Re: New Member - This site is a revalation for me

[Guest guest]

Hi Nicola and welcome.

The ladies on this site are extremely knowledgable and someone will be along

soon, I'm sure! I started my TPA journey a number of years ago now and went from

lethargic and suffering terrible brain fog (despite being told I was " fine " by

my GP) to feeling like I'm living again. I've had a successful pregnancy (I took

efra thyroid throughout) and am now a full tim mum to a 2 year old and doing a

distance learning part time Masters degree in psychology.

I could never have done that before.

You'll get there. This is just the first step. Big hugs

xxx

[Guest guest]

Hello Nicola and welcome,

Where to start? .... well, a good place would be Dr. Peatfield's book.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Your-Thyroid-How-Keep-Healthy/dp/190514010X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8 & qid=1325241305 & sr=8-1

order it and once you've read it things will become quite a bit clearer.

I don't know if Dr. Peatfield still does this, but he used to do consultations by mail. Contact him or his secretary and ask... might save you a flight to the UK. Please read the advice from Dr. P. below -

http://www.tpa-uk.org.uk/peatfield_dtadvice.pdf

and here is a schedule for his clinics, just in case you fancy a trip after all....

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

and last, but not least.... please browse through our TPA website, which is packed with information....

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

From reading your story it seems to me that the Levo is not working for you and IMHO you might need natural desiccated thyroid or at least T3 in addition to your Levo or even a T3 therapy alone. NDT (natural desiccated thyroid) would probably be the best option, although with you living in Dubai I am unsure if you'd break their laws by bringing it into the country; it is in effect desiccated pig's thyroid – you'd have to find out about that.

Your first step (other than buying Dr. P's book) should be to systematically go through the list of possibilities of WHY your thyroid hormone is not working for you. This might involve some salivary, urinary or blood tests, all of which are available on a private basis from Genova here in the UK if you have no joy with your local doctors. Samples can be send via courier service, albeit at a price, I would guess.... but, where there is a will, there is a way – as they say.

You have made a start to helping yourself and help is always available once you know where to look; any questions, just yell J

With best wishes,

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

Thanks for the advice, I have just ordered Dr Peatfields book via the link on

the TPA web site.

I will also try and contact him directly to see if he can help.

I have read so much info from the TPA web site that my head is spinning.I have

also oredered their guidebook.

I think I need to clarify what tests I need done and how to read the results and

go from there.

I welcome all the advice I can get - thank you

[Guest guest]

Dear Nicola,

My mother-in-law was so ill that she was planning her own funeral. She did not

have the energy to persist. But her doctor told her that her thyroid was a bit

low, but still normal. One day, working in the kitchen, she fainted and in the

fall broke her leg in two places. She was rushed to the hospital emergency

room. There the doctor told her that they would fix her leg today and her

thyroid tomorrow. The internist brought the residents to observe her because

she looked like the textbook case. He prescribed synthetic T3. It worked.

Although she was not discharged because she could not lift her cast, in 10 days

she could. Her life was turned around. That was 40+ years ago. She has been

quite active since and in spite of being now in her 80's.

When you reflect on her case, you note that she really had euthyroid

hypometabolism. Her thyroid was OK, but she had no energy. Unfortunately, the

physiology that creates such a condition is not recognized by medical practice

in spite of being known to medical science for 40 years and in spite of being in

the journals for more than 50 years.

Your situation is similar to my wife's:

My wife developed a combination of hypothyroidism and euthyroid hypometabolism

about 10 years ago. She suffered with the thyroxine only therapy for two years

in spite of her TSH being normal. However, a mistake each by two

endocrinologists gave her life back to her. The first prescribed an

insignificant dose of T3 (which he should not have done per guidelines, but to

mollify her) and the second tripled it because it was to be taken three times

daily.

Both of these women, since their initial virtual resurrection have had problems

with the security in their prescriptions as all T3 therapies are proscribed by

medical practice in the US as well as the UK and elsewhere. As a consequence of

being taken off of T3 or needing more T3 and even supplied more T4, they both

went through periods of needless suffering. However, efforts prevailed and they

both were eventually back on some T3-containing prescription. My wife actually

went through this once again, but short circuited the suffering by immediately

finding another physician.

So the moral to these stories is simple. If the doctor you went to does not

take proper care of you, find another. My wife is now on her fifth - seventh if

you count seeing two of them twice. While the old time patient-doctor

relationship was parental and dictatorial, today's should not be. If you don't

get results that you should get find another. Why? Because there are many,

many whose lives have been virtually resurrected by taking the right stuff, a

T3-containing therapy.

As you will see, the Greater Thyroid System (see the TPA website for a picture)

has many requirements for various hormones, enzymes, vitamins, and minerals.

