Re: Hi - New to the group and to Hashi's

[Guest guest]

Hi there, Marina and welcome again! Glad you jumped right in.

No apologies for long messages necessary, we are a talkative

group here usually.

As far as diabetes connection and alopecia areata (I had to look

that one up) -- yep, very likely all that and the Hashis are

connected because autoimmune diseases like to pair up. Knock

on wood I only have the Hashi's right now but lots of other

members deal with pre-diabetes, RA, and other autoimmune

stuff. Congrats on getting the diabetes thing under control though,

yeah!

Your antibodies are high but not unusual for someone with Hashi's.

And no I'm afraid there is nothing we can do to halt the growth

of those antibody suckers, not according to Western medicine

anyway. All those symptoms you list are typical, how long have you

been treating now? Endos are not necessarily better than internists...

but generally doctors are doctors, it's not at all easy to find a good

one for treating this, although if you're lucky you may not need to

struggle depending on how your body does with the current options

for hormone replacement. For me the best thing I've done was

keeping up on lists like these.. we learn alot from each others'

shared experiences. Keep us posted!

~

[Guest guest]

Thanks, and Suuzin for your replies.

My first doc didn't test for T3, so I'll make sure to get that one

ordered from my new doctor when I meet him next week.

I am not currently on any medication (first doc thought I didn't

need treatment), but I've gathered from others' experiences that I

probably should be? Without knowing the T3 levels, it might be hard

to judge... but do you think I should be adament about getting a

prescription? Or should I be satisfied with a " wait and see "

approach if that's what the new doc recommends as well? Of course I

want my symptoms to go away but I also don't want to medicate

unnecessarily.

-Marina

> VERY high TPO antibodies! With the symptoms you've listed, you've

been

> hypothyroid for many yrs. That T4 is entirely too low, though it

is in the

> " normal " range. I use that word normal loosely because a whole

lot of us

> don't believe that these ranges are normal at all, and we are all

made so

> individually, we can't be put in an assembly line of thyroid

treatment.

> Most people feel better (according to the masses) with their Free

T4 in the

> upper range of normal. Also, I don't see a Free t3 here, and it

could be

> the most important one. All T4 converts basically to T3, so, if

you're not

> converting it would cause great problems, being as T3 is the

useable form in

> the body.

>

>

>

> Hi - New to the group and to Hashi's

>

>

> > Hi All,

> >

> > I can tell you right now this is going to be a long message -

sorry!

> > I have so many questions and am currently feeling a little

> > overwhelmed with this new diagnosis. I'm so glad that this group

is

> > here - I look forward to getting involved, and your postings have

> > already been very helpful.

> >

> > I'm a 28-year-old woman in California recently diagnosed with

> > Hashimoto's Thyroiditis (but no hypo/hyper thyroid). I'm trying

to

> > learn as much as I can (my doctor told me nothing - informed me

of

> > the diagnosis over the phone and then told me to come back in 2

> > months - that was it). I have had mild alopecia areata for

around 4

> > years, which was the reason my new dermatologist wanted to test

my

> > thyroid in the first place. I have been on a low dose Prozac for

> > over 10 years, and I was diagnosed with pre-diabetes about 2

years

> > ago but have since regulated it with diet/exercise so that I am

no

> > longer in danger. Now I'm wondering if all of this is related

> > somehow.

> >

> > My symptoms are fogginess, inability to concentrate, increased

> > depression/feeling of being overwhelmed, fatigue and weight

gain. I

> > am really annoyed about the weight because I worked really hard

to

> > get healthy and lose around 30 lbs when I had the diabetes scare.

> > And now I've suddenly gained around 15 of it back within the

last 2

> > months with no diet/lifestyle change. Sigh. :-)

> >

> > Here are my recent lab results... are my antibody levels

> > outrageously high? Or is this a " normal " level for someone with

> > Hashi's? And, can Hashi's itself be treated, or do the

medications

> > only regulate the subsequent hormone problems? (i.e. is there

> > anything I can do to stop the progression of Hashi's?)

> > T4 Free = 0.8 (0.58-1.64)

> > TSH = 2.02 (0.34-5.60)

> > Thyroglobulin Autoantibodies = 136 (<60)

> > Thyroid Peroxidase = 1256 (<60)

> >

> > My first doctor (internal medicine) was awful; I am seeing a new

> > internist at the beginning of August. Do you think that I should

ask

> > for a referral to an endocrinologist? Or have people had success

> > staying with an internist?

> >

> > I'm sure I'll have a lot of questions as I learn more about the

> > disease and visit my new doctor. I appreciate your time and any

> > advice you can offer.

> >

> > Thanks!

