Jump to content
This site uses cookies. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. More Info... ×
  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.




  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):



    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):


  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Where Your Contribution Counts!
    eNewsletter
    Support Us!

Got My Endoscopy Results And Thyroid Results


nuttmegs17

Recommended Posts

nuttmegs17 Apprentice

Hi all!

I've posted here more frequently in the last few weeks and thought I'd give an update as well as seek more advice :)

My endoscopy biopsy results were negative - no celiac. A big part of me is relieved. However, I know there are false negatives so am being cautious. My GI doc was somewhat surprised he didn't find celiac (just gastritis which is common) in the 4 samples he took. However, he actually referenced the article that was in the GI Journal that has gotten a bit of press on this forum: the one where they confirm the presence of nonceliac related gluten intolerance. He thought that fit me.

I am going to go gluten-free for a few reasons

1. Too many false negatives

2. Feel like crap after eating gluten so will just listen to my body and avoid it (along with dairy which apparently my body no longer likes!)

3. I have Hashimotos and a history of graves, as far as I'm concerned, eating gluten is like playing with fire...def not worth it!

4.Trying to get my hashi's under control and my other doc recommended that the first thing i do is cut out gluten (interestingly enough, he advised me NOT to go the the GI/do the biopsy bc he thinks they're over-rated and a waste of money)

5. Seems like there is some evidence to suggest Gluten intolerance can lead to celiac and I would like to avoid the complications that can come from being celiac

My thyroid results are back but the doc hasn't spoken to me yet to interpret them, all I know is:

1. My HASHI anitobodies have gone up since the last test I took 3 weeks ago (not a huge difference, 30 points).

2. My FT3 are low, and my FT4 are on the lower end (not as low as FT3)

3. MY RT3 is abnormally high.

Not sure what all that means but as my symptoms are worse (i'm getting weaker each day, i am actually starting to feel an uncomfortable swelling in my throat which is making it hard to breath properly when i exercise). From what I understand, Armour can help the antibodies go down? i might be wrong though.

In addition my brain fog and dizziness are still here. I have been gluten-free since Thurs. is this normal? I guess I would have expected the brain fog to disappear by now (brain fog/dizziness is a newer symptom for me...I only started experiencing them when i was somewhat gluten free and then "glutened up" for the biopsy...the glutening up seemed to trigger it. I am hoping to get it to go away soon as it's definitely interferring with work (I feel like a zombie at work, having trouble concentrating etc)

Any advice?

Thanks for your help!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



MsCurious Enthusiast

Hi all!

My endoscopy biopsy results were negative - no celiac. A big part of me is relieved. However, I know there are false negatives so am being cautious. My GI doc was somewhat surprised he didn't find celiac (just gastritis which is common) in the 4 samples he took. However, he actually referenced the article that was in the GI Journal that has gotten a bit of press on this forum: the one where they confirm the presence of nonceliac related gluten intolerance. He thought that fit me.

I am going to go gluten-free for a few reasons

1. Too many false negatives

2. Feel like crap after eating gluten so will just listen to my body and avoid it (along with dairy which apparently my body no longer likes!)

3. I have Hashimotos and a history of graves, as far as I'm concerned, eating gluten is like playing with fire...def not worth it!

4.Trying to get my hashi's under control and my other doc recommended that the first thing i do is cut out gluten (interestingly enough, he advised me NOT to go the the GI/do the biopsy bc he thinks they're over-rated and a waste of money)

5. Seems like there is some evidence to suggest Gluten intolerance can lead to celiac and I would like to avoid the complications that can come from being celiac

My thyroid results are back but the doc hasn't spoken to me yet

Nuttmegs, Happy that you have the testing behind you, and that you don't have celiac disease. I (like you) would be VERY skeptical that gluten isn't tied to your other issues. Thyroid issues seem to be very tied to all this stuff... and I think you're VERY wise to go gluten free... I would!

