Newbie With Question On Labs

[SPinch03]

Let me start off by giving a little background on myself.  I am 27 years old and was diagnosed with Hashimoto's Thyroiditis back in 2006.  Since my diagnosis I have taken different doses of levothyroxin and everything seems to be under control except for my anti-TPo antibodies which are very high. 

 

Now fast forward to the present.... I've recently noticed that my eyebrows have started really thinning out so the obvious first thought is my thyroid, but once again everything seems to be in decent shape.  The only lab work out of range that is concerning to me was my Ferritin, it was a 10!!  I should add that I work in a laboratory so I have tests at my fingertips when I'm there so a day later I check it again and its down to 8! Why all of a sudden am I in the beginning stages of Iron deficiency anemia!? I say beginning stages because my hemoglobin has not dropped below normal as of yet. My Vitamin D was also low for the first time ever but with the winter we had it wasn't as alarming to me and also my Vitamin B12 was to the lower end of the range.  So I started googling.....google such a great tool but also frustrating at times!! I started seeing that there is a possible link between people with Hashimoto's and Celiac disease... It made sense to me!! I could possibly have both and this is why I'm not absorbing the right nutrition.  We ran some celiac tests such as tissue transglutaminase IgG/IgA as well as Gliadin IgG/IgA,  everything came back normal except Gliagin IgG,  Mine was 3.59 IV and the range is greater than or equal to 1.1 for positive.  

 

My primary physician said that this could be a false positive and that I should see a GI doc because the only way to truly confirm a celiac diagnosis is to do a biopsy... which is fine.. I can't get an appointment with the GI until June though so I'm just a little inpatient and I guess I just want to see if anyone else has had a similar situation? 

[cyclinglady]

Yep, I have had Hashi's for 20 years. My antibodies have been off the charts over the years. I have thalassemia, so I have always been slightly anemic. Then the last year of perimenopause I began very anemic. No one suspected anything. Lowest ferritin was a 2. Went for a routine colonoscopy and the GI suspected Celiac. Blood test mildly positive but biopsy was a Marsh Stage IIIB. I was shocked as I did not have any intestinal symptoms and my husband has been gluten free for 13 years per the advice of 2 medical doctors (poor advice.....). What are the odds that we both would have gluten issues!

There are plenty of us here with a comparable story.

Edit: keep eating gluten until all test have been completed.

[SPinch03]

Yep, I have had Hashi's for 20 years. My antibodies have been off the charts over the years. I have thalassemia, so I have always been slightly anemic. Then the last year of perimenopause I began very anemic. No one suspected anything. Lowest ferritin was a 2. Went for a routine colonoscopy and the GI suspected Celiac. Blood test mildly positive but biopsy was a Marsh Stage IIIB. I was shocked as I did not have any intestinal symptoms and my husband has been gluten free for 13 years per the advice of 2 medical doctors (poor advice.....). What are the odds that we both would have gluten issues!

There are plenty of us here with a comparable story.

Edit: keep eating gluten until all test have been completed.

Thanks for your story!  Doctor told me to start taking over the counter iron and vitamin B12 in the meantime and if I'm still not absorbing that then I'll have to see a hematologist and receive it through IV.  I really don't have any intestinal symptoms either, at least nothing that truly bothers me... I am just TIRED! I'm 27 and I shouldn't be wishing I was staying home in bed than going out and being with friends.  I'm trying to mentally prepare myself for the possible diagnosis even though he said it could be a false positive... Because why else would I suddenly start becoming iron deficient? Update tho my appointment with the GI got pushed to this Friday the 16th so I am relieved that I will get in sooner!  

[Gemini]

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Here is a link that talks about anemia and Hashi's thyroid disease.  I have both Hashi's and Celiac and my thyroid antibodies were off the charts high when I was diagnosed with Celiac, even though I had been diagnosed with Hashi's for about 14 years by then.  Thinning eyebrows, especially on the outside of the eyebrow, are one of the hallmarks of Hashi's.  You are probably not absorbing your meds as well so are becoming symptomatic again. Hashi's is one of the most common AI diseases that happens along with Celiac.

 

Many people, including myself, do better with a natural thyroid supplement like Armour or Nature-throid, which has both T3 and T4 thyroid hormones in it.  Make sure your thyroid physician does not just go by the TSH to monitor your thyroid gland.  When you have autoimmune thyroid disease, it is important to drive down the antibodies and many doctors do not pay any attention to that. I won't make your head spin by going into that just yet because you need to be tested for Celiac. They absolutely need to do a FULL CELIAC PANEL because tTg can become elevated from thyroid disease alone.

 

Good luck with testing!