Re: What are the additional tests they need to do to diagnose a thyroid problem?

[Guest guest]

Hi Sue,

I will share what I know. Others here have differing opinions so hopefully they

will jump in here.

At a minimum, testing should include Free T3, Free T4 and TSH. The standard

testing is fine, you just use a different range. You should always get the test

results on paper so you can determine if they are normal yourself (as opposed to

getting a phone call from the doc or the nurse saying you are normal).

I had alot of this info on a PC that crashed and I haven't yet copied over my

data. There are several great places to go for help.

Here are some good books to read (I have included adrenal info as that system is

interlinked with thyroid system)

Safe uses of Cortisol by Dr. Jefferies

Hypothroidism Type 2 by Dr. Mark Starr

Your Thyroid and how to keep it healhty by Dr. Peatfield

The Metabolic Treatment of Fibromyalgia by Dr. Lowe

These books have been recommended to me and I am in the process of

reading/digesting. I cannot say 100% that these books are correct. Please use

this list as a starting point, join an adrenal/thyroid forum for general support

questions and find a doctor willing to help you (not easy - try alternative,

integrative, doctor of Osteophathy, naturopath or functional medicine - you can

try mainstream medicine but it may be hard to find someone who understands. If

they prescribe Armour and/or Hydrocortisone, then they may be more enlightened.

You can call a compounding pharmacy and ask which doctors prescribe Armour to

their patients. Some pharmacies will tell you, others won't.

Here are some good forums:

Forum Name: NaturalThyroidHormonesAdrenals

Moderator:

NaturalThyroidHormonesADRENALS/?yguid=27521\

4264

Forum Name: Real Thyroid Help

Moderator:

http://www.realthyroidhelp.com/

An informative website is " stop the thyroid maddness " website. I have linked to

their recommended labwork page as their website has been revamped. After

reading this page, go to the home page and review the material as your energy

allows.

http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/recommended-labwork/

Ferritin and cortisol levels should be checked as well since both of these being

low can keep you in a hypothyroid state.

Lastly, about Synthroid and other synthetic T4 products. These normally do not

work. Armour thyroid changed it's formulation (due to new Federal guidelines to

remove dextrose from tablets (all tablets not just Armour thyroid tablets). In

doing so, the substituted filler has a more binding effect than dextrose (which

allowed the pill to be dissolved sublingually, a better method of delivery.)

So, if you get the new Armour thyroid formulation, you will find that it does

not work as well due to the binders. You may have to take slightly higher

doses.

Personally, my mom, son, niece purchase their Armour thyroid equivalent from

overseas. The Canadian product is called " Thyroid " (I think) and the Asian

version is called " Thyroid-S " . I have not used the Canadian version but the

Asian version does dissolve under the tongue and can be split with a pill

splitter very easily (without crumbling into a million pieces).

It can also be compounded by a compounding pharmacy.

HTH,

Marti

>

> I was found to be hypothyroid years ago and was put on Synthroid. Then, I

think I had to stop that, because I got pregnant. Ever since, other doctors are

telling me my thyroid is normal. They're only doing the standard thyroid tests

T3 & T4. What else do they need to do to find out if I still have a thyroid

problem?

>

> Thank you for your help.

>

> Sue

>

[Guest guest]

theres the reverse T3...has to do with the conversion ability....only the " in

the know " endo's which are few, understand how to test. if you can find a

functional medicine doc, they are the best to see for thyroid.

On Jan 21, 2011, at 1:01 PM, sb2boys wrote:

> I was found to be hypothyroid years ago and was put on Synthroid. Then, I

think I had to stop that, because I got pregnant. Ever since, other doctors are

telling me my thyroid is normal. They're only doing the standard thyroid tests

T3 & T4. What else do they need to do to find out if I still have a thyroid

problem?

>

> Thank you for your help.

>

> Sue

>

>