I have my biopsy on Monday, along with thyroid testing... and I'm very interested in how your testing comes out and how you do along the way of getting better. I hope you feel much better real soon! Keep us posted on what your doctor explains to you. B)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
nuttmegs17 Apprentice

Thanks MsCurious! I will definitely keep you posted. Please be sure to let us know how it goes for you. I am sure you are looking forward to the biopsy being over with.

CassP seems really on top of the thyroid stuff so do be sure to post what you find out about that. I'm sure you have gathered as much by being on this board, but be sure to get your actual results so you can interpret them yourself as well as your doc.

I am hopeful that they can do SOMETHING for me as far as thyroid. I wish my doc would get back to me soon, I would really like to know what all this means! Again, I'll let you know.

All I know is I feel terrible - if going gluten-free can help even some, seems like a small price to pay!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
cassP Contributor

nutmeg- awl you're so sweet to speak so highly of me- i really am just learning as i go- and learning so much on these forums!!!!!

i have read on these forums before- several members have had their Hashi # go down after about 5 years gluten free. i also read a study about Selenium- and how after a year of supplementing it- people's Hashi # went down. i am SO HOPING this happens for me.

as far as Armour lowering your Hashi #- im really not sure- tho i GUESS it's possible-> MAYBE if you're taking the hormones- then your thyroid might relax and de-swell, which might lower the abs. ????

i also read that when the thyroid is inflammed- that the antibodies will increase... so im wondering if decreasing inflammation in general could help???

ok, i JUST had my Reverse T3 done for the first time- they were high but within range. now- i really dont know what my number means at all, and i hope my doc can answer it for me. i, personally would feel better if it was much lower. i recently read that STRESS and STARVING/CRASH diets can increase the RT3.

and yes- nutmeg- you're absolutely right- you need to avoid the gluten because of your Hashi & past Graves for sure.

hope you girls continue to share all your research & testing- it all helps to understand it better. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
nuttmegs17 Apprentice

Well I was able to speak to my doc who went over my lab results (thankfully via phone so I did not have to take another day off of work!) and he confirmed my suspicions that my thyroid is not working properly....he compared it to having a grenade but with no powder, ha! or he said it was like my foot was on the gas but i have the parking break on. He put me on armour immediately, I took my first dose today. Its a TINY dose just to see how I react - i hear it can be difficult to get the dosing right. hopefully between that and cutting out gluten i am on my way.

he said my T4s are in the low end of good and if I were to be put on something like synthroid i would most likely feel WORSE.

Cass - yes, from what I understand RT3 are linked to stress, crash diets are one stress but it can be anything else as well. my doc seems concerned with finding out what is causing my body to stress out so much (crash diets aren't the cause for me)...he is even investigating my "gut flora" to ensure everything is in balance, i'm going with it. He is happy i am going gluten free and said if i am "lucky" that will have been the "stress" on my body this whole time. again, amazing how hashi's and gluten are linked.

Apparently there is a ratio to look for between your RT3 and FT3 (I dont know how to calculate it....they look for somewhere bt 8-10 and I am a 2...so i have a ways to go.

The inflammation - yes! That gets to me. Some nights i can almost feel my thryoid swelling and i get a sore throat and when i ran one night it was VERY difficult to breathe. I am now avoiding some foods that can cause inflammation just in the meantime (like pb, thank god for almond butter). I found an antioxidant vitamin that has 200 mcg of selenium so i am hoping that helps as well.. i hope it works for you!

On another note, my dizziness/lightheadedness/foggyness are definitely decreasing since going gluten free...i hope this continues...

