Guest guest Posted February 15, 2006 Report Share Posted February 15, 2006 Hi: I had to put in my thoughts. I suspected hypothyroidism for years before it ever showed up on labs. I had all the symptoms and always tested borderline normal but my armpit basal morning temps were always low. This was 20 years ago...way before my diagnosis with CFIDs. I am not sure the temperature method would be valid for PWCs because some of us have trouble with temperature regulation anyway. BTW, when I crashed because of my thyroid, I was surprised to see that my TSH levels were only just beginning to rise! It was just so out of line with the disability I was feeling. I was so sick I could hardly walk and was sure that I was dying of something acute. I haven't trusted tests since. I believe that using lab results for diagnosis of disease works best combined with clinical diagnostic expertise which so few doctors seem to have these days. Also, I have always heard that people with thyroid disease should always be checked for other hormone deficiencies especially adrenal hormones (there are several medical syndromes where there are two or more hormone deficiencies that always occur together) and unless you fix the others, taking thyroid hormone is not going to fix the issue and will often serve to imbalance the others even more. Best Regards, Teena On Wed, 15 Feb 2006 09:55:55 -0800 Mercuria <mercuria@...> writes: > > On Feb 15, 2006, at 9:38 AM, mascis_j wrote: > > > > >> > >> Thyroid testing has been a bad joke that doomed countless people > to > > years of sub optimal functioning and frustration...or worse. > > Too true. You need a thyroid-literate doctor, one who knows how to > diagnose from clinical symptoms and a wide range of tests, instead > of > relying on a stupid T4 panel that tells you nothing. > > My own family doctor looked at me for six years straight at my > annual > physical. Every year, she'd say, " I swear to God, there's something > > wrong with your thyroid. " Her clinical intuition picked up all the > symptoms (which were all out there in broad daylight for those with > > eyes to see). So she'd run a standard panel, which always came back > > borderline " normal " ....and she'd value the test results over her > intuition every time. As a result, my blatant thyroid problems would > > be ignored for another year. > > Six years of my life lost this way. I've never gotten over my anger > > about that. > > When I finally found a doctor ( Shames, in Marin) who would > treat my symptoms instead of my test results -- and got a huge chunk > > of my recovery from it -- she was absolutely furious with me. Called > > him a quack, and threatened to toss me out of her practice if I > continued to see him. Never mind that I was actually having a life > for the first time in a decade....go figure. > > > Well see, that's the problem. There is some benefit, but the cons > > outweigh the pros. He put me on meds, I took them, and I couldn't > > sleep. That was when I was able to sleep in the first place. Not > to > > mention it made my headaches unbearable, it made by body aches > just > > about unbearable, and I literally cannot drink enough water to > sustain > > myself. I am already drinking a gallon a day, and when I take my > meds, > > it increases to probably a gallon and a half, or thereabouts. > That's a > > pissload of water. > > This sounds almost exactly like the reaction I had to the thyroid > meds before I started the DHEA. I spent about three days thinking I > > was gonna die. > > Not kidding: you may really want to go over all this again, this > time > with a thyroid-smart doctor who's willing to work it through with > you. > > Sara > > > > This list is intended for patients to share personal experiences > with each other, not to give medical advice. If you are interested > in any treatment discussed here, please consult your doctor. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 17, 2006 Report Share Posted February 17, 2006 Teena,The endocrine system is like a choreographed dance, beautiful in it's own way, but it can be ugly when sonething malfunctions because they all talk to each other...and exchange some very powerful chemicals. I can't imagine one endocrine gland malfunctioning without involving others. If you can identify the cripple(s), hormone replacement can produce remarkable recovery. Mel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 12, 2011 Report Share Posted December 12, 2011 Could someone please tell me which blood tests should be insisted upon when checking for thyroid function? Thanks, Rhonda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 12, 2011 Report Share Posted December 12, 2011 FreeT3 and FreeT4 . Best, Kathleen moderator Thyroid Tests Could someone please tell me which blood tests should be insisted