I went to the doctor a few days ago with worries about a food tolerance due to over three weeks of diarrhea. TMI, I know.
My sister, who has been hypothyroid for almost 10 years, was just diagnosed with Hashimoto by an endocrinologist.
Because of this, I asked them to run some thyroid tests on me, "just to check." I had a baby last May (12 months ago) and have had some lack of energy/sluggishness and brain fog over the last few months, maybe a few memory issues. But no crazy dry skin, no sleep problems (other than lack of sleep due to baby waking me at night). I figured I was just in a rut from chronic lack of sleep.
Last winter I had some serious brain fog issues for about 2 months, difficulty losing weight (not gaining). Then I went on a high-test cold-filtered Omega supplement (PRN Health) and lost about 10 lbs in 2 months. Had dramatic decrease in brain fog. Then weight loss flatlined, some of the brain fog returned (not nearly as bad).
Initially, the CNP only tested TPO and TSH. Results:
TPO: 858.9 (0-6.8)
TSH: 5.5 (.4-3.99)
Based on that alone, the CNP diagnosed Hashimoto and prescribed synthroid 25 mg. I did some more research, talked to my sister. I found out she was given a whole dietary plan for her treatment (courtesy of a functional med doc), was supposed to get ultrasounds of her thyroid every six months. I also found out that postpartum thyroiditis can be possible, and go away. I requested additional tests and a referral to a specialist. I got the additional tests, was refused the referral. Results:
Free T3: 2.7 (2.2-4.2)
Free T4: .8 (.7-1.7)
Based on this, it seems like maybe some diet change to reduce the antibodies might actually make me able to get off the synthroid if thyroid function picks up? Is it possible that my gut issue (the diarrhea) was contributing to the crazy TPO number and that might have just been a flare-up? I read on the Johns Hopkins site that the majority of people with postpartum thyroiditis recover 12-18 months after onset. Anyone have any thoughts on this?
I have an appointment with a naturopath who specializes in endocrine issues, and it sounds like she's going to do a big workup on my adrenals, pituitary and whatnot. I am just shocked that I was refused a referral to a specialist and had to basically go find a naturopath to get help. Why is diet discussion not a standard part of the treatment plan?