Am I hypothyroid?

[Guest guest]

Hi I've been reading this incredibly informative forum for a while but never

posted, I was hoping for some advice. A little about my history, I would say

I've had most of the symptoms of hypothyroid in various degrees of seroiusness

for about 15 yrs;

awful fatigue - at times debilitating,

always cold, especially extremities

Wake up feeling more tired than when I went to bed, terrible brain fogginess

Depression which is either underlying or severe (treating successfully with St

s Wort at the moment)

Absolutely no libido

Dry skin and hair

Anxiety which is getting worse

amongst other things, I used to find that a bit of exercise made me feel more

'alive' but I barely have the energy to do that any more.

4 yrs ago I went to my GP and asked her to test my thyroid - I went armed with

my basal temperature readings (very low) but she looked at me like I was mad and

needless to say my tests came back as 'normal' and she prescibed me

anti-depressants. She was, however interested in the fact I hadn't had a period

for 6 yrs (now 10) and after investigation I was diagnosed with PCOS.

At this point I was quite relieved as I thought that I'd found the reason for

feeling ill all the time and I could tackle it. However after 4 yrs of doing

everything right with diet and supplements I feel no better and had all but

given up on ever feeling healthy until my friend pointed out I was showing all

the symptoms of Hypo. This pushed me to research again and find this excellent

site.

I have been to a different GP who was at least sympathetic and my recent blood

test results were;

TSH 1.4

Thyroid autoantibodies <10 kIU/L

Ferritin 27 ug/L

I asked for a copy of my tests and I don't see T4, not sure why.

She basically said my ferritin was to low and I should take an iron supplement.

Lymphocyte was also low (0.94) which she said is normal if someone is

recovering from a virus. I did have a virus about a month ago but I always feel

run down - could this all really just be down to low iron?

Any advice appreciated!

[Guest guest]

Hello ahdskahk (do you have a name we can pronounce *grin*) and

welcome to our happy little band of Thyroidians and I am sure you will get lots

of help and support here.

Not everybody who is hypothyroid have thyroid function tests

that are out of the reference range, some people suffer the symptoms for years

before their TSH shows this. Perhaps you should watch and listen to the

following video's They last only a few minutes but there is so much

information there. Everybody who has been told their thyroid function tests have

been returned within the normal reference range should listen to Dr Hotze

explain why these tests are NOT ACCURATE. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSwgUndHcqU & feature=sub

.. Watch and listen to this one too http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxSvLiW0q9A & feature=related

and to this one

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHvHoHzkJ2I & feature=related.

You sound to be at the end of your tether, but please don't give

up, there is light at the end of the tunnel and we will do what we can to help

you find it.

I always recommend that when members find themselves in a

similar situation to you, that they write a letter to their GP and send a copy

to the Head of Practice. This is one way that makes your GP sit up and start to

listen to their patient. Too often, you sit in the consultation room with your

GP who doesn't give you time to talk and who hasn't the time to talk themselves

- this is the fault of the NHS system. Writing a letter is a record of your

requests and your family history that will be placed into your medical notes.

First, make it very clear to your GP that you are no longer

prepared to suffer as you have done all these years, and that you need to get a

proper diagnosis and to start the correct treatment for that diagnosis. Prescribing

antidepressants is a complete cop-out and you are now determined to find out

exactly what is the matter with you.

Make a list of all the symptoms you are suffering right now, and

then list the signs you are exhibiting. You can check these against those in

our web site www.tpa-uk.org.uk by

clicking on 'Hypothyroidism' in the Menu, and then on the drop down Menu, click

on 'Symptoms and Signs'.

List any members of your family who have a thyroid or autoimmune

disease.

Take your temperature for 4 to 5 mornings before you get out of

bed and list these too. Normal temperature is 98.6. If your temperature is 97.8

(and it could be very much less) this is an indication your metabolism isn't

working as it should.