upon when checking for thyroid function? Thanks, Rhonda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 12, 2011 Report Share Posted December 12, 2011 Other things can cause thyroid levels to be low, like iodine, iron, Vit D, etc., so you should check those too. http://tiredthyroid.com/what-labs.html > > Could someone please tell me which blood tests should be insisted upon when checking for thyroid function? > > Thanks, > Rhonda > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 12, 2011 Report Share Posted December 12, 2011 Not sure what " low orient " is, but Vit D appears to be involved in conversion of T4 to T3. But you gotta have enough T4 to start with. That's why you get labs, to try to pinpoint where your thyroid problem is: low output, lack of conversion, autoimmunity, etc. You can have all or just one of these BTW! > > So, I have a question about this...if low orient, low vit d etc can cause thyroid issues, will fixing those low levels " fix " the thyroid? Or am I on meds for life now? :/ > > Sent from my HTC on the Now Network from Sprint! > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 12, 2011 Report Share Posted December 12, 2011  No - increasing your Ferritin, Vit D and Iodine levels will not necessarily "fix" your thyroid so that you do not have to be on thyroid medication. I have good levels with my children and they are both on thyroid medication. Buist, ND HC Re: Thyroid Tests So, I have a question about this...if low orient, low vit d etc can cause thyroid issues, will fixing those low levels "fix" the thyroid? Or am I on meds for life now? :/Sent from my HTC on the Now Network from Sprint! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 12, 2011 Report Share Posted December 12, 2011 Sorry, I was replying from my phone. That's why it did not show all of the previousmessage. I meant low ferritin. And I do have low iron labs, and low vitamin d. So when I correct these could the thyroid then correct itself? Or are they low levels due to the thyroid? I was recently diagnosed with hypo, low vit. D and low ferritin, low iron saturation. Thanks for your help.Sent from my HTC on the Now Network from Sprint!----- Reply message -----From: " Barb " <baba@...>Date: Mon, Dec 12, 2011 3:59 pmSubject: Re: Thyroid Tests<iodine > Not sure what " low orient " is, but Vit D appears to be involved in conversion of T4 to T3. But you gotta have enough T4 to start with. That's why you get labs, to try to pinpoint where your thyroid problem is: low output, lack of conversion, autoimmunity, etc. You can have all or just one of these BTW!>> So, I have a question about this...if low orient, low vit d etc can cause thyroid issues, will fixing those low levels " fix " the thyroid? Or am I on meds for life now? :/> > Sent from my HTC on the Now Network from Sprint!> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 12, 2011 Report Share Posted December 12, 2011 Kathleen do you think she should also have a TSH done with the reg tyroid panel and the Free T3 and Free T4. That's what was ordered when I was a phleb and had to have mine checked. But i could be wrong since my memory is not what it used to be. Merry Christmas. rae From: Kathleen Blake <kathleenblake@...> iodine Sent: Monday, December 12, 2011 10:47 AM Subject: Re: Thyroid Tests FreeT3 and FreeT4 . Best, Kathleen moderator Thyroid Tests Could someone please tell me which blood tests should be insisted upon when checking for thyroid function? Thanks, Rhonda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 12, 2011 Report Share Posted December 12, 2011  Hi Rae, TSH is not really a good indicator of thyroid function. However, most doctors are behind the times and still go by the TSH. FreeT3 and FreeT4 are the best tests for thyroid function. Merry Christmas to you too! Kathleen Thyroid Tests Could someone please tell me which blood tests should be insisted upon when checking for thyroid function? Thanks, Rhonda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 12, 2011 Report Share Posted December 12, 2011  Yes I would add TSH to Free T3 and Free T4. If you have not checked antibodies, it is good to check those as well - TPO Ab and Tg Ab. Buist, ND HC Thyroid Tests Could someone please tell me which blood tests should be insisted upon when checking for thyroid function? Thanks, Rhonda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 12, 2011 Report Share Posted December 12, 2011  I should add that the TSH is a marker but not the end all be all marker that you should dx thyroid health primarily upon. It is one value. Buist, ND HC Thyroid Tests Could someone please tell me which blood tests should be insisted upon when checking for thyroid function? Thanks, Rhonda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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