These need to be tested. And that includes the adrenal fatigue.

The internist told my mother-in-law that she was lucky to have broken her leg

because if she had not gotten proper care as she was not getting by her regular

doctor, she would have died in a coma....

Indeed, in the years that I have been studying this depravity, I find most of

what is said and done to patients who continue to suffer the symptoms of

hypothyroidism after being found to have a normal TSH, by treatment or not, is

wrong. They don't have nonspecific symptoms. They don't have functional

somatoform disorders. Their getting older is not a factor. And they don't get

diagnosed properly, and of course, they don't get treated properly.

So remember, if the doctor does not care for you and feeds you a bunch of

excuses, find another. It is your life, not his.

Have a great day or at least a better day,

>

> My name is Nicola, I am a 48 year old English Lady currently living abroad in

Dubai with my husband and adult daughter, and I am a housewife.

> One of my friends visited from the UK and bought an article from a newspaper

dated July 3rd 2011 about a lady named GC who had been treated by Dr P. To be

honest I cried as I read the article, it could have been me.

> I have all but given up ever feeling healthy again, as I'm always

[Guest guest]

Dear

Thank you for your information and wishes, I am determined to see this through

now and can hopefully now turn around my life like your MIL.

Best wishes

Nicola

>

> Dear Nicola,

>

> My mother-in-law was so ill that she was planning her own funeral. She did

not have the energy to persist. But her doctor told her that her thyroid was a

bit low, but still normal. One day, working in the kitchen, she fainted and in

the fall broke her leg in two places. She was rushed to the hospital emergency

room. There the doctor told her that they would fix her leg today and her

thyroid tomorrow. The internist brought the residents to observe her because

she looked like the textbook case. He prescribed synthetic T3. It worked.

Although she was not discharged because she could not lift her cast, in 10 days

she could. Her life was turned around. That was 40+ years ago. She has been

quite active since and in spite of being now in her 80's.

[Guest guest]

Hello Nicola, and welcome to the forum where I hope you will get

all the help and support that you need.

My name is Nicola, I am a 48 year old English Lady currently

living abroad in Dubai with my husband and adult daughter, and I am a

housewife.

One of my friends visited from the UK and bought an article from a newspaper

dated July 3rd 2011 about a lady named GC who had been treated by Dr P. To be

honest I cried as I read the article, it could have been me.

So many other readers of this article felt exactly the same -

the article showed that there is light at the end of the tunnel and that we

don't have to be fobbed off with those doctors who are determined to remain

ignorant and arrogant through their lack of knowledge of the workings of the

greater thyroid system. Slowly but surely, we at TPA will teach them the true

facts, and help them return their patients to optimal health once more.

I have all but given up ever feeling healthy again, as I'm

always told by doctors there is nothing wrong with me. I have been told I am

lazy, I must eat and not know it, I am lucky as I would survive being marooned

on a desert island as my body must take every single bit from food, that I lie

when I say I exercise.

You have joined over 2700 other members who are being treated

exactly the same as you are. Not sure if that helps, but it's always good to

know that you are not alone.

I now just try and accept that I will always be fat, even

though I eat a fairly healthy diet, and exercise by swimming training for an

hour 3 times a week (I mean fast repetitive lap training with a Masters Swim

squad). I also attended a boot camp 3 times a week over a period of 3 months

but got so tired and noticed no difference in my weight I gave up.

Nope, you have to no longer accept that you will always be fat -

if you have not joined our CHAT FORUM (Lilian will have sent you an invitation

when you first joined this forum), then do so now. There, we have a programme

going for some members who are using a homeopathic spray with a very low

calorie diet, many losing several stones. We only discuss this diet on the Chat

forum - but people who have tried to diet and failed many times have found this

hCG spray and diet to be extremely successful. One step at a time though….

I had lots of symptoms of underactive thyroid for sometime

before my GP in the UK finally agreed to test me, looking back at pictures etc

I think I must have been affected for over 1 year before I was diagnosed. When

the tests came back I was told I was producing no thyroine at all, and was put

on 200mg thyroxine daily, this was around 16 years ago. My dosage was then

reduced to 150mg, which I have been taking ever since. This has all been based

on blood tests not how I feel and has ignored that my symptoms are still there.

Levothyroxine is synthetic thyroxine (T4). T4 is a mainly

inactive thyroid hormone. It has to convert to the ACTIVE thyroid hormone

Triiodothyronine (T3). T3 is needed by every cell in the body and brain to make

them function, but for a large minority of us, we are unable to convert for

many and various reasons, so the thyroxine lies in our blood, doing nothing but

causing symptoms of toxicity, and our symptoms of hypothyroidism do not go

away. In fact, we slowly become more and more ill. Those who cannot convert T4

into T3 need the addition of T3, or T3 alone (and no levothyroxine) or natural

thyroid extract that contains t4, T3, T2, T1 plus calcitonin. You will learn

more about this as you read messages and information on our web site www.tpa-uk.org.uk

I asked to be referred to specialist, but was also told by

them I was normal! And my excess weight and the way I felt was down to me. They

suggested I was depressed, stressed or had chronic fatigue, I think I was in a

way but because no one believed me and when you are told it is your fault by so

many people including specialists you start to believe it.