Link to comment
Share on other sites
cassP Contributor

oh you're so lucky he's starting you on Armour! my PCP started me on Synthroid only- and i really swung into HYPERTHYROID. i went back to her- panicking and shaking- and said "i KNOW this is not the right medication for me". she said "well we did the labs, and yes this is.... i think there might be something else going on here..".. and then she went in to her Antidepressants Spiel :angry: RIDIC.

so,nutmeg- you dont have ANY Stress in your life?? ive been thru hell and back. of course stress can also be a big job change or having a baby, or simply eating food that inflames us

is your doc testing your Hashi & Grave's antibodies to get a good picture? i would like to get mine done again within the year to see if there's any change

best of luck & keep us posted ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
eatmeat4good Enthusiast

Hi guys,

I'm very interested in this thyroid information. Why is Armour so much better than Synthroid?

If you don't mind me thyroiding in on your thread, you guys are great and I want your opinions.

I have an enlarged thyroid (I hate the word goiter :ph34r: )

I got an ultrasound but no results yet.

My Hashimoto's antibodies were 63.1 with an upper range of 60.

Dr. said "slightly elevated" but he doesn't know what he wants to do about it yet.

Should I ask for a certain medication? He will listen to me thank god.

Also, if it isn't cancer, what the heck do they do about enlarged thyroid?

Has anyone had it and had it decrease in size? Or will it always be this inflamed?

I wanna feel better and I'm sleepless at night exhausted during the day. I wake with swollen face and eyelids and it takes all day for the swelling to go down. Will meds help that?

Just curious what you guys think.

Also my T3 and T4 were smack in the middle of the range...so he says they are good.

TSH on the low side of normal.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



cahill Collaborator

I was just diagnosed with Hashimoto's and I am watching this thread with great interest

Great info guys :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
nuttmegs17 Apprentice

Hi!

CASS - lol no stress? I wish! yes, stress is an inevitable part of life. but the crash diet didnt apply to me is all i meant. My primary tried to put me on antidepressants as well but i knew that wasn't the cause so I declined. My new doc told me synthroid, since it's pure T4 and my T4 is "ok but not great" would have caused me more harm. T4 is the "pre-hormon"...he broke it down like this for me:

T4 is what comes out of the gland, the prehormone, the "grenade" with a pin in it so to speak....it is then either converted to the active hormone known as T3 or RT3....T3 is good, RT3 is a prob.....mine is clearly turning into RT3 as my levels are abnormally high. That means, I have the grenade, but when my body pulls the pin to utilize it, nothing happens....I'm a grenade with no powder as he says.

Armour has T4 and T3 ...he discussed the possibility of putting me on T3 (cytomel) with synthroid if the armour ratio isnt good for me so we are testing it out. i am VERY leary of synthroid so am going to push for straight T3 if it comes to that.

i learned a lot from these threads, mary shannons about.com website, and "stop the thryoid madness" (havent gotten the book but read the website.

I think one of those websites is how i found my doc.

EAT MEAT - i am not an expert as this is all new to me as well, but from what I gather it IS possible for the goiter to go down. You have the antibodies for hashis, that means you should be treated before they cause further damage to you...untreated it can lead to cancer, or a dead thyroid not to mention that they could trigger other autoimmune responses. find a doc that will treat you and not wait for you to get "bad enough to treat". Dont trust a doc who is only going by TSH bc that shows only a very small part of the pic as far as autoimmune thyroid diseases go

Link to comment
Share on other sites
cassP Contributor

Hi guys,

I'm very interested in this thyroid information. Why is Armour so much better than Synthroid?

If you don't mind me thyroiding in on your thread, you guys are great and I want your opinions.

I have an enlarged thyroid (I hate the word goiter :ph34r: )

I got an ultrasound but no results yet.

My Hashimoto's antibodies were 63.1 with an upper range of 60.

Dr. said "slightly elevated" but he doesn't know what he wants to do about it yet.

Should I ask for a certain medication? He will listen to me thank god.

Also, if it isn't cancer, what the heck do they do about enlarged thyroid?

Has anyone had it and had it decrease in size? Or will it always be this inflamed?

I wanna feel better and I'm sleepless at night exhausted during the day. I wake with swollen face and eyelids and it takes all day for the swelling to go down. Will meds help that?

