Re: Help understanding tests results

[Guest guest]

Ana,

Your adrenal results look so bad that I would seek further help from a doctor.

If the adrenals are not working properly then you will never be able to make

full use of the thyroid hormones.

You should either go back to your doc and ask for a short synathcen test, which

will show addisons if you have it... (don't take any adrenal supplements for a

few weeks before the test though), and with your results it's a possiblity.

Or post the results over on the adrenals board and see what they think you

should do.... they will probably give you a dosing schedule for hydrocortisone

although TBH I think the results look too bad to self treat..

NaturalThyroidHormonesADRENALS

Either way, the rule is, sort the adrenals first, then the thyroid.

x

>

>

> ADRENAL STRESS PROFILE FEBRUARY '11

>

> Sample1 7.0 nmol/L range 12-22

> Sample2 3.1 nmol/L range 5.0-9.0

> Sample3 1.5 nmol/L range 3.0-7.0

> Sample4 0.6 nmol/L range 1.0-3.0

>

> DHEA levels

>

> Sample2 0.22 nmol/L range 5.0-9.0

> Sample3 0.16 nmol/L range 3.0-7.0

>

> DHEA mean 0.19 range 0.40-1.47

> DHEA;cortisol ratio 1.56 range 2.0-6.0

>

> Sorry for the long mail. I do not understand what is happening to me and why i

> feel worst on 2 grains of Erfa.

[Guest guest]

Hello ,Thank you for getting in touch. I have been going to see a privatedoctor for over a year now. He said that the nutri adrenal dose I amtaking is the maximum dose and he has never mentioned the possibility ofusing cortisone, neither did I consider that possibility.I had a bad experience with one GP, surprise! and changed surgery. Ihave not seen a GP since then and I do not know if in this new surgerythey will be willing to do such a test for me. I do not have an endoeither. do I show them my test results?I will find very difficult to go without any NAE for more than a day, Ido not think I could work if I did that. has anyone been taking doseshigher than this? I will post my results in the adrenal board as you suggested.>You should either go back to your doc and ask for a short synathcen>test, which will show addisons if you have it... (don't take any>adrenal supplements for a few weeks before the test though),>Or post the results over on the adrenals board I have many doubts about the way my doc is treating me. I am strongperson and I am sure if I get the right treatment i will be OKeventually.Can you tell me where can I find info on treating adrenals withcortisone, do you have any links?Many thanks, Ana

[Guest guest]

Ana,

Some people take up to 6 NAX a day on this forum. I take 2 but I absolutely

hate them. I take HC too.

You could show your test results to your doc, and if he has anything about him

he might try to understand them. However, many docs pretend that they haven't

a clue what it's all about. I would show him the results and ask for a short

synathcen test, he might be ok....

There's lots of information about adrenals in the files, suggest you have a look

through them by going to the forum on the net

thyroid treatment

and then click on Files on the left hand side. Then scroll down until you

find adrenals......

x

>

> Hello ,

> Thank you for getting in touch. I have been going to see a private

> doctor for over a year now. He said that the nutri adrenal dose I am

> taking is the maximum dose and he has never mentioned the possibility

> ofusing cortisone, neither did I consider that possibility.

[Guest guest]

Hello Ana,

24 HR URINE TEST SEPTEMBER '10

T3 251 pmol/24h range 592 - 1850

T4 1170 pmol/24h range 347 – 1994

24HR URINE TEST T3/T4 FEBRUARY '11

T3 668 pmol/24h range 592 - 1850

T4 328 pmol/24h range 347 - 1994

Your urinary test result shows that despite your 2 grains of Erfa still not enough thyroid hormone is getting inside your cells and your clinical symptoms confirm this. There are several things that could be the cause for your thyroid hormones not getting properly absorbed and utilized and you need to eliminate them one by one.

