Re: New & confused!

[Guest guest]

Oh dear - what a run around you have had, but are we

surprised???

First, can you get your thyroid function test results from your

doctor together with the reference range for each of the tests done and post

them here on the forum and we will help with their interpretation. It is a fact

that doctors will tell you that your results are 'normal' if they appear

anywhere within the reference range, but it is really important that we know

WHERE in this range they lie.

You also need to write a letter to your GP telling him you are

no longer prepared to put up with your symptoms and not being given a diagnosis

as to their cause.

In that letter, list all of your symptoms and signs. Check these

against those in our web site www.tpa-uk.org.uk

Next, add in your list of basal temperatures.

Next, add a list of all those family members who have a thyroid

or autoimmune disease.

Next, ask for a FULL thyroid function test to include T~SH, free

T4, free T3, TPO and Tg Antibodies. Ask also for him to test your levels of

ferritin, vitamin B12, vitamin D3, magnesium, folate, copper and zinc. These

are important because if any of these are low, they must be supplemented in

order for the thyroid hormone to be fully utilised at the cellular level.

Ask for a copy of all these test results to be made available

too you and be sure to get the reference range for each test done.

Next, ask for a referral to an endocrinologist of your choice. I

have sent a list of doctors privately.

Next, ask for your letter of requests to be placed into your

medical notes, send a copy to the Head of Practice and keep a copy for

yourself, in case you should need it at a later date.

It is good at this stage to start taking thyroid supplements,

because they are full of the vitamins and minerals that will help boost your

thyroid function. You should also get your cortisol and DHEA levels checked out

by doing the 24 hour salivary adrenal profile through Genova Diagnostics (see

our Files section and then 'Discounts on Tests and Supplements'. If it is found

you do have hypothyroidism (and ignore your GP at this stage, he is not a

thyroid specialist) then you will need thyroid hormone replacement, either

synthetic or the natural desiccated porcine thyroid extract (and you are

incorrect here, many of our members take natural supplements and thyroid

hormone replacements all the time *grin*).

We recommend taking at least 1000mgs vitamin C, Siberian

Ginseng, 200mcgs Selenium daily with food.

Don't allow your GP to get away with not finding the cause of

your symptoms, after all, that's what he is there for, but honestly, putting

your needs down in writing makes a 100% difference, as you will find out.

Luv - Sheila

I had seen doctors for advice and nothing was ever diagnosed. By chance I was

talking to a psychic (sorry, all you scientific people who think that's all

nonsense!) who told me there was a thyroid issue in my family and mine was

underactive and I should get it checked. Turned out that there was a history of

thyroid trouble in the family but I went to my dr for a test and it came back

" just the right side of borderline, so that's ok... " I continued to

feel exhausted and when I was shivering on a sunny day at a course, the woman

beside me turned out to be a nurse and said she thought it could be a thyroid

issue and told me the blood tests are inaccurate.

,___

[Guest guest]

Hello and welcome J

There is very little to add to Sheila's post J... I know it's daunting when you "start out" on thyroid conditions, and I would warmly recommend for you to buy Dr. Peatfield's book "your thyroid and how to keep it healthy". You can get it from Amazon and it's not expensive –under £ 10 – but everything you need to know about thyroid conditions is in there. Once you have digested this book and browsed around in our files, you won't feel like everybody here is talking a different language J

By the sounds of it you are very likely more than just a little bit hypothyroid <g>... For sub-normal temperatures like yours there are only 5 explanations – alcoholism, liver disease, hypothermia, anorexia - or – hypothyroidism. If the other 4 possibilities do not fit, then you will be hypothyroid.... just don't expect your GP or any NHS doctor to agree with that.

Oh, and yes.... most of us here are in favour of something we call NDT (natural desiccated thyroid), which is – in effect – dried pig's thyroid, pulverized and made into pills. NDT is manufactured under different names in the US (Armour, Naturethroid), Canada (Erfa) or Thailand (Thyroid-S, Thiroyd). There are some also made in Europe, but most of us get our supplies from the above mentioned. You do not need a prescription for it here in the UK, so many of us have decided to go it alone when our doctors have abandoned us and told us it's all in our heads and we should pop antidepressants instead.

Anyway – I don't want to overload you with information at this stage. Just follow Sheila's advice and see what you can get out of your GP J

With best wishes,

[Guest guest]

Thanks, , every bit of simple background helps a lot at this stage, so

thanks a million for that info. I have ordered the book you mention and I think

I need to take some time to go through it slowly and try and digest the details

till things start to make sense. I am pretty apprehensive about the idea of

self-dosing when I don't know enough about what I am doing!

Cheers,

[Guest guest]

Hi Sheila,

Thanks for taking the time to give me a detailed list of what to do - I felt

like I didn't know where to start.

I'm currently finishing up a work contract in Australia so i won't be home till

early next year, which will delay me taking things further with my dr yet, but

at least when it happens I will have read a lot and know what tests to ask for.

I don't know if I can get the Genova Diagnostics test done from here, so I may

have to wait till i get back home for that... I am currently working on a very

remote aboriginnal comunity which means I don't have access to any health care.

I really like the idea of putting everything clearly in a letter to my GP when I

am back - obviously your experience shows that it gets better results, but as I

am unfortunately a bit overwhelmed when doctors start talking in scientific

terms, I guess I am easy for them to deal with - putting it all in a letter

means I can help organise the info in my head too, which will help me.

Thanks again for your time and thoughts!

Cheers,

[Guest guest]

I have written to Genova to ask them if there is anywhere in Australia

you could get the tests done that you require and have told them that you are

working in a remote aboriginal community and that you don't have access to any

health care there, so will let you know what they say.

Luv - Sheila

Thanks for taking the time to give me a detailed list of what to do - I felt

like I didn't know where to start.

I'm currently finishing up a work contract in Australia so i won't be home till

early next year, which will delay me taking things further with my dr yet, but

at least when it happens I will have read a lot and know what tests to ask for.

I don't know if I can get the Genova Diagnostics test done from here, so I may

have to wait till i get back home for that... I am currently working on a very

remote aboriginnal comunity which means I don't have access to any health care.

I really like the idea of putting everything clearly in a letter to my GP when

I am back - obviously your experience shows that it gets better results, but as

I am unfortunately a bit overwhelmed when doctors start talking in scientific

terms, I guess I am easy for them to deal with - putting it all in a letter

means I can help organise the info in my head too, which will help me.

,_._,___

[Guest guest]

Wow, Sheila, thankyou so much for doing that! Really appreciate how much time

you spend helping people out on this site - it's a huge relief to know I can ask

people for info, who have solid first hand experience and knowledge of the issue

around thyroid. Thanks again

>

> I have written to Genova to ask them if there is anywhere in Australia you

> could get the tests done