Make a list under the

specific thyroid function tests that are recommended by The British Thyroid

Association's 2006 " UK Guidelines on Thyroid Function Testing " http://www.british-thyroid-association.org/info-for-patients/Docs/TFT_guideline_final_version_July_2006.pdf

where, under '1.2 Thyroid Function Tests (TFT)' they recommend

inclusion of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH),

free thyroxine (FT4), and free triiodothyronine (FT3). Let

your GP also know that thyroid GLAND function tests ONLY test the level of

thyroid hormones being secreted by the thyroid gland. THEY DO NOT TEST TO SEE

WHETHER THE THYROID HORMONE IS CONVERTING TO THE ACTIVE HORMONE TRIIODOTHYRONINE

(T3) NOR DO THEY TEST WHETHER THE THYROID HORMONE IS BEING ABSORBED INTO THE

CELLS. This is important - and I bet even your GP is not aware of this. Give

her something to think about. If you want some references to the medical

science to show her, let us know and we will provide them.

List also the following blood

tests and let your GP know that if any of these are low in the reference range,

your thyroid hormone cannot be properly absorbed into your cells. The tests we

recommend are Ferritin (but she has already done this and found it to be low -

you should treat this with at least 200mgs Ferrous Sulphate, with food and take

4/5000mgs vitamin C daily), vitamin B12, vitamin D3, magnesium, folate, copper

and zinc. These must be tested as a process of elimination, but if any are

found to be low in the range, they must be supplemented to build the levels up

again.

Ask for a referral for a

second opinion and give her the name of an endocrinologist you would like to

see (you do not have to go to your local hospital if there is one you would

like to see elsewhere. I will send you a list of good doctors so you can see if

there is one in your area. Also, you should not be referred to a specialist in

diabetes - most endocrinologists in the UK are diabetic specialist, few know

much about hypothyroidism.

Ask in your last sentence,

for your letter of requests to be placed into your medical notes.

Send this by post or hand it

over to reception and ask for an early appointment so the points you have made

can be discussed further.

Meantime, go to our web site,

click on 'Hypothyroidism' and then click on 'Associated Conditions' and read

through these. Many sufferers of the symptoms of hypothyroidism have one or

more of those listed. See if any fit your situation. There is also lots of

information in the FILES section which you can access from the Home Page of

this forum, and if you have any more questions, just shout, and keep us updated

re the outcome of your letter.

Luv - Sheila

At this point I was quite relieved as I thought that I'd found the reason for

feeling ill all the time and I could tackle it. However after 4 yrs of doing

everything right with diet and supplements I feel no better and had all but

given up on ever feeling healthy until my friend pointed out I was showing all

the symptoms of Hypo. This pushed me to research again and find this excellent

site.

TSH 1.4

Thyroid autoantibodies <10 kIU/L

Ferritin 27 ug/L

She basically said my ferritin was to low and I should take an iron supplement.

Lymphocyte was also low (0.94) which she said is normal if someone is

recovering from a virus. I did have a virus about a month ago but I always feel

run down - could this all really just be down to low iron?

No virus

found in this incoming message.

Checked by AVG - www.avg.com

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19:34:00

[Guest guest]

