hi I'm new!

[Guest guest]

Hello all I'm new to TPA. I've been on levothyroxine for about 3 years after

being diagnosed with an underactive thyroid a few months after the birth of my

daughter. I've spent most of the time wondering when I'm going to feel better

despite my blood levels being " normal " . I've not read everything on here but

the penny's starting to drop now as to why I'm not feeling that great.

I'm going to work my way through the suggestions on here and see what helps!!

I've switched to taking my levo at night time. I already take it with vitamin

c.

One question that I'm struggling to find answers to is whether there is any

corolation between hypothyroidism and early menopause? I know it can interfere

with fertility but cant seem to find anything to suggest that it may be a cause

of menopause. Since having my daughter at the age of 36, my periods have been

all over the place going as long as 70 days from start to start of my period to

as little as 14 days. My dr told me I'm menopausal about a year ago and had it

confirmed again earlier this year. I asked my gp if my thyroid could be making

the situation worse and had the " your blood results are normal " answer.

Any thoughts and suggestions would be much appreciated.

[Guest guest]

Hello , read about the Menopause/Thyroid Connection here http://www.thyroid-info.com/articles/shamesmenopause.htm.

If there is anything you don't understand, just shout and somebody will be

along to try to help you.

Doctors should NOT tell their patients they have normal thyroid

function tests, therefore they don't have a thyroid problem. How on earth did

doctors manage to diagnose hypothyroidism before the invention of serum thyroid

function tests and before the invention of synthetic levothyroxine sodium.

Doctors, in the good old days, would listen to the patients symptoms, look at

the very obvious 'signs', check cholesterol levels (a good indicator of

hypothyroidism if raised), listen to the patients story and find out whether

there were members of the family with a thyroid or autoimmune disease. They

would give their patients a thorough physical examination, take their

temperature, pulse and BP - and THEN decide whether their patient would benefit

from a trial of natural thyroid extract. Yes, about 50 years ago, every

sufferer of hypothyroidism was treated with natural thyroid extract, that

contains all the natural thyroid hormones their body needed. If their patient's

temperature was 97.8 or less, this was a good indication their metabolism was

not functioning as it should, and that was because they were suffering with

hypothyroidism. Now, doctors have been taught that they ONLY need to do serum

thyroid function tests to find out if their patient's levels of thyroid hormone

secretion were outside the so called 'normal' reference range. What doctors

fail to do when they see your levels are within range, is to check whether they

are at the bottom, the middle or the top of the range. These make a difference.

Instead, if they appear ANYWHERE within the range, they tell you that you can't

have a thyroid problem.

You need to take 200mcgs Selenium with your thyroxine to help

with the conversion of this mainly INACTIVE hormone to the ACTIVE hormone T3.

Have you ever been referred to an endocrinologist?

Luv - Sheila

One question that I'm struggling to find answers to is whether there is any

corolation between hypothyroidism and early menopause? I know it can interfere

with fertility but cant seem to find anything to suggest that it may be a cause

of menopause. Since having my daughter at the age of 36, my periods have been

all over the place going as long as 70 days from start to start of my period to

as little as 14 days. My dr told me I'm menopausal about a year ago and had it

confirmed again earlier this year. I asked my gp if my thyroid could be making

the situation worse and had the " your blood results are normal "

answer.

No virus

found in this incoming message.

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18:35:00

[Guest guest]

Many thanks Sheila for that very interesting article you sent me. I don't quite

know how to approach my dr now to try and convince them!! To me (probably as a

layman) it just seemed common sense that surely my underactive thyroid and

menopause must have some connection but just couldn't find anything to back up

my thinking. This was just what I was looking for!! I was in tears as I read

it x x

I'm off out today to get some Selenium - I'm a bit confused though as you say

200mcgs - I'm assuming that this is the same as 200ug which is supposed to

deliver 200mg - I'll ask in Holland and Barrett if I don't hear back. )

To answer you Sheila - no I've not been referred to an endocrynologist. I had

no idea it was an option!! Since being diagnosed I had a phone consultation by

my Dr who said that I've got an underactive thyroid and to come get a

prescription and then said on the bright side I wont have to pay for my

prescriptions anymore!! I was started on 50mcg levo and then after a few weeks

it was upped to 100 and then I was told I was ok!!!! that's about the extent of

my treatment. I've not been there banging on the door as I've got a young child

who wears me out - I just assumed all mum's must feel this bad but thinking now

that I may be very wrong about that!!

