Re: Thyroid Thread - Part Deux
 

Ok - it would appear that it's all in my mind as my fasting blood sugar test came back normal this time.


All in all - everything has come back normal, which of course is good as I don't want to be ill. I'm forcing myself to exercise to see if it makes any difference.

Have a blood pressure monitor at home at the moment and it says my blood pressure is 95 over 68. Think even my blood is hibernating.....

Re: Thyroid Thread - Part Deux
 

Stick with it...stick with it:):p

I thought I would peek through this thread to see if every women on the forum was attributing weight gain to a thyroid issue...as part of my 'research' into this current mania and obsession with weight on this forum.......

Re: Thyroid Thread - Part Deux
 

:rofl: That was so obvious; I saw your name as the last poster on this thread and knew exactly what you were doing here!

Re: Thyroid Thread - Part Deux
 

You're quite welcome. Well done. That all sounds really positive. :thumbsup: Check out the net for Wilsons... lots of info there. But your doc sounds excellent. Keep us informed. :)

Good news J. Hope your specialist is a good one. Some are not so good... just beware. Your throat could be sore because you're under-dosed...
Could have nodules or a bit of a goitre... they don't always grow outwards... sometimes down and back too.
Let us know how you get on chick.

x

You don't actually know if everything is normal...:o You said you didn't know your thyroid results, just that they were 'within range' which can mean that you still may have a thyroid issue. Get the results in print before you tell yourself it's all in your head! :ohmy::ohmy::ohmy:

As you can see, not every woman on the forum is on this thread! And no, not all women attribute weight gain to a dodgy thyroid, but given now one in three people probably have a dodgy thyroid, then it's a real and serious issue.

I have lost 100lb since being effectively treated with the proper medication. :) I have Hashimoto's Thyroiditis if you want to do a bit of research.
;)

Re: Thyroid Thread - Part Deux
 

Thanks Tiddly. You also give me hope that i can loose weight. I know it can happen because when i felt well i rejoined weightwatchers and lost over 10kg but the doctor putting me down to 125mg - its all back on :(
Will keep you updated
J x

Re: Thyroid Thread - Part Deux
 

Well you keep going J. It takes more effort for us thyroid chicks to lose weight, but it IS possible.
And if I can do it, anyone can.

Good luck J. I know how hard it is to just keep going, but you'll make it.

x

Re: Thyroid Thread - Part Deux
 

I know it probably sounds silly, but my doctor told me to have de-cafe everything and only semi-skimmed milk.
And i have been doing this since January and it certainly makes a difference to loosing weight.
You could always give it a try and see how you get on.

Re: Thyroid Thread - Part Deux
 

I have used semi skimmed for a few years and it did make a difference when i switched so definately agree with you there.
I don't like tea or coffee and just drink water, juice and recently got into green tea :thumbsup: I will try anything so let me know of any other tips you have.
J x

Re: Thyroid Thread - Part Deux
 

MOI???

Yes this thread is useful....as are you Seamonster...

anyone interpret these results (not even what I asked for anyway from the GP...or should I say Jack of all trades master of none esp thyroid, nutrition or listening skills!!!!)

TSH 1.9 (normal ranges 0.5 to 4.5)

Serum Iron 10 umo1/L (10-30 normal range)
Transferrin 37 '' (27-53 '')
Transferrin Saturation 14% (12-45)
Serum Ferritin 22 (15-165)

SHE sould not explain them she basically had NO idea what I was talking about and patronised me by saying it would mean nothing to me anyway....

Just as well the naturopath understands and agrees I have gluten intolerance, dodgy thyroid and basal temps of 35, and probably candida....

Anyway I feel pretty much better since seeing the naturpoath but increasingly GPs frustrate me....

PP

Re: Thyroid Thread - Part Deux
 

Following on from Badge's post and as a point of interest, do men have thyroid problems? Both this thread and the previous one do seem all women unless it's the random nice male asking on behalf of their wives. Just made me wonder that's all :unsure::D

Re: Thyroid Thread - Part Deux
 

:eek:
Can't do the results but the cheek of that doctor :mad:
The reason they won't mean anything is incase you decide to do something about them!!
I have a doctor just like yours. I keep on at them and they are SLOWLY coming around...
J x

Re: Thyroid Thread - Part Deux
 

Hello Plank, darling - of course I meant you :wub:

Your doctor is an arse, I told you that already. She's more interested in your iron than your thyroid because she knows nothing about thyroids. You got the tests (not enough of them) done cheaply through her; now go back to the naturopath who agrees with me on what's wrong with you ;) You are underactive, for sure. You are where I was about 3 years ago, which is why you are having such bad reactions to some foodstuffs; your body is turning on itself. Like Britney, you're Toxic. :p


Pen - much more common in women but not unheard of in men. How many men have a problem and don't get tested, I dread to think. IIRC there was one guy on the original thread who posted briefly on his own account. My friend's Dad and brother are both underactive so I don't have much hope for her. :(

Re: Thyroid Thread - Part Deux
 

Yip she is an arse.... :rofl:

Re: Thyroid Thread - Part Deux
 

Hello fellow thyroid sufferers.
I posted a couple of times in the old thread. Just wanted to ask if any of you are or have been on beta blockers for high BP when suffering from hypothyroidism??

