Early stage Hashimoto

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thyroid treatment, whether it's for Hashimoto's or Grave's, is based first and foremost on your bloodwork numbers: one for TSH, the other for the thyroid hormones T4 and T3. Treatment is also based on your symptoms, see below -

When you are hyper-thyroid, you make too much T4 and your TSH is too low. This leads to accelerated heart rate, anxiety/irritability, insomnia/fatigue, weight loss, hair loss, tremors. If a patient goes into thyroid storm, where thyroid hormones really spike and TSH is zero, that's a medical emergency that can lead to death by cardiac arrhythmia. It happened to me - I was ambulanced to the ER in the middle of the night. If you're slightly hyper for a long time, you can live with hyperthyroidism but you also increase your risk of osteoporosis.

When you are hypo-thyroid, you don't make enough T4, and your TSH is too high. This leads to a lower heart rate, depression/fatigue/lethargy, weight gain, and if allowed to get progressively worse, organ failure and death. Many people, starting in middle-age, become hypothyroid and need lifelong thyroid hormone supplementation in the form of levothyroxine or Synthroid.

So get a hold of your numbers, check online what the normal range is and where you are in that range. You'll find the normal range for the population is ENORMOUS. Every individual feels comfortable in their own, much narrower range of normal. You'll have to figure out for yourself where in the normal range you feel most comfortable.

Finding the right dose of thyroid hormone medication takes time because your body needs 6 weeks to stabilize on a new dose.

Nothing else apart from thyroid medication can help your body increase or suppress your level of hormones. If you were prescribed diet changes by a doctor but no levothyroxine or Synthroid (or antithyroid drugs in the case of hyperthyroidism), it likely means your thyroid hormones are in the normal range for now. If you feel you're borderline and don't feel well, talk to your doctor.

Fatigue is not by itself an indicator of problems with your thyroid levels. If there is no obvious link to your thyroid issues, you should get additional bloodwork and explore anemia, sleep apnea or other issues to figure out why you are fatigued.

The most important item everyone needs in the northern hemisphere is vitamin D. If you're going to take a supplement, take some vit D, and make sure it comes from a manufacturer that is third party tested (such as a USP seal on the bottle). Supplements, if they're uncontaminated by heavy metals, have their place in human diets. The problem is that in the US they are not adequately regulated by the FDA, and contamination by lead, mercury and other toxins is unfortunately always a risk.

Omg - you are such an angel person! How do you do that? Thanks so much. I will read this again tomorrow. -To process better.

[Anonymous]

You may need a better doctor or to see them more frequently. My PCP did not manage my thyroid condition properly because he only looked at the numbers. I was technically in an ok range but felt bad and got worse. If you are still so tired, go back and tell the Dr the meds are not working. I need my TSH under 2 to feel ok but others may feel ok up to 4. Find a doctor who will help you with your symptoms.

[Anonymous]

this doesnt make sense. If you have hashimotos, they should be prescribing thyroid medication. I would see a different doctor.

[Anonymous]

lol lol smh

[Anonymous]

If your fatigue resolved with taking a B vitamin, then hashimoto’s is likely unrelated to your fatigue right now and you can continue to take the daily supplement. B vitamins are not fat soluble, so your body will pee out whatever it doesn’t need.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:lol lol smh

Poor mean person. Finding fun in someone else’s illness and inability to keep track.

[Anonymous]

I can't believe a doctor told you to self treat with a vitamin

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is op. I’m sorry for skimpy post. Well, the dr told me ‘early stage’ b/c it was hard to ID, and only one of 3 tests caught it. She recommended diet adjustment but ultimately hormone therapy may be needed. So I excluded gluten and dairy, but occasionally I cheat of course. Who does not like good bread…

So, my main complaint is I’m tired for no f-ing reason. When I take self-prescribed and self-figured out b-complex, I’m fine and function like a normal person. I have to add I’m in my early 50s, and I think whatever this is, menopause stuff is mixed up in the picture.

So, I thought taking vitamins for the rest of your life can’t be good — you gotta get off it. In general, I am for natural remedies rather than any pills or supplements.

I have to get me blood test and next consult soon - it’s been 1.5y since diagnosis and I’d do not go back.

Now, I’m too exhausted to get the f-ing labs done. I just hate wasting the days b/c you are too tired for no reason. I could not walk my dog today - ugh. Sorry for whining and venting.

Your thyroid isn't working correctly. There's no long term "natural remedy" for that. You're going to need a daily dose of Synthroid or similar for the rest of your life. If the B vitamins are helping right now, it's fine to stick with that, but eventually you're going to need medication daily. Or be really, really tired for the rest of your life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If your fatigue resolved with taking a B vitamin, then hashimoto’s is likely unrelated to your fatigue right now and you can continue to take the daily supplement. B vitamins are not fat soluble, so your body will pee out whatever it doesn’t need.