Just curious what you guys think.

Also my T3 and T4 were smack in the middle of the range...so he says they are good.

TSH on the low side of normal.

hey- my T3 & T4 were in the upper middle range- so if my doc had only looked at those- it would look like i was fine. maybe u should get your grave's antibodies tested too- im theorizing that having both may have been why i had enough t3 & t4 in my blood.???

my T3 levels went down when i first started on meds- i was on Synthroid 50mcg only. it made me feel WORSE. adding the Cytomel helped. and my T3 improved, and most of my symptoms improved. but i had a few episodes where my forearms broke out into a red hot burning mess (i do have DH bumps on my forearm, but rarely come to the surface. it was weird.

since ive been on Armour- i have not had the burning episodes on my forearms. ?? dont know if it was a synthetic iodine overload, or if it was a Hyperthyroid symptom. ??

also- i suffer from the puffy eyelids... they've improved from time to time since on meds. the sinus pressure has also improved. and the HORRIBLE debilitating Sinus/pressure behind the eyes headaches are gone since on meds.

i do not have a "goiter" officially, and my doc didnt feel anything or do an ultrasound yet... but i DO have trouble swallowing- which has also improved on the meds.

i'll try to come back with some advice, gotta run now

good luck :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
nuttmegs17 Apprentice

Update - I've also stumbled upon another good board: low carb friends thyroid group (via google). Someone under the user name of nonstickpam something or other seems to be full of good advice. Worth browsing....

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Roda Rising Star

I've had hashi's for many years now. My antibody levels at this point are good. I have never had an enlargement of my thyroid, but it does look weird on ultrasound. I am currently on a combo of levothyroxine(T4) and Liothyronine(T3) and have been since 2007. I was told by my current endocrinologist that I didn't covert the T4 well into T3 and it was reflected with a normal TSH and free T4 but low free T3. She now keeps my TSH supressed and my free T4 elevated. She told me as long as I am not having symptoms of overmedication (hyper) that this is fine. I feel pretty good on my dosage and it has been stable with out dosage changes now for 2 years. Last dosage change was a decrease in my T4. I am currently taking 112 mcg of levothyroxine and 10 mcg of liothyronine. Unfortunately last month when I went to my endo I requested the reverse T3 blood test and it's the one test she forgot to order. Everthing else under the sun was done but not that! :( But since I had an elevated free T3, something must be working. :P

Link to comment
Share on other sites
maile Newbie

Update - I've also stumbled upon another good board: low carb friends thyroid group (via google). Someone under the user name of nonstickpam something or other seems to be full of good advice. Worth browsing....

nonstickpam doesn't post too much over there any more but she does pop in occasionally. Another good forum for thyroid is realthyroidhelp.com...this is the daughter board of the original stopthethyroidmadness board from a few years ago. I post on both

optimal numbers for a thyroid are:

TSH 1-1.5 if not medicated, under 1 if medicated

Free T3 at 75% of the range or higher

Free T4 at mid range

Regarding RT3 (Reverse T3), T4 is the inactive form of thyroid, the storage if you will, T4 converts into T3 and RT3. T3 is the active hormone that gives us energy, nice hair and skin etc. RT3 is produced in a healthy person in enough quantities to offset the T3 (so you don't go hyper) in someone under stress (stress being, well stress, crash diet, imbalanced estrogen and progesterone) the body will produce more RT3 than T3 in order to slow down your metabolism so you don't burn out. Too much stress and at the cellular level the RT3 dominates and the T3 can't get to your cells at all. RT3 also sometimes called Wilson syndrome can be reversed over time, the fastest way is to do a course of T3 only meds (see holtorf medical.com for how this is done) or slowly over time using a natural dessicated thyroid like armour or erfa. how the reversal is measured is by the ratio of Free T3 to Reverse T3, as someone mentioned you want the ratio to be high not low (at least 20)

As for why someone would want Armour vs synthroid...Armour contains T4, T3, T2 and T1 so can replace all forms of thyroid your body uses. Synthroid only contains T4 and requires your body to convert the T4 to T3 for you. If your thyroid is burnt out (as in those who have had Hashi's for a while or through RAI for Graves) then you have an impaired ability to convert the T4 to T3 and so won't feel optimal. If you have to stay on synthroid (either you doctor doesn't believe in NDT or you are allergic to cellulose - the filler in armour) then the doctor can add in synthetic T3 to mimic the actions of a natural dessicated thyroid.