I've started to look into this because I have been on beta blockers for high BP for 5 years now. Was diagnosed with hypothyroidism 2 1/2 years ago when we arrived in Australia. (cos UK docs wouldn't do anything about my symptoms).

Didn't feel my 50mcg thyroxine was doing anything, with main symptoms being gaining weight, fatigue & painful joints, however,,, I got pregnant & had to come off the beta blockers & use an alternative BP med. All of a sudden I started losing weight, pregnant with twins & lost a stone! (I put 4 stones on in a previous pregnancy :ohmy:)
I gave birth to my twins 13 weeks ago, & lost a further 6lbs the week after. Went back to the docs to be put back on the beta blockers for my BP & have put all the weight back on in the matter of weeks :(

I've read that beta blockers are sometimes treated for HYPERthyroidism so could this actually stop the thyroxine from working for me?

Going back to my docs next week, just thought I'd see if anyone else has had a similar problem or perhaps are on beta blockers & haven't realised any connection.

Would appreciate your thoughts/knowledge.

Thanks Leigh

Re: Thyroid Thread - Part Deux
 

Hello Leigh.

Welcome to the thyroid thread. I can not help you much with information on your problem, but i am sure there will be many on here that can give you a wealth of help.

I wish you all the best, as having hypothyroidism my self i know how it can affect you.

Re: Thyroid Thread - Part Deux
 

Hi Leigh
I can't help you either but I did do a good google which is probably the same as you've done. :(
I think really that it might be good to see an Endo... Is there anything else you can use for blood pressure that might be an alternative?

If Beta blockers are for hyper, then it's reasonable I think, to assume that they affect your thyroid... but I really don't know.

Can your doc help you at all?

Re: Thyroid Thread - Part Deux
 

Leigh, I just re-read this and note that you are on a 50mcg dose of thyroxine. This is considered a starting dose and it's very rare that 50mcg will be of any use to you. Your doc should have been moving you up every 6 weeks or so with another 25mcg ... until your symptoms are gone.
Your dose needs examining with your doc....

Things may improve once you're moved up to a higher dose.

Back to the doctor?

Re: Thyroid Thread - Part Deux
 

Thanks for your response. I've been kept on 50mcg for 2 years now & have regularly complained I didn't think it was doing anything to three different doctors (all in the same surgery) & they just keep saying my test results say I'm within the 'normal' range! My TSH started at something like 7 before thyroxine, then ranged between 2 and 3 on different occasions. When I found out I was pregnant & stopped taking the beta blockers it came down to 1.something & finally started to feel better. Since having my twins & going back on to beta blockers I started to feel rough again & gained loads of weight very quickly. Went back to doctors & he said 'no your results are normal' I asked what they were & he said 2.7. I know now that I feel better when it is between 1-2.
After my research on beta blockers I went back last week & questioned the doctor about it. They do interfere with the effectiveness of thyroxine :rolleyes: so he agreed to wean me off beta blockers & try an alternative. 2 bloody years I've been taking both! Arghhhhhh :frown:
Sooooooo fingers crossed I'll finally be sorted & may only need the 50mcg?

Thanks again Annabel, really appreciate your advice.

Re: Thyroid Thread - Part Deux
 

Sorry to butt into this thread, but just as an aside, it's also important to ensure that the T3 count is normal. There are cases where patients go on up to 200mcg of L-thyroxine, only for them to still feel like cr4p, until some bright spark thought of checking for the T3 levels.

There's a company that makes a combination of L-T4 & T3: Merck makes a brand they call Novotiral, and that's helped a bunch of my patients in the past.

But, yes, you are right - beta blockers CAN interfere with the 'effects' of the L-thyroxine.

Good luck anyway, and apologies again, for the intrusion.

Re: Thyroid Thread - Part Deux
 

Don't apologise for having relevant advice. There are a few people on here who are experts from having to manage their own symptoms and the odd doctor (as in a few not as in peculiar ;)). More experts giving sensible/realistic/legitimate advice is always a help. What's your job out of interest? You mention patients but that doesn't necessarily mean your a doctor of medicine ;)

Re: Thyroid Thread - Part Deux
 

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

Re: Thyroid Thread - Part Deux
 

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 :)

Re: Thyroid Thread - Part Deux
 

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

Re: Thyroid Thread - Part Deux
 

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/

Re: Thyroid Thread - Part Deux
 

:ohmy: 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' :frown:
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

Re: Thyroid Thread - Part Deux
 

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.

Re: Thyroid Thread - Part Deux
 

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.

Re: Thyroid Thread - Part Deux
 

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.

Re: Thyroid Thread - Part Deux
 

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?" :lol: 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

Re: Thyroid Thread - Part Deux
 

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....:)

Re: Thyroid Thread - Part Deux
 

5 degrees.....eeeekkkkk brrrrrrrrrrr:blink:

Re: Thyroid Thread - Part Deux
 

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.

