Wendy

I hope so, couldn't do with anything else being wrong with me They'd have to put me down

Ozzidoc

LOl - eek!!

Jaycee1

Hello fellow sufferers,
I also have an underactive thyroid and the secretary at the school i was working at diagnosed me!! I was 31 with big suitcases under my eyes, looking like a dinosaur and feeling like l could sleep on a washing line. She told me to get to the doctors for a thyroid test and it was very under. Just had another test and it was within range. I'm on levothyroxine - 125mg.
What is HashimotosI'll go for a google....
J x

Wendy - what did your doctor do differently from UK? Just sort out prescription??

Wendy

He tested my Free T3 and T4 levels too. My TSH levels (which the UK doctors use) were just in the normal range, however my Free T4 was none existant meaning my body wasn't converting the tablets into what I needed.

I really recommend the stop the thyroid madness site for all of you. It's invaluable and you will begin to get an understanding of what it is you have, then you can inform your doctors too as many of them don't know enough about it to be able to treat you properly.

Ozzidoc

I was tested in the UK. T3, T4 and TSH. So, it seems as though some drs do it a litle differently to others, certainly initially. And that makes sense, as less than 5% have a problem with the T conversion...ie, it would be one of the "second round" blood tests, when the first didnt give the predicted answer.

Wendy, I appreciate that you have had a tough time with it, but hypothyroidism IS so common, that doctors do know how to treat it. It's ALMOST like saying "my doctor doesn't know anything about asthma". We screen for it all the time, with or without blood tests. It's really high up on the radar. And a blood test should confirm the clinical suspicion. (Change in bowel pattern, dry hair & skin, slow/v slow pulse, cold intolerance, change in personality, tiredness.)

Mrs Jackaroo

Oh dear........opening up a can or worms here ozzidoc! I think what Wendy is probably saying is that a lot of GPs (and even endocrinoligists) just work off the first numbers they get.....tell you you're fine.......and leave it at that. I'm sorry to say that many of us who have suffered quite badly through thyroid probs, have had to be very pro-active in getting the treatment we need......which usually means pushing for more tests!

Ozzidoc

Yes, that's true. and it's such a pity.

Wendy

Yes, that is what I mean.

A lot of doctors (my new doctor included) just look at the TSH levels and say that's in the normal range carry on as you are doing, but if you feel like crap then obviously something isn't right.

My new doctor took me off the Tertroxin tablets as my TSH levels indicated that I was on too much thyroxine, and I felt really ill very quickly. So much so that I had to go back to see her within a week to ask if I could start taking them again. Trouble then is it takes about 2 weeks to start working properly again.

I was never tested for anything other than TSH in the UK.

Mrs Jackaroo

I got quite lucky with my GP in the UK - she tested me for T3, T4 & TSH - noticed that my TSH was boarder line and then referred me to an endicrinoligist..........thats where my probs started! I was booked in to have my thyroid removed on 16th Jan 2006 - I checked in and then my doc turned up and said 'i really dont think you need it......go off to Australia and have a great life'! I had my bloods checked in Oz and at 6pm that night the doc was on the phone saying 'your bloods arent normal and I'm referring you to an Endocrinolgist' - this is where I took control! I was still being told that my bloods were normal but all scans were showing that it was growing and growing - in the end I told him that I wanted it removed and he said he thought it was prob a good idea. In Oct 2006 I had the big fat thing removed in Australia at a cost of $6000 to me! Thanks UK DOC!!

alipally

I've pm'd you!
Take a look!

Ali x

Kooky.

Ok here's my story.

I had a lot of issues that were being treated individually, mostly with strong painkillers, and I didn't feel anyone was looking at the whole of me. I had a feeling that treating some issues was leading to others, so I went to a doctor recommended by my (at the time) physio. He is Western trained but takes a holistic approach and prefers nutrition and natural supplements to Western medicine. He also has a special interest in hormonal issues.

He took an incredibly detailed medical history from me, asked me about things I really couldn't see being relevant. When we'd finished he told me I was "very poorly indeed" and, amonsgst other things, had a problem with my thyroid. In the past I'd had it checked as part of my annual MOT but I didn't realise they weren't doing all the possible tests.