The causes may be:

Insufficient dosage of Erfa (a possibility in your case)

Weak adrenals – insufficient cortisol production – (the most likely scenario in your case)

Damaged cell receptors

Conversion problems

rT3 building up (unlikely according to your last test result)

low minerals & vitamins (you need to check ferritin, folate, magnesium, copper, zinc, Vit B12 and Vit D3) - (being low in any of those could easily be the culprit)

General hormone imbalances

Presence of Candida Albicans

Amalgam filling

Food allergies

Your adrenal profile does not look very good, but I don't think it is valid. You are taking Nutri Adrenal Extra and Nutri Adrenal – 6 pills per day in total (the maximum), plus Keto 7 DHEA and Adrenomax.... ALL of those will have influenced the profile results and I do not think that the adrenal profile is portraying an accurate picture when one is taking hormones – but please do phone Genova and ask their advice on that. Seeing that you are taking already 6 NA(X) in total plus Keto and all the rest of it for a year and still do not feel any better, you may need something stronger – trouble is, there is no point for you to undergo a short synacthen test to see what is going on, unless you can lay off the Keto for at least 6 weeks and stop the other adrenal support about 2 weeks before a test – else the results will be skewed.... and I am not sure if you could manage without the adrenal support. In my view you need to see a good and understanding doctor who will guide you – any chance of seeing Dr. Peatfield?

With best wishes,

[Guest guest]

Hi ,I thought the NAX was to be taking instead of HC. Why are you combining both?Could you tell me a little bit about your experience with HC, which dose, how long do you have been taking for anduntil when will you have to take? Have your adrenals improved with the treatment?One thing that I find confusing is that my T3 have gone up above minimum levels and T4 went rock bottom?I would have thought then that with adrenals like mine both will be rock bottom. I am worried about stopping all my glandulars, etc. because I will not function, my work is demanding. Do you thinkit is possible to start treatment based on the results I have now?I normally stop taking all things I am taking for 1 day before doing the test, so I imaging my results a going to be prettyshocking if I stopped for longer. My doctor never told me to stop them and I could not possible cope without them. I start toget pains when I stop one day.By the way, I joined the adrenal group. Thank you for your kindness and all your help . Have a good weekend.Ana>> Ana,> > Some people take up to 6 NAX a day on this forum. I take 2 but I absolutely hate them. I take HC too.>

[Guest guest]

Ana,

NAX is an adrenal suppliment, designed to help support the adrenals so they can

do their job of making cortisol and other stuff. However, mine had run down so

badly that no matter how much support they had they weren't making enough

cortisol.... so I'm taking the cortisol that is missing and supporting the

adrenals with NAX.

NAX isn't a substitute for cortisone.

In the time i've been taking NAX (15 months) and cortisone, I've managed to

drop my cortisone down from 20 to 7.5 mcg. I'm ready to drop again to 5....

you can just tell when it's time for a drop.. so my adrenals must be getting

better. I ran out of HC last year and was forced to stop... and it was

obvious that I wasn't right without it......

.

>

> Hi ,

> I thought the NAX was to be taking instead of HC. Why are you combining

> both?

[Guest guest]