More likely it's anemia

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If your fatigue resolved with taking a B vitamin, then hashimoto’s is likely unrelated to your fatigue right now and you can continue to take the daily supplement. B vitamins are not fat soluble, so your body will pee out whatever it doesn’t need.

More likely it's anemia

She still needs to treat the Hashimoto's with daily synthroid for the rest of her life. I don't understand OP's hesitation in getting real medical treatment when she could be back to normal in 6-8 weeks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If your fatigue resolved with taking a B vitamin, then hashimoto’s is likely unrelated to your fatigue right now and you can continue to take the daily supplement. B vitamins are not fat soluble, so your body will pee out whatever it doesn’t need.

More likely it's anemia

She still needs to treat the Hashimoto's with daily synthroid for the rest of her life. I don't understand OP's hesitation in getting real medical treatment when she could be back to normal in 6-8 weeks.

I suspect OP has not actually been diagnosed with hashimotos but is Web md-ing. Thyroid issues are real and not uncommon but also often where people who want vague attention and sympathy go for it especially online.

And before you yell at me for criticizing a sick person please understand that if OP wants to get help for an actual thyroid problem she has all the tools at her disposal to do so and nothing I've said here will stop her. If on the other hand she's just using some googling of thyroid issues to self-diagnose and sympathy seek then what I've said here is a problem.

[Anonymous]

You can still be sub clinical even if you have TPO antibodies that would indicate Hashimoto’s. I did not need mine treated for a few years. I had the antibodies, but my T4 and other thyroid levels were fine — and I felt good. As soon as that changed and they checked my thyroid again, I needed treatment.

If you’re feeling fatigued etc. and the vitamins don’t help, get right back in and ask for medication. It’s just not worth it to suffer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is op. I’m sorry for skimpy post. Well, the dr told me ‘early stage’ b/c it was hard to ID, and only one of 3 tests caught it. She recommended diet adjustment but ultimately hormone therapy may be needed. So I excluded gluten and dairy, but occasionally I cheat of course. Who does not like good bread…

So, my main complaint is I’m tired for no f-ing reason. When I take self-prescribed and self-figured out b-complex, I’m fine and function like a normal person. I have to add I’m in my early 50s, and I think whatever this is, menopause stuff is mixed up in the picture.

So, I thought taking vitamins for the rest of your life can’t be good — you gotta get off it. In general, I am for natural remedies rather than any pills or supplements.

I have to get me blood test and next consult soon - it’s been 1.5y since diagnosis and I’d do not go back.

Now, I’m too exhausted to get the f-ing labs done. I just hate wasting the days b/c you are too tired for no reason. I could not walk my dog today - ugh. Sorry for whining and venting.

It's not hard to ID.
See an endocrinologist.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is your tsh? Are you seeing an endocrinologist? I’m concerned that you are hypothyroid and not being properly treated.

I am so bad with those numbers…
Yes, I ended up seeing Endo. It took her like a few minutes to look at my labs and state - oh yes - you have hashimoto - but its early stage.
I can’t keep up with this health stuff.
Some other issues here too so - I just know that one metric was off and I think it was anti body test. Everything else was like PERFECT.

Actually, for a while, no one could find out what was wrong with me and I felt like an idiot.

"Early stage" is odd. But maybe it's a new thing?
Maybe she just means your numbers aren't severe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can't believe a doctor told you to self treat with a vitamin

She did not tell me. I went ahead on my own, targeted vitamin for energy.

The doctor (endocrinologist) told me I have ‘early stage’ thus it is up to me whether to start some hormonal treatment or not. She said I can try diet change as well plus minerals as supplements - magnesium+ .

At first, diet change helped. Plus I was mad that I have hashi and fought it mentally. Pushed through tired. Then - got on b vitamins and now, if I don’t take b-complex, I’m just UNWELL. This means you wake up as if the bus ran over you and now you need to recover - sleep it off and rest. This sucks.

I did not make it to labcirp this Saturday because I was too tired and did not want to bug my husband to drive either.

I cancel on people more often than not, but then there are good days.

My labs show every f-ing thing is normal… no anemia or anything else.

One test was off and that was the clue to endocrinologist to diagnose hashimoto. B/c other tests looked normal, I think she diagnosed it as *early* stage. ‘You definitely have hashimoto but it’s early stage’ - she said.
She took a note of my symptoms before stating the diagnosis:
- Always feeling cold (I am that person who carries around a sweater everywhere)
- Unjustified fatigue quite often (tired even after a few days of rest and lots of sleep)

And I went to the specialist - endocrinologist - actually, after being here a few times and complaining about constant fatigue despite good labs. Poster told me to see endocrinologist… so I did