T3supposedly breaks down into T2 and T1 so the synthetic version can work well for some.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
cassP Contributor

nonstickpam doesn't post too much over there any more but she does pop in occasionally. Another good forum for thyroid is realthyroidhelp.com...this is the daughter board of the original stopthethyroidmadness board from a few years ago. I post on both

optimal numbers for a thyroid are:

TSH 1-1.5 if not medicated, under 1 if medicated

Free T3 at 75% of the range or higher

Free T4 at mid range

Regarding RT3 (Reverse T3), T4 is the inactive form of thyroid, the storage if you will, T4 converts into T3 and RT3. T3 is the active hormone that gives us energy, nice hair and skin etc. RT3 is produced in a healthy person in enough quantities to offset the T3 (so you don't go hyper) in someone under stress (stress being, well stress, crash diet, imbalanced estrogen and progesterone) the body will produce more RT3 than T3 in order to slow down your metabolism so you don't burn out. Too much stress and at the cellular level the RT3 dominates and the T3 can't get to your cells at all. RT3 also sometimes called Wilson syndrome can be reversed over time, the fastest way is to do a course of T3 only meds (see holtorf medical.com for how this is done) or slowly over time using a natural dessicated thyroid like armour or erfa. how the reversal is measured is by the ratio of Free T3 to Reverse T3, as someone mentioned you want the ratio to be high not low (at least 20)

As for why someone would want Armour vs synthroid...Armour contains T4, T3, T2 and T1 so can replace all forms of thyroid your body uses. Synthroid only contains T4 and requires your body to convert the T4 to T3 for you. If your thyroid is burnt out (as in those who have had Hashi's for a while or through RAI for Graves) then you have an impaired ability to convert the T4 to T3 and so won't feel optimal. If you have to stay on synthroid (either you doctor doesn't believe in NDT or you are allergic to cellulose - the filler in armour) then the doctor can add in synthetic T3 to mimic the actions of a natural dessicated thyroid.

T3supposedly breaks down into T2 and T1 so the synthetic version can work well for some.

thanku so much for all the great info!!!

one favor- im not too smart at math- can u please tell me how to figure out the ratio of Rt3 to t3?? ive got both numbers, just dont know how to work it?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
maile Newbie

thanku so much for all the great info!!!

one favor- im not too smart at math- can u please tell me how to figure out the ratio of Rt3 to t3?? ive got both numbers, just dont know how to work it?

no problem what you do is divide the Free T3 by the RT3 to get the ratio. here are some examples on how to calculate from the reverse T3 group information:

The most reliable diagnosis of RT3 problems is by looking at the ratio of RT3 to RT3. This is made more complex by the many different units that are used for these measurements by different labs.

The first step is to make sure than both measurements are in the same basic units which fall into 2 categories, metric, and molecular weight.

