Good for you Lola for finding a new doctor! And it's good that you're upping your Vitamin D intake.

In case you were curious, here's where your thyroid levels are landing:
Free T4: 16%
Free T3: 38%

Still very low, very hypo. It's too bad you couldn't get an increase from the doctor.

I'm sure others will chime in about how to lower antibodies but one thing that I know about is Selenium. It's helpful in reducing those. You can either take a supplement or eat two brazil nuts every day (which contain a daily amount of selenium). Here's an article about that:

http://www.drdach.com/Selenium_Hashimotos.html

Thank you jessmm. I'll try some Selenium. It'd be awesome if a couple a brazil nuts every day would make a difference. I really appreciate your providing the link to the article. I'm going to try jumping on the gluten-free bandwagon too.

Thank you too for doing the math for me!

My new doctor was being really great. It didn't feel like the right time to push for an increase in Levo dosage. I decided to take the additional labs, prescription strength Vitamin D, and follow up in 3 months (rather than 12) as a "win" and look at the Free T4 and T3 levels again next time. I am feeling better since starting on the Levo, and somehow 3 months doesn't seem that long after the prospect of waiting 12 months.

I'm so glad you like your new doctor and at least feel like he's listening to you. That's important. And maybe at your next appointment he'll be willing to increase the amount but at least he's taking you more seriously and is seeing you more often than once a year!

Good luck with the gluten free diet!! I've heard that it's really helpful for a lot of people. Inflammation seems to be a big factor in auto immune conditions and reducing inflammation seems to calm the immune system to a degree. That article I gave you talks about how Selenium is anti inflammatory in that regard.

Over 1000. so they were to high to tell any more?

well as a bit of hope, after reading Dr Ks books

http://www.amazon.com/Still-Thyroid-Symptoms-Tests-Normal/dp/0985690402

i adjusted my diet, i listed less to the dogma about medicines and concentrated on the inflammation in my body (not saying thats whats wrong with you). Work with a holistic Dr.

Ive lowered my antibodies from 900ish down to 100ish.

Interestingly, when I was first tested my anti bodies where 140, my TSH 5 (4.9 being the high range) but my Ft3 and FT4 were perfect. I wish I had never started medication personally. But each case is different. Definitely need meds now.

You're not alone Lola 66..my antibodies are in the 1000 plus (above the range of ref. chart) My endo says he has never seen such a remarkable destruction of a thyroid gland..lucky me! Lol
I take vitamin D, and I used to take a daily selenium supplement. I thought I was losing more hair with the selenium, so I have cut back on that.. I will try jessmm's suggestion of 2 Brazil nuts now..
I take Armour..my tsh last month was 0.55, it's been much lower, but I didn't necessarily feel good at an extremely low level.
My frees are in the basement unfortunately.
If I take too much Armour my palpitations and generalized anxiety gets worse..wired but tired..when I take the dose I currently take, 60mgs my frees go down..so I am a little stuck. Similar to so on many of us..
Hang in there!

Bravo on the advice you've gotten so far...and bravo on ditching the idiot endo-criminologist. 12 months! Ugh.

I've found in my own experience that the key to getting better...and lowering those antibodies is doing what I can to make things better (good diet, moderate exercise, etc) but the real key is a doctor you can work with - who listens to YOU.

My TSH is usually below 1. If it's not...I feel like dog poo and a stick. But TSH isn't really a good measurement for how we FEEL. TSH has a "half life" of 1 hour. Meaning...in an hour, it's gonna change. How is that the "gold standard?" Beats me...
In my experience, and the experience of those who've optimized their thyroid levels and subsequently lowered those antibodies - is focusing on Free T4 and Free T3 which JessM has done a great job of breaking down for you.