> > Marina

[Guest guest]

hi marina,

welcome ! i won't go into your labs and will leave that to the pros here but i will say IMHO that its important to go to a specialist - i think i've screwed myself up big time and gone from hashi's thyroiditis (post partum) to hashi's encephaalopathy b/c i just let my internist treat me. i can relate to the overwhelming feeling but try not to leet it get ya down too much - enjoy the group and empower yourself with information.

visit our website

www.geocities.com/tanyarn96/countryside.html

www.poncetihomes.com

-- Hi - New to the group and to Hashi's

Hi All,I can tell you right now this is going to be a long message - sorry! I have so many questions and am currently feeling a little overwhelmed with this new diagnosis. I'm so glad that this group is here - I look forward to getting involved, and your postings have already been very helpful. I'm a 28-year-old woman in California recently diagnosed with Hashimoto's Thyroiditis (but no hypo/hyper thyroid). I'm trying to learn as much as I can (my doctor told me nothing - informed me of the diagnosis over the phone and then told me to come back in 2 months - that was it). I have had mild alopecia areata for around 4 years, which was the reason my new dermatologist wanted to test my thyroid in the first place. I have been on a low dose Prozac for over 10 years, and I was diagnosed with pre-diabetes about 2 years ago but have since regulated it with diet/exercise so that I am no longer in danger. Now I'm wondering if all of this is related somehow.My symptoms are fogginess, inability to concentrate, increased depression/feeling of being overwhelmed, fatigue and weight gain. I am really annoyed about the weight because I worked really hard to get healthy and lose around 30 lbs when I had the diabetes scare. And now I've suddenly gained around 15 of it back within the last 2 months with no diet/lifestyle change. Sigh. :-) Here are my recent lab results... are my antibody levels outrageously high? Or is this a "normal" level for someone with Hashi's? And, can Hashi's itself be treated, or do the medications only regulate the subsequent hormone problems? (i.e. is there anything I can do to stop the progression of Hashi's?)T4 Free = 0.8 (0.58-1.64)TSH = 2.02 (0.34-5.60)Thyroglobulin Autoantibodies = 136 (<60)Thyroid Peroxidase = 1256 (<60)My first doctor (internal medicine) was awful; I am seeing a new internist at the beginning of August. Do you think that I should ask for a referral to an endocrinologist? Or have people had success staying with an internist?I'm sure I'll have a lot of questions as I learn more about the disease and visit my new doctor. I appreciate your time and any advice you can offer.Thanks!Marina*Note: Information is freely exchanged on this board based on patient experiences, and should not be considered a medical recommendation.

[Guest guest]

Marina,

I answered you on the other group, but yes, all symptoms except for the

pre-diabetes are thyroid related.

Jan

marinara0404 wrote:

>Hi All,

>

>I can tell you right now this is going to be a long message - sorry!

>I have so many questions and am currently feeling a little

>overwhelmed with this new diagnosis. I'm so glad that this group is

>here - I look forward to getting involved, and your postings have

>already been very helpful.

>

>I'm a 28-year-old woman in California recently diagnosed with

>Hashimoto's Thyroiditis (but no hypo/hyper thyroid). I'm trying to

>learn as much as I can (my doctor told me nothing - informed me of

>the diagnosis over the phone and then told me to come back in 2

>months - that was it). I have had mild alopecia areata for around 4

>years, which was the reason my new dermatologist wanted to test my

>thyroid in the first place. I have been on a low dose Prozac for

>over 10 years, and I was diagnosed with pre-diabetes about 2 years

>ago but have since regulated it with diet/exercise so that I am no

>longer in danger. Now I'm wondering if all of this is related

>somehow.

>

>My symptoms are fogginess, inability to concentrate, increased

>depression/feeling of being overwhelmed, fatigue and weight gain. I

>am really annoyed about the weight because I worked really hard to

>get healthy and lose around 30 lbs when I had the diabetes scare.

>And now I've suddenly gained around 15 of it back within the last 2

>months with no diet/lifestyle change. Sigh. :-)

>

>Here are my recent lab results... are my antibody levels

>outrageously high? Or is this a " normal " level for someone with

>Hashi's? And, can Hashi's itself be treated, or do the medications

>only regulate the subsequent hormone problems? (i.e. is there

>anything I can do to stop the progression of Hashi's?)

>T4 Free = 0.8 (0.58-1.64)

>TSH = 2.02 (0.34-5.60)

>Thyroglobulin Autoantibodies = 136 (<60)

>Thyroid Peroxidase = 1256 (<60)

>

>My first doctor (internal medicine) was awful; I am seeing a new

>internist at the beginning of August. Do you think that I should ask

>for a referral to an endocrinologist? Or have people had success

>staying with an internist?

>

>I'm sure I'll have a lot of questions as I learn more about the

>disease and visit my new doctor. I appreciate your time and any

>advice you can offer.

>

>Thanks!

>Marina

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi again, Marina -- your free T4 is barely in the normal range and

your antibodies are high. There is no doubt you have Hashi's... and

if you are having those symptoms I'd say it is long past time to start

treatment. Visit the Links section of our site and print out the article

on how our Hashimoto's antibodies can interfere with the TSH test

results, then bring it into your doctor. Many docs aren't aware of

this research. A lot of us here eventually have come to ignore our

TSH and go more by the frees -- T4 and T3.

~

> Thanks, and Suuzin for your replies.

> My first doc didn't test for T3, so I'll make sure to get that one

> ordered from my new doctor when I meet him next week.

>

> I am not currently on any medication (first doc thought I didn't

> need treatment), but I've gathered from others' experiences that I

> probably should be? Without knowing the T3 levels, it might be hard

> to judge... but do you think I should be adament about getting a

> prescription? Or should I be satisfied with a " wait and see "

> approach if that's what the new doc recommends as well? Of course I

> want my symptoms to go away but I also don't want to medicate

> unnecessarily.

>

> -Marina

>

>