5 replies to this topic

[KieranA001]

Hi,

 

So I did a few blood tests recently and the findings were:

 

Abnormal / Key Findings

• High fasting insulin: 13.5 mIU/L
• High fasting insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR): 2.2
• High Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies (TPOAb)
• High Thyroglobulin Antibodies (TgAb)
• Low SHBG
• Slightly elevated CRP
• Slightly elevated afternoon cortisol
• Low Vitamin D

Relevant Symptoms / Correlated Issues

• Brain fog
• Fatigue / low energy
• Hair thinning / dry skin
• Skin issues (psoriasis-type)
• Light sensitivity
• Difficulty losing fat
• Bloating
• Depression, anxiety.

 

What I wanted to know is what changes would you recommend I make, is this hashimotos? Or are the anti-bodies reversable through diet? 

 

Normal / Reassuring Results

• Fasting glucose: 4.1 mmol/L
• TSH
• Free T4
• Free T3
• Testosterone
• Prolactin
• Oestradiol
• Ferritin
• Full Blood Count
• Calprotectin (low = no gut inflammation)

[pamojja]

How high are your antibodies? And what is your labs normal range? The free Ts are somewhat reassuring..

 

Generally, all lab markers fluctuate, also of course due to changing dietary intake. Therefore, worthwhile not to think those results cut in stone, but better get a follow-up a few months later.

 

For example, my fasting insulin fluctuated between 5.5 and 14. HOMA-IR between 0.7 and 2.6.

 

what changes would you recommend I make

 

The easiest is of course supplementing vitamin D3 without enough sunshine. An anti-inflammatory diet, and anti-inflammatory as well as thyroid supporting nutrients. Palmoplantar psoriasis needed, in my case, not only vitamin D3 to heal, but plenty of preformed vitamin A and magnesium. Those along with vitamin K2 are all co-factor nutrients often needed together with vitamin D3.

 

This isn't to be taken as medical advice recommended to you. But what I would do, after sufficiently informing myself about those nutrients. Where I actually underestimated how much more magnesium would be needed, to support sufficient vitamin D3 serum levels, and which drove me into a severe Mg-deficiency. Took about 1.9 g/d of oral elemental magnesium, and more than 30 Mg IVs the last 17 years - to correct that deficiency. So be aware of pitfalls and inform yourself further.

Edited by pamojja, 11 April 2026 - 10:33 AM.

[pamojja]

 

Does Insulin Sensitivity Cause Hashimotos &

 

From a decade old version of labtestanalyzer.com (might have been updated with differing information):

 

 

High TPO antibody levels have been linked to:

 BPA exposure [R]

 Decreased bone mineral density [R]

 Insulin resistance and high C-reactive protein (CRP) levels [R]

 Hives (urticaria) [R]

 Sleep apnea [R]

 Polycystic ovary syndrome [R]

 Sarcoidosis [R]

 Vitiligo [R]

 Rheumatoid arthritis [R, R]

 Systemic lupus erythematosus [R]

 Sjogren's syndrome [R]

 Type 1 Diabetes [R]

 Stomach cancer [R]

 

High TPO antibody levels increase the risk of:

 Bone fractures [R]

 Poorer in-vitro fertilization (IVF) outcomes [R]

 Developing hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism after giving birth [R]

 Preterm delivery, low birth weight, and miscarriage [R, R, R]

 Thyroid nodules (abnormal growth of cells that forms a lump on the thyroid gland, usually not associated with cancer) [R]

 Developing autoimmune thyroid disorders [R]

 Thyroid cancer [R]

 

The most common causes of high TPO antibody levels are:

 Vitamin D deficiency [R]

 Excess/high doses of iodine (>200 mcg) [R]

 Having both mercury sensitivity and mercury amalgams [R]

 Heavy metal exposure including lead and cadmium [R]

 Genetics [R]

 H. pylori infection [R]

 

[KieranA001]

How high are your antibodies? And what is your labs normal range? The free Ts are somewhat reassuring..

 

Generally, all lab markers fluctuate, also of course due to changing dietary intake. Therefore, worthwhile not to think those results cut in stone, but better get a follow-up a few months later.

 

For example, my fasting insulin fluctuated between 5.5 and 14. HOMA-IR between 0.7 and 2.6.

 

 

The easiest is of course supplementing vitamin D3 without enough sunshine. An anti-inflammatory diet, and anti-inflammatory as well as thyroid supporting nutrients. Palmoplantar psoriasis needed, in my case, not only vitamin D3 to heal, but plenty of preformed vitamin A and magnesium. Those along with vitamin K2 are all co-factor nutrients often needed together with vitamin D3.