Hello ,Thank you so much for all the info. wow! where do I start from? I know for certain that my adrenals are a worrying issue, before my t4 was not too bad even in my bloodsbut I always had a very low T3 so conversion may be an issue. Candida I had it before so something to watch,hormone imbalances I have not tested but seeing what my body is doing of late I would not be surprised.I would try to get tested all those minerals and vitamins through the GP. Fingers crossed because the first GP I sawdid not want to do it.I have since 2008 so much problems with food but before I just could not eat. After a long journey, I am eating almost everythingwith the help of digestive enzimes but my digestion is not good and I have very uncomfortable symptoms. I may have food intolerances or my system is just shutting down. I was under the impression that I was in a low dose of NAX and NA. I think 4 x NA is the same as 1 x NAX or that is what I was toldby my doctor., you made a very good point regarding the test. I am sure I can not go without my adrenal support. If I do not take it for a day I have pain. My lower back aches most of the time. If I did not take all these, my results would not be too good either. I know that. I want to get well and I have spent so much money on this doctor and my health has got worst. I think he has been taking mefor a ride. You know, I am not "street wise" when it comes to doctors and I just wanted to get well.Yes, I would like to see Dr. Peatfield. Do you think I can get an appointment with him?can you help me to get one? I know I will be in good hands.Thank you very much for all your help and kindness. I really appreciate it.Have a good weekend.Ana > > The causes may be:> > Insufficient dosage of Erfa (a possibility in your case)> > Weak adrenals – insufficient cortisol production – (the most> likely scenario in your case)> > Damaged cell receptors> > Conversion problems> > rT3 building up (unlikely according to your last test result)> > low minerals & vitamins (you need to check ferritin, folate, magnesium,> copper, zinc, Vit B12 and Vit D3) - (being low in any of those could> easily be the culprit)> > General hormone imbalances> > Presence of Candida Albicans> > Amalgam filling> > Food allergies> > > You are taking Nutri Adrenal Extra and Nutri Adrenal – 6> pills per day in total (the maximum)>there is no> point for you to undergo a short synacthen test to see what is going on,> unless you can lay off the Keto for at least 6 weeks and stop the other> adrenal support about 2 weeks before a test – any chance of seeing Dr. Peatfield?> >

[Guest guest]

Hello Ana,

You are right – where to start? If I were you, I would first of all phone Genova and ask to what extent your taking NAX, NA and Keto 7 will have influenced your adrenal profile, so you have a basis from which to work on. I am pretty certain that the NAX and NA will have had an influence with the adrenal figures, but I don't know to what extent and I am in particular confused why your DHEA levels would be so low, despite you taking Keto7.

I was under the impression that I was in a low dose of NAX and NA. I think 4 x NA is the same as 1 x NAX or that is what I was told

by my doctor.

I just checked .... and we were both wrong, your doctor and I – NA contains 100 mg of adrenal tissue concentrate only, whereas NAX contains the following:

IngredientsEach tablet typically provides:

Vitamin C (as Ascorbic Acid) Vitamin B1 (Thiamin HCl) Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) Vitamin B3 (Niacinamide)Vitamin B5 (d-calcium Pantothenate)Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine HCl) Magnesium (Citrate) Zinc (Ascorbate)Chromium Picotinate Bioflavonoids Choline Bitartrate Adrenal tissue concentratePituitary tissue concentrateAll tissue concentrates are of bovine source from New Zealand.

150mg20 mg20 mg 20 mg60 mg20 mg75 mg3mg 40ug 40mg 20mg200mg15mg

So 4 NA will give your 400 mg of the adrenal tissue concentrate and 2 NAX in addition will give you another 400 mg of the same plus all the other ingredients. So you are not, as I said previously, taking the maximum amount (which, I understand, would be 6 NAX), but it is still a fair amount of adrenal tissue concentrate, which is the main component for adrenal support, although the B vitamins and all the rest is giving a lot of support too.

Making an appointment with Dr. Peatfield is not a problem – just find one of his clinics nearest to you and make an appointment http://www.tpa-uk.org.uk/drpeatfield_clinics.php He is, however, pretty booked up I understand, and it might take a while for you to see him.

Candida I had it before so something to watch,

This is a major thing that you need to tackle ASAP. Candida has a tendency to come back. Actually, when I say `a tendency', what I mean is – it will come back and it very likely has in your case ... and you just have to go to our files and read Dr. Peatfield's article on Candida and you will see the devastating effects that yeast overgrowth will have on our bodies and thyroid function in particular – and he is not exaggerating either. So I'm afraid you need to stop all sugars, alcohol, reduce bread to an absolute minimum, don't eat any junk food/ fast food, no sodas.....avoid anything with refined sugars in it. This is hard to do, but I'm afraid it's necessary. Many of your aches and pains and intestinal troubles are likely to be caused by Candida overgrowth .... I should know, I have been fighting Candida for the past umpteen years... it is a constant fight, no slacking off allowed (( If I were you, I would follow Dr. Peatfields Candida treatment (in the files) to the letter.... I would be surprised if that did not reduce significantly your pains.

