Adding another piece to my PN puzzle
 

I had blood tests done last week again for my thyroid, every 5 months or so since I am on medication. Well this time I added a test, the TPO antibodies test.

Result:
Thyroperoxidase TPO 578 HIGH range <35iu

Which in my mind says I have hashimoto. I go to the doctor in a couple weeks to talk about it, which I doubt he will do anything for it, since all my other thyroid labs came back within normal ranges.

While reading about this test it says hashi, lupus, and graves top concerns, and I am betting it is hashi. When I read about it, it did not specifically say PN but did talk about burning being a symptom. My number 1 problem.

Just another piece to the puzzle but now what. :confused:

Hashimoto's can result in swinging values on the other factors.

We've had posters here who get hyper- thyroid after a period of
hypo....so you'll have to watch your testing carefully.

So far my results do not swing at all but I only get them done every 3 months at first and now more like 5 or 6 months, so maybe I have to test more often. But I don't really understand hash totally yet, it seems nothing is really done except thyroid meds and maybe supplements, so it does not appear there is much more I can do since finding this out, but maybe it is why I still have PN symptoms in my feet when at first they kinda went away when I first started on thyroid meds and when I increase dose. (but then comes back)

Hashi's thyroiditis can be comorbid with celiac disease.

Reading as much as I can about TPO and hashi...I wonder with all the inflamation it can cause if this is what is causing my pn and why the zflamend helped me, since it helps with inflamation.

But no matter what I read there isn't much on how to get rid or it or help other than diet and thyroid meds. :(

Thryoid fellow
 

:(Hi Stacy I have PN - postchemo - and I also take Oroxin as I had my thyroid removed. I have Graves Disease which adversely affected my eyes (pop-eye look). My endocrinologist who monitors my thyroid condition did increase my oroxin too but I do not take any other meds. I guess where I am going is to say that Hashimotos may also be monitored and treated with thyroid meds only. I hope so as more meds just add to a chemical cocktail and make diagnosis messy. Good luck! Aggie

Hi Stacy,
I was told I had Hashimoto's when I went to John Hopkins. I had an ultrasound done and the tech went to get the doctor and he asked if anyone ever told me I had Hashimoto's.
Nothing changed with the dx for me. They just check my blood work about every 6 months. I think they only do that because I ask them to. I might ask for a TPO to be taken. I never heard of it before.

Yes, it seems nothing is done about it, even if you get the test, all they do is give thryroid meds and wait for it to kill your thyroid off.

It's confusing to me that they test for it then do nothing about it.

I read selenium is good for lowering TPO numbers.

Hashi's cause great inflamation so I am determined to find a way to get rid of inflamation, which in turn will help my pn, I believe.

I have read that hypothyroidism can be the actual cause of neuropathy. All of my doctors know I am Hypo but not one of them has mentioned to me that it may have caused my SFN. I wonder if it is even possible to determine that?

Two doctors have told me my PN is from hypothyroid.

The first doctor said it right away even before the blood test. No, you can't determine for sure that PN is from hypothyroid. It's a doctors guess.

Hi Hopeful
I have hypothyroydism too, and have had all kind of bloodtests to find the cause of my SFN. I even had a spinal tap. All negative. My TSH was up and down a bit last year. I did see a Endocrenologist. TSH and T3 T4 has been stable for a while. I will have it checked next month.
I do have inflamatory arthritis, so the rheumotologist think that is what has been causing the developement of SFN, even though it seems like the SFN was showing up first, and then the joint pains came.
I would like to see if the thyroid could be some of the cause.
I hope you find out all.
Synnove

synnove, sounds like hashi's if your tsh up and down.

If you do blood tests, make them do T3 FREE and T4 FREE, they are more important that just T3 and T4. You might also do the TPO as high TPO indicates hashi's which means tons of inflamation, which is what I believe is my problem.

Staycy
I just checked on the script the doctor left with me to have blood drawn next month. The script says Comprehensive Thyroyd Profile, so I think this is included, I would have to check. I think it is T4, T3 Uptake Total T3, TSH.

I think perhaps I will see the Endocrenologist again, because my Hb AiC was up a little bit, and I have not been diagnosed with Diabetes.
But you know, it would not hurt.

You have diabetes, do you not?
Do you take diabetes meds?