 

This isn't to be taken as medical advice recommended to you. But what I would do, after sufficiently informing myself about those nutrients. Where I actually underestimated how much more magnesium would be needed, to support sufficient vitamin D3 serum levels, and which drove me into a severe Mg-deficiency. Took about 1.9 g/d of oral elemental magnesium, and more than 30 Mg IVs the last 17 years - to correct that deficiency. So be aware of pitfalls and inform yourself further.

Very high - 

 

Thyroglobulin Antibodies 337 H IU/mL < 40

Anti Thyroid Peroxidase 344 H IU/mL < 34

Free T3 5.12 N pmol/L 3.10 - 6.80

Ferritin 132 N ug/L 30 - 400

Thyroid Stimulating Hormone 2.24 N uIU/mL 0.27 - 4.20

Free T4 18.8 N pmol/L 12.0 - 22.0

Vitamin D 48.7 L nmol/L > 50.0

Vitamin B12 393 N pg/mL 197 - 771

SHBG 17.0 L nmol/L 18.0 - 54.0

 

Glucose - Fasting 4.1 mmol/L  (Range: 3.9 - 5.8)

Insulin - Fasting Fasting 13.5 mIU/L  (Range: < 10)

Insulin Resistance Index 2.2 <=2 - Normal >2  - Screen yearly for type 2 diabetes with HbA1c (Range: ≤ 2)

 

 

I have started taking D3 actually, with magnesium at night (as they're both supposed to work with each other). 

 

I take selenium, and zinc in the mornings (along with my ADHD meds and sertraline). Luckily I can actually go to the gym now and feel motivated enough to go. So I do think the D3 is helping very slowly. 

 

I do still get very shaky in the evenings / spaced out / anxiety state. I think it might be to do with concerta XL + the insulin results, if the ADHD meds speed up my metabolism, it might make the insulin worse?

 

Either way I was thinking of either starting Berberine or Retatrutide peptides at the end of the month come pay day, unless you have any better options for me? 

 

Thank you. Also the anti-bodies are my second blood test and they've stayed high for like a year now. I was using clomid to increase my testosterone as I was told it was low (and was wondering if that was causing my hair thinning and shedding badly.) I don't think it helped that much, if at all, it could have been placebo. 

 

Edited by KieranA001, 12 April 2026 - 05:38 PM.

[pamojja]

..unless you have any better options for me? 

 

My own experience convinced me, that there are better options to bring worse chronic disease symptoms into remission (in my case walking-disability from PAD, shortness of breath from COPD, or PEMs from ME/CFS) - in comparison to standard of care, which most often only provides interventions to slow down disease progression. Which for me was not really an option. With others, I almost always see the confidence in standard of care, with its 'one pill against one ill' premise - which makes an all out effort against almost impossible.

 

So it probably remains the advice I follow myself only: Of course, changing of diet and lifestyle is the first and should be the foundation. And only if this doesn't work, targeted nutrients. Singular pharmaceuticals almost always induce secondary nutrient deficiencies or various side effects. To bring down insulin-resistance the first step would be to single out those meal ingredients or amounts, which cause the highest 1 hour postprandial glucose spikes, with a cheap glucose meter.
 

I would search which nutrient deficiencies can be caused by your conditions and medications. B12 in serum test tells little, better indicator for metabolized B12 would be methylmalonic acid. Estimating from your conditions, and assuming you're not supplementing, I reckon many of your B vitamins are very far from optimal. If you don't eat regular seafood, as most of us for good reason, your omega-3 index will be much less than 8%, which is anti-inflammatory and health protective. Here supplements could help.

 

Needs just as deficiencies are highly individual, I needed 8000 IU D3, to keep my serum levels in optimal range. Though my last remission from PEMs occurred unintentional by too much additional sun-bathing, overshooting my 25(OH)D3 serum levels to 135 ng/ml. Never think you bodily or metabolic system strictly separated. If one sub-system is struggling, the harder for the whole organism to experience remission from chronic diseases. Don't believe doctors, for whom disease is a business model, verify health-recovery for yourself.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited by pamojja, 12 April 2026 - 10:30 PM.

[pamojja]

.. with my ADHD meds and sertraline .. with concerta XL 

 

Practically this cocktail already could have caused all your symptoms as side effects:

 

 

Relevant Symptoms / Correlated Issues

• Brain fog
• Fatigue / low energy
• Hair thinning / dry skin
• Skin issues (psoriasis-type)
• Light sensitivity
• Difficulty losing fat
• Bloating
• Depression, anxiety.