Hi alice, With iron levels that low then you will be feeling tired and cold. It is imperative to sort this first- should be around 90 not 27!- also may be having an effect on your periods. Testing of other thyroid hormones is often not done if TSH is 'normal' ,but FT4 should have been done. You can feel very different at one end of the range than the other. Period problems are common with hypo- though they tend to be of the heavy and painful type, rather then stopping alotgether, but PCOS may be the cuase of this- do research this too. Have a look in the files and do the adrenal questionnaire as well as the thyroid one. Also the is a very good one on http://www.drrind.com which compares adrenal and thyroid symptoms. > thyroid treatment > From: alice.mahtani@...> Date: Thu, 25 Feb 2010 18:02:12 +0000> Subject: Am I hypothyroid?> > Hi I've been reading this incredibly informative forum for a while but never posted, I was hoping for some advice. A little about my history, I would say I've had most of the symptoms of hypothyroid in various degrees of seroiusness for about 15 yrs;> > awful fatigue - at times debilitating,> always cold, especially extremities> Wake up feeling more tired than when I went to bed, terrible brain fogginess> Depression which is either underlying or severe (treating successfully with St s Wort at the moment)> Absolutely no libido> Dry skin and hair> Anxiety which is getting worse> > amongst other things, I used to find that a bit of exercise made me feel more 'alive' but I barely have the energy to do that any more.> > 4 yrs ago I went to my GP and asked her to test my thyroid - I went armed with my basal temperature readings (very low) but she looked at me like I was mad and needless to say my tests came back as 'normal' and she prescibed me anti-depressants. She was, however interested in the fact I hadn't had a period for 6 yrs (now 10) and after investigation I was diagnosed with PCOS. > > At this point I was quite relieved as I thought that I'd found the reason for feeling ill all the time and I could tackle it. However after 4 yrs of doing everything right with diet and supplements I feel no better and had all but given up on ever feeling healthy until my friend pointed out I was showing all the symptoms of Hypo. This pushed me to research again and find this excellent site.> > I have been to a different GP who was at least sympathetic and my recent blood test results were;> > TSH 1.4> Thyroid autoantibodies <10 kIU/L> Ferritin 27 ug/L> > I asked for a copy of my tests and I don't see T4, not sure why.> > She basically said my ferritin was to low and I should take an iron supplement. Lymphocyte was also low (0.94) which she said is normal if someone is recovering from a virus. I did have a virus about a month ago but I always feel run down - could this all really just be down to low iron?> > Any advice appreciated!> > > > > > > ------------------------------------> > TPA is not medically qualified. Consult with a qualified medical practitioner before changing medication.> >

[Guest guest]

MESSAGE MODERATED TO REMOVE PREVIOUS MESSAGES ALREADY READ. PLEASE REMEMBER TO

DELETE THESE BEFORE CLICKING 'SEND' AND LEAVE JUST A SMALL PORTION OF WHAT YOU

ARE RESPONDING TO. LUV - SHEILA

__________________________________________________________________

Thanks and Sheila,

I've gone an adrenal questionnaire and I had nearly all of the symptons. I'm

going to go back to the doctor this week. I read this morning that a low TSH

combined with hypo symptoms could be a sign of the pitruity not doing its job

properly which reminded me of the last time I went to the doctor and she told me

I had a sluggish pitruity. I wonder why she didn't put two and two together?!

I've also been taking my tempreture in the morning and it's been fluctuating

between 35.5 and 36 C.

She didn't prescribe me iron as she said it was hard to tolerate but all the

over counter iron supplements are quite a low dose. Someone on this site kindly

recommended spatone to me so I started taking that today,

Thanks again for all your help

Alice

>

>

> Period problems are common with hypo- though they tend to be of the heavy and

painful type, rather then stopping alotgether, but PCOS may be the cuase of

this- do research this too. Have a look in the files and do the adrenal

questionnaire as well as the thyroid one. Also the is a very good one on

http://www.drrind.com which compares adrenal and thyroid symptoms.

>

>

[Guest guest]

Jackie,

Unfortunately it's not that simple. A person with a functioning thyroid would

just make less of their own T4, T3, etc if they take the amounts you are taking.

You would produce less TSH so your own thyroid would make less T4 and T3. So not

being hyperthyroid on meds doesn't really prove anything.

Apparently most GPs and endos don't believe in the other causes of hypothyroid

symptoms, and there aren't any good tests available yet for things like cellular

processing problems - so you may not have much luck getting a diagnosis from

traditional doctors.

(I'm quite new to this forum, so hopefully others will chime in if I've

misstated anything. Thanks!)

Barb L.

>

>

> Hi All

> I am self treating due to being unable to get a diagnosis from my GP or endo.

I am currently taking 70 mgs T3, split throughout the day, and 100mgs T4 at

bedtime.

....

> If I was not hypothyroid as my GP suggests, would I definitely have

> hyper symptoms on these doses? If so, I am going to write to my GP and endo

and try to push for a diagnosis.

>

> Thanks for your time

> Jackie