RE: Interpretation of test results please..?

[Guest guest]

>

> Marilyn

> probably cost 2-3 times that here, if they could do them - they test lots of

things).

>

> have > can you go and see someone like dr skinner or dr peatfield (but be

>

Hi Chris

Thanks for the fast reply . I did have cortisol and a couple of the others you

said tested.. Have another look on my post.. I have just bought Hertogue s

book, it is extremely interesting and I have e mailed the secretary but have not

heard anything back yet. I find this whole illness so confusing. I have read so

much, I went to see Dr Skinner about 5 years ago and he gave me Armour, I felt

unwell after about 3 weeks and had to stop it, I called the office several times

but no one ever got back to me. I have also seen Dr P as I have his book as well

(I seem to have quite a collection), as I thought maybe the adrenals need

sorting out before I try the Armour again.. They are both lovely people and

very knowledgable, but I need more support than one off visits and an odd phone

call.. It seems we really are in this on our OWN, apart from the help of people

on these forums.

I intend to see my GP again this week.. I dread going as I know what they think

... But I will take a list of everything that has been suggested to have tests

done, even if I have to pay.. I am seriously thinking about Belgium, do you

know anyone who has been. At least all the relevant testing can be done under

one roof..

Regards

Marilyn

[Guest guest]

Marilyn, I noted your previous message had a completely

different subject heading to this one, so it makes following your story

extremely difficult. Please will you stick to the same heading please when

posting messages until you feel this particular subject has been resolved and

you can then go onto discuss some other aspect of your problems with a different

heading - otherwise, can cannot follow what is going on with you.

It is well known that thyroid function tests do NOT tell the

whole story, and for some people, they can be completely misleading. Yes, on

the whole, your thyroid function test results look normal, but whenever you

post results, you must post the reference range alongside, because different

laboratories throughout the UK use different 'kits' for testing, which have

their own reference range, that can be completely different to another NHS laboratory

just down the road. We need to know whether your results are at the bottom, the

middle or the top of the range, or even whether they are outside of the range.

Your free T4 looks high, and there could be reasons for this, but are you

taking any thyroid hormone replacement at all. Your morning cortisol looks OK,

but this is only a snap-shot showing how much cortisol you are secreting at one

time during the day which tells us absolutely nothing. At other times of the

day, you may not be secreting the amount of cortisol that you should, it could

be too much or too little and we also need to know whether you are showing low

levels of DHEA. I would highly recommend, because of your symptoms that you get

the 24 hour salivary adrenal profile done through Genova diagnostics, to see

where both your cortisol and DHEA levels lie at 8.00a.m., 12.00noon, 4.00p.m.

and again at midnight. You can get a discount for this test by being a TPA

member - check out the FOLDER in our FILES section of this forum entitled 'Discounts

on Tests and Supplements'.

Also, please ask your GP to test your levels of ferritin,

vitamin B12, vitamin D3, magnesium, folate, copper and zinc. If any of these

are low, they need supplementing. There are many associated conditions that can

cause your present symptoms, and every one of these possibilities must be

investigated and treated. If your doctor tells you there is no need to check

these levels as there is no association with symptoms of hypothyroidism, then

print off the attached document and show him just some of the research done

that shows that there is an association.

Check out the three Medical Questionnaires in our FILES section

too and complete all the questions there and let us know how you score. These

are for Adrenals, Candida and Magnesium.

As you were tested for thyroid antibodies two years ago, ask for

another test now. It could be that when you were tested at that time, the

antibodies were not active, so wouldn't show up in a blood test. Try going on a

very high gluten diet for a couple of weeks before you have the test done again

(the tests are TPO and TgAb) as antibodies thrive on gluten, and are more

likely to show up at that time if you have any.

I hope this helps.

Luv - Sheila

Hi,

I received a letter from the Endo I saw in May along with the results of the

tests she had done..

9am Cortisol. 358

Prolactin. 133

IGF1. 207

TSH. 1.7

T3. 5.3

T4. 19. This varies from 9.4. up to 20 ....???

Everything looks 'reassuringly normal', she says, and I have to say yes does

according to these results.

I feel absolutely anything BUT normal..

Can I really have a thyroid problem with results like these. I feel so

incredibly ill, but I am beginning to doubt myself. I DO have practically every

symptom and the last 4/5 years have been hell. I posted earlier this week that

I have ordered some adrenal supplements, it is Dr adrenal ..