Hope we all get rid of the SFN one day!!
Synnove

No I do not have diabetes. I was pre-diabetic. I bought a monitor and I definately watch my carbs. If I don't , I would be well on my way to diabetes.

Hashi's/thyroid problems is connected with high cholestrol, diabetes, high blood pressure, arthiritis and so much more.

Hashi's I am learning causes a great deal of inflamation in the body, and inflamation can press on the nerves and cause PN.

Not all thyroid panels include the free's so I would ask for it, and the TPO if you want a real picture of the status of your thyroid.

From STTM site:

In most cases, Hashi’s is confirmed by two antibodies labs, and you need both, not just one:

anti-TPO
TgAb.

The first antibody, anti-TPO, attacks an enzyme normally found in your thyroid gland, called the Thyroid Peroxidase, which is important in the production of thyroid hormones. The second antibody, TgAb, attacks the key protein in the thyroid gland, the thyroglobulin, which is essential in the production of the T4 and T3 thyroid hormones. Note: it is unfortunately common for a doctor to only do ONE test, and you need BOTH tests, since you can be normal in one and high in another! Also, if your doctor just chooses the TPO, there are other autoimmune diseases that can cause a raise of the TPO. We have also noted that saliva does not always accurately detect Hashi’s as well as blood tests do.

I didn't get the TgAb, wish I did.

Stacy, I think I will have a visit with my Endocrenologist.
Thanks for all the information regarding the blood tests.
Synnove

This thread is interesting!
 

Hi there. I have been following the thread and am interested that your doctors have attributed PN to hypothyroidism. Since getting PN after chemo I take 150mg of oroxin every Mon, Wed and Fri then 100 mg every other day. I take 100mcg of Selenium twice daily and upped my dose of vitamin D all thanks to my endocrinologist. I had my thyroid removed in 2004 and my current thyroid readings are the most normal they''ve ever been. My PN is improving with swelling reduced in my feet and toes. I see my endocronologist again in May for another review. Will definitely post again.
Cheers
Liz:winky:

You know aggie, I didn't really BELIEVE both doctors that hypothyroid was the cause of my pn. I just couldn't find enough to support it completely, so in my mind I felt maybe the fact that my blood sugar numbers were spiking so high (before my low carb diet) that the spikes caused my pn. Personally, going on my own, I decided to buy the meter and go low carb.

However, as time has gone on I have changed my opinion and do believe thyroid could have caused it. Before I got on thyroid meds, my heels hurt all the time and felt like a spike was in them, I had swelling all around my heels. Once I got on the meds that all went away and so did my PN symptoms, all of them. THEN after being on meds a bit the burning came back and has gotten worse and worse. Then it got better again when I increased thyroid meds, only to return a few weeks later.

While I wont ever really know the true cause, and it could be spikes in blood gluclose, or even my hydroclorothyiazide, I do believe it is the thyroid and now with hashi in the picture, that suggests inflamation even more.

Inflamation is a problem I already knew I had but I didn't know it was/could be from hashi's. And my burning improved instantly when I started with zyflamend for inflamation.

So, my new goal is to work on inflamation, bring my TPO antibodies down and see it that helps my burning/pn.

Just thought I would share my story with you in case it gives you any insight into your own situation. :)

Edit to add: I added selenium this week also, and I see you take it, so maybe that will help too. What kind do you take??? I have been confused on the many different kinds of selenium and some have yeast which is not good for candida.

Hi Stacey, I take Selemite B at the moment. It does have selenium and vitamin B of course and yes! you are right there is some yeast in it. I have to take selenium twice a day 100mcg each time so a total of 200mcg. Vitamin D also the same and of course I also take 600mcg of calcium. My heels were just like yours - so swollen that I stretched my sandshoes!! Thank goodness that swelling has gone. My toes are slowing getting normal feeling in them too. I still walk like a zombie but I don't care about speed anymore - staying upright and getting flexibility is top priority. I am being really cautious about sugar now too. I think I might have read one of your earlier threads about it aggravating PN symptoms so am trying to eat heaps more fruit instead. Also found that my feet really felt awful the day after a sugar binge. Eating my way through all those xmas goodies was literally quite painful. Next xmas its cherries, avocadoes, mangos and nuts for me. Hope you find the balance of meds and vitamins and send the pain packing!