I know for certain that my adrenals are a worrying issue, before my t4 was not too bad even in my bloods

but I always had a very low T3 so conversion may be an issue...

I am sure I can not go without my adrenal support. If I do not take it for a

day I have pain. My lower back aches most of the time. If I did not take all these, my results would not be too good either. I know that.

Your adrenals may well be very low, I have no doubt about that, but some of those symptoms might equally be due to low thyroid or Candida....symptoms often overlap and it is difficult to differentiate what causes what. According to your urinary result not enough of the Erfa that you are putting in is actually reaching the cells. However, something appears to be happening when you compare your September results with your February results.... last September you had a reasonable amount of T4 bunching up, but hardly any T3 was getting utilized by the cells. This February the effect is reversed.... very little T4, but the T3 has come up significantly since September. You may not think so, but this result is actually very encouraging. The picture last September shows that you were not converting – you were putting all this T4 into your body, but nothing had been utilized by the cells. Now on Erfa, your T4 has gone down, but your T3 has come up – so the trend is good..... although the hormone levels are still way, way too low. This might mean that either your Erfa dosage is still too low (very likely) or your adrenals are still not strong enough to aid the utilization of the thyroid hormone you are putting in (also highly likely). – The solution IMHO is to a) tackle the Candida (very important!), up the adrenal support (equally important) and c) try again to get those minerals and vitamins tested (on NHS preferably) – I know your GP is reluctant, but try again. You need to know at an absolute minimum the levels of your ferritin, folate, Vit B12 and Vit D3.... all of them if possible, but at least those 4. You are taking some Zinc and Magnesium in your NAX anyway, so hopefully that will make sure that you are not deficient in that department. If your GP refuses again, say you need those parameters checked because your periods are all over the place – if he still refuses, ask for a referral to a Gynaecologist – a gynae will very likely order those tests for you. Don't get me wrong, your period trouble is most likely caused by low thyroid, but you have to find a means to an end.....all is fair in love and war ;o))

I have since 2008 so much problems with food but before I just could not eat. After a long journey, I am eating almost everything

with the help of digestive enzimes but my digestion is not good and I have very uncomfortable symptoms. I may have food intolerances

or my system is just shutting down.

.... or you suffer from intestinal Candida <g> - all this sounds only too familiar and close to home. Do try the Candida treatment as recommended by Dr. P. and cut out all sugars as far as humanly possible. You will be surprised what a difference that will make to your pains and wellbeing. Nobody says it is easy, but give it all you've got. It will be worth it.

In addition, check yourself for low stomach acid.

http://www.oralchelation.com/ingred/betaine.htm and http://dshedu.com/HowTo/Betaine/

Most people with Candida overgrowth also have low stomach acid. This is often difficult to diagnose, because the symptoms for too little acid are the same as for too much. You can get Betaine HCl from Lamberts (UK) or from iherb (US) I use http://www.iherb.com/Source-Naturals-Betaine-HCI-650-mg-180-Tablets/970?at=0 … but if you do this high protein test and you find out that you do have low stomach acid, don't make the mistake I made and overdose on HCl …. You do the test with up to 10 tablets as described, but for treatment you only need 1 tablet of 650 mg per main meal - no more than 3-4 a day.

Now – you are already taking a lot of adrenal support in form of supplements. You may need something stronger like HC, but if it were me, I would first of all tackle the Candida issue and possible low stomach acid and find out about minerals and vitamin levels before going down the steroid route. One risk with taking HC is that steroids destroy the good bacteria and further any yeast overgrowth. So you might be fighting windmills on the Candida front. I would first try adding another NAX into the equation and combined with fighting Candida this might get you somewhere. Checking mineral and vitamin levels is next on the list, and THEN I would up the Erfa and see if your body will utilize it better. It does not need another thyroid test straight away, your body will let you know if you can tolerate more thyroid hormone – just listen to it. According to your last test result you do need more thyroid hormone – the question is only – are you putting enough in and your body can't utilize it, or do you need a higher dosage anyway …. You'll have to try and see how you feel.