Re: Thyroid Thread - Part Deux
 

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. :thumbsup:

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

Re: Thyroid Thread - Part Deux
 

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. :rolleyes:

Re: Thyroid Thread - Part Deux
 

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.

Re: Thyroid Thread - Part Deux
 

Hi all, pardon me for butting in here, I have been a member for a couple of years but tend to read rather than contribute. However this thread has caught my eye, because since moving to Spain (again nothing to do with you guys) my hair has been falling out. I have had times when I have felt completely under the weather, aching limbs, cold, pins and needles. The reason I am posting here is because I feel that I have a thyroid problem but that my doctors do not recognise it. I don´t think the problem is very severe and maybe that it is stress related. I had some blood tests a while ago, my TSH was 4.5 which is within "normal" range, unfortunately they did not do T3 and T4. My doctors here have said that everything (according to my blood testsI) is normal and therefore will do nothing more. However, if the loss of hair was in the first place stress related then why is it still happening (two years later)? I still have days when I do not want to do anything, my limbs ache, I have headaches, but they are becoming less frequent, so that is a good sign?

Anyway, as I said I am butting in here and there is nothing more that I can do really as I have been to the doctors and had a second opinion on the results, it´s just that I feel that my doctors aren´t really paying attention to me. What can I do to make then listen?

Re: Thyroid Thread - Part Deux
 

You're not butting in. BE is a worldwide family so don't feel bad about asking in The Barbie, I imagine there aren't many thyroid threads elsewhere on here and this one has some excellent advisors, the majority of whom are simply those who have had rubbish doctors and know more about the problems than many 'professionals'.

Re: Thyroid Thread - Part Deux
 

Hi Zoe.

That sucks and I realy feel for you. My health took a long slow decline too and my doc told me that I'd have 'to get a lot worse' before he'd treat me. I was already kilo's heavier, losing my hair, couldn't do anything, heart palpitations, digestive probs, couple of migraines thrown in there ... bloody awful.
AT one point, my TSH was around 6 and then it dropped to 'just in range' so of course, I was ok.

Anyway, what you can do is any of the following:

1. Change your doc and ask around for a good thyroid doctor. One who listens to symptoms rather than looks at numbers.

2. Write down all your ailments, no matter how silly or minor you think they are and take that list with you to your doctor.

3. Find a good photograph of you BEFORE you got sick... and ask your doctor to compare with you now. Hopefully like I was, you will look dramatically different.

4. Ask for a 'trial of thyroxine'. There's good clinical evidence which shows that giving someone a trial of this drug is harmless and if you improve ... then it shows something doesn't it!

5. Ask to be treated. If your doc refuses to treat you, ask him or her to write down on your records that they refuse to treat you or like me, take down what they say whilst you're there and then take that with you to the next doc. I went to my docs partner in the UK. He was much more sympathetic.

6. There's a list of bloods you need to have taken. .. it's on this thread.... and the last. Get your liver function, full thyroid panel, hormones etc done privately. Anyone can have those tests done. When you have the results, take them to an endocrinologist or a new doc and push push push!

I know you're exhausted but you have to keep going until you get somewhere..
Try not to take any supplements before you have your bloods done so that your TSH doesn't improve.

Also, before you have your bloods done, stay up really really late - about 2am if you can, and then don't eat breakfast before it's taken. This will bump up your TSH to a level where perhaps the doc might take you seriously.

After bloods, start supplementation.

Anything else I can help you with, just ask. Sorry I'm short on time this week due to school hols here, but will be around more next week.

Cheers hon.

Annabel

Re: Thyroid Thread - Part Deux
 

Hi Zoe! Dont give up on your blood tests. If you have had one blood test and it shows up all fine and you still feel like cr-p then keep going back to your doctor for once a month re check on your blood levels to make sure it has not changed.
It took two years to have my under active thyroid diagnosed as the first blood test read normal and then as i was getting worse and worse with not having any energy, hair falling out continuously and my weight was dropping down to seven and a half stone which normally you put weight on with hypothyroidism, but in the end my doctor tested my bloods once a month and it showed up that i had an under active thyroid, it was hard to find because it was going over active to account for such a loss of being under active.
But once i was put on thyroxine for my under active thyroid i started to see an improvement in all the symptoms i was getting, but it did take time and a regular blood check once a month then increased to every three month and now once a year blood test for the levels.
I think that the hardest part was trying to convince my doctor that i was not just tired from having my first born child and that it was a lot more than that.

Re: Thyroid Thread - Part Deux
 

Another good tip is to take your partner with you.... unless of course your partner isn't supportive.
If your doc is male and more used to 'man to man' bullshit, you'll find that they're quite useful to enforce what you're trying to ask for.
Sadly we still have a fairly sexist culture where some male docs can put it down to 'hysterical female syndrome'.
Take the bloke with you - they might as well be good for something. ;)
(Big smiley wink just in case you thought I was being remotely serious)