Re: To Val + Thyr, and other blood test ??, post prednisone support ?

[Guest guest]

Val, thank you thank you. I don't know well yet how to read lab

tests so didn't post the last column of ranges:

TSH 5.74 reference 0.3-5.50

T4, Free (Direct) 1.03 reference 0.61-1.76

Iron Bind.Cap. (TIBC) 386 range 250-450

UIBC = 374 range 150-375

Iron, Serum = 12 range 35-155

Iron Saturation 3 range 15-55

Hematocrit 28.5 - range 34-44

When you refer to ferritin, is that one of the tests above I had

done? Nowhere on my test results does it say ferritin, so not clear

on which one that is, or if I'd actually had it tested.

I'm 'with you' on all other info, including the iodine test which I

only did from my infirmed place here at home this week, unable to

get other tests done this week and finding it curious. I definately

don't bank on this one, but its interesting and compared to my

healthy 24 year old son, HIS is STILL evident on his skin !! (I do

know about different skins, different types, etc) In other words,

it may not be a valid test for all. But hey, I KNOW how exhausted I

am and that seaweeds make me feel better !

The iron supplement a local compounding pharmacy suggested has 25 mg

Iron (as ferrous bisglycinate). It is called " Easy Iron " . I've

been taking two a day with iron absorbable meals/foods/little

applecidervinegar for absorption and the second test showed I'm

beginning to absorb iron (Iron Saturation up to 8 and Iron Serum up

to 29 - same ranges as above). The iron gluconate was SO

constipating and gut-awful that I sought out the " Easy Iron " . I can

provide contact info for ordering by mail if anyone is interested.

OK, well I've got my path ahead here in the valley of the shadow, as

do we all. Thanks for hanging over the rim and helping me forward,

ElleBlue and p.s i would NEVER accuse you of being a doctor !

>

> Oh my, where to start. First, I am suspect of iodine and Dr.

Browmstein,

> mostly because I have not spent time understanding it. Brownstein

has a

> book out http://www.drbrownstein.com/salt.shtml that touts the

healing

> effects of salt. For me, salt is deadly. I avoid it like the

plague. I

> have something going on with aldosterone/renin and salt makes it

worse. It

> is probably something associated with aldo/renin that makes me

intolerant of

> T3 hormone. Even tyrosine makes me start swelling and increases

BP. Last

> year I went through $7,000 of testing at U of Colo Med Center.

The endo

> there was convinced I had Cushings. When all was done and the

tests showed

> no Cushings, she lost interest. I even provided her journal

articles about

> the dangers of low T3.

>

> When you post test results, it is important to include

the " normal " ranges.

> I can't really address any of your tests, except TSH, without the

ranges.

> When my TSH reaches 5.74, I am nearly dead. I spent years and

years with a

> 5+something TSH and lost many years of my life. It was only when

it reached

> 78 that my doc " noticed. "

>

> I do believe that high E can make your thyroid worse, assuming any

of the WP

> E in a cream base was absorbed. Without an estradiol test, you

just really

> can't know. I firmly believe that when your thyroid is dead, its

dead and

> all the nutritional support in the world is not going to make it

not dead.

>

> Pred is nasty stuff. All you can do is taper down slowly. Taking

advice on

> the thyroid lists about " adrenal support " so I could tolerate T3,

I tried

> pred, Cortef and those adrenal pellets (can't remember their

name). All of

> them wired me horribly. Two pellets in a day made me so nervous I

couldn't

> sit still. For me, my intolerance of T3 is not from inadequate

cortisol.

>

> 1. I don't know of a good site for interpreting blood tests. I'm

sure a

> Google search will turn up something.

> 2. If you ask for a " thyroid panel " you will get inadequate

testing. You

> need to ask for FREE T3, FREE T4, TSH and antibodies. The

antibody tests

> will tell you if your low thyroid is auto-immune. You may have a

heck of a

> time getting those tests from your doc. Most of them don't have any

> understanding of thyroid.

> 3. Same answer as #1.

> 4. For estrogen and progesterone, you request estradiol and

progesterone.

> I've heard that a blood test for progesterone is not accurate but

they've

> always been right on for me. I wouldn't give two cents for saliva

tests of

> these hormones. Progesterone cream seems to unrealistically

excrete in the

> saliva while not necessarily protecting the endometrium. You test

E2 on Day

> 14 and P on Day 21 (if you're cycling). If you're post-meno, you

can test

> anytime. E2 should be tested four hours after

application/ingestion of

> estradiol.

> 5. For adrenals, cortisol saliva tests, from what I've read and

from what

> Dr. Gillespie says, are good. You should get a 4x/day test kit.

You can

> get your own from ZRT online. That may be the only way you'll be

able to

> get it. A one-time blood test has no relevance. " Even " endos

will tell you

> that. A 24-hour urine test will indicate your level of cortisol

over 24

> hours but you still won't know at what times of the day you may be

high or

> low.

>

> If I were running (lying) around with a TSH of 5.74 and low

ferritin, I

> would get:

>

> 1. Metafolin 2400 mg

> 2. Ferrous gluconate

> 3. Armour, beginning at 1/2 grain and gradually titrating up.