Examples of metric units are:-

T3 REVERSE 552 90-350 pg/mL

T3 FREE 3.23 2.50-3.90 pg/mL

FER 62 24-336 ng/dL

Examples of molecular weight units are:-

Reverse T3 800 pmol/L (170-450)

FT4 22.0 pmol/L (9.0-22.0)

FT4 15.4 pmol/L (9.0-22.0)

You need to have measurements that are all metric or all molecular weight, mixing them stops a direct calculation The Molecular weight ones all have "mol" in them. These are mainly used in Europe

Whatever units are used you need to make sure that the FT3 number is about 10 times the RT3 number and move the decimal point if need be to achieve this. An example would be

FT3 3.23, RT3 500

in this case the FT3 is a lot smaller and you need to move the decimal point 3 places to the right making it 3230

then 3230 / 500 = 6.46 = a horrible ratio, this needs to be 20 or better

Other ways you may see the same numbers are FT3 323, RT3 0.5, in this case you need to make the FT3 into 3.23 and that gives

3.23 / 0.5 = 6.46, the same sum with the decimal point moved on both units

hope that helps if it doesn't post your results and we can get them converted for you.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
nuttmegs17 Apprentice

Thanks Maile that is super helpful

Just added in another dose of armour this afternoon. Is there anything I should look out for? What should hapeen vs. what shouldn't happen? I was on 30 mg and my doc told me to go ahead and add 30 more mg this afternoon....

I had not noticed much if any difference in the morning on 30 mg, but do notice that I "crash" in the afternoon. Hopefully the extra dose will help?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
cassP Contributor

Thanks Maile that is super helpful

Just added in another dose of armour this afternoon. Is there anything I should look out for? What should hapeen vs. what shouldn't happen? I was on 30 mg and my doc told me to go ahead and add 30 more mg this afternoon....

I had not noticed much if any difference in the morning on 30 mg, but do notice that I "crash" in the afternoon. Hopefully the extra dose will help?

nutmeg- i was always crashing in the afternoon/evening too- taking some kind of dose in the middle of the day really really helps me- tho it's a pain to not eat before and after it-

Link to comment
Share on other sites
cassP Contributor

no problem what you do is divide the Free T3 by the RT3 to get the ratio. here are some examples on how to calculate from the reverse T3 group information:

hope that helps if it doesn't post your results and we can get them converted for you.

thanku SO MUCH! you're a Godsend... now could you please just come with me to my next endo apt THAT GOT PUSHED BACK TO JULY 11 :angry:

ok, so moving the decimal point 3 spaces, and saying 10x more confused me. nevertheless i tried to copy the model.

my FT3 was at 4.00

my RT3 was 244.

so 4000/244= about 16.5 (is that right?)

so it's not bad but should be above 20, yes?

oy, my doc is really nice & helpful, but i dont think she's into more T3 on top of the Armour :/

because she thought my T3 was just fine on my labs- and that i needed more T4 :/ OYYYYYYYY

thanku again!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
nuttmegs17 Apprentice

Good to know, Cass. I think you are right about the timing being critical. The doc said i would need to make that call but as you mentioned timing it around what sometimes is a late lunch made it tough on my second day :) I crashed b4 I had taken it so i'm still kinda sleepy. Next time I'll be more careful about when i grab lunch...

Link to comment
Share on other sites
cassP Contributor

Good to know, Cass. I think you are right about the timing being critical. The doc said i would need to make that call but as you mentioned timing it around what sometimes is a late lunch made it tough on my second day :) I crashed b4 I had taken it so i'm still kinda sleepy. Next time I'll be more careful about when i grab lunch...

you may already know this- but it's because the T3 only stays in your body for 6 hours.

it's a real pain to plan my lunch around it(esp with work)- but worth it mostly to feel good for the WHOLE day!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
nuttmegs17 Apprentice

Can I ask you about when you time yours? I take my first does - 30 mg around 6 or 7 in the morning and haven't quite figured out when to take the next dose...I seem to crash around 1:30-3:30....I'm wondering if I need to take it as early as 11:30 am in order to prevent the crash...how soon does the next dose take to hit?

Of course, this could be bc I am on too low of a dose, but still..man, the crashing is annoying!

I would love to feel great all day!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
cassP Contributor

Can I ask you about when you time yours? I take my first does - 30 mg around 6 or 7 in the morning and haven't quite figured out when to take the next dose...I seem to crash around 1:30-3:30....I'm wondering if I need to take it as early as 11:30 am in order to prevent the crash...how soon does the next dose take to hit?

