Re: Update and test results

[Guest guest]

I was very interested to read your story, sounds a lot like mine,

although my cholesterol is not a problem at the moment. I am at my best first

thing in the mornings but cannot get through the day without a sleep in the

afternoon. My aches and pains are much worse at night and I feel better when I

move around.

I fully share your concern about the numbers not going down if

you have more thyroxine in the system. I am on 50mcg at the moment and I

am sure that I am heading for 75mcg when I have my next test. This is what

worries me most….I don’t think there is any way back.

Gillian

So the doctor's put me on 75mcg Thyroxine now (I've been on 75mcg for

a week now and feel a little better, although I suppose that's mainly

psychological as it can't have kicked in yet), and I need to go back

in six weeks for more tests. I don't understand why my TSH is going up

again, and why my cholesterol has jumped up so dramatically after so

long. Aren't these numbers supposed to be going down if I'm getting

more T4 in my system?

My doctor is unable (or unwilling) to give me any answers to these

questions, and says that my chest pains and aches are " probably just

muscular " . I'm really beginning to understand the frustration you all

express here, I'm finding the mainstream medical system devoid of any

real answers and apparently unwilling to even discuss it with their

patients.

Thank god for this forum.

[Guest guest]

MODERATED TO REMOVE MESSAGE ALREADY READ. PLEASE LEAVE JUST A PORTION OF WHAT

YOU ARE RESPONDING TO. THANKS LUV - SHEILA

________________________________

I think it would be a good idea if someone could start up a web site

and name and shame doctors that are no good that way we could all

avoid the bad ones, and we could have a list of all the good doctors

we could go to. If there was such a web site collecting all the

information about what the bad doctors are doing from everyone who

reports them we could learn what is going wrong with these docs. and

they could be stopped before we end up with another Harold Shipman, or

getting wrongly diagnosed and suffering the consequences. My

neighbour was very badly ill with extreme pain in her lower abdomen

for over a week and couldn't go out, she called in a doctor who told

her she had irritable bowl syndrome, but as the pain got worse she

went to A & E and in the end it was found that she had peritonitis

which is a fatal condition if not treated quickly as this is a burst

appendix. There are plenty of horrible stories like that where I live

near London where there is a very big population of people and not

enough doctors and the hospital is heaving with ill people, and

reports from people that go into the general hospital round here is

not good. The thing is to do everything in your own power to stay as

healthy as possible so as not to end up in a bad NHS hospital. Or

move to another area where life is better, I think there are reports

one can access on hospitals throughout the country where one can find

out the mortality rates etc., It is a sad state of affairs but it is true.

I've just found out that I am hypoT (over the normal range) according

to my blood tests and one of the docs. at the surgery won't treat me

with thyroxin even though I told him how ill I am, and it runs in our

family - my mother and sister have it and are being treated with thyroxin.

Its nice to hear someone is getting somewhere with their doc.

>

> Hey all, it's been a while since my last post and I thought it was

> time for another update.

>

> I'd been on the 50mcg Thyroxine for about 8 weeks with varying

> results. At the start I felt good and went through a great period, but

> towards the end I started to feel pretty rubbish again. Last week I

> had some new blood tests with the following results: (I managed to

> persuade the kind nurse who took my blood to test for FT3 and Ferritin

> at the same time, which she was happy to do without checking with my

> doctor first).

[Guest guest]

Hi

I have no idea why you TSH would have gone up, maybe someone else will, but I wanted to share you with you what I have found out about cholesterol. My Mum eats very healthily, is a vegetarian so eats no red meat and her cholesterol was 7, she too was shocked at this as mine is 4.3 and I eat meat etc. She saw the nurse the other day and asked her about this and she said lets have a look at your results and apparently all her cholesterol is GOOD cholesterol, I believe there is good and bad fats that they test in the blood and hers were all the good ones, and she was told she didnt need to worry and didnt need the statins. So maybe your cholesterol is all good, I said to my mum that maybe all mine were bad! even with a low reading, it may be worth you checking this as they dont seem to tell you do they?

So the doctor's put me on 75mcg Thyroxine now (I've been on 75mcg fora week now and feel a little better, although I suppose that's mainlypsychological as it can't have kicked in yet), and I need to go backin six weeks for more tests. I don't understand why my TSH is going upagain, and why my cholesterol has jumped up so dramatically after solong. Aren't these numbers supposed to be going down if I'm gettingmore T4 in my system? My doctor is unable (or unwilling) to give me any answers to thesequestions, and says that my chest pains and aches are "probably justmuscular". I'm really beginning to understand the frustration you allexpress here, I'm finding the mainstream medical system devoid of anyreal answers and apparently unwilling to even discuss it with theirpatients.Thank god for this forum.

[Guest guest]

Thanks Sheila,

I have wondered about the adrenal connection but after checking the

list of symptoms in Dr. Peatfield's book I have a few, but not really

the primary signs. I think I should probably still do the test anyway,

just to make sure.

I take my Thyroxine at about midnight each day, so with my test at

8.30am there was a good 8 hours between dose and bloods taken.

I think even my doctor now understands that I need to be on a higher

dose of Thyroxine, which is about time. I have a " strained "

relationship with my doctor so I'm playing it cool and trying to keep

him on side. I'll go back to him in 6 weeks when I expect another

increase to 100mcg. I'm not too heavy (BMI of 25.0) at 84kg so I'm not

sure how much more I'll need after that.

My doctor referred me to an endocrinologist but he was entirely

dismissive and was not in any way interested in how I was actually

feeling, declaring me " cured " on 25mcg and a TSH of 3.19. I stopped

seeing him as I really didn't see the point.