Thank you again. x x x

[Guest guest]

Did you mean to write something ????

Luv - Sheila

From: thyroid treatment

[mailto:thyroid treatment ] On Behalf Of

Sent: 06 July 2010 10:37

thyroid treatment

Subject: Re: hi I'm new!

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found in this incoming message.

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18:36:00

[Guest guest]

Sorry - told you I was new lol - not sure what's happened I can see my message

but this is what I put!!

Many thanks Sheila for that very interesting article you sent me. I don't quite

know how to approach my dr now to try and convince them!! To me (probably as a

layman) it just seemed common sense that surely my underactive thyroid and

menopause must have some connection but just couldn't find anything to back up

my thinking. This was just what I was looking for!! I was in tears as I read it

x x

I'm off out today to get some Selenium - I'm a bit confused though as you say

200mcgs - I'm assuming that this is the same as 200ug which is supposed to

deliver 200mg - I'll ask in Holland and Barrett if I don't hear back. )

To answer you Sheila - no I've not been referred to an endocrynologist. I had no

idea it was an option!! Since being diagnosed I had a phone consultation by my

Dr who said that I've got an underactive thyroid and to come get a prescription

and then said on the bright side I wont have to pay for my prescriptions

anymore!! I was started on 50mcg levo and then after a few weeks it was upped to

100 and then I was told I was ok!!!! that's about the extent of my treatment.

I've not been there banging on the door as I've got a young child who wears me

out - I just assumed all mum's must feel this bad but thinking now that I may be

very wrong about that!!

Thank you again. x x x

>

> Did you mean to write something ????

>

>

>

> Luv - Sheila

>

>

>

> From: thyroid treatment

> [mailto:thyroid treatment ] On Behalf Of

> Sent: 06 July 2010 10:37

> thyroid treatment

> Subject: Re: hi I'm new!

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

> No virus found in this incoming message.

> Checked by AVG - www.avg.com

> Version: 8.5.439 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/2980 - Release Date: 07/05/10

> 18:36:00

>

[Guest guest]

Hello

- you should ask Holland and Barrett for Selenium 200 micrograms. Selenium is

one of the nutrients your body needs to convert the mainly inactive thyroid

hormone thyroxine (T4) into the active thyroid hormone triiodothyronine (T3).

The best way

to approach your doctor is to write a letter to him. Tell him about the

connection between hypothyroidism and early menopause and give him the link so

that he can read about this himself http://www.thyroid-info.com/articles/shamesmenopause.htm

Write down

the list of the symptoms you are still suffering and the signs (check these on

our web site www.tpa-uk.oerg.uk under

'Hypothyroidism'). Next, list the blood tests you would like him to check out

because if any of these are low in the reference range, no amount of thyroid

hormone is going to be properly utilised by the cells in your body and brain.

These are ferritin (stored iron), vitamin B12, vitamin D3, magnesium, folate,

copper and zinc. Ask in your letter for a copy of all your blood results,

together with the reference range for each of the tests done. You can then post

them here so we can help with the interpretation. Sadly, for many doctors, if

any blood results are returned within the reference range, they tell you that

your results are " normal " , when, in fact, they fail to check whether

you are at the bottom, the middle or the top of the ref. range.

You should

also ask for a FULL thyroid function test to include TSH, free T4 and free T3.

Mention in

your letter that you are no longer prepared to continue to suffer all of your

symptoms without further investigation and ask therefore for a referral to an

endocrinologist.

Last, ask for

your letter of requests to be placed into y our medical records and send a copy

to the Head of Practice - and remember to keep a copy yourself. Doctors DO pay

more attention to the written word, so now is the time to be assertive. It is

always better to write when you are making any requests, so your letter can be

followed up.

Good luck

Luv - Sheila

Many thanks Sheila for that very interesting article you sent me. I don't quite

know how to approach my dr now to try and convince them!! To me (probably as a

layman) it just seemed common sense that surely my underactive thyroid and

menopause must have some connection but just couldn't find anything to back up

my thinking. This was just what I was looking for!! I was in tears as I read it

x x