# Newly Diagnosed



## TickledPinkTwice (Jul 28, 2011)

I have suffered with Hypothyroidism for 10 years. My labs have been all over the place,I have had TSH's of over 100 one time and the next time I was hyper. They would only run the Free T4 and TSH labs. Finally,I switched doctors and he decided to run a full panel. They are sending me the reports over but at this point they have found that it is in fact Hashimotos,along with Anemia. I feel so happy to know that finally someone listened to me! My question is what do I need to do different or what complications are there of having Hashimotos as opposed to regular Hypothyroidsim?

LABS DOWN BELOW


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## TickledPinkTwice (Jul 28, 2011)

Free T4- 1.78 range (.82-1.77)
TSH- .017 (.450-4.500)
TPO AB- 474 (0-34)
Triiodothyronine Free 3.6 (2.0-4.4) 
Here are my thyroid labs.


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## bigfoot (May 13, 2011)

First off, welcome from a fellow newbie! :hugs:

Do they have you taking any medicine for the thyroid issues? Have they run any other tests -- ultrasound, biopsy, etc? Is there a goiter or is your thyroid enlarged? Do you have trouble swallowing or feel pressure in your throat?

Your TSH looks low and your Free T4 looks high on those labs. I suspect you feel a little hyper lately? (Any of these? Fast pulse, anxiety, trouble sleeping, "tired but wired" feeling, increased motility, trouble focusing, and fatigue.)

Honestly, I don't know if big TSH swings like that are solely indicative of Hashimoto's, or perhaps something else as well. It looks like you came back with high levels of the TPO Ab which is indicative that something is definitely going on, not just hypothyroidism.

I'm sure someone will be along shortly with a lot more knowledge and experience to shed a little more light on all of this.

Other miscellaneous random thoughts from a fellow newbie:
* Might want to avoid soy and iodine-containing products.
* Gluten-free foods can help reduce inflammation.
* Same goes for a fiber-rich, whole-grain diet (Oatmeal, whole grain breads/cereals, lots of veggies, fruits, etc. Just gotta watch labs, as the fiber can reduce the absorption of thyroid meds. May need med increase.).
* Excess stress or exercising really hard may trigger a flare-up.
* Stay well hydrated with lots of water. Avoid soda, coffee, and caffeine.
* A good daily multivitamin, some Selenium (200mcg), and quality fish oil (e.g., Carlson's liquid) may help as well with keeping things in balance.
* May wish to take thyroid meds at night (3-4 hours after eating) to increase effectiveness. Studies about how digestion slows at night when sleeping, thereby boosting thyroid med absorption.
* Be consistent in timing of when you take thyroid meds.
* Avoid taking calcium or eating calcium-rich foods within 3-4 hours of taking thyroid meds.


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## TickledPinkTwice (Jul 28, 2011)

bigfoot said:


> First off, welcome from a fellow newbie! :hugs:
> 
> Do they have you taking any medicine for the thyroid issues?
> I Have they run any other tests -- ultrasound, biopsy, etc? Is there a goiter or is your thyroid enlarged? Do you have trouble swallowing or feel pressure in your throat?
> ...


I was on 112 mcg of Levothyroxine. He switched me to 100 mcg of Synthroid. My Thyroid has been enlarged in the past but the ultrasound findings showed normal,that was about 4 years ago. I have had problems swallowing in the past but they told me it was Globus Hystericus. I have been tired and sleepy but have been an insomniac. My pulse is always high. I also have an Arrhythmia is which I have two more tests that need to be ran. I also was diagnosed as having Anemia so I will be going on Iron supplements as well. Thanks for all the advice. Can this cause cancer or any other autoimmune disorders?


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## bigfoot (May 13, 2011)

Aha. Did the doc lower your Synthroid from 112 MCG to 100 MCG because of the recent labs showing a very low TSH and FT4 being elevated over normal (hyper)? If so, it can take a few weeks for you to notice the change, and up to 6-8 weeks for it to fully take effect. In the meantime it might feel like two steps forward, one step back. T4 medication (levothyroxine) has a long half-life.

You described being tired and sleepy, but still having insomnia. Sounds like "wired and tired" to me. That is exactly how I felt when they bumped up my levothyroxine too fast and I was over-medicated. Your body is in overdrive, thus the tiredness (and probably the fast pulse, too).

My understanding is that Hashi's is more temperamental than plain 'ol hypothyroidism. Harder to keep levels straight, need more frequent dose changes, along with the antibodies literally attacking your thyroid.

As far as any increased cancer risk I think there are two camps, some say yes, some say no. Who can guarantee anything, though? I think it's wise to stay on top of things with a good doc and labs/tests regardless.

From what I've seen around here, the anemia can take a while to reverse. If you are just starting the iron supplements now it might take some patience (word of the day, LOL).

:anim_32:


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