

Stopping the iodine rich foods and supplements likely would give a normal result. The "low iodine" as I was thinking of it would have made things different I think.

So, then I guess the question is to Elegant Phoenix, which did you do? Stopping supplements and sea food, or eating the very low iodine diet with special recipes?


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## Elegant_Phoenix (Feb 26, 2011)

lainey said:


> So, then I guess the question is to Elegant Phoenix, which did you do? Stopping supplements and sea food, or eating the very low iodine diet with special recipes?


My endo had me follow the thyca.com diet for a week and a half before the RAIU. No dairy, no seafood/vegetables, no salt, no eating out, no egg yolks.

The neuclear medicne folks told me the Friday before I took my pill (on a Monday) that I needed to stop taking any supplements and don't eat seafood. That was it.

At my appointment yesterday, he said I uptook at a rate of 33% over 24 hours. I don't know what that translates to, but aparently that shows a high absorption rate. He did not expalin. What he did say is that the thyca.com diet could have skewed the results as I probably followed it too well than the typical person does and the rate would have most likely been lower if I had followed what the neucelar medicine folks said. Huh??? So I just took this test for what? The results then truly mean nothing. (I'm just now thinking through this, I've been running errands and chasing after a 5 year old all morning. Birthday party tonight and I'm making a chocolate mousse pie!) I'm ****ed now that I've had a minute to reflect back on this.

I guess if my doc tells me to do something like that for a test I'm going to do it to get accurate results and THEN he tells me I did it too well and the results aren't reliable?

Just one more reason to fire the dude.

Thank you guys, for talking me through this. My appointment with my PCP is in 30 minutes. I'll start a new thread. I'm wearing water-proof mascara just in case. Heh.


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## livinginhope (Mar 5, 2011)

Hi Elegant_Phoenix,

I just wanted to let you know that I was thinking of you and I hear everything you are saying. I tried to get help for 5 years for my debilitating symptoms and finally (it was an accident though) they found it was Hashi's.

Even after the diagnosis I was told by 1 doctor that she wouldn't treat it and instead she was going to send me to a psychologist (for depression), nutritionist (cause "I'm probably eating more than I think") and exercise physiologist (even though I had a personal trainer twice a week and also exercised myself every other day) and blood pressure meds. She would then keep re-testing me until my thyroid completely pooped itself!! So I saw another doctor and he said I definitely needed treatment, so that's what I'm doing but it is still a long hard road getting the meds right and every day is a struggle to get through.

So I guess I just wanted to let you know that you're not alone and I understand totally how hard it is to deal with the symptoms and how frustrated you must be. Keep reading the boards as they are a great source of comfort and knowledge for me, I have learnt so much about what needs to happen and I can now tell my doctor what we need to do next!! You need to be well informed when dealing with doctors.

Keep your chin up. 
Lisa :hugs:


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

Elegant_Phoenix said:


> To look for the Hurthle cells.
> 
> I'll ask about those two tests today. I'm still figuring out what means what and haven't gotten that far yet. All of the test names are starting to look the same and I'm trying to keep them straight along with what each does.


There are Hurthle cells indigeneous to Hashimoto's and in fact, as far as I am concerned would be the only realy proof that the patient indeed does have Hashimoto's and............................get ready; I am throwing you a curve ball!

There "are" Hurthle cells indigenous to cancer. Only a good pathologist can distinguish between the two.


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