Blood Work Results, Thyroid And Nodule

[SleepyBunny]

I posted on here a couple of months ago some of my test results. I'll put them again:

TSH - 5.290

T4 Free - 0.970

Vitamin D - 11

Platelets - 124.0

Ok so the dr told me sometimes the thyroid will improve if the vitamin d improves. So I told him I'd hold off on the thyroid meds and see if the vitamin d helps. Here are my results from about 6-8 weeks later.

TSH - 5.510

T4 Free - 1.120

Vitamin D - 54 (Woohoo!)

Platelets - 110

Before this second round of blood work I asked them to test me for EVERYTHING they tested me for last time. Meaning a celiac test also. Thinking ok it said negative but maybe if my number changed it would maybe show the diet is working? Makes sense in my head lol I called and asked if they could test me for hashimotos. The lady said when you go for the lab work just ask them. So I go and ask the lady. She said no the dr has to order it. I put the platelets on here to see if any of you new if all this is tied together. Why do they keep dropping? My dr doesn't seem worried about it. I would like to know so I can fix it or stop whatever I maybe doing to make it worse.

Ok now for the thyroid. I decided to go ahead and take thyroid meds. He gave me Levothyroxine 0.05. I started taking it and I started sleeping more. That was part of my problem before going gluten-free. I wouldn't sleep I would hibernate. And I''ve been breaking out. My skin has been oily and I've been getting painful acne that takes forever to go away. I've had problems with acne forever and even took accutane. I really don't want to have to go through this again. I asked a pharmacist about it and she said it may need to be increased but to check with the dr first. So I increased it on my own anyway (I know tsk tsk) Only did it for about 2 days and still didn't feel any better. Dr told me to try half a tab. Still don't feel better. When I was at the appointment he said he wanted to do a sonogram of my thyroid since my mom is hypo and had a cold nodule and part of her thyroid removed when she was younger. He wanted a sonogram of my spleen too (platelets. came back normal) Well I have a nodule and a cyst on my thyroid. My thyroid measured 4.1 and the nodule is 1.4. So he referred me to an Endo. I told the Endo I just don't feel right on my meds and my c is acting up again. He said he can't do anything till gets some blood work and does the biopsy. I also told him about my acne and he said I'll need to go to a dermatologist. So I called my pcp and asked if I could get a referral they said I would need to make an appointment. Like I haven't been paying these people enough!! When the nurse (endo's office) gave me the paperwork for the lab work I asked her if I could be tested for Hashimotos and she just said "oh these are the tests he ordered." Waited 2 hours for him just to say there's nothing I can't do without results and they wouldn't even test everything. So that's where I am now. My biopsy is next week and I'm terrified. I hate needles. I just want everything to be normal. I started feeling better a few weeks after going gluten-free. But then I'll feel like crap again. Is it my thyroid? Did I gluten myself? How do you know? A couple of weeks ago I ate tinnkyada pasta two days in a row and have not felt "cleaned out" since. Was it from too much pasta? Thyroid? Every time I start feeling well something happens and I feel bad again.

Any stories and advice from personal experience would be appreciated. I really don't even want to take thyroid meds but I know I may not have a choice. I'd rather do something on the natural side if I could. I keep hearing bad things about synthetic meds. I'm trying to cut out as many animal products as I can with the exception of meals. So really wouldn't want to take Armour. I hear soy is bad for the thyroid too which sucks cos I'm running out of things to eat One more question is Iodine good or bad for the thyroid? I could have sworn it was bad. Ok sorry for the long post. I would just really like to have some conversations with some of you about all of this. The stress of this and other things going on is getting to me

[Jenny (AZ via TX)]

I take Nature-throid (or West-throid) which is a dessicated thyroid med (also made from porcine). I started on Armour and switched a few years ago when Armour changed their formula. Also know that both Armour and Nature-throid meds are a combination of T3 and T4. I believe the synthetic is just T4.

I'm not sure if there are any natural thyroid meds not made from procine. I also try to stay away from soy because of my thyroid.

I hope everything turns out Ok with the nodule.

[Skylark]

I'd recommend you read two books. The first is called "Living Well with Hypothyroidism" and it's very good and simple. The other is Kharrazian's book "Why do I still have thyroid symptoms when my lab tests are normal?" It's a little more technical but still helpful. Both books have a lot of natural suggestions on normalizing your thyroid function. They address the iodine controversy, have foods and herbs that can raise thyroid function, and talk about ways to possibly help autoimmunity.