Re: Cretinism and Hypothyroidism

[Guest guest]

Hello Inaam

welcome to the forum!

It sounds like you have suffered for a long time. i am sorry to hear this. If

you have to self treat to get better then so be it, thought it shouldn't come to

this I know. But if you have to self treat to feel better then so be it.

If you need meds fast, then you can order from www.internationalpharmacy.com and

select the option to order via Fedex this is expensive but you will get the

order in 2-3 days i believe. They are not the cheapest pharmacy but reliable.

You will have to pay VAT (plus a handling fee for the post office) on anything

over £18 I think (and i think they may be reducing that below £18?)

if you can wait a bit longer, then http://www.inhousepharmacy.vu/ sells

thyroxine cheaply, but is expensive for Cytomel. It seems to take about a

month for meds to come from there . The thyroxine from inhouse is cheap and

some of them come under the £18 mark so you won't have to pay VAT

a cheap place for cynomel (mexican version of cytomel and very effective) is

http://mymexicandrugstore.org/ - again, takes about a month or so to get here.

If you want to look at other sources of meds, then if you go to this link,

thyroid treatment/files/INTERNET%20PHA\

RMACIES/ you'll see a file in there that lists them all. You mentioned Armour

thyroid, but some people don't do so well on this now it's reformulatd and they

buy Erfa from www.valuepharmaceuticals.com I think it is (i am not sure as i

cannot open the link at work)

best regards

chris

>

> Hello, I am uncertain of how to use this forum so please forgive me if I make

any mistake. I am a long term severely hypothyroid patient who is taking 300 +

mcgs daily. Would somebody be so kind as to point

[Guest guest]

Thanks I was just going through the Files section and the list of

internet pharmacies but you have certainly given me much needed short cuts as I

was getting more confused. Hopefully, this nightmare ends for me. I am going to

order a thousand tablets and I will never have to beg a GP or fear running out

of levo as I have done for nearly thirty years. No more impatient GPs looking at

me with contempt. But it was so uncessary. I was half way through a degree when

they pulled 50 mcgs of my daily dose and they refused to accept that it would

have any impact on my physical and cognitive functioning or my life but it did,

it turned it upside down, ruined it and cost me 10 000 University fees. I

thought to myself, if I were to reduce their thyroid activity by a quarter or

third, would they be still functioning as they do? I am truely shocked. How can

such highly educated people be so dishonest and imoral?

Shiela is a life saver. After 27 years of distress, I knew I had to find the

truth for myself. I did a google search for 'The truth about hypothyroidism and

Levothyroxine' and found TPA! What distressed me even further was the deception,

the lies I had been told by the NHS. They are their own worst enemies. Their

resources are streched not becuase of patients and the general public over using

the NHS, it is incompetence and internal corruption.

They are abusing people. This is not the NHS I grew up with. The GPs are

callous. Out of ten GPs, I found only two that knew anything about my condition.

One GP accused me of abusing levothyroxine as an amphetamine! They lie and

blatantly deceive you. And it costs everybody money that isn't there. We need a

good honest NHS. People are needlessly suffering. I had a chance at life but

they robbed it from me. I have now taken matters into my own hands and will

always self treat but the cost should have been avoided. They turned me into a

beast in the space of a few years. They wasted their own time and money. For

what? How many millions are there that are screaming in silence? How many are

being killed? This is so so wrong. It is evil. It amounts to mass murder. It is

murder by stealth. They knew I would become unresponsive and unable to complain

by keeping me docile and on inadequate doses. This is sick. I would have been

happy to pay for this inexpensive medicine and consultations saving them tens of

thousands over thirty years had they been honest but I am now convinced as to

what they are. It is their own doing.

Thank You so much for replying so soon. Thank You so much.

>

> Hello Inaam

>

> welcome to the forum!

>

[Guest guest]

Hi there

Because you are on T4 already and have some success with it i would not look to

switch to natural thyroid meds (armour), but instead continue with what you are

doing and add in some T3.

This way you can still get your T4 from the NHS and simply add in your own

purchased T3. I did this and really improved. So i wrote to the endo

explaining what had happened and he agreed to give me some T3 on the NHS. So

you may be able to get some T3 in the long term on the NHS

You just need to prove it works and then write them a letter saying so. Once it

is in writing the docs really jump to it a lot more than just speaking to you at

an appointment.