> 4. Estradiol - gel, patch or dot

> 5. Progesterone - suppository or Prometrium as needed for uterine

> protection.

>

> Mind you, I'm only saying what I would do. I am not a doctor and

have never

> suffered the embarrassment of claiming to be one.

>

> Val

> -----Original Message-----

> From: rhythmicliving

> [mailto:rhythmicliving ]On Behalf Of elleblueten

>

>

> Hi Val, I've read with great interests your posts on thyroid.

> You've learned so much and helped many!

>

> During my hive-hell post WP this last month (my first month of

the

> WP and off hormones after some years), my tests showed:

>

> TSH = 5.74; T4 Free (Direct) 1.03

> TIBC = 386

> UIBC - 374

> Iron, Serum 12

> Iron Saturation 3

> Hematocrit 28.5

>

> So we know these tests show I'm anemic and thyroid-something,

likely

> hypothyoid (but I reserve final opinion until further testig).

> Exhausted in any case.

>

> Do you think the E on the WP raised my TSH? Seems if I was

getting

> enough/even high E, its remarkable that I hve so many P

> comedown/discharge symptoms and that the P affected me so

negatively

> while I was on the WP. With my thyroid results, it does appear

the

> E was surely registering pretty strongly in my body.

Unfortunately

> I never had hormone level tests (a fluke story during the 5

months

> ont he WP)

>

> Any theories on the anemia relative to the WP?

>

> Do you know how long it is prudent to wait after taking

prednisone

> to get thyroid, estrogen/progesterone/ adrenal blood testing?

>

> Anyone have any suggestions for come down from prednisone? I was

> only on for 14 days and have been dosing down my 5 mg for a week

> (was only on 60 mg for about 8 days) With my thyroid so slow and

so

> anemic, I expect exhaustion but sleepless, depression and low

> immunity. I can already feel this and have been pretty infirmed

for

> a month. I was wired and sleepless, edgy on Pred, but managed it.

>

> My iron is improving through diet. I've been eating some seaweed,

> and iodine for thyroid and can feel some improvement just from

that

> My idodine tiincture test (painting on the skin) is already

> encouraging. My first one lasted less than 2 hours! This one is

> still evident after a day.

>

> In the next week, before testing or while waiting to test, what

> adrenal support would be safe and not so dramatic before I get a

> better diagnosis?

>

> The doc prescribed 50 mg Synthroid, but I've not taken yet. I

want

> to get better diagnosis and try something more natural. Armour?

etc?

> He is not holistic, so I may need to make this call on my own.

>

> Is there a good site that interprets blood test results?

>

> What is the name of the full thyroid panel to request?

>

> Is there a good site that interprets thyroid test results?

>

> What is best test to request for estrogen and progesterone?

>

> What is the name of the full adrenal panel to request?

>

> I know these are alot of questions but last two days are coming

into

> crisis for me and any help hugely appreciated. Apologies if these

> answers are already posted. I'm facing the wall and not doing as

> well w/my research skills at the moment (this will change for the

> better). To our health, ElleBLue

> .

>

[Guest guest]

I don't think ferritin is included in your tests. Docs don't do ferritin unless you bind and gag them or threaten castration. Your other iron tests, however, are indicative of anemia.

I came across interesting information about ferritin and ADHD. My DD was being tested/treated at her university. I told her to get a ferritin test. She told her doc and after some resistance, he did it for her. Her ferritin was 2!!!! It should be 80 - 100.

I have read that the iodine patch test is not relevant. To test iodine, I'd do the iodine loading that someone here suggested. I think I remember one time on Shoman's about.com site that iodine is not good for hypothyroids. I just can't remember what I read. Whatever it was, I threw mine away (that a compounding pharmacist had sold me). He also sold me sublingual tri-est and compounded progesterone. That regimen put me into hormone hell. I just haven't had time to do reasonable questioning about iodine. We're building a new house and I'm just too busy.

Val

-----Original Message-----From: rhythmicliving [mailto:rhythmicliving ]On Behalf Of elleblueten

Val, thank you thank you. I don't know well yet how to read lab tests so didn't post the last column of ranges:TSH 5.74 reference 0.3-5.50T4, Free (Direct) 1.03 reference 0.61-1.76Iron Bind.Cap. (TIBC) 386 range 250-450UIBC = 374 range 150-375Iron, Serum = 12 range 35-155Iron Saturation 3 range 15-55Hematocrit 28.5 - range 34-44When you refer to ferritin, is that one of the tests above I had done? Nowhere on my test results does it say ferritin, so not clear on which one that is, or if I'd actually had it tested.I'm 'with you' on all other info, including the iodine test which I only did from my infirmed place here at home this week, unable to get other tests done this week and finding it curious. I definately don't bank on this one, but its interesting and compared to my healthy 24 year old son, HIS is STILL evident on his skin !! (I do know about different skins, different types, etc) In other words, it may not be a valid test for all. But hey, I KNOW how exhausted I am and that seaweeds make me feel better !

..