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[Cassie]

I am hoping that there are a few thryroid experts on this lovely forum as I am a bit confused. I am currently on thyroid medication have been for yrs my levels have never really been too low, just sub clinical hypothyroidism on some tests,  in fact at times I have been told that they are within  normal range but I do know that does not really mean anything as some laboratories have different scales of so called  normal ranges and one should go by symptoms. I drink 0.5mg Eltroxin daily and on 2 days per week, I up it to 1mg. Am terrible at remembering it though.
I don't really have any major symptoms and are due another test early next year. I did however notice that a few yrs bk on one of my results it showed that I was positive for thyroid antibodies. Does that automatically mean that I have Hashimotos or can one have positive antibodies without having Hashimotos as I have googled symptoms and dont seem to have many of them.....all my GP says is drink your meds and get your blood tests every 6 mths.... have tried googling but cannot find much either....

[countrybumpkin]

I'm guessing you are not in the UK if you drink your medication as here its only available in tablet form.
I used to work as an advisor for a thyroid charity.
We would always recommend that you have your levles checked every 6 months which you are doing and if possible to have your t£ checked every couple of years as well as sometimes the body stops converting  the meds to T3 which is what your body can use. This is rare though so nothing to worry about. 
Most people with an underactive thyroid have hashimoto's which just means your immune system is attacking your thyroid, some times people get swelling of the gland as well. 
As you are already on medication and being monitered every 6 months there really isn't anything else you need to be doing.

[Cassie]

Thx Countrygirl I do take take Tablets, perhaps you were thrown by my usage of the word "drink"

I had read a very interesting case scenario where a lady felt none the better on T4 which is what is in the Levothryoxine (excuse spelling!) that is I gather generally prescribed for hypothyroidism. After discovering that it was in fact her T3 levels which were down, she started taking a combination and felt so much better something that not many people are aware of so thankyou for mentioning it. I will have to ask about having that test done in the new year. I have also read that eating just a few Brazil nuts a day, which are rich in Selenium, will help the thyroid to convert T4 to T3.

I was just trying to get clarity as to the difference between having Hashimotos and just a sluggish thyroid but am gathering from what you say that its much the same thing and responds to the same medication.

Any idea re iodated foods such as salt etc, is it a good idea to take these or to avoid?

x

[countrybumpkin]

We always advised patients taking thyroxine to avoid anything with iodine in it like seaweed extract etc as this can affect your thyroid function and without frequent testing you could become over active!

Eating alot of brassica vegetables ( cabbage/broccoli etc) uncooked can reduce thyroid activity. Cooking removes most of the goitrogens so okay to eat it cooked although not every day.

T3 is available in tablet form but it is rather dangerous drug as it can have major adverse heart effects even with tiny overdose which is why its rarely prescribed in UK.  It is rare for anyone to have very low levels of T3 on thryoxine which is why when someone does it makes the news.  I have my T3 checked every few years although it can be difficult to get it done as some health authorities refuse to do it unless ordered by a consultant endocrinologist.  You need to check with your GP.

I know of one lady who took T3 and she had her bloods checked every month and had to keep constantly altering her dosage of T3 to stay safe.

You may have come across amour thyroid extract as well, this is an extract from pigs and was what was used years ago before they synthesized thyroxine.  Some people swear by it as it contains all the hormones your thyroid produces rather than the main ones in the synthetic drug BUT once again it can be dangerous as you have no idea of the dosage taken and need very frequent blood tests. It is available rarely on nhs for people who have an allergic reaction to thyroxine or they develop resistance to thyroxine both of which would be diagnosed by an endocrinogist not a GP. Plus there is the risk of animal disease being passed to humans.  It is available over the internet but thats very dodgy to say the least!

One thing - its not often someone with diagnosed underactive thryoid, when taking thyroxine to be totally symptom free. The tablets replace all the really important hormones that your thyroid produces but not all of them so its normal for people to complain they find it hard to lose weight or their skin is dry etc even on treatment. Elevated cholesterol is another frequent effect as well.

If someone has elevated cholesterol then GP's will always check their thryoid levels as they could by hypothyroid.

Hope I haven't bored you with info

[Cassie]

Thankyou Countrybumpkin so helpful and informative, I had heard of the armour thyroid extract,was under the impression it was more available in the States, but may be wrong.
Was wondering what causes this, just luck of the draw? No one else I know in my fam has thyroid issues as for the auto immune part that I just dont get....all the GP could say was.....your thyroid has been attacked, you can just imagine the vision I had in my head! Perhaps it goes hand in hand with early meno, I had that as well....sigh!

[babyjane]

This is very strange to my ears as I have been on T4/T3 combination therapy, due to being in the 15% of thyroid patients who do not conver,t for more years than I can remember and never had to have the T3 dose adjusted.  If my levels are squiffy my endocrinologist adjusts the T4 (thyroxine dose).

I have also been on thyroxine for 28 years and when my levels are right I have none of the symptoms of yhpothyroidism in that my weight is normal and stable, I have no dry skin and my cholesterol is lower than average. I know immediately if my levels are fluctuating because the symptoms start creeping back.

[countrybumpkin]

I was giving general info and as had been said everyone is different. If medication removes all symptoms then wonderful you are one of the lucky ones but a large percentage of people find that they are left with some symptoms.
Thyroid problems can be genetic as in the weakness is there and they often run in the female side of the family but again this is just a general percentage thing. Every female in my family back 2 generations has got thyroid problems.  Any time of hormonal upheaval can also trigger it which mostly applies to females!
Its classed as an autoimmune condition and as such we are at more risk of other autoimmune conditions.  My cousin has type 1 diabetes/coeliac disease and underactive thyroid poor soul. 
Amour extract is more America but is available if prescribed in UK for very tiny number of people as mentioned in previous post.

[babyjane]

Yes my family is like that too.  My mother, aunt, grandfather and great grandfather that I know had autoimmune conditions.  We believe they came down from my great great grandparents who were first cousins and originally came from either my 3x great grandfather or grandmother.  Because mum's grandparents were first cousins the conditions were magnified.  There is Hashimoto's, pernicious anaemia, type 1 diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis rife in the family.  Mum had three of them, Grandad had two of them, my maternal aunt had two of them and I have one of them so far but I know what to look out for as I get older.

It is definitely genetic in my family.

[Cassie]

Now that you mention it, my  grandma used to rub something on her throat years and years ago, must have been for thyroid as well, wonder what they did before thyroid medication was introduced.....

[countrybumpkin]

Now that you mention it, my  grandma used to rub something on her throat years and years ago, must have been for thyroid as well, wonder what they did before thyroid medication was introduced.....

When I was training to be an advisor we were shown photos of inmates of victorian lunatic asylums and asked to identify the hypothyroid patients   They were glaringly obvious as they were grossly obese with no or little hair or eyebrows with very puffy white faces and totally dead eyes.  This was the long term effect over many many years of hypothyroidism. Because it also affects the brain they were mentally subnormal as they called it and the lunatic asylum was their only  place. They eventually died of heart problems etc but this took a very long time.

Then they started extracting pig thyroid hormones and this although uncontrolled in dosage did stop the above happening to a great extent and then eventually they synthesized the hormone as we know it now.

We have alot to be thankful for living now!

[babyjane]

poor souls.  The same was done to ladies of a certain age I think which we know know to have been menopause related

I always think of Alison Steadman's Mrs Bennett in Pride and Prejudice.