more advice please

[Guest guest]

Hello again

I posted 26.8.08 and Sheila, Chuck and others replied. Many thanks.

Sheila wondered if I should consider checking my adrenals as my thyroid blood results were a bit low as follows:

TSH 9.0 (0.4 - 4.0)

Free T4 7.7 (12.0 - 22.0)

Free T3 3.3 (3.0 - 6.2)

I have today received from Lab 21 the Adrenal Salivary Test results as follows:

Salivary Cortisol:

8am 12.2 (12.0 - 33.0)

12 noon 9.6 (10.0 - 28.0)

4pm 5.4 (6.0 - 11.8)

Midnight 2.6 (1.0 - 5.0)

DHEA:

8am 7.3 (6.0 - 14.6)

12 noon 2.9 (4.0 - 8.0)

4pm 4.1 (3.0 -5.0)

midnight 4.7 (2.0 - 4.0)

Comments:

cortisol - values tending towards the lower end of reference range

DHEA - overall profile indicates normal hormone output

Incidentally, my basal temps and pulse remain unchanged averaging 36.3 temps and 55 - 60 pulse. Same readings over last three months.

I have dropped down from 2 grains Armour (because of a tight chest) to 1.25 grains and will gradually increase back up slowly.

Before I do this, however, do these cortisol and DHEA results indicate that I should start Cortisol treatment or something like low strength Corlan pellets? I would be very grateful for advice on this please.

BTW I have been trying to get my last few thyroid results from my surgery without success. Have now been told that my GP wants to see me! Have made an appointment for next Monday and wonder what he is going to say as I have been going it alone with Armour for past three months without his knowledge. Am I right in thinking that the GP is obliged to give me these results? I don't anticipate any problems with the doc but wont be bullied!

Best wishes to everyone, especially . I have been following her posts and hope she is feeling better having started HC.

Regards

() Diane Perchard

[Guest guest]

Hello

Sheila wondered if I should consider checking my adrenals as my thyroid blood results were a bit low as follows:

TSH 9.0 (0.4 - 4.0)

Free T4 7.7 (12.0 - 22.0)

Free T3 3.3 (3.0 - 6.2)

and boy - are they low!

I have today received from Lab 21 the Adrenal Salivary Test results as follows:

Salivary Cortisol:

8am 12.2 (12.0 - 33.0) Far too low. This reading should be at its highest throughout the day. You need plenty of cortisol when you wake - and you are almost running on empty.

12 noon 9.6 (10.0 - 28.0) - Again, too low, this reading should be around the middle of the range and is actually outside the bottom of the range.

4pm 5.4 (6.0 - 11.8) This is also too low, though at this time, your cortisol should be dropping.

Midnight 2.6 (1.0 - 5.0) ...and this is OKish. Cortisol should be at its lowest point at night.

DHEA:

8am 7.3 (6.0 - 14.6) OK - this fine. DHEA should be lowest when you wake.

12 noon 2.9 (4.0 - 8.0) Outside the bottom of the range - it should be starting to rise at this time

4pm 4.1 (3.0 -5.0) This is a little high.

midnight 4.7 (2.0 - 4.0) This too is a little high, though you make most DHEA at night.

I have dropped down from 2 grains Armour (because of a tight chest) to 1.25 grains and will gradually increase back up slowly.

Before I do this, however, do these cortisol and DHEA results indicate that I should start Cortisol treatment or something like low strength Corlan pellets? I would be very grateful for advice on this please.

Yes, most definitely you need to start some form of adrenal supplementation. To do this however, whether you decide to use an adrenal supplement such as Nutri Adrenal Extra or Dr 's Dynamite Adrenal, you would need to stop your thyroid hormone replacement for at least a week when you start so your adrenals do not have to take on more stress. The T4 in armour has a long half life, so you will still have some thyroid hormone in your system. You may need to start on one of these supplements first to see if they will boost your adrenals sufficiently - and if they are insufficient, then you may need to use HC, but not everybody needs HC. After a week or so, you can start introducing your Armour again, and hopefully, after a while on the adrenal supplements, you should be able to increase your Armour again successfully.

BTW I have been trying to get my last few thyroid results from my surgery without success. Have now been told that my GP wants to see me! Have made an appointment for next Monday and wonder what he is going to say as I have been going it alone with Armour for past three months without his knowledge. Am I right in thinking that the GP is obliged to give me these results? I don't anticipate any problems with the doc but wont be bullied!

Yes, you are correct that your GP must let you have a copy of your blood test results if you request them. The only reason he might have to refuse you access to these is if you are mentally unable to take in what they mean. Have you had blood tests done while you have been taking Armour and if so, can you remember if you took your Armour on the morning you had your blood drawn. I ask this because if you did, then this might be the reason your GP wants to talk to you.