[Guest guest]

Have you been ok on T4 for many yrs and only had problems since they reduced you

T4 ?

Or has it always been a problem for you ?

When did they reduce the T4 ?

They will be medicating you according to the TSH blood test, so i am sure your

results will appear to be over medicated and that is why they reduced the T4.

The GP's do what they are told by the guidelines and it is such a shame, but

they are pawns a lot of the time. The problem lies with the Main UK thyroid

body which oversees how thyroid treatment is delivered (BTA). Sheila knows lots

more about this than i do.

do you know what your your blood test results are ? IF so please post them.

[Guest guest]

You're welcome, Inaam

I hope you can get the meds you need and can keep well now. Thyroxine is very

cheap, as you know, so that is a good thing. I think you are very wise to keep

at least a 1000 at home.

It sounds like you've been through a horrendous time, and seen incompetent

doctors. How is it possible to abuse thyroxine as an amphetamine? I imagine

that hyperthyroidism does not feel anything like being on speed and is not at

all pleasant - I read hyperthyroidism can make you really tired, vs speed giving

you energy -they are ridiculous.

I don't know what to say about them costing you 30 + more years of your life.

What can anyone say? I am just sorry to hear this, and I hope you get and keep

well now, and can have some quality of life now.

There might be a few more pharmacies that dispatch quicker as they're in the EU

- does www.eurobolic.com sell thyroid?

Chris

[Guest guest]

Hello i :

Self treating is very empowering.....Congrats on making one of the best

decisions for yourself and your health !!

Cheers,

JOT

I have now self treated and feel myself again.

[Guest guest]

>>. I think you are very wise to keep at least a 1000 at home.

Shelf life is limited, I just googled figures between 1 and 3 years, so 1000

sounds too many to me

They need to be kept carefully.

See http://www.australianprescriber.com/magazine/27/3/75/6

This is a real issue, there's still a squabble going on as to if Armour is or

isn't as long lasting and dose reliable as levo, and they don't last forever,

and really you have no way of knowing. I'd have thought 6 months worth would be

a safer bet

Steve

[Guest guest]

I'm not sure why my current GP and one previous GP have likened levothyroxine to

an amphetamine. One thing that does happen to me is that my pupils dilate to the

point where my whole iris disappears!

And I have learnt that certain kinds of amphetamines have this effect, however,

I have not used amphetamines at all.

I think my pupils dilate because I observe and look upon fellow human beings

with compassion and kindness! I know that sounds silly, but I read in psychology

that pupils dilate when we see things we like. And I really like everybody! Even

if I am not liked by them.

I am waiting for my T4 to arrive via express and will be raising my T4 to 310

mcgs daily as I do increase every winter, as I am aware that natural thyroid

function increases during colder months as it does too during times of stress

and illness and during recovery from illness and injury. I know this, because

whenever I used to catch a cold or a chest infection or a physical injury, it

would remain for weeks and weeks and healing would be very slow. So I

experimneted and found a slight increase in dose reduced my recovery time

significantly.

One thing I have learnt from bitter experience is that being hyperthyroid is

worse than being hypo. I used to think I would be better able to keep up with

others by taking more and more levo, but it was not the case. It causes you to

burnout too quickly and causes severe fatigue, anxiety, palps, all sorts of

nasty things and it desynchronizes you from the pace of life.

Best Regards

>

> You're welcome, Inaam

>

>

> I hope you can get the meds you need and can keep well now. Thyroxine is very

cheap, as you know, so that is a good thing. I think you are very wise to keep

at least a 1000 at home.

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hello,

There have been short periods during my life where I have felt OK, but never

really good enough to say that this treatment works.

They completly withdrew my levo on the 1st of july. I was taking 300 daily. It

was an abrupt stop. I plunged into depression. Strange changes took place. My

heart, calfs, and muscles around my body, after appx 72 hours of stopping levo,

began to grow in size to the point where I could not bend my legs, I could feel

pressure in my chest. My intestinal walls also thickend rapidly in the space 8

hourse and defecation became next to impossible.

I went cold rapidly. I was expecting all this to occur gradually but even I was

suprised as to how quickly I was deteriating.

