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Thyroid Disorders
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Posted 9/5/2015 9:01 AM (GMT -6)
Hi Everyone
I am currently being treated for early Lyme disease following a tick bite in July. I am on antibiotics, but as part of my treatment the Dr ran an extensive blood test. Those tests revealed some things going on with my thyroid. I've had my thyroid tested many times (after pregnancy, at yearly physicals, etc), but only the T4, T3 and TSH (which have always been in the normal range and almost identical to the numbers I got on this test).

This time my new Dr also tested for thyroid antibodies (TPO and Antithyroidglobulin/Thyroglobulin Antibody). The number for the Antithyroglobulin is high. Also I have low Vit D and Iron (those numbers have been low for years but the other doctors I saw just gave me supplements). I don't have any symptoms currently except mild fatigue which is made 100% better if I take iron supplements. If I don't take iron supplements my iron levels drop to "undetectable". Previous Drs have said that is related to heavy menstruation. I had stopped taking iron supplements on the advice of my lyme Dr while I was on antibiotics but she has since put me back on them to see if that is the reason for my fatigue in the afternoons. The fatigue is not the "lyme fatigue" I had been feeling before antibiotics (ie unload the dishwasher and have to sleep for 3 hours to recover), it is just a mild tiredness towards the end of the day.

Antithyroidglobulin/Thyroglobulin Antibody: 7.8 (0.0-0.9 is normal)
TPO: <6 (0-34 normal)
TSH: 2.2 (.45 - 4.50 normal)
Triiodothyronine, free, serum: 2.8 (2.0-4.4 normal)
T4, free (direct): 1.19 (.82-1.77 normal)
Reverse T3, Serum 18.1 (9.2 - 24.1 normal)

She isn't an endocrinologist and when she saw the results she said "That MIGHT be a problem for you later, we need to test it again in 4 weeks" referring to the high antibody test.

What I'm wondering is #1 is this something I should aggressively pursue with a specialist? #2 Does that high antibody level mean ONLY that I have Hashimoto or another thyroid issue, or could it be related to my immune system being in overdrive fighting off the lyme disease? And #3 can this process be stopped or reversed at this stage? I am not experiencing any classic symptoms of thyroid problems...yet.

I guess I just don't know what that antibody result really means, and if it is something I need to take action on immediately??
Thank you in advance for any info you can share! Anything is greatly appreciated wink
Posted 9/5/2015 9:43 AM (GMT -6)
Hi HealingHMM and welcome! I'm new here too, but will be sticking around. This is a great forum!

Lyme disease can trigger thyroid disorders. The two diseases are actually very common to have together. There are doctors who believe the lyme is an underlying cause of many autoimmune disorders.

I was DXd with Hashi's in Feb. 2015. My TPO was over 1000, my Tg was close to 30, TSH was almost 7, T3 and T4 were ok but not optimal. Now almost all my #s are optimal. My TPO is elevated still, but down in the 300s. It is possible to pull it completely I to remission, but while lyme is still active, I don't know if that's possible.

To answer your questions:
1. I DO NOT recommend going to an endocrinologist. Others may disagree, but from all the research I've done, I wouldn't recommend it. Many will treat and if you don't feel better, they don't go any further. They don't recommend diet or lifestyle changes, won't pursue other RX options, etc.
2. Elevated Tg and/or TPO are signs of Hashi's only - no other autoimmune disorder.
3. Yes, you can do things to attempt to stop the process. Diet changes will help tremendously - both for lyme and thyroid. Lyme bacteria feed on gluten, sugar and dairy, so it's best to remove those from your diet. I'm following an autoimmune protocol (AIP) diet and that covers everything - it helps with both lyme and thyroid. It's a big step to take but if you're interested, you can always start with paleo and then transition into AIP.

Hope that helps! You also might want to check out the Lyme forum if you haven't already. There's a lot of helpful information there too.
Posted 9/5/2015 8:01 PM (GMT -6)
Thank you so much for your reply MsHippo! It's nice to know that there are others in my shoes. I have been reading a lot about the importance of diet. My lyme Dr was adamant about me cutting out all gluten, dairy and sugar during my treatment so those are out already but I will look into the AIP diet. Thank you so much!!
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