More and more we are learning that ordinary GP's will not refer

our members to a specialist if their blood test results are within the so

called 'normal' reference range, so more and more, folk are being denied a

proper diagnosis and therefore denied the thyroid hormone that will make them

well. They have been taught very badly.

With the support of my husband and daughter I believe I am

fairly sane and have started to accept I will never wake up feeling like I have

energy and get up and go again, but I do my best.

Never, never accept that you will never fell properly well

again. It IS possible, but unfortunately, you will probably have to take your

thyroid health into your own hands, but it can be done as many of our members

will tell you.

It was not until I came to Dubai in 2008 when the doctor I

registered here asked me what the underactive thyroid was caused by, that I was

tested and the results came back positive that I have Hashimotos. Still the

only treatment I have been offered is to continue with 150m thyroine daily, the

make I am currently using is Levothyroxine.

Have you read Dr Datis Kharrazian's book " Why do I still

have symptoms when my Lab tests are Normal " . Everybody who has Hashimoto's

should read it - it is wonderful and explains so much. If you would like to

borrow this book for the cost of postage only, send me stamps to the value of

£2.80 - to 'Sheila , Squirrel Cottage, Ickornshaw, Cowling, Nr Keighley,

BD22 0DH, North Yorkshire' and I will send you my copy to borrow.

Before this all started I weighed between 10 and 11 stone,

now I weigh between 15 and 16 stone. I am 5ft 8 inches and wear size 18

clothes.

I have had 4 miscarriages, 3 were very early and the 4th was at 3 months and

was a twin, I was very lucky to have the other child who is now a healthy 28

year old beautiful lady.

Congratulations on this one beautiful lady. So terribly sad that

once again, doctors are not being taught how to treat those with hypothyroidism

when pregnant. They cause so much suffering with their lack of knowledge - and

their obstinate refusal to learn.

My periods have always been very heavy, I was given a Mirena

coil around the same time that my underactive thyroid was diagnosed. I no

longer have the Mirena, as I was concerned that some of my continued symptoms

were caused by this, as doctors were telling me it was definitely not my

underactive thyroid. Currently my periods are so heavy that I do not want to go

out on the first 2 days, I have to wear 2 super plus tampons and a pad if I go

out. I also have very large blood clots.

You need to see a good endocrinologist who will put you on the

right thyroid hormone replacement. I will send you a list of doctors who are

happy to prescribe some form of the active thyroid hormone T3, either synthetic

or natural thyroid extract. You need to take the opportunity to see one of

these before going back to Dubai. Not sure whether you would be able to get

natural desiccated porcine thyroid extract over there, but you will no doubt

find out about this.

I am always cold in bed, but I also have night sweats.

During the day I appear to get a lot hotter than other people and during

exercise I get very red and sweaty, my breathing recovery is very quick though

but it takes a long time after exercise to stop sweating.

Occasionally I get the feeling I am going to faint, I know the signs now, my

ears appear to block and are buzzy, I am aware of my surroundings but

everything seems to be in slow motion, I get very sweaty and feel nauseous. If

I sit quietly and take deep breathes it will go away. If I have been eating

before hand, once I am sick the feeling also goes.

My other continued symptoms are, excessive tiredness, weight gain, occasional palpitations,

loss of libido, muscle aches (sometimes my legs feel like they have run a

marathon), my ankles, feet, hands and face also get swollen, my skin is very

dry, I also sometimes get a very bloated stomach and wind, PMS, I also don't

feel great about myself and feel a failure.

There are many associated conditions that go along with symptoms

of hypothyroidism that you must check out by way of a process of elimination. I

have attached a document telling you what these associated conditions are, and

how you need to get tested to see if you are suffering with any of these. Once

you find out and start taking the right supplement to put whatever is wrong,

right - you will be amazed at the difference you will feel and your thyroid

hormone replacement will start to work as it should. Again, doctors are not taught

about these conditions. In case your doctor tells you there is no association

between certain minerals/vitamins and low thyroid when you ask for specific

tests to be done, print off the other attached document to show just some of

the research/studies that have been done to show that there is a connection.

Around 1993 I had a bad horse riding accident where I

snapped my arm in 2 backwards – this resulted in the end of my radius

snapping off and being removed. (This happened before my symptoms started.)