Of course, this could be bc I am on too low of a dose, but still..man, the crashing is annoying!

I would love to feel great all day!

i take 2 Armour pills (30mg each)/total- 60mg 1 hour before i get up and have coffee and breakfast.

then, depending on my schedule: i either take my afternoon dose (1/2 a pill= 15mg) 3 hours after my breakfast and 1 hour before lunch OR i count 6 hours from my 1st dose- and time my eating & 2nd dose before the 6 hours run out.

i also eat my 3 brazil nuts in the 2nd 1/2 of the day- hoping that the Selenium will help my body convert any T4 in my body to T3. ive been kind of okay... but have had to take a little Xanax in the evening when the Shortness of Breath comes back :( and for the past few months i also get palpitations around midnight-> i dont know if it's a thyroiditis attack that commonly occur at night- or if its my body pissed off that it's out of T3. ???

i hate being at the mercy of the Endo's permission... and i hate having both Hashi & Graves. many times i want to up the dose myself... but then sometimes i feel hyper, and am not sure.

i just had a panel done on Monday- and im so tempted to up my dose another 1/2 a pill- im not sure i can wait a week for the TSH reading & my Dr.'s vote :huh: ???

Link to comment
Share on other sites
nuttmegs17 Apprentice

i take 2 Armour pills (30mg each)/total- 60mg 1 hour before i get up and have coffee and breakfast.

then, depending on my schedule: i either take my afternoon dose (1/2 a pill= 15mg) 3 hours after my breakfast and 1 hour before lunch OR i count 6 hours from my 1st dose- and time my eating & 2nd dose before the 6 hours run out.

i also eat my 3 brazil nuts in the 2nd 1/2 of the day- hoping that the Selenium will help my body convert any T4 in my body to T3. ive been kind of okay... but have had to take a little Xanax in the evening when the Shortness of Breath comes back :( and for the past few months i also get palpitations around midnight-> i dont know if it's a thyroiditis attack that commonly occur at night- or if its my body pissed off that it's out of T3. ???

i hate being at the mercy of the Endo's permission... and i hate having both Hashi & Graves. many times i want to up the dose myself... but then sometimes i feel hyper, and am not sure.

i just had a panel done on Monday- and im so tempted to up my dose another 1/2 a pill- im not sure i can wait a week for the TSH reading & my Dr.'s vote :huh: ???

Interesting...I never thought about splitting it into 15 to spread throughout the day. Thats a good thought

I know the feeling of being tempted and cannot blame you...it's really hard knowing what all the symptons mean (am i on too much? is it too little?) it's such a bumpy ride to get it all figured out. Since you have a week, I would wait.... but is it possible for you to call BEFORE the appt? I've done that and they've upped my dose just based on what I told them...

Graves and Hashi's at the same time would be tough, but it sounds like you are doing all the right things. Also keep tabs on your iron and vitamin D as they are crucial...I even take Zinc, B's and C...PLUS omega fatty acids...anything i can do that will help my body at this point, I'm doing! Sounds like you are doing the same thing...

Link to comment
Share on other sites
cassP Contributor

Interesting...I never thought about splitting it into 15 to spread throughout the day. Thats a good thought

I know the feeling of being tempted and cannot blame you...it's really hard knowing what all the symptons mean (am i on too much? is it too little?) it's such a bumpy ride to get it all figured out. Since you have a week, I would wait.... but is it possible for you to call BEFORE the appt? I've done that and they've upped my dose just based on what I told them...