This is where it gets a bit controversial. My T3 and T4 are in range, as is my TSH. However in 2005, when I first went to him, my Thyroglobulin Antibody reading was 171 - should be less than 34 - and my TPO Antibody was 27 - should be less than 12.

It seems that a lot of doctors pay no attention to these readings, but my Doc said they were consistent with many of my symptoms and pointed to an autoimmune disorder. He put me on Thyrosol

http://www.metagenics.com/products/detail.asp?pid=213

6 months later, I was feeling a lot better although there were other factors affecting this (change in HRT, diet, exercise). My readings had gone down to 80 - i.e., halved - and 10 - i.e., back in range.

A year on they were much the same, so he wants me to continue with the Thyrosol for a while. BTW I've never seen an endocrinologist.

During this period, I caught Dengue Fever. It's bloody awful especially sharing a hospital room with your pathetic husband but in fairness he was a lot worse than me. My problem was my liver was already compromised and it took a long time to recover. They thought I had autoimmune hepatitis so I had a biopsy, but it was ok. I do think it all set my recovery back a while though.

My other issues, related and not, include a Leaky Gut, IBS, inflammation of the joints (said to be Fibromyalgia), food intolerances, and osteoporosis. I just had my annual bone scan and I'm now at -2,7, which is not good. I've been doing everything I can think of to keep it at bay but it seems nothing is working. (-2.5 is the threshold for osteoporosis) I have osteoporosis due to having a Total Hyst ten years ago because of severe endometriosis which is also an autoimmune thing.


A book I have found very good is "What your Doctor may not tell you about Hypothyroidism" by Ken Blanchard with Marietta Abrams Brill.

On a more general level there is also "What your Doctor may not tell you about Autoimmune Disorders" and "Women and Autoimmune Disease".

snowbunny

I also have hypothyroidism and had to fight to get treated. My TSH was in the normal range but it was rising (just not above the magic number of 5.0). However, I had hair loss and skin like the Sahara -- and normally I have oily skin and hair. My skin was flaking off my face. Doctor 1 refused to treat me based only on the TSH numbers. Doctor 2 did treat me based upon a series of TSH/free T3/free T4 tests that showed I was getting worse, and I got better. I now find that my skin is a good indicator of where I am with regards to thyroid problems.

I'd like to try Armour (dessicated animal thyroid).... cause something still isn't right.

Kooky.

Oh that reminded me I had dessicated pig thyroid for a little while but he wasn't keen to keep me on it long so we just doubled the other one instead.

Wendy

That's what my Tertroxine is It certainly made a big difference to how I feel

Poppydreams

Yes I totally agree. My rant starts now(sorry have to get this out of my system):- When I initially went to our (OLD!!!) GP she initially prescribed anti-depressants!! I felt worse after one tablet and went straight back down to the GP knowing that this wasn't the right treatment. Then they took tests, then tried to put me on carbimazole for hyperactive thyroid. I grilled the doctor (a locum not my GP)) asking whether it was ok for breastfeeding. At first he just shrugged his shoulders and said yesyes it is fine. I told him it wasn't fine and to tell me the truth. It was not a good drug for breastfeeding so I told them I wasn't going to take it and they would have to refer me!!! Then when I got to the specialist, he said thank god I didn't take the carbimazole as that would have made me a hell of a lot worse!! You can imagine how annoyed I was at this point!! But he treated me and went through all the questions I had and I am glad I put my foot down with the GP. We have new GP and they are a lot better.
Also just to mention that when I started to feel 'not right' I spoke to the health visitor and she persuaded me not to go to the doctors as I would be prescribed anti-depressants end of!!! At the time, after the birth of my first child, and experiencing all these problems (panic attacks, feeling like I was going to have a heart attack etc) I felt vunerable.

It was because of my Mum (from 10,000 miles away- she lives in Aus))who said I probably had a chemical imbalance or something that I finally got down to the GP. I feel a little betrayed by the aftercare I received and also feel like one of the happiest times of my life was robbed from me. I mean somedays I couldn't leave my house I was in such a state. Rant over and Ok now though and have the most beautiful daughter in the world. Sorry to ramble.