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Thyroid Disorders
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Posted 1/28/2018 9:27 PM (GMT 0)
Hi folks,

I know absolutely nothing about the Thyroid, but got some labs done out of curiosity. I got labs done. I'm currently being treated for Lyme Disease (feel pretty good, almost better!). I've done a lot of searching online but can't seem to understand anything about this.

Here are my labs:
T3 Uptake: 33 RANGE - 22-35
T4 (thyroxine), total - 6.7. Range 4.5-12.0
TSH 6.6 Range: .4-4.5
T3 Reverse 19 Range: 8-25

Antibodies:
TGO - 222
TPO - 25
TSI - 89 Range - under 140

I don't have any money to spend on a functional doctor; I live in one of the most expensive places in the country and had to take a lot of time off work because of Lyme, which has cost me a fortune.

My regular doc said nothing is wrong. My Lyme Doc put me on a low-dose of Armour. After about a week, my neck/chin started feeling weird/tight/hoarse, almost like there's a lump in my throat. And sometimes my ears hurt. It scared me, but Astroman on here said it's not too abnormal while I adjust. And yesterday, I felt extremely crappy and lightheaded, shaky, very faint while trying to exercise. I have no idea if that was thyroid/medication related, but it scared me.

My Lyme Doc is not super educated in thyroid stuff.

I don't have a lot of symptoms that I can guarantee are thyroid, but a lot of crossover thyroid/Lyme ones - muscle pain, aches, feeling bleh sometimes.

Would love some help.
Posted 1/30/2018 6:11 AM (GMT 0)
Seems like your Lyme Doctor did the right thing by prescribing Armour (I have taken it for 20 years). Your TSH is elevated. It can take up to six weeks to adjust to the thyroid replacement. Ask for a retest then. Too much thyroid replacement and you will run hyper. Elevated antibodies? It usually means autoimmune thyroiditis. Not sure how Lyme Isease can impact antibodies testing.

Be patient. Your symptoms most likely are due to your thyroid and not the Armour.
Posted 1/31/2018 4:01 AM (GMT 0)
Actually, its not that uncommon to feel even worse (several weeks) while starting thyroid medicine before you start to feel better. Trembling, shaky, sweaty- thats all symptoms of your hormones adjusting. It takes weeks, not days. I have to increase thyroid med real slow, otherwise I'm hyper for a week or so. Increasing slower makes less symptoms, but also pushes out the 6 week re-test time.

The lyme and thyroid having similar symptoms are confusing. Low thyroid can be just as miserable as lyme sometimes. I have put cool packs on my thyroid when it was soar and hoarse.

"Antibodies:
TGO - 222
TPO - 25 "
- need ranges for these

My thyroid is low again, and its actually soar too. I want a new one, my thyroid's a beater.
Posted 2/1/2018 5:17 PM (GMT 0)
Good to hear from you both. The sore throat type symptoms freak me out because I feel like it might be some kind of allergy. I'll try to be more patient: I plan on working on diet/gluten/dairy etc to see what I can do naturally.

Here are the ranges for my antibodies:
TGO: < or = 1 IU/mL NL1

TPO: 25 H RANGE: <9 IU/mL

TSI <89 RANGE: <140 % baseline
Posted 2/2/2018 3:53 AM (GMT 0)

jackinthebox said...
Good to hear from you both. The sore throat type symptoms freak me out because I feel like it might be some kind of allergy. I'll try to be more patient: I plan on working on diet/gluten/dairy etc to see what I can do naturally.

Here are the ranges for my antibodies:
TGO: < or = 1 IU/mL NL1

TPO: 25 H RANGE: <9 IU/mL

TSI <89 RANGE: <140 % baseline

Your TPO, like it says, is high. Which means you have autoimune Hashimoto as the reason for your low functioning thyroid. TSI looks fine, no Graves disease.

The latest greatest diet for hashimoto is zero milk products and no gluten. I drink almond milk and live without other animal milk products. I miss cheese. Oh well. I use vegan fake cheese on my home made healthy tacos.

This diet normalized my TPO antibody for almost one year. Now its tetertotering on the boarder. Diet never helped my high TGab (TGO), its still way high.

If your hashimoto is fairly new onset, there is a better chance this diet will help. - and eradicating the lyme should help the autoimmune condition too.
Posted 2/4/2018 5:26 PM (GMT 0)
Astroman - out of curiosity, what happens if I meds kick me into hyper T3 but not T4, for example? I ask because my T3 was already on the high end before I started meds.

My ears are all blocked today and it's weird. Oh, the life...