I returned to my surgery and was faced with major challenges. I found it

difficult to articulate what was happening.

After one week, I made an appointment and begged my GP for a prescription. He

gave me less and put me 225 mcgs, which slowed down the deteriation. I complied

with GPs advice because I thought perhaps he does know better and what they are

doing is right. After one and a half, my gum and teeth started to rot and became

painful, when I breathed cold air, it would lower the temperature in my mouth

and body and my teeth would hurt. Even my gums went cold and when it all became

unbearable, I went back to my GP who said, nothing to worry about and carry on

at the lower dose.

I was not going to sit there and freeze and rot away. I have looked after my

teeth and intended to keep them. They had by now become loose and eating fat

would not melt in my mouth.

I began to self medicate and everything began to reverse. My teeth became fixed,

the black patches diminished, I began to rise out of the depression, and too

many other things happened. I continued to raise my levo until I reached

toxicity and then decreased slightly.

My TSH in JUly was 0.05, my FT4 was 34, this is based on a daily dose of appx

360 - 380 daily. I lowered my dose to 300 and attempted to find the minimum dose

I could function on and found it to be 300+ mcgs daily. I did not go back for

another blood test and decided there and then enough is enough and it is time to

take control.

>

> Have you been ok on T4 for many yrs and only had problems since they reduced

you T4 ?

>

> Or has it always been a problem for you ?

>

> When did they reduce the T4 ?

>

> They will be medicating you according to the TSH blood test, so i am sure your

results will appear to be over medicated and that is why they reduced the T4.

The GP's do what they are told by the guidelines and it is such a shame, but

they are pawns a lot of the time. The problem lies with the Main UK thyroid

body which oversees how thyroid treatment is delivered (BTA). Sheila knows lots

more about this than i do.

>

> do you know what your your blood test results are ? IF so please post them.

>

[Guest guest]

Yes, thanks for that, this is my aim because I do not like such high doses of

T4. I would have started T3 years ago had I known about it, and known where to

get it. I personally have had to struggle on T4. It works sometimes and during

those times, it is as though nothing was ever wrong, but it seems to stagnate,

or stop working and leaves me standing. I'm interested in Armour, because it

gives you T1 and T2, substances that I have never expereinced. Something always

seems to be amiss with T4, even when it is working. I'm totally sure of this.

I'm not normal, but I am functional. I want to be like other normal human

beings. Somethings, some elements of human functioning are absent in me but

present in other normal human beings. I intuitively know this. For example, some

of my reflexes are absent and I become socially and emotionally unresponsive.

It's like I freeze so I oscillate the dose to become more human.

>

> Hi there

>

> Because you are on T4 already and have some success with it i would not look

to switch to natural thyroid meds (armour), but instead continue with what you

are doing and add in some T3.

>

> This way you can still get your T4 from the NHS and simply add in your own

purchased T3. I did this and really improved. So i wrote to the endo

explaining what had happened and he agreed to give me some T3 on the NHS. So

you may be able to get some T3 in the long term on the NHS

>

> You just need to prove it works and then write them a letter saying so. Once

it is in writing the docs really jump to it a lot more than just speaking to you

at an appointment.

>

[Guest guest]

Thanks Jot, nice to meet you. Hopefully, there shall never be any interuption to

my meds now and no more dreading the cold GP or waiting in the pharmacy. No more

counting the days down every month for all my life! No more NHS ball and chain

around my ankles and no more trying to convince GPs. No more being looked upon

with contempt and a cleared path ahead! I cannot wait until my levo arrives and

for the first time in a quantity that alleviates any fear of running out. Oh how

I wish it had been this way all my life.

Best Regards!

>

> Hello i :

>

> Self treating is very empowering.....Congrats on making one of the best

decisions for yourself and your health !!

>

> Cheers,

> JOT

>

>

> I have now self treated and feel myself again.

>

[Guest guest]

Thank You Steve,

I just wish I had known earlier. I will be taking 300 to 325 daily so I think

thats just under a years supply. I will be lowering this when I figure out how

to use T3 and Armour because Shiela told me that as we age, and after a long

time on levo, it for some reason stops getting converted to t3. Also I am

looking forward to seeing what impact T1 and T2 has on my ability to function as

a human, because right now I don't fully feel human. I know I am a human being

but something is missing. I have always felt like this all my life since I

started levo at age 10 @ 200 mcgs daily. Something just isn't right with T4

alone therapy. I am 100% certain of this. It is something to do with how I

respond socially and emotionally.