I hope this helps,

With best wishes,

[Guest guest]

Hi ,Sorry it has taking me so long to get back but at the moment I feel a bit tired and underthe weather. For the last two years the only thing I drink is herbal teas and water. My boss jokes about itand says "I am the flower" because everybody gets another round of beer and I get a water. Before i could not do much of a diet because i could not eat but now i will start as soon as posto treat candida. Have you used antifungals as niastin to treat it?What IMHO stands for? I just made an appointment for today to see the GP to askfor the tests, hope he will not be square head. I take Nutrigest which has stomach acid but it is lower than 650mg, I could not do without it.I will up my NAX to see what happens but I do not know if it will help to recover from such lowcortisol. If my adrenals are so low, would not stress them even more to increment the dose of Erfa?I also read in the adrenals group that taking DHEA with low cortisol stresses even more theadrenals so i do not know if to stop taking it or not.Thanks for the info.Ana> This is a major thing that you need to tackle ASAP. > The solution IMHO is to a) tackle the Candida (very> important!), up the adrenal support (equally important) and c) try> again to get those minerals and vitamins tested (on NHS preferably)> If your GP refuses again, say you need those parameters checked because your periods are> all over the place – if he still refuses, ask for a referral to a> Gynaecologist – a gynae will very likely order those tests for you.> > In addition, check yourself for low stomach acid.> > You may need something stronger like HC, > THEN I would up the Erfa and see if your body will utilize it better. > According to your last test result you do need more thyroid hormone> – the question is only – are you putting enough in and your body> can't utilize it, or do you need a higher dosage anyway ….> You'll have to try and see how you feel.>

[Guest guest]

Hi ana, with your T£ being so low I can understand that you feel poorly.A low figure for T4 is to be expected with ERFA, an increased dose may be the answer, or to have a trial of adding T3 to the ERFA. thyroid treatment From: anaeureka50@...Date: Thu, 17 Feb 2011 23:12:49 +0000Subject: Help understanding tests results

Hello to everyone,Can anyone help me to understand my test results? I have Hashi. I am taking 2 grains of Erfa since 1 1/2months, I take 2 x NAX and 4x NA (treating adrenals for over a year), 1 x 7Keto DHEA 25mg (since last May), i just started again with 1 x adrenomax and 1x T convert, 1x acidophilusI have not been feeling very well since last November but the symptoms got worst since January.I have gone up one size since last October, I have pains and aches, I feel very tired, my vision is sometimes blurry, have numbness on parts of my body, i can not digest properly, my legs hurt and get really swollen, abdomen really swollen, I am depressed, I feel anxious all the time and

I am not looking forward to work, apathy, etc., etc. For the last 3 months my periods have become really difficult both physically and mentally. I swell up like a balloon, my breasts hurt so much! and I get really down and irritable. My last period only lasted 2 days! but all my symptoms started 3 weeks before coming. I am a reck!My 24hr urine test has really changed with my latest T4 dropping from 1170 to 221 and my T3 has gone up but still so low!. I do not have my recent blood works at the moment:24HR URINE TEST T3/T4 SEPTEMBER '10T3 251 pmol/24h range 592 - 1850T4 1170 pmol/24h range 347 - 1994Ratio T4/T3: 0.2 Ratio 0.50 - 2.0024HR URINE TEST T3/T4 FEBRUARY '11T3 668 pmol/24h range 592 - 1850T4 328 pmol/24h range 347 - 1994T3 : T4 Ratio 2.0 Ratio 0.50 - 2.00ADRENAL STRESS PROFILE FEBRUARY '11