TSH & Biotin (Immunoassay interference)
Posted , 5 users are following.
Great news for my daughter! She was told her TSH was zero and sent to an endo, who diagnosed her as hyperthyroid, even without any symptoms. Fast forward, 2nd endo was excellent and wise enough to ask her about supplements. When she told him she took Biotin he had her stop for 2 weeks and retest. Her readings came back Normal!! TSH & T's normal.
I was also retested after stopping Biotin. I'm still low but higher than I was last test when on Biotin. I have a nodule suppressing my TSH but only by a small amount. So I'm not taking Methimazole, which made me sick as a dog as I don't believe I need it. I think it made my hypo. I'm still taking supplements and L Carnitine and watching it. I don't think my nodule is active enough to warrant meds.
Wanted to share the good news about my daughter and let others know Biotin does not affect your thyroid but it can affect the TSH test depending upon the lab. Even though I'm still considered very mildly hyper, my TSH almost doubled when stopping Biotin prior to test. My T's are normal. It's a good day!
0 likes, 28 replies
sophieannejune JayValle
Posted
Hi Jay,
Will write more later, but curious. Did anyone find articles about nodule ablation? Will t work on toxic nodules? I'ld love to read it. My concern would be having the nodule ablated then the toxicity comes back somewhere else. But if that'd not the case..winner, winner.
JayValle sophieannejune
Posted
Hi Sophie
I haven't been able to find anything else about Focused Ultrasound Ablation. I wish I could. I'm not sure about your question about something else becoming toxic. A toxic nodule releases excess hormone. If they ablate it, there shouldn't be excess hormone or anything to be toxic. Or do you mean would it affect other nodules? I wouldn't think so, but I'm just guessing. I never really considered it. When you have RAI nothing else gets toxic. I guess it would be the same.
sophieannejune JayValle
Posted
Hi...sorry for the confusing question. When I spoke to a surgeon about removing one half of the thyroid because only 1 side had a toxic nodule (although there was a nodule on the other side) he said it was best just to remove both sides as there is a predisposition to tox toocity and although it may take time, sooner or later the second side would go bad.too. So if you ablated one nodule.based on his comment,a second one could go bad too. Just one of those questions in my mind. How are you feeling now that you've stopped methamazole?
JayValle sophieannejune
Posted
Ah, I see what you mean. I've never been able to find out exactly why nodules can turn hot. I don't think they really know. My sister has nodules too (Mom didn't) not sure why we got them. Mine are large. Sis's are small. Go figure, huh. We were both hypo for years and on Armour Thyroid. She's still on Armour Thyroid. Mine turned hot after my husband's illness and passing. After that my body seemed to want to break down. I had all kinds of medical problems (minor thank goodness) but one bad thing: labyrinthitis that knocked me off my feet for 3 months. It was after that the nodule turned hot. I have to think there's a link. I haven't been right since that horrid virus that hit my inner ear. I get dizzy a lot but nothing like that vertigo.
Off Methimazole - I feel better. I have tons of energy and feel pretty good other than sinus and allergies which could add to the dizziness. My moods are more stable off Methimazole but I think that's because my T4 went too low and the med was throwing me into a hypo state.
Do we know if our nodules consistently churn out excess hormone? That's my question for the docs which they can't answer. I don't think so, in my case anyway. Because there were times I felt okay but other times while on Methimazole I felt like I was dying. Total exhaustion and very scary depression - different from the grief of losing my husband. An emotional low that was more like desperation. That was mainly why I stopped. It was very frightening. Off Methimazole, I don't have that depression.
Also, it's controversial as to whether or not the nodule will resolve on its own. My primary care doc thinks yes, one endo says no, another says maybe. I guess it's individual. Imagine that these endos have never mentioned the ultrasound ablation? I don't get why they can't inject the nodule with the iodine instead of flushing it through your entire system. And surgery is out for me as I can't take anesthesia. Meantime, I'm checking out the info Madge posted.
I'm writing a book lol. Hope you're feeling well.
hugs
Jaye
sophieannejune JayValle
Posted
Hi Jay,
i'm glad you're doing well iwthout the evil methamazole. I hope you don't have to turn back to it. Interesting, i had 3 CT scans with contract over a 2 month period that my endo says may have caused the toxicity. Almost sounds like iillness and injury are culprits. My tocxic nodule is on the right side. My endo says that has caused the left side to suppres the hormone, meaning if i only had one half removed, there is no guarantee the left side would release hormone again and i would be on hormone drug forever. She's also of the belief a toxic nodule will never heal itself, it may calm down but it'll come back strong. Not one of my favore people.
I hope you're having a good day.
JayValle sophieannejune
Posted
My hot nodule is on the right too. Funny thing, it's getting smaller. I read that when you get older nodules shrink. I also read that's when they can turn hot. So controversial. Did you have a radio iodine uptake test? If so, did it show your left side was suppressed? My scan was normal uptake of left side but most going to right at 24 hours. So I can't figure out how my TSH is suppressed? Wouldn't it show no uptake on left and all on right? I have to look my records up again to see the actual numbers. Post yours if you have them. Just curious.
sophieannejune JayValle
Posted
Thyroid uptake at 6 hrs 19.6%(normal s/b 4 to 20
Thyroid uptake at 24 hrs 49.1% (normal s//b 7 to 35)
All update activity was in the right lobe (details provided). No definite activity is seen in the left lobe (SUPRESSED)
I hoppe you are the extremely rare exxeption!
JayValle sophieannejune
Posted
Hi. Here's mine.
Findings:
The bilateral thyroid lobes demonstrate uptake of radiotracer activity. There is a focus of increased uptake or radiotracer activity in the midpole of the right thyroid lobe, which may correspond to the large 4.2 cm solid nodule seen on prior ultrasound examination. No additional hot or cold nodule is identified.
The thyroid uptake is 5.9% at 6 hours with 1.4 cm on the left and 4.5 cm on the right.
The thyroid uptake is 20% at 24 hours with 5.1 % on left and 15 % on the right.
Impression:
1) Normal thyroid uptake at 6 hrs and 24 hrs
2) Hot nodule in right midpole, which may correspond to the 4.2 cm solid nodule seen on prior ultrasound
sophieannejune JayValle
Posted
JayValle sophieannejune
Posted
I haven't had it measured this year but it feels a lot smaller to me. My PCP agreed. Endo will probably measure it next month. Fingers crossed it's resolving. Now that I'm off antibiotic for sinus infection I'm feeling pretty good. Hope you're doing better too.
I'll post size when it's measured. How big is yours? Years ago mine was 4.2 but in January, the Endo did an ultrasound in his office and said rather than one big one he thought it was a few smaller ones but the technicians measured it as one on the past ultrasounds. When I had my last biopsy, the doc said I had 5. Most very tiny but he stuck my neck multiple times to biopsy all. My sister also has multiple small ones. None of hers ever grew. So I'm not entirely sure if it's one or more. And I've been seeing docs for ultrasounds & biopsies since 2004.