Kind Regards

>

>

>

>

> >>. I think you are very wise to keep at least a 1000 at home.

>

> Shelf life is limited, I just googled figures between 1 and 3 years, so 1000

sounds too many to me

>

> They need to be kept carefully.

> See http://www.australianprescriber.com/magazine/27/3/75/6

>

> This is a real issue, there's still a squabble going on as to if Armour is or

isn't as long lasting and dose reliable as levo, and they don't last forever,

and really you have no way of knowing. I'd have thought 6 months worth would be

a safer bet

>

> Steve

>

[Guest guest]

Inaam

You need to check that your iron, transferrin saturation%,

ferritin, vitamin B12, vitamin D3, magnesium, folate, copper and zinc are all

where they should be in the reference range. If any are low, thyroid hormone

cannot be fully utilised at the cellular level. You can should also check the

state of your adrenals to see whether you might be suffering with low adrenal

reserve. Do the adrenal questionnaire on the FIELS SECTION that you will find

in the 'Adrenals' Folder and see how you score.

If you are needing such high doses of Thyroxine, it might be an

idea to give yourself a trial of the active thyroid hormone T3 and see if that

works better for you. Do you have the results of any recent thyroid function

tests?

Luv - Sheila

Thank You Steve,

I just wish I had known earlier. I will be taking 300 to 325 daily so I think

thats just under a years supply. I will be lowering this when I figure out how

to use T3 and Armour because Shiela told me that as we age, and after a long

time on levo, it for some reason stops getting converted to t3. Also I am

looking forward to seeing what impact T1 and T2 has on my ability to function

as a human, because right now I don't fully feel human. I know I am a human

being but something is missing. I have always felt like this all my life since

I started levo at age 10 @ 200 mcgs daily. Something just isn't right with T4

alone therapy. I am 100% certain of this. It is something to do with how I

respond socially and emotionally.

.._,___

[Guest guest]

My recent FT4 level was 34, two months ago, this is based upon a daily dose of

360 - 380 mcgs that I had maintained for a few months, prior to this, I was

taking 275 daily.

My GP explained to me that it is too high. I agreed. So I reduced my daily dose

to 300 micrograms, a reduction by 80 mcgs but have not had a test done. I feel

pretty certain I am slightly above range. I am working on obtaining some more

results for vitamins and trace elements and minerals and will post soon.

Ever since you gave me advice, I have been asking for T3, I am certain it will

allow me to take less of T4 which is really hurting me but I need to function

and be able to utilize my memory and brain.

I have order 1000 tabs of levo, and I am now going to order my T3 too including

armour.

I have started drinking Nutricia Regular which contains protein, vitamins and a

range of minerals.

I tried lowering my levo to 275 but horrible things happen. My teeth start to

hurt and my mouth goes cold along with my breath and I lose my reflexes. One

thing that really gets to is that when I wake up, I wake up inside my head, i.e,

I arrive at consciousness but my body stays perfectly still, I wake up but do

not open my eyes, I have to consciously persuade myself to open my eyes and face

it. This does not happen when I take 300 mcgs.

thank you

>

> Inaam

>

> You need to check that your iron, transferrin saturation%, ferritin, vitamin

> B12, vitamin D3, magnesium, folate, copper and zinc are all where they

> should be in the reference range. If any are low, thyroid hormone cannot be

> fully utilised at the cellular level. You can should also check the state of

> your adrenals to see whether you might be suffering with low adrenal

> reserve. Do the adrenal questionnaire on the FIELS SECTION that you will

> find in the 'Adrenals' Folder and see how you score.

>

[Guest guest]

I would try using the T3 first along with the T4 before you move on to armour.

If you get balanced on this you wont need the armour. Dont try and mix the two

up as it just makes it more complicated.

Some do well on armour, but with supply issues, high cost and the fact the NHS

hates it i would try get T3 to work first.

There are the calcitonin benefits of armour, but i think this is outweighed by

the other stuff.