*Most* people feel well when they have a TSH under 1 (your's is over 3) - but once you're diagnosed with a thyroid problem...TSH is fairly useless as a diagnostic tool. You will NEVER get an endo to say that...or even entertain the notion (again, in my experience of six plus endos). I found a good GP that actually listens to me, and I did my part by keeping a journal of symptoms by date (nothing fancy...just a notebook) and keeping a folder with all my labs in it so i could correlate where I felt best re: Free T4 and Free T3. In my experience (and others here) the only way to actually feel better is to do this work yourself and find a doctor who will listen to the facts you've gathered. It's not that hard once you start it. And boy is it ever worth it!

Just so you know, you're Free T4 is QUITE low at 16%. *Most* people feel well in the upper 1/4 of the range 75-100% of range. *Some people* only feel well slightly over the range...as I do. - I, personally, couldn't get out of bed or think my way out of a paper bag with your levels. AND, your Free T3 is low as well at 38%. *Most* people feel well in the upper 1/2 of the range.

What medications are you on right now? How long have you been on this/these medication(s) for your thyroid? One you answer, I'll give you my recommendations, and I'm going to provide a thread for exactly how you get your thyroid under control.

Here's the information blast (I'll comment further when I have your medications and length of time/dates you've been on them). If you can't see some of the links - simply join the Thyroid Resources forum on this site. We use it as an information depository.

Newbie info:
http://www.dailystrength.org/groups/thyroid-resources/discussions/messages/17754063

Hypo and how it *should* be treated:
http://www.dailystrength.org/groups/thyroid-resources/discussions/messages/19619927

Why TSH fails us and how it should be treated:
http://www.dailystrength.org/groups/thyroid-resources/discussions/messages/18685781

http://www.dailystrength.org/groups/thyroid-resources/discussions/messages/18306597

http://www.dailystrength.org/groups/thyroid-resources/discussions/messages/18124885

http://www.dailystrength.org/groups/thyroid-resources/discussions/messages/17753947

http://www.dailystrength.org/groups/thyroid-resources/discussions/messages/17753905

FYI: As to reducing antibodies, many studies show that adequate thyroid treatment (Free T4/Free T3) will reduce those antibodies and the damage done to the thyroid gland itself. There's also a study that shows Vitamin D deficiency -does- contribute to autoimmune diseases. So, getting that Vit D up is a good idea.

As to all the other info out there - well, I'm skeptical of some of it and here's why - we're not all the same, and each of us will have different triggers for a/i diseases. For some, it's stress alone (or in combinations with other triggers), for some it's food allergies (gluten, dairy...and the list is quite long), for some it's smoking, for some it's lack of moderate exercise, for some it's lack of a good healthy diet. There's no silver bullet to reduce your antibodies. So, my philosophy is this:
Do what you should be doing anyway! Eat a healthy diet with lots of anti-oxidants, get moderate exercise, make sure you work on getting appropriate levels of Free T4/Free T3, take that vitamin D, and work on getting your stress levels DOWN.

There -are- some supplements that claim to lower a/i antibodies, like ashwaganda. I took that and got worse, but here's why...and also why I say -everyone- will have a different method to getting those levels down - I had serious food allergies that I was completely unaware of, turns out, I'm severely allergic to mushrooms. Guess what? Ashwaganda is a mushroom! So, I got worse. My GP caught on to that and tested me for food allergies - and BAM - that was a big part of getting my antibodies down ( in addition to the other things I've listed). So, this is WHY keeping a journal of symptoms, drugs/supplements, and labs by date is soooo very important.

PS What I'm am particularly skeptical of is the various claims of "How I Cured My Hashimoto's without Medication". Ignore that. It's mostly BS.

Sovgrateful:
"I take Armour..my tsh last month was 0.55, it's been much lower, but I didn't necessarily feel good at an extremely low level.
My frees are in the basement unfortunately.
If I take too much Armour my palpitations and generalized anxiety gets worse..wired but tired..when I take the dose I currently take, 60mgs my frees go down..so I am a little stuck. "

"Wired and tired" is usually a sign that Free T3 is too high while Free T4 is too low if your'e on armour alone. It can also cause LOTS of anxiety.