Post Edited (jackinthebox) : 2/4/2018 10:57:47 AM (GMT-7)

Posted 2/4/2018 8:06 PM (GMT 0)
What I forget to mention, is the most accurate T3 and T4 tests are called "free T3" and "free T4", not the ones you used. Do these next time, this is the standard today and has been for 15 years.

Your free T3 might be lower than uptake T3.

"Uptake" sounds impressive, but its not accurate.

The deal with pig thyroid is you need to monitor free T3 more. You can go hyper on over T3, it feels the same as temporary hyper when your body is starting out on it. This is somewhat trial and error with commitment of 6 weeks. Sometimes there is light at the end of the tunnel. Yes, you can feel like crap till then.

Good thing about hyper on T3, stop for one day and you mellow out. Its only ion your blood a short time. Your body makes it as it needs it, if you convert correctly.

I ran out of thy med a couple times - there was none available part of 2009, LOL.

That should not happen in the industry. FDA shut down all pig thyroid facilities for a few months then. It was their fault. Conspiracy says FDA wanted everyone to switch to man made pharma thyroid and tried forcing us to do so. So I looked north, got mine from Winnepeg Canada with a faxed script and a credit card.
Posted 2/5/2018 5:35 PM (GMT 0)
Okay, so Free T3 and Free T4. about 3 or 4 months ago my FTI was a little low, is that the same thing?
Posted 2/5/2018 7:51 PM (GMT 0)

jackinthebox said...
Okay, so Free T3 and Free T4. about 3 or 4 months ago my FTI was a little low, is that the same thing?

FTI is not a thyroid test. I dont know what that is.

Misprint? Does it have a non-abbreviated description next to it?
Posted 2/5/2018 7:53 PM (GMT 0)
Free Thyroxine Index.
Posted 2/7/2018 3:29 AM (GMT 0)

jackinthebox said...
Free Thyroxine Index.

That is really outdated terminology not used anymore (so I thought). It sounds the same as free T4, but I have not seen that in print for 12-15 years.

Stick to free T4 and free T3 and use the same lab so you have the same ranges to compare.
Posted 2/7/2018 3:46 AM (GMT 0)
Got it. Thanks. I'll be retesting again soon.
Posted 2/9/2018 4:14 PM (GMT 0)
Astroman, do you eat eggs? I love eggs and eat 3-4 daily, but all the Autoimmune Diets/Hashimotos people say no eggs.
Posted 2/10/2018 4:39 AM (GMT 0)
I eat a minimal of one boiled egg a day. I've read about the egg thing, but eggs seem to agree with my gut.

I avoid ALL dairy products as they obviously bother my gut, eggs are NOT dairy though. I'm probably 95-99% gluten free too, as I seem to be a little glutan sensitive. Dairy just kills me though. Wheat cereal with milk makes me fart for hours and get lethargic. No wonder elementary school mornings (1970's)were so difficult.

I was also completely Paleo for about four months, then about 95% for 8 more months, now about 90%.

I have no added sugar in my diet. Lucky I never had a "sweet tooth".

Alcohol: No alcohol for six months. In the latter half of 2017 I did have six regular beers and then six gluten removed beers.

I tried a low Oxolate diet to, which did nothing, some associated gene defect copies led me to try this.

With a history of lyme, autoimmune, leaky gut and candida, there is not much left to eat. My gut is healed, candida under control, autoimmune antibodies lower but not gone.

Cant imagine how sick I'd still be without the internet to learn, maybe dead by now, not kidding. So many Drs are almost useless to us, they are so far behind times and refuse to catch up. The only thing I really need them for are tests, which they argue about since they dont even know half of them I ask for. Conventional medicine is so frustrating to deal with, its all about Rx ($), not healing people. ---rant over---
Posted 2/10/2018 6:48 PM (GMT 0)
jackinthebox - to sum it up people with autoimmune and lyme dont have much food choices if you read what to avoid. I would say a good 75% of "real" food is inflammatory to some people, and thats with junk food already thrown out the window.. Thats crazy, not much left to eat.

The foods I do avoid actually have noticeable ill effects on my gut, I can tell. Gut "comfortness" is a clue to a happy gut, which is the gateway to health.

I have increased egg consumption last year while simultaneously greatly decreasing inflammatory markers C4a and TPO.

With a science background, I'm a firm believer in testing what you can in addition to paying attention to symptoms since positive thinking/feeling (good on its own) has a way of masking outcomes. I dont like guessing with my health if I dont have to.

Good egg read- www.naturalendocrinesolutions.com/archives/can-people-with-graves-disease-and-hashimotos-thyroiditis-safely-eat-eggs/

If I do try egg free eating, then I'll have to find a replacement snack. We can only eat tree bark and weeds for so long LOL.
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