Absolutely, Pen - the more the merrier. We do however like doctors that think outside the box, symptoms equally as important as blood test results.

Hi there, moneypenny

You're correct, I'm a doctor. Dermatologist by training, for the past 10 years, but after we started making plans to move to Australia, I decided that I wanted to do something different, so I started preparing for the FRACGP exams earlier this year.

Getting back into general practice/general medicine after nearly 10 years of seeing nothing but skin has been an eye-opener - it also means I'm currently pretty up to date with general medicine (I have to be, if I wanna pass those exams!), and most doctors are well-intentioned busybodies to begin with anyway, so I figured I'd chip in with my 2 cents' worth

Don't apologise, feel free to put your info on the thread. The more the merrier.

This is probably something you already know but I got more info from it, going from post partum Hypo to hyper then back to normal (ish).....it all makes sense now!!! Still freezing though not 'as' cold as I was before...how's everyone else doing?

PP

http://www.thyroid.org.au/

My doc now wants me to stop taking thyroxine all together!

He is concerned about my fast pulse rate & thinks maybe the cause is because I'm being treated for hypo when 'it's only subclinical'
It was a different doc that first diagnosed me with hypo, when my TSH was 7. My current doc said he wouldn't treat it unless it was over 10 so thinks I should stop taking it & see what happens to my pulse rate. This terrifies me.
He got on the phone to an endo, quickly ran through my situation & the endo advised not to stop thyroxine until I'd had TPO tested. So now I'm waiting for those results.

Has anyone ever had some symptoms of both Hypo & Hyper? What is the answer when this happens?

Leigh

Oh hells bells Leigh.

Yes, I've had what you describe. I was basically having heart palpatations and racing pulse every time I did anything... They'd start up at the tiniest effort or usually for no reason whatsover.
Heart palps and fast pulse rate can be a symptom of underactive thyroid too... Whilst your doc assumes it's because you're on too much thyroxine, he may not be right. It sounds like you're under medicated to me, esp with your TSH.


And if your doc won't treat you unless your TSH is over ten (!!!!! OMG!!!) then I would change your doctor immediately!

The majority of people who are well usually have a TSH of around 1.... so that he won't treat you unless you're over 10 is bizzare and surreal all at the same time. Perhaps he's missed the . in between the 1 and the 0!
I honestly don't think that you will get treated until you find yourself a new doc.

Thank goodness the endo said not to come off the drugs.

But if your TSH is up near 10, then this would explain your heart rate imo. I think you should find a new doc and go get checked out.

Hey PP.

I am doing great thank you. A small adjustment in my meds over the cooler weather up here but I am feeling great.
Lots of my hair is growing back all of a sudden too, which I like. I lost a bit when I was really sick and it didn't recover. Now all of a sudden, it's growing.
Looking forward to the warmer weather though. It's about 5 degrees in the mts.

Interesting thread my daughter's thyroid completely coput and she has to take medication for life thanks to the chemo and radiation treatment she had for her brain cancer, small price to pay.

I was tested for gluten intolerance a while back as I had awful symptoms, had to have a colonstomy could not see anthing took biopsies and I have microscopic collitis and am now very well after treatment.

The symptoms were same as gluten intolerance.

Do you know, he's really surprised me 'cos he is normally a very good doc, just not when it comes to thyroids apparently. I have no problem arguing with him about it. He knows how I feel. Just before he suggested I stop the thyroxine he said, "Can I suggest something without you punching me in the face?" But then he should know mood swings is another symptom!
My TSH was 7 before thyroxine. It's now 2.7. Still not feeling great. When I was pregnant it was 1.6 & I felt loads better.
Interesting about the palps & fast pulse. I thought they were symptoms of hyper?
Glad to hear you're doing well TP x

Just out of interest I was 2 (two months ago), and the doc who I ignore usually said I would not be treated unless I was over 5.....??? is 2 normal? or just normal for me? My symptoms have lessened soooo much so I am certain it was higher than that and like through the roof before that because I shed 30 kgs after the birth of my duaghter in about 6 weeks.....I was this this was normal???? I would buy clothes one day and then run up the stairs 3 days later and they would actually FALL off!!!! Then I went all fat and slow and cold...apparently had to research myself as no doctor I met even kew what it could be....stange that!!!!

Anyway I don't take thyrxine but only fel tired now about 1 day a week not 7 as I did before...I have to be super careful with diet and exercise but honestly I would love to let up now and again....

5 degrees.....eeeekkkkk brrrrrrrrrrr

My daughter was not aware of any symptoms just very dry skin and her GP picked it up. She thought she was tired from being unwell for so long so it just goes to show you can have thyroid trouble with minimum of symptoms.

Also the symptoms can be other things.

Yeah, there's quite a few things listed on this thread which have similar symptoms as gluten intolerance, though it's recommended anyone with thyroid issues goes GF anyway.

Well 1.6 is obviously where you feel well. You'd realy need your Free T3 and Free T4 taken to see where your levels are.

Yes fast heart rate, pulse and palps are also a symptom of too much thyroxine as well as being under medicated. Your doc should know that. 2.7 isn't great but one person's 'great' is another person's 'really ill' with this condition and it needs treating according to symptoms, not just the numbers!

Given that yours was associated with child birth, it's possible that you have or had a temporary thyroid problem. It can happen in pregnancy. The thyroid slows down and then up ... or it could be that you have Graves... without proper investigation, it's not really clear.
IF you lost a lot of weight afterwards, it's an indication that your thyroid sped up dramatically. However, metabolic rate can increase during pregnancy, so this could be the cause, rather than your thyroid.

Whilst 2 for a TSH is not massively high, it really depends what the range is that the lab tests within. The majority of the population is around 1 and this is where most up to date thyroid docs try to get thyroid sufferers to during treatment. That your doc won't treat you until you're over 5 ... well that's not great, but better to err on the side of caution.
Mine was around 3.9 and I was very ill. Still, you should do some reading on the TSH test. It's not really the most reliable and accurate test of what's going on... it's just an indicator that all is not really very well and therefore a good doc would investigate further by doing a full thyroid panel, cholesterol, liver function, hormone levels etc.


Good GP.

Yes, the symptoms can be other things, such as Candida, Gluten intolerance, wheat sensitivity, adrenal fatigue, etc.

Hello Thyroid Chicks

I'm ok - feeling the cold, skin very dry, still recovering from having to eat crap food and bread every day on a training course in Europe last month; think my LFT results would be interesting.

Hello every one long time since i have been on here,have i missed anything?

I have been rather busy with my hospital appointment at the moment.

Due to having mini strokes i have been having CT and MRI scans to find out whats causing them as they thought it was due to my other conditions, which they now say they are.

The MRI scan shows up inflammation of the blood vessels on the brain which i am told could be due to my existing conditions, so am waiting for appointment now to find out whats next. Wish me luck!

Due to the strain of all that's been going on in the last few weeks it certainly shows with my thyroid symptoms.
My skin has become so dry that no amount of cream makes any difference and my hair is falling out loads especially when i blow dry it. My throat is quite enlarged (but they assured me its fine) and feels so tight i have a job to swallow some foods down.
And as for the tiredness i am so exhausted that i could just sleep and sleep if i got the chance, but then it seems to drift into overdrive and i go into overactive and cant stop.
My eating pattern seems to keep swinging into eating and then not feeling or wanting to eat anything, so i hope that when the worry of all this has passed things will jump back into place.