New Hashimoto diagnosis

[Hillmaster65]

Hi Folks,

Was newly diagnosed with Hashimoto's this week by an endocrinologist after my blood work from my general practitioner.  Endocrinologist's "calm" advice was essentially to do nothing and take nothing until Hashi completely destroys my thyroid and then medicate it.  Wondering if real actual folks who have dealt with this here can tell me what my next step should be after these results:


                                       VALUE                    REF RANGE          RESULT

Thyroglobulin                  31.2 ng/ml              3.0-4.0                    normal
Thyroglobulin Antibody   1.5 IU/ml                 <4.0                       normal
Free T4, automated        1.1 ng/dl                  0.8-1.6                   normal
TSH                                 9.2 mcIU/ml            0.3-4.7                   high
Free T3, automated         264 pg/dl                222-383                 normal
Thyroid Peroxidase Anti  460 IU/ml                <or=20                   high

Thank you in advance.

[Red_Star]

"do nothing and take nothing until Hashi completely destroys my thyroid and then medicate it."

Add that comment to "the doctor said what!?" list. O_o

[gimel]

Easy for him to say, he doesn't have to live with the resulting symptoms while the destruction of your thyroid gland is occurring, which can take years.  It is far better to be proactive and start on thyroid med adequate to raise your Free T4 to middle of its range, and Free T3 into the upper part of its range, as necessary to relieve symptoms.  That is the way good thyroid doctors treat hypo patients.  So, I have srious doubts that you will get anything better from the Endo.  You need to find a good thyroid doctor.  

When you do, make sure they always test for Free T4 and Free T3.  Scientific studies have shown that Free T3 correlated best with hypo symptoms, while Free T4 and TSH did not correlate.  And I expect that you went to the doctor because of having symptoms, so please tell us about them.  

Also, for future reference, hypo patients are frequently too low in the ranges for Vitamin D, B12 and ferritin.  So make sure those are tested as well.