I do remember reading somewhere that in the presence of high Thyroid

antibodies all the other test results can be skewed and unreliable. My

tests in August showed very large TPAB (>1013) and TGAB (115.7)

antibody levels, although they weren't tested this time.

Perhaps I should have another go at getting an endo referral -- maybe

an NHS one this time. Do you think a visit to Dr. Peatfield might help

at this point?

>

> Hi

>

>

>

> Sorry to hear of the problems you are experiencing but there are a

number of

> options you might wish to look at. First, as I am always telling people,

> please go to our website www.tpa-uk.org.uk and look through the

'Associated

> Conditions' under 'Hypothyroidism' and see whether you might be

suffering

> any of these. Also read the information in the Link that I posted

earlier

> about unrecognised symptoms of low adrenal reserve - do you suffer

any of

> these?

[Guest guest]

Interesting that you say that -- my " good " HDL cholesterol is

indeed at a good level, sitting at 1.5 mmol/L for quite some time,

which is one reason the doctor is not more concerned right now. My

" bad " LDL cholesterol is still too high at 4.84 mmol/L and that is

where the increase in total cholesterol has happened.

I'm not keen on ending up on statins, certainly not yet, as I've read

various good and bad things about them. I'd rather fix the levels with

dietary changes for the moment.

>

> Hi

> I have no idea why you TSH would have gone up, maybe someone else

will, but I wanted to share you with you what I have found out about

cholesterol. My Mum eats very healthily, is a vegetarian so eats no

red meat and her cholesterol was 7, she too was shocked at this as

mine is 4.3 and I eat meat etc. She saw the nurse the other day and

asked her about this and she said lets have a look at your results and

apparently all her cholesterol is GOOD cholesterol, I believe there is

good and bad fats that they test in the blood and hers were all the

good ones, and she was told she didnt need to worry and didnt need the

statins. So maybe your cholesterol is all good, I said to my mum that

maybe all mine were bad! even with a low reading, it may be worth you

checking this as they dont seem to tell you do they?

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

I expect wiht all else being equal the rise in TSH since August is

due to the colder weather...our bodies have to work harder and need

more T4 to keep them going (more fuel for the fire)... Most people

need a higher dose ion the winter to keep the symptoms away. BTW the

symptoms and ckholesterol sound thyroid to me...

Leah x

>

> Hey all, it's been a while since my last post and I thought it was

> time for another update.

>

> I'd been on the 50mcg Thyroxine for about 8 weeks with varying

> results. At the start I felt good and went through a great period,

but

> towards the end I started to feel pretty rubbish again.

[Edit Abbrev Mod]

[Guest guest]

Perhaps

before you (or anybody else) considers going on to Statins to bring down your

cholesterol, you should read the following= and then think again. http://www.second-opinions.co.uk/statin_index.html

Luv -

Sheila

I'm not keen on ending up on statins, certainly not yet, as I've read

various good and bad things about them. I'd rather fix the levels with

dietary changes for the moment.

,___

[Guest guest]

I found it refreshing that there are some good docs out there who dont just dish out statins at the drop of a hat when my mum said she hadnt been offered them with her cholesterol of 7, the nurse actually told her she had GOOD cholesterol and didnt need them, my dad on the other hand has to take them because he had a blocked coroted (sp?) artery in his neck causing him to have very scarey dizzy spells as his blood wasnt getting to his brain, so I guess in his case they were needed, he has to take daily asprin too

Perhaps before you (or anybody else) considers going on to Statins to bring down your cholesterol, you should read the following= and then think again. http://www.second- opinions. co.uk/statin_ index.html

Luv - SheilaI'm not keen on ending up on statins, certainly not yet, as I've readvarious good and bad things about them. I'd rather fix the levels withdietary changes for the moment.

,___

[Guest guest]

Wonderful, thanks Sheila. I'll order the adrenal profile test today.

I'd certainly be interested in knowing if there are any

endocrinologists you'd recommend for West London. I live in Chiswick

but anywhere on the West side of London is fine, I'm willing to travel

for a good endo.

As for stopping taking thyroxine before a test, is it okay to stop for

a day? Will I feel any ill effects?

Cheers,

>

> , did you also look at that link I posted this morning about

the other

> unrecognised symptoms of low adrenal reserve - see if any of your

symptoms

> could be related. it really is an excellent idea to get the 24 hour

salivary

> adrenal profile done. You can get this test from

<http://www.gdx.uk.net>

> www.gdx.uk.net

>

[Guest guest]

I am sending you a list of good doctors by a seperate email .

Thyroxine has a long half life, and so there will still be plenty in

your body, so don't worry about stopping it for 24 hours before a blood

test. If your 24 hour salivary test shows you need adrenal supplements,

we recommend you stop your thyroxine for at least a week (longer if

possible) when you start taking these - and most people do fine. You

should not feel any ill effects whatsoever. It is those who stop taking

T3 that might be concerned, because that has a very short half life in

comparison to T4.

Luv - Sheila

>

> I'd certainly be interested in knowing if there are any

> endocrinologists you'd recommend for West London. I live in Chiswick

> but anywhere on the West side of London is fine, I'm willing to travel

> for a good endo.

>

> As for stopping taking thyroxine before a test, is it okay to stop for

> a day? Will I feel any ill effects?

>

> Cheers,

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Thanks Sheila, I'll check them out.

>

>

> Here is my list of doctors . The one's in bold are NHS and the

> others are private (but may do NHS)

>

> Luv - Sheila

>

> DOCTORS WHO WILL PRESCRIBE NATURAL ARMOUR THYROID or SYNTHETIC T4 –

> T3 COMBINATION THERAPY

>

>

>