Post by tanyasw on Dec 24, 2008 17:28:57 GMT -5
I think that if you have autoimmune thyroid disease, that it is in the early stages.
It is also possible that thyroid antibodies are contained to the thyroid and haven't gotten to the bloodstream. If antibodies are positive via blood for Hashi's--great. The gold standard for diagnosing Hashi's is via fine needle aspiration/ biopsy/post-mortem exam.
Normal/healthy thyroid would have an even smooth texture (homogeneous).Heterogeneous appearance(pebbled/textured/uneven) is seen with autoimmune thyroid disease. It being mild, would suggest(to me anyway) it's in early stages.
Hypoechoic nodules (if you ever have ultrasound with this finding) is usually the result of lymphocytic infiltration of the thyroid associated with Hashi's.
Your ferritin is scary low. Are you taking iron? Optimal ferritin is required for the conversion of T4 to T3.
Glad you are actively addressing that scary low B12.
You know your body better than anyone else. Listen to your gut and common sense. Don't let a doc talk you into something you know is not in your best interest. Even if it means someone (other than an endo) treats your thryoid. You may need to kiss a lot of frogs to find a prince of a doc.
The various endo's you have been to---- Are they pituitary endo's with major pituitary centers/clinics/hospital?
Laurie
Laurie
I was taking iron until about six weeks ago when I ran out. I was going to wait to order more until I get retested. I had been supplementing for about a year.
As far as doctors go, I haven't had too much luck. I went to three before I found one who was willing to do bloodwork - I made her my GP when started me on Armour. That was two years ago. After a year I went to an Endo because I still was not feeling well. She ran more tests, said my cortisol was low but not low enough to warrant HC. That was last December. So I went back to my regular GP told her I wanted her to treat me because I did not like the Endo. In the beginning of March she started me on HC, and also told me I was getting beyond her realm of knowledge and she'd feel better about my treatment if I went back to the Endo. So back I went..in April she had me stop Armour for a month so she could do a scan. She got mad when she found out I was on HC, she said I didn't have Addison's so I didn't need it. I asked her to do an MRI when she did the scan, and she refused. She said my numbers did not suggest any problems with my Pituitary. A month later she put me back on Armour (only 30 MG). She said my thyroid looked like it was being attacked, but that it was mild, and that I would not need a lot of Armour. So I made an appointment with an Endo at John's Hopkin's who specializes in thyroid and pituitary. He agreed to an MRI and a thyroid ultrasound. Those are the latest results on my log. He said my thyroid looked fine and suggested I stop Armour. But did say I might need to stay on HC (Only 20 mg). He also did not sound like he wanted to continue to see me. He said he would forward the info to my regular GP and my Endo here, and that she should be able to treat me. So I am going to ask my regular GP if she can recommend someone else. There aren't any pituitary specialists in Chattanooga.
I have gained 30 lbs since May (between May and October). I've always been real thin and actually had trouble keeping weight on. Both Endo's say it's from the HC. But I had been on HC for almost three months before the weight gain started and it started after she reduced my thyroid dosage. Oh well. Time to doctor shop again.
I've been to two Osteopaths, one told me I was tired because I had two small children. The other told me my b-12 of 250 wasn't that low. I went to him after my GP and before my Endo. There is another Endo who is an Osteopath that I was thinking of trying, but I'm not sure how much luck I'm going to have with Endo's.
Thanks for all the input everyone.