Graves and Hashi's at the same time would be tough, but it sounds like you are doing all the right things. Also keep tabs on your iron and vitamin D as they are crucial...I even take Zinc, B's and C...PLUS omega fatty acids...anything i can do that will help my body at this point, I'm doing! Sounds like you are doing the same thing...

oh- it wasnt really my idea-

before, i was on 2 Armour pills in the am only. then after my last panel- my doc told me to make it 2 1/2 pills a day. i tried to take the 2 1/2 in the am only- but the crash in the afternoon was too much, thats why i take the 1/2 pill in the afternoon. i split it up unevenly- because i need those 2 in the morning to function- have to.

ya, i found out i was deficient in D, and have been taking 6000iu a day for the last 6 weeks... before then i was taking a muscle relaxer and advil everyday for muscle spasms... the D has definitely improved my muscle pain :)

u know- and it finally dawned on me the other day- why many of us are deficient in D. it's because the immune system uses vitamin D to do it's job. and if our immune systems are working so hard to create all these antibodies- then, it must use up all the vitamin D. it just makes sense to me- because i get enough sun, i eat enough fish & eggs, and i havent had malabsorption in a couple of years- plus my B12 was fine.

im glad we have this forum to help eachother out- our docs can only do so much

Link to comment
Share on other sites
nuttmegs17 Apprentice

Me too this forum has been a godsend, I am sure that is why I got diagnosed in the time frame I did

That's a good theory on Vitamin D- hadn't thought of that but it makes sense

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):



  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      120,472
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    Jessiehags91
    Newest Member
    Jessiehags91
    Joined

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):


  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      120.2k
    • Total Posts
      1m

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):





  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):



  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Scott Adams
      We offer a ton of recipes here: https://www.celiac.com/celiac-disease/gluten-free-recipes/ and have done some articles on fast food places, but keep in mind that eating out is a common source of gluten contamination: https://www.celiac.com/search/?q=fast food&quick=1&type=cms_records2 Many colleges now offer allergen-friendly, and sometimes gluten-free options in their student cafeterias: https://www.celiac.com/search/?&q=colleges&type=cms_records2&quick=1&search_and_or=and&sortby=relevancy PS - Look into GliadinX, which is a sponsor here, but many studies have been done on it which show that it may break down small amounts of gluten in the stomach, before it reaches the intestines.
    • JustGemi
      Thank you! What do you recommend in the next 7 weeks until I see my Doctor?  Just start my Gluten free diet?
    • Scott Adams
      Many people with celiac disease, especially those who are in the 0-2 year range of their recovery, have additional food intolerance issues which could be temporary. To figure this out you may need to keep a food diary and do an elimination diet over a few months. Some common food intolerance issues are dairy/casein, eggs, corn, oats, and soy. The good news is that after your gut heals (for most people who are 100% gluten-free this will take several months to two years) you may be able to slowly add some these items back into your diet after the damaged villi heal. This article may be helpful:    
    • Scott Adams
      Here is more info about how to do a gluten challenge for a celiac disease blood panel, or for an endoscopy: and this recent study recommends 4-6 slices of wheat bread per day:    
    • Scott Adams
      So if the normal range for your tests is below 15.0 U/mL, and your results are 120.9 U/mL HIGH, it definitely looks like you could have celiac disease. Your doctor may want to schedule an endoscopy to confirm this, but with such high results it is also possible that the diagnosis might be made on your blood test results alone (more info on that is below). This article might be helpful. It breaks down each type of test, and what a positive results means in terms of the probability that you might have celiac disease.  In the Europe the new protocol for making a celiac disease diagnosis in children is if their tTg-IgA (tissue transglutaminase IgA) levels are 10 times or above the positive level for celiac disease. According to the latest research, if the blood test results are at certain high levels that range between 5-10 times the reference range for a positive celiac disease diagnosis, it may not be necessary to confirm the results using an endoscopy/biopsy: Blood Test Alone Can Diagnose Celiac Disease in Most Children and Adults TGA-IgA at or Above Five Times Normal Limit in Kids Indicates Celiac Disease in Nearly All Cases No More Biopsies to Diagnose Celiac Disease in Children! There are other things that may cause elevated tTg-IgA levels, but in general a reaction to gluten is the culprit:    
×
×
  • Create New...