Often such a shock can be the cause of hypothyroidism.

I also have had my Gall bladder removed in 2006.

So having found your site, I am both elated that more can be done for me but

also sad that my life has been not as it should have been if only 1 doctor had

listened to me and tried to help.

Don't feel sad for what might have been, but be happy certainly

that you are on the road to regaining your good health once again. We will do

everything that we can to help you - and I promise you that we can. We have had

members who became bed-ridden who found this forum and our web site, who have

now regained their optimal health and are now back at work. I kid you not!

I am crying as I write this to you, I don't know why. Is it because I feel

there may be hope or am I afraid this will be another dead end.

Probably both, but probably it is out of sheer frustration.

But I have no idea where to start:

Thyroid, Candida, Adrenals, leaky gut, food intolerances,

Vitamin/mineral deficiency.

You have already started - by writing your case history. Take

one baby step at a time and we will guide you through where you need to go to

get there. It might be a long road, but not a quarter as long as you have found

to date. Check out the attached document " Why Thyroid Hormone Replacement

May Not be Working For You " - that is the very first place to start. Get

the blood/saliva/urine tests done that we recommend and always post the results

to the forum together with the reference range for each test done so we can

help with interpretation. Never, never, never allow a doctor to tell you that

your results are 'normal' just because they appear SOMEWHERE within the

reference range. We need to know whether they are at the bottom, the middle or

the top of the range. Doctors are not taught how to interpret such results so

leave you suffering.

I have never had more than a thyroid blood test for TSH.

You need to write a letter to your GP and ask the GP to place

your letter of requests into your medical notes. Doctors know they must pay

attention to such letters, because copies can always be produced if something

goes wrong and it can be proved that they did nothing, when asked. I will write

to you separately about what you should include in such a letter.

I have been completely oblivious to everything else as has

every doctor I have seen.

I would love some idea of where to start – I have even considered flying

home just to see Dr P as I have no idea on any doctor who would help in Dubai, or

what they would/could prescribe and where to get the meds.

Where about in the UK do you stay. Dr Peatfield has drastically

cut down on his clinics throughout the UK now, and getting a consultation is

becoming more and more difficult. I have a clinic at my cottage in February

(22nd to 25th inclusive) but this is in North Yorkshire. I still have one or

two places, so if you want to see him, let me know as a matter of urgency. If

you come from far away, we have some very reasonable B and B in our village. It

would be good to get the 'low down' on your present health and for him to give

his recommendations. He has given back health to thousands of NHS failures.

Luv - Sheila

2 of 2 File(s)

WHY THYROID HORMONE REPLACEMENT MAY NOT BE WORKING FOR YOU.doc

MINERALS AND VIT. TESTING.doc

[Guest guest]

Initially, ask the GP to test TSH, free T4, free T3 and test to

see if you have antibodies to your thyroid. You also need to have your levels

of iron, transferrin saturation%, ferritin, vitamin B12, vitamin D3, magnesium,

folate, copper and zinc tested. I attached a list of just some of the

references to the researcyh/studies that have been done to show that low levels

of any of these effect your thyroid function and stop the active thyroid

hormone t3 from being fully utilised at the cellular level, until whatever is

low has been supplemented.

Send the results to the forum so we can help with their

interpretation, but we need the reference range for each test done. Remember

also that no doctor can withhold any of the information that is in your Medical

Notes under the Date Protection Act 1998.

Luv - Sheila

Thanks for the advice, I have just ordered Dr Peatfields book via the link on

the TPA web site.

I will also try and contact him directly to see if he can help.

I have read so much info from the TPA web site that my head is spinning.I have

also oredered their guidebook.

I think I need to clarify what tests I need done and how to read the results

and go from there.

,_._,___

[Guest guest]

Hi Sheila,

Thank you to you and all the other members for fantastic information, I know I

am not alone now.

I have joined the chat forum and have already learnt and found more information

than I have in the last 16 years.

I will start 2012 with new hope, and a lot more information to help myself.

Thanks for the offer of borrowing Dr Datis Kharrazian's book, I will order it

from Amazon, as I like to make notes and don't want to ruin yours.

I am back in Dubai already, however, I have found via an expat forum a lady who

also has Thyroid issues and who has found a sympathetic doctor here who is

working with her for her thyroid. She orders her prescriptions from Belgium, and

I am going to meet with her in the New Year.

I think I would still like to speak with Dr P, and will contact his Clinic

directly. Thank you for the information about the Clinic at your house, if I was

in the UK I would have travelled any distance for help, it's just a bit more

difficult living so far away, and his clinic is closer to the London airports.

When I am back in the UK it is in the south, around London and Essex.

I will keep you updated as to my progress and will certainly post my results for

help with interpretation.

Sending everyone my best wishes for 2012

Nicola