>

> My recent FT4 level was 34, two months ago, this is based upon a daily dose of

360 - 3

[Guest guest]

Inaam, you should not be ordering 1000mcg thyroxine AND T3 AND

Natural thyroid extract. At the moment, you really don't know what you are

going to need and you most definitely will NOT be needing levothyroxine, T3 and

Natural Thyroid Extract. It is likely you might need some T4 in combination

with the synthetic T3, or natural thyroid extract but not all of them. If you

go onto the NDT, which is the road that I would have gone down, you might find

you need to add in some extra T4 or extra T3, but not both. This is because the

T4 and T3 in NDT is standardised and doesn't suit everybody.

I am becoming increasingly concerned that you are going to cause

yourself great harm by taking such a high dose of levothyroxine and adding in

yet further thyroid hormones without being supervised by a medical

practitioner. A free T4 level of 34 is VERY high and could be dangerous if you

continue to take such a high dose.

You say that you have added someT3 to your levothyroxine. Did

you drop the thyroxine dose, and if so, by how much, and how much T3 are you

taking?

Luv - Sheila

My recent FT4 level was 34, two months ago, this is based upon a daily dose

of 360 - 380 mcgs that I had maintained for a few months, prior to this, I was

taking 275 daily.

My GP explained to me that it is too high. I agreed. So I reduced my daily dose

to 300 micrograms, a reduction by 80 mcgs but have not had a test done. I feel

pretty certain I am slightly above range. I am working on obtaining some more

results for vitamins and trace elements and minerals and will post soon.

Ever since you gave me advice, I have been asking for T3, I am certain it will

allow me to take less of T4 which is really hurting me but I need to function

and be able to utilize my memory and brain.

I have order 1000 tabs of levo, and I am now going to order my T3 too including

armour.

I have started drinking Nutricia Regular which contains protein, vitamins and a

range of minerals.

I tried lowering my levo to 275 but horrible things happen. My teeth start to

hurt and my mouth goes cold along with my breath and I lose my reflexes. One

thing that really gets to is that when I wake up, I wake up inside my head,

i.e, I arrive at consciousness but my body stays perfectly still, I wake up but

do not open my eyes, I have to consciously persuade myself to open my eyes and

face it. This does not happen when I take 300 mcgs.

thank you

>

> Inaam

>

> You need to check that your iron, transferrin saturation%, ferritin,

vitamin

> B12, vitamin D3, magnesium, folate, copper and zinc are all where they

> should be in the reference range. If any are low, thyroid hormone cannot

be

> fully utilised at the cellular level. You can should also check the state

of

> your adrenals to see whether you might be suffering with low adrenal

> reserve. Do the adrenal questionnaire on the FIELS SECTION that you will

> find in the 'Adrenals' Folder and see how you score.

>

[Guest guest]

ERFA is better than Armour since armour has been reformulated. I personally take both T3 AND ERFA, since I believe particularly for women, it is important to have the calcitonin. Osteoporosis is a disease to take seriously and calcitonin can help prevent it.I

get both ERFA and T3 on NHS prescription by the way. What is the price of Statins to the NHS? One argument for getting your GP to prescribe it; taking good thyroid support is a better way to lower cholesterol than taking Statins; it has no side effects AND it will relieve many more symptoms too?

I would try using the T3 first along with the T4 before you move on to armour. If you get balanced on this you wont need the armour. Dont try and mix the two up as it just makes it more complicated.

Some do well on armour, but with supply issues, high cost and the fact the NHS hates it i would try get T3 to work first.

There are the calcitonin benefits of armour, but i think this is outweighed by the other stuff.

>

> My recent FT4 level was 34, two months ago, this is based upon a daily dose of 360 - 3

[Guest guest]

I found this list on wikipedia and it mentions levothyroxine's stimulant effects

and I think this is where my GP is coming from. I disagree with it though.

Number 4

To endocrinologists the preference of some hypothyroid people for thyroid

extract raises some important questions which current evidence cannot answer

with certainty:

1.Is the reason some people fail to have complete relief of symptoms when tests

show normal levels simply because there are other causes of fatigue, depression,

and weight gain and these people are mistakenly attributing the problems to the

thyroid and simply enjoying a placebo effect if they claim better relief from

thyroid extract?