When you are taking natural thyroid extract, because it has ALL the thyroid hormones in it that your body requires, the blood results will no doubt show that your TSH is very suppressed, your T4 above the half way mark in the range, your FT3 quite high in the range - sometimes even outside the top of the range. These would be the results of somebody who is going hypERthyroid, and your doctor is probably believing you are now taking too much thyroid hormone replacement and will try to advise you that you need a reduction. These results are what is to be expected on anybody taking Armour. Your tSH is suppressed because you have enough T4 and T3 in the Armour, so TSH is no longer required, and it WILL be suppressed.

You will have to decide whether to tell your GP that you have changed your medication to the natural thyroid extract because L-thyroxine monotherapy was not giving you back your normal health and as there is no alternative that NHS doctors are prepared to give you a trial with, you were left with no option. He might not like it, but if you tell him you understand what you are doing because you have researched it, he may be OK with this. Take with you the response I wrote to the BTA Statement on Armour Thyroid that you will find in our website www.tpa-uk.org.uk because you can be sure he will have read the misleading and in parts, incorrect information written by the BTA - don't let any doctor bully you - be assertive - but please ask him to go along with you and monitor you while you are taking Armour and that way, both of you can learn from your joint efforts at finding out more about it.

Good luck

Luv - Sheila

Best wishes to everyone, especially . I have been following her posts and hope she is feeling better having started HC.

Regards

() Diane Perchard

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[Guest guest]

Hi Tracey - you only need to stay off your thyroid medication

for about a week and then start back on it again. I think you have probably

mixed up adrenal testing rather than starting adrenal supplementation when you

say you have read you need to stay off for months. If you are taking

Hydrocortisone and considering getting your adrenals tested by doing the 124

hour salivary profile, then you need to stay off HC for about 6 weeks. If you

are just starting adrenal supplements, we recommend that to give your adrenals

the best boost, and to give them a rest from trying to get the thyroid hormone

into your cells, that you give them all the help they can get - so stop the

thyroid, and after 7 days, introduce them back again.

What are you going to take to boost your adrenals?

Luv - Sheila

Thanks again for recent replies I've taken on

board all your suggestions and made the decision to give my poor old body a

rest from the T4 T3 and boost my adrenals.I have had the test and i know they

need it.Please could someone tell me how long i should leave off the meds.One

of the other posts said possibly months another about a week.How will i know

when to restart.After just one day off them i feel so much better.When i return

to them i shall be only taking T3 at a very small dose.I have another question

I've just had supper and after feeling so much better all day i now feel

fatigued and my hearts racing it not the first time its happen it feel close to

a hypoglycemic sort of feeling can anyone shed any light.Thanks once again

2.

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16:09:00

[Guest guest]

Hi Shelia i had my adrenals tested and Dr p advised Nutri adrenals i have been

taking them for about five months.I was already on T4 when i started them.I

have only been taking two a day so now that i have come off all Thyroid meds

ive doubled the adrenals .Im not sure if this is enough.I added T3 about a week

ago and i just became even sicker.This is my second day off meds and i feel my

normal fatigue but not the terrible feelings i had on the meds.When i resume the

meds i shall only be taking T3.If you have any more tips that would be

great.Thanks again 2.

>

> Thanks again for recent replies I've taken on board all your suggestions and

made the decision to give my poor old body a rest from the T4 T3 and boost my

adrenals.I have had the test and i know they need it.Please could someone tell

me how long i should leave off the meds.One of the other posts said possibly

months another about a week.How will i know when to restart.After just one day

off them i feel so much better.When i return to them i shall be only taking T3

at a very small dose.I have another question I've just had supper and after

feeling so much better all day i now feel fatigued and my hearts racing it not

the first time its happen it feel close to a hypoglycemic sort of feeling can

anyone shed any light.Thanks once again 2.

>

[Guest guest]

Keep increasing your Nutri Adrenal Extra by one tablet every 7

to 10 days until you really start to feel the effect and your symptoms

subsiding. You can start your thyroid meds again in 7 days, but if you can

manage to stay off longer this will give your adrenals a really good boost.

Hopefully, once you start the T3 again, this time it will start to work

properly, but take it in split doses and build up the dose slowly.

Luv - Sheila

Hi Shelia i had my adrenals tested and Dr p

advised Nutri adrenals i have been taking them for about five months.I was

already on T4 when i started them.I have only been taking two a day so now that

i have come off all Thyroid meds ive doubled the adrenals .Im not sure if this

is enough.I added T3 about a week ago and i just became even sicker.This is my

second day off meds and i feel my normal fatigue but not the terrible feelings

i had on the meds.When i resume the meds i shall only be taking T3.If you have

any more tips that would be great.Thanks again 2.

---

[Guest guest]

Hi Tracey2, Stop thyroid meds for a week is the usual advice- see 'how to take Armour' file. > thyroid treatment > From: tomhorsfall@...> Date: Fri, 12 Feb 2010 20:29:13 +0000> Subject: More advice please> > Thanks again for recent replies I've taken on board all your suggestions and made the decision to give my poor old body a rest from the T4 T3 and boost my adrenals.I have had the test and i know they need it.Please could someone tell me how long i should leave off the meds.> > > > ------------------------------------> > TPA is not medically qualified. Consult with a qualified medical practitioner before changing medication.> >