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Peroxidase 7558

For years I whined about the fatigue, weight gain, hair loss, constipation etc.  I went through the whole anti-depressant thing and even had a colonoscopy due to the chronic constipation.  My regular doctor just kept saying I was depressed.  Well heck yes I was depressed he wasn't listening to me when I  said "SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH MY BODY".  Long story short I went to a nurse practitioner who was practicing with the weight loss management clinic in town.  Told her my story.  She wanted to test my thyroid.  I said don't bother every doctor under the sun has checked it.  She asked me to trust her and I did.  Although my TSH came back in what most doctors consider the "normal range" my thyroid peroxidase levels were pushing 8000.  My doctor put my on a low dose of synthroid and sent me for an ultrasound which then led me to have four biopsies. The biopsies came back showing no signs of cancer.  Off to Mayo Clinic in Florida for me.  The endocronoligist there was pretty much worthless.  I wasted alot of time and money on him to tell me the nurse practitioner was exactly right.  So back to the nurse practitioner.  She put me on a four week schedule of checking my blood to reevaluate my levels.  When I returned from Florida she upped me to 50mcg of synthroid.  Waited four weeks and checked me again...the thyroid peroxidase has dropped about 250 points.  So she upped the synthroid to 75 mcg.  I was suppose to wait for five weeks this time but I didn't even make it four.  I was so miserable, angry, emotional achy...I called and told her that she had to check my levels or I was going to start building a bomb in my laundry room.  She checked them and I was right..the peroxidase levels had GONE UP!!!!  Geeeeeezz....so now here I am on 88 mcg of synthroid and 1 of the T3 cytomel.  I'm suicidal, homicidal, depressed.  It is just awful.  I have a beautiful ten year old daughter who I am short with even though she doesn't deserve it.  I don't want to see anyone or talk to anyone and all I want to do is sleep.  Unfortunately because my husband has a ***** for an ex wife and she has sued us every year for the last eight for one reason or another I must continue to work.  I just can't find relief in any shape form or fasion.  

Has anyone else had peroxidase levels this high?  If so has anyone been successful in getting them back down?  Is Hashimoto's the only thing that makes the peroxidase so high?  Is the high peroxidase what is making me so darn irritable?  Please someone help  me.
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1299122 tn?1281040416
I understand! I also knew that something was "WRONG WITH ME" for at least 3 years before I finally received my hashis diagnosis. It took several doctors to figure it out! WHY could they not GUESS it was thyroid when I read my list to EACH subsequent doctor I saw is beyond me. The standard "thyroid" test (TSH) that doctors included with the standard CBC is not reliable for diagnosing autoimmune thyroid disease. My TSH was in range for years...until finally it went out of range (7.5) which prompted the TPO ab test. Prior to this it was easier for them to slap a diagnosis of "depression" on me and suggest antidepressant drugs - which I refused to take.
I disagree with the general thought that the autoantibodies cause no symptoms. I KNOW when I am having a flare even though my labs are always in rangen having been on Armour thyroid for 7 months now. My throat feels swollen and I feel like I am going to gag. My lymph nodes on the side of my neck become sore (reactive lymph nodes) then in a few days the flare subsides. Your antiTPO is quite high - it could take weeks even months for those levels to decrease. However, they will never simply disappear.
Gimel suggested having your Vitamin D, B12, Selenium, Calcium & Iron tested. He is right - these are VERY important. Vitamin D is important for the conversion of T4 to the active hormone T3.
Also, if you can try to reduce your stress level some how, some way, your endocrine system will have a better chance to heal. If an ex-spouse is causing emotional disturbances, anger, frustration etc - your adrenal glands are probably overworked too.
The mind/body connection in autoimmune disease is receiving greater attention.
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Avatar universal
Sorry about the typos.  Paragraph 4 should be like this.



So I think the first thing you need to do is to go back and request testing for FTt3 and FT4, along with the TSH.  If the doctor resists, then just insist on it and don't take no for an answer.  If they try to tell you they don't need to test for FT3, because they can test for FT4 and estimate FT3, don't buy it.  Many patients taking thyroid hormone find that they do not adequately convert T4 to T3, so their FT3 is lower in its range than FT4.  In view of its importance, it is best to just test and be sure.  
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Avatar universal
By peroxidase I assume that is the result from the TPO ab test.  Those antibodies do not directly cause the symptoms you are having.  those antibodies attack your thyroid glands and over an extended period of time destroy the thyroid glands.  During this gradual destruction and the loss of natural thyroid production, you have to offset the loss with thyroid medication.  

Since you only mentioned TSH, I also assume that you may have one of those doctors that have the "Immaculate TSH Belief" and use TSH as their primary test to diagnose and medicate a thyroid patient.  This is guaranteed to keep you feeling sick.  

TSH is a pituitary hormone that is affected by so many variables that at best it should only be used as an indicator, to be considered along with more important indicators such as symptoms and also the levels of the biologically active thyroid hormones, which are free T3 and free T4 (note that FT3 and FT4 are not the same as total T3 and total T4, which are somewhat outdated and not nearly as useful).  FT3 is the most important because it largely regulates metabolism and many other body functions.  Scientific studies have shown that FT3 correlated best with hypo symptoms, while FT4 and TSH did not correlate very well at all.  

So I think the first thing you need to do is to go back and request testing for Ft3 and FT4, along with the TSH.  If the doctor resists, then just insist on it and don't take no for an answer.  If they try to tell you they don't ned to test for FT34, because they can test for FT4 and estimate FT3, don't buy it.  Many patients taking thyroid hormone find that they do not adequately convert T4 to T3, so their FT3 is lower in its range than FT4.  In view of its importance, it is bet to just test and be sure.  

Another thing to beware of is that doctors will frequently interpret any FT3 and FT4 result within the range as "normal" and nothing further needed.  This is also incorrect because the ranges are so broad and the testing is all so variable, that they are all only indicators.  A good thyroid doctor will treat a patient clinically by testing and adjusting FT3 and FT4 as needed to relieve symptoms, without being constrained by resultant TSH levels.  Symptom relief should be all important, not the test results.  Frequently we hear from our members that symptom relief for them required that FT3 was adjusted into the upper part of its range and FT4 adjusted to at least midpoint of its range.   When you go back for more testing I suggest that you find out if the doctor is going to be willing to treat you clinically as I describe above.  If not then you will need to find a good thyroid doctor that will do so.  

While getting the additional testing you should also find out about your Vitamin D, B12, iron/ ferritin and selenium.  Frequently we hear that members with hypothyroidism also have deficiencies in those areas as well.

Assuming you are able to get that testing, when you go in for the blood draw it is always a good idea to double check with the lab people to confirm they know it is free T3 and free T4, not the Totals.  You'd be amazed at how many times this just doesn't happen as it should and you end up without the tests you want done.  Best to check and make sure.

When results are available, I suggest that you get a copy and note on there your meds and how you were feeling at the time.  These become very valuable references in the future.  When you have results, if you will post results and reference ranges then members will be glad to help interpret and advise further.  

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