2.Does a combination of T4 and T3 provide more effective symptom relief for some

people than T4 alone? Multiple controlled trials have shown inconsistent

benefits of various ratios of T4 and T3.[16][17][18] Even if most people with

hypothyroidism enjoy complete relief of symptoms with thyroxine alone, are there

people who need T3 as well because they cannot generate normal amounts from T4

as most people do?

3.Is the perceived benefit simply a result of overtreatment, such that the same

relief could be achieved by pushing a thyroxine dose to higher levels?

4.Is the TSH measurement, and its associated 'normal' range, the best indicator

of optimal replacement dose? Most research evidence suggests it is, but some

patients feel better at doses which produce abnormally high blood levels of T4

and T3 and suppressed TSH. Is this simply a stimulant effect of high doses,

similar to caffeine or amphetamine? How high is the risk of prolonged

overtreatment to the bones, heart, and other parts of the body, and is it worth

an improvement in subjective well-being?

>

> You're welcome, Inaam

>*******************************************************************************\

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> Moderated to remove old messages. Please clip any message you are replying

to leaving only a couple of lines at most. Thank you.

Moderator.

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[Guest guest]

Hi Inaam

Please can you check your inbox/spam/junk folders as you may have a couple of

email messages in there regarding this thread

Thanks

Moderator

>

> I found this list on wikipedia and it mentions levothyroxine's stimulant

effects and I think this is where my GP is coming from. I disagree with it

though.

[Guest guest]

hi Inaam

I was wondering if you'd looked into problems with the adrenals, and whether a

high dose of thyroxine might be helping you because it is stimulating your

adrenals more? I am not sure that that is how it works but it is just a

question for you. Thyroid and adrenal problems can go hand in hand?

Have you looked into the symptoms of low functioning adrenals, do these fit?

There is some info here on adrenals : http://www.tpa-uk.org.uk/adrenals.php

Chris

>

> I found this list on wikipedia and it mentions levothyroxine's stimulant

effects and I think this is where my GP is coming from. I disagree with it

though.

[Guest guest]

The crazy thing is that now I have started Eltroxin, I feel it is working much better than the previous brand, Almus. Also, my favourite is Goldshield. I avoid TEVA because it makes my teeth clench and head fill up with pressure. My aunty sayd the same thing. She suffered a stroke recently. If someone starting thyroxine using the TEVA brand, they will not feel better.

As for adrenal insufficiency, I will be looking into this soon.

As for using levothyroxine in excessive amounts, for a man, highly undesirable physical changes occur regarding reproductive organs shrinking and acending into the abdomen, it is one of the indications, for me, that I have over dosed or my FT4 is toxic. So, both extremes for me are not providing me with any benefit.

If I take too much levo, I stall. Its like a quick burnout and my attention span shortens, so trying to use levothyroxine as an amphetamine or stimulant in excessive doses simply will not work. The risk and potential damage to the heart, blood, reproductive organs is too great.

I have thought about this for a very long time. Taking too much levo just makes me stall, unstable and produces undesirable physical changes that nobody would want. At least in males.

I am going to have some more tests done to see how my FT4 is faring on 300 mcgs. As Shiela mentioned, certain levels of nutrients must be present before thyroxine is utilized at the cellular level. I am hoping that this will allow me to lower my dose.

Best Regards

[Guest guest]

Hi Inam

Goldshield make eltroxin now don't they? I thought it wasn't called eltroxin now

but just it's chemical name?

In 2009, Dr Peatfield said that he felt Eltroxin was the best of the thyroxine

brands in this country. i believe this was at the 2009 TPA conference. You

can find the newsletter for 2009 here:

http://f1.grp.fs.com/v1/MEbCTvnLDUxEp2RR89l0Dq1DJdtCjlEcG6FaCdhfFcFvcUU37Li\

LqETEVQ0ZmEWCJp8icT4IpdTU3jNwKsmGUA/NEWSLETTERS/MAY%20NEWSLETTER.pdf

and the transcript of questions and answers here

http://www.tpa-uk.org.uk/speeches_tpameeting0409.pdf ,

and you can listen to them in an mp3 format, too.

http://www.tpa-uk.org.uk/tpa_april_meeting09.php

A. Dr Peatfield: The trouble with generic thyroxine is that very often it is p**

s***. It is c***, especially the stuff that we have in this country. You just

wonder where on earth they make it because it's so bad.. <inaudible>.. And the

criticisms applied to Armour which is that it is uncertain, is completely

untrue. It's our generic thyroxine which is so awful. I don't know what it's

like in the States. The only branded one in this country worth having is

Eltroxine, and the only branded one worth having in your country is Synthroid,

isn't it?

