Where are you located? Affects diagnostic and treatment options.
Please post lab work with ranges:
TT
FT
LH/FSH
prolactin
E2 - estradiol
CBC
hematocrit
cholesterol - can be too low
AST/ALT
Thyroid: TSH can be up from low iodine. What is your history of using iodized salt? If not using iodized salt, you might not need thyroid meds. I have never seen reported that a doctor has asked about iodine. Iodine deficiencies should not be treated with a lifetime of thyroid meds.
Hashimoto’s: There are two risk factors, iodine deficiency and selenium deficiency. Production of T4 also produces free radicals that are cleaned up by enzymes. But that cannot happen without selenium. The free radicals injure thyroid cells and the immune system cleans up the wreckage and can then start to recognize regular thyroid cells as foreign and create hostile antibodies. With your family history, selenium supplementation is not optional.
You can look for a multi-vit that has trace elements including 150mcg iodine and 200mcg selenium. mcg = microgram = 0.001mg
Please read the stickies found here: About the T Replacement Category - #2 by KSman
- advice for new guys - need more info about you
- things that damage your hormones
- protocol for injections
- finding a TRT doc
Evaluate your overall thyroid function by checking oral body temperatures as per the thyroid basics sticky. Thyroid hormone fT3 is what gets the job done and it regulates mitochondrial activity, the source of ATP which is the universal currency of cellular energy. This is part of the body’s temperature control loop. This can get messed up if you are iodine deficient. In many countries, you need to be using iodized salt. Other countries add iodine to dairy or bread.