Armour alone will also absolutely cause your TSH to be waaay below 1. It's just how it works, There's a different ratio of Free T3 to Free T4 than people generally have, so the Free T3 signals the brain to cut back on thyroid production, thereby lowering TSH...and keeping it low. Nothing wrong with that, as long as you have adequate Free T4...which I suspect you don't.

Hi MButterfly,

I always so appreciate your input.

My current medications are:
Levothyroxine 50 mcg daily
Ergocalciferol (Vitamin D) 50,000 units - taken once per week

I am still feeling run down, so I emailed by doctor's office asking if my Levothyroxine dosage could be bumped up a little bit. His nurse called me back and said that he didn't think an increase in dosage is indicated since I'm in the "normal range." Where have we heard that before? So much for his listening to me. He did say that I could try taking 1 extra 50 mcg of Levothyroxine per week to see if that makes any difference.

I'm planning on following your advice and keeping a journal of symptoms. I'm supposed to go back to this doctor in early February. I can muddle along 'til then. I also think that it makes tons of sense to do what you would do anyway....eat healthy, get some exercise, reduce stress, get enough sleep, etc.

I would appreciate any input you may have. You're a gift to us all.

Hi MButterfly,

I always so appreciate your input.

My current medications are:
Levothyroxine 50 mcg daily
Ergocalciferol (Vitamin D) 50,000 units - taken once per week

I am still feeling run down, so I emailed by doctor's office asking if my Levothyroxine dosage could be bumped up a little bit. His nurse called me back and said that he didn't think an increase in dosage is indicated since I'm in the "normal range." Where have we heard that before? So much for his listening to me. He did say that I could try taking 1 extra 50 mcg of Levothyroxine per week to see if that makes any difference.

I'm planning on following your advice and keeping a journal of symptoms. I'm supposed to go back to this doctor in early February. I can muddle along 'til then. I also think that it makes tons of sense to do what you would do anyway....eat healthy, get some exercise, reduce stress, get enough sleep, etc.

I would appreciate any input you may have. You're a gift to us all.

Oh, I forgot to add...I have been on the 50 mcg of Levothyroxine since late July 2015 and the Vitamin D for about the past 3 weeks.

MButterfly - Sorry! I messed up a bit on my posts. My medications and how long I have been taking them are at the end of my Reply #11.

Hey there lola!

Well, I'd ask for the labs - hard copies from your doctor's office. They can email them, mail them, or just give them to you over the phone as long as they give you the ranges as well as the results. If you have that...we can take a look.

You're most likely right, and do need an increase. If you can take the extra 50 - you might split it up into a couple days - like half on monday, then half on thur and see if it helps.

This is some of the best advice ever: "Do what you should be doing anyway! Eat a healthy diet with lots of anti-oxidants, get moderate exercise, make sure you work on getting appropriate levels of Free T4/Free T3, take that vitamin D, and work on getting your stress levels DOWN."

Thank M Butterfly as ever. My FT4 was so low it was flagged with L last blood test in October. My FT3 was lower than the last visit (May) also.
My problem is, I feel so hyped up when my Armour dose is higher..I even started to cut down a pill a day a couple of times a week, as my TSH being at 0.3 was too low for me. I have very bad palpitations and my hair loss was aggravated. I shed a lot, but the lower my TSH the worse it gets..
So I am a little between the devil and the deep blue sea.. If I take more Armour (I currently take 60mgs a day) if I take more..rising my FT3, I get the other symptoms, that are really disagreeable.
Anyway, you were spot on as usual, about my FT4, it's pathologically low!
I have suggested to endo, trying Levo (Synthroid ) in a small daily dose to rise my FT4..he doesn't want to hear about it..
I took Synthroid for 3 years, with another endo when I was first diagnosed 5 yrs ago..I do feel somewhat better on Armour..but not great unfortunately. I know this sounds odd..but I felt better before my diagnosis with a TSH of 15, before taking T.meds..I had thicker hair and less anxiety..so it's very frustrating, to say the least!