A. Afshin: Yes, yes. That's one of the brand name drugs that people don't switch

easily. Like usually if you are taking a brand name product and a generic comes

out the doctor says switch automatically. With Synthroid, most endocrinologists

tell you don't switch generic brands, even if you're good with one brand, stick

with that one brand, so I think that endocrinologists in the US know that

generic. brand at least functions as a generic. But they tell you if a generic

works for you and you stabilise on it, stay with it.

>

> The crazy thing is that now I have started Eltroxin, I feel it is working much

better than the previous brand, Almus. Also, my favourite is Goldshield.

[Guest guest]

Hi Inam

As well as looking at adrenal insufficiency, have you looked into other hormonal

deficiencies, such as low testosterone? With regards to the deficiencies of

nutrients which may affect thyroid utilisation, have you been tested for any of

these or can you ask your GP to test you? Do you have a list of everything that

may affect the utilisation of thyroid at a cellular level?

With regards to other hormonal problems, do you have any of these problems?

This list is taken from the Hormone Questionnaire by Dr Hertoghe:

http://f1.grp.fs.com/v1/QFTCToAaM9iMOplVKw0mdTimYl-gv8CmBQebYXMBDZgJmV79vJS\

Mr6ydwQhvDKkq-_o-uGAcNf8JfXx4j9k7PQ/MEDICAL%20QUESTIONNAIRES/Hormone%20Questionn\

aire.Dr%20Thierry%20Hertoghe.xls

If that link doesn't work, it's in the files here:

thyroid treatment/files/MEDICAL%20QUES\

TIONNAIRES/

Chris

With the questions below you can grade the answers 0 for not at all, 4 for very

much, and anything else inbetween. You don't have to post the answers if some

questions are too personal - if you go to the link above and fill in the

spreadsheet on tab 2 it gives you and indication of whether a hormone is low or

not (this is what we're looking for, clues/indications) so you can work with a

good doctor.

If you don't have Excel installed on your computer you can download open office

for free http://www.openoffice.org/ - this is compatible with MS Office, or you

can do the spreadsheet on line here:

http://blog.saravanan.org/?p=40 but make sure you click on 'click to edit' else

you won't be able to fill in the answers!

ACTH

I have patches of hair loss

I have very pale complexion

I sunburn easily

I often have memory loss

I am stressed out/I'm facing many difficulties

My blood pressure has dropped

My friends tell me I look thinner

Aldosterone

I uninate too many times a day

I crave salty foods

My blood pressure is low

I feel dizzy when I stand up

I feel much better lying down than standing up

Calcitocin

I have compression fractures in my spine

I've lost weight

My back hurts

I'm very sensitive to pain

I have thyroid problems (goiter, thyroid insufficiency, radiation applied to

this area)

Cortisol

My face looks thinner

My friends call me skinny

I have eczema, psoriasis, urticaria (nettle rash), skin allergies, or other

rashes

My heart beats quickly

My blood pressure is low

I crave salt and sugar (to the extent of binging)

I have digestive problem

I have allergies (hay fever, asthma, etc.)

I'm stressed out

I'm easily confused

DHEA

My hair is dry

My skin and eyes are dry

My muscle are flabby

My belly is getting fat

I don't have much hair under my arm (0 = plenty of hair/4=hairless)

I don't have much hair in pubic area (0 = plenty of hair/4 = hairless)

I don't have much fatty tissue in the pubic area (flat " mount of venus " in

women) (0=padded/4=flat)

My body doesn't have much of special scent during sexual arousal

I can't tolerate noise

My libido is low

EPO

I have a particularly pale complexion

Prolonged physical effort leaves me breathless

I'm anemic (diagnosed with a blood test)

" A sense of well being " What is that?