I intend to write a letter to my GP asking for his support as you suggest, I

worry constantly that I have something dreadful wrong with me thats being

missed, but I have had so many blood tests, and seen 'specialists' all with

nothing to explain why I am getting more and more ill. I had antibodies checked

as well about 2 years ago..all normal. Can this still be symptoms of Thyroid problems.

Thank you.. Marilyn

1 of 1 File(s)

LOW MINERALS AND VITAMINS AND THE THYROID CONNECTION.doc

[Guest guest]

Hi Marilyn

>bought Hertogue s book, it is extremely interesting and I have e mailed the

secretary but have not heard anything back yet.

call them up? :-) there'll probably be a bit of a waiting list (couple months

or longer, more for Dr TH, though he never consults alone) and you'll need to

get the tests done a month before in time for the results to get there.

why didn't you pursue the matter with Dr Skinner?maybe you'd have done better on

T4 or something? i don't think you can just give up on these things (sorry to

sound blunt): dr peatfield, dr skinner etc are all very busy so sometimes you

have to chase them up i think.

>I am seriously thinking about Belgium, do you know anyone who has been.

Yeah, me!

Ok i know it's a money thing mainly, but i borrowed to pay for it and am feeling

better (or starting to). for instance, before going there, i'd been unable to

sleep in my bed for about 900 days (bar the odd day). something i've been

taking from them has made this no longer an issue at all - don't give it a

second thought now; could have beeen having to sleep in a h otel bed broke that

habit, buti doubt it.

Ok here's what happens:

you book an appointment with the secretary, and as you are an initial consult

you can either have two together (one to go over their extensive questionnaire -

you will have to fill it in for them!!!) and your history and then they go over

your blood tests in the next hour and prescribe if necessary.

or, you could go see them first, get them to examine you etc, then they'll

prescribe blood tests and go back in a month or two, but that's a bit of a faff

in my opinion.

To get your blood tests done- the secretary wil email you a blood test

prescription (make sure it's for a woman!) and give you details of the lab.

YOu contact the lab in belgium who send everything you need (tubes etc) apart

from a urine container (you can obtain one or i guess use a mineral water bottle

but you need to be able to measure exactly how much you've produced)

the lab enclose a prepaid envelope for DHL so you must either get DHL to pick it

up that day or take it to a DHL collection centre as it's a 24 hr service.

You will get an invoice from the lab and you pay this via bank transfer, the lab

should release your results to you if you ask them.

before the consultation, the secretary will email you various info and also a

questionnaire! and ask you to write about your history etc on this form too.

the clinic is not hard to get too, about 30 mins on tram and 15 mins walk; there

is a nice coffee shop on the way where i had the best latte ever (but i also had

the worst burger ever, close to the hotel) . i was impresssed by the belgian

public transport. though the clinic itself is in a bit of a strange location

in my view - well not that strange but not what i expected. a taxi wouldn't be

too far either, prob about 30 mins or so.

anyway, though it sounds daunting, and stressful, it is not that bad; you can

book eurotunnel or easy jet do cheap flights, or brussels air fly from bham, or

BA from london. i have felt better for going. it is not ideal being in

another country and all but it's probably the best you're gonna get in my

opinion as they will consider everything. consults are 210E for an hour (cash

only) and you need two for the first appointment; if you ask to see Dr TH the

waiting time will be longer and bear in mind that he does not consult alone so i

don't think you'll get a full hour with him, he supervises it i think and that'l

cost i think 320E an hour. if you need prescriptions, there is a pharamcy at

the end of the road there.

the doctors are nice and there doesn't seem to be a language barrier. if you

need compounded meds then you can obtain these from a german pharmacy which they

give you the details of and you just fax off the script.

what do the questionnaires show when you do them? You seem reluctant to do them

and share the results if i may say so - why is this? Just trying to help but

it's hard when you don't provide all the info

hertoghe's book has them, as you flick through it, does anything else stand out

that you can say 'yes that sounds like me', apart from thyroid? some people

think 'oh they are just generic questions, could be anything', but i found them

to match blood tests pretty well, and remember this is a 4th generation expert

who has compiled these, so they are relevant.

THe TH clinic in belgium will aslo measure stuff like copper, magnesium, vit d3,

candida and prescribe accordingly.

Sheila makes a good point about your other information being under a different

post title, so it is hard to have all the info you've provided to hand.

Chris

[Guest guest]

arilyn, I noted your previous message had a completely different subject

> heading to this one, so it makes following your story extremely difficult.

> Please will you stick to the same heading please when posting messages unti

>

>

> Sheila

I apologise if I have not done things correctly.. I will revert back to my

original post heading.. I have never done anything like this before and I need

to get acquainted with things. But I am sure you know, when people join in

something like this after being ill for so long there are a million things you

want to know. I will do the questionnaire and try to find out what the

references ranges are for the tests I have I had, they were not given to me with

the results. I suppose I just want to feel well, after 20 years who wouldn't..

But as others have told me, be patient. !

Regards. Marilyn

>

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>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

> Hi,

> I received a letter from the Endo I saw in May along with the results of the

> tests she had done..

> 9am Cortisol. 358

> Prolactin. 133

> IGF1. 207

> TSH. 1.7

> T3. 5.3

> T4. 19. This varies from 9.4. up to 20 ....???

>

> Everything looks 'reassuringly normal', she says, and I have to say yes does

> according to these results.

>

> I feel absolutely anything BUT normal..

> Can I really have a thyroid problem with results like these. I feel so

> incredibly ill, but I am beginning to doubt myself. I DO have practically

> every symptom and the last 4/5 years have been hell. I posted earlier this

> week that I have ordered some adrenal supplements, it is Dr adrenal

> ..

> I intend to write a letter to my GP asking for his support as you suggest, I

> worry constantly that I have something dreadful wrong with me thats being

> missed, but I have had so many blood tests, and seen 'specialists' all with

> nothing to explain why I am getting more and more ill. I had antibodies

> checked as well about 2 years ago..all normal. Can this still be symptoms of

> Thyroid problems.

> Thank you.. Marilyn

>

[Guest guest]

>

> Hi Marilyn

>

> >bought Hertogue s book, it is extremely interesting and I have e mailed the

secretary but have not heard

Hi Chris

Yeah, your very 'to the point'!! I have never done anything like this before

and I guess I want ALL the answers NOW..!! I have replied to Sheila and I will

start posting under my original subject title again.. I have not completed any

questionnaires so have not been able to give any results on that front, but I

will be doing that this week. I am not reluctant to share anything.. I just

don't have the info to share at the moment. Saying that, I do have a muscle

condition that is progressive, I have had it all my life and it has not been too

much of a problem until I became unwell with these other problems, I have 3

grown up daughters, was always able to work and had far more stamina than most

of my friends.!! Now I'm lucky if I can be out of bed for 12 hours.. And I nap

in between.. You managed to get to Belgium , using public transport , I could

not do that... My husband will take me if I decide on that route.. I must say

it's very tempting to have everything done in one place.. How long ago did you

start treatment.? You seem very together and on track with everything , I have

read loads, but have always ended up back in GPs office and to be honest, you

feel you should trust them... ! I don't know why , they are not doing much for

me. Hence, I am here.

Sorry for ranting a bit.. Next time I will try to have some proper info to post

so hopefully a better picture can start to be put together.

Keep well

Marilyn

[Guest guest]

Hi Marilyn

I'm sorry I hope i did not sound harsh! I did not mean to be. i probably

thought you had read more of the hertoghe book than you had

whereabouts in the country do you live? it is not too hard to get to the clinic

if you just think about it in small steps; i really wish i had had someone to go

with -it makes it easier i think, less daunting. (story of my life,

unfortunately: my problems have affected friendships, let alone any kind of

relationships for a long time)

one other thing you could do if you're unsure about going - make an

apppointment, and get the blood tests. If nothing shows up perhaps you could

speak to the clinic and ask if they think they could help you or not? (i have no

idea if they'd do this or not but it saves committing you to spending money if

they can't help)

well GPs may be best intentioned (or may not really care for that matter) but

they don't know everything do they.

i ummed and arred a lot about going to belgium thinking oh i'm not too bad, oh

what if they can't help, oh i can't afford it, oh this, oh that, oh whatever but

in the end with support from people here i decided to go. there are other

clnics that do natural homrones too, there's one in london i think - wimpole

skincare clinic i think it is. don't know how much they charge. the thing

about belgium is that for what you get, it's not that bad a price. please don't

take that the wrong way - i had to borrow etc to pay for it and it is a lot of

money, but the tests are cheap given how much you get tested, and you are seeing

some of the best specialists in the world.

>>I have read loads, but have always ended up back in GPs office

If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always

got.

I'll leave you with that thought.

Best regards

chris

>

> Yeah, your very 'to the point'!! I have never done anything like this before

and I guess I want ALL the answers NOW..!! I have replied to Sheila and I will

start posting under my original subject title again..