My blood test shows an increased BUN (blood uric nitrogen) level

Estrogen

I'm losing hair on top of my head

I'm getting thin, vertical wrinkles above my lips

My breasts are droopy

My face is too hairy

My eyes are dry and easily irritated

I have hot flashes

I feel tired constantly

I am depressed

Women with periods: My menstural flow is light (0=moderate/4=none)

Women with periods: My cycles are irregular (<27 days or >31 days)

Women without periods: I do not feel like making love anymore

Growth Hormone

My hair is thinning

My cheeks sag

My gums are receding

My abdomen is flabby/I've got a " spare tire "

My muscle are slack

My skin is thin and/or dry

It's hard to recover after physical activity

I feel exhausted

I don't like the world (I tend to isolate myself)

I feel contineously anxious and worried

Insulin

I crave sugar and sweets, and eat a lot of them

I'm always thirsty

I urinate a lot during the day as well as at night

I have difficulty healing

My stomach and buttocks are skinny

Melatonin

I look older than I am

I have trouble falling sleep at night

I wake up during the night

And I can't get back to sleep

My mind is busy with anxious throughts while I'm trying to fall asleep

My feet are too hot at night

When I get up, I don't feel rested

I feel like I'm living out of sync with the world, going to bed late and waking

up late

I can't tolerate jet lag

I somke, dring, and/or use a beta-blocker or a sleep aid

Pregnenolone

I have memory loss

My joints hurt (fingers, wrists, elbows, feet, ankles, knees)

I'm feeling a bit drained and I have a hard time handling stress

I don't see colours as brightly as before

I have lost interest in art; I don't appreciate art as much anymore

I don't have much hair under my arms or in the pubic area (0=plenty/4=hairless)

My muscles are flabby

I have abundant, light-coloured urine during the day

I have low blood pressure

I crave salty foods

Progesterone

My breasts are large

My close friends complain I'm nervous and agitated

I feel anxious

I sleep lightly and restlessly

Pre-menopausal & HRT menopausal women: My breasts are swollen and tender or

painful before my period

…and my lower belly is swollen…

…and I'm irritable and aggressive…

…and I lose my self-control…

I have heavy periods…

and they are contineously painful

Testosterone

My face has gotten slack and more wrinkled

I've lost muscle tone

My belly tend to get fat

I'm constantly tired

I feel like making love less often than I used to

Men only: My breasts are getting fatty

Men Only: I feel less less-confident and more hesitant

Men Only: My sexual performance is poorer than it used to be

Men Only: I have hot flashes and sweats

Men Only: I tire easily with physical activity

Thyroid Hormones

I'm sensitive to cold

My hands and feet are always cold

In the morning my face is puffy and my eyelids are swollen

I put on weight easily

I have dry skin

I have trouble getting up in the morning

I feel more cured at rest than when I am active

I am constipated

My joints are stiff in the morning

I feel like I'm living in slow motion

Vasopressin

I'm thirsty at night

I get up at night to urinate

I bleed a lot when I get hurt

I'm losing my memory

I have a hard time thinking straight

[Guest guest]

Gosh, there is certainly some work to be done, please bear with me with all

these questions and as soon as I can get a GP to help me with tests, I will be

posting everything online. Strange changes are taking place in my body, strange

sensations, I'm tasting food better, thinking different, in fact, my whole

character, persona, sense of humour is going through a change, I'm not sure what

it is but please bear with me.

Inam

>

> Hi Inam

>

> As well as looking at adrenal insufficiency, have you looked into other

hormonal deficiencies, such as low testosterone?

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[Guest guest]

Hi Shiela

I'm going though some physical and psychological changes since starting Eltroxin

and Goldshield at a lowered dose of 225 - 250 mcgs. I've become slower and more

hesitant. Bear with me. Hope I haven't caused any bother to anyone. I'm

definetly feeling different as a person, my character and persona is changing as

is my physical appearance. Today I walked alot and found I could breath cold

air, I'm even drinking cold drinks straight from the fridge, something I haven't

done for some time because my body temp used to drop.

Inam

>

> Inaam

>

> You need to check that your iron, transferrin saturation%, ferritin, vitamin

> B12, vitamin D3, magnesium, folate, copper and zinc are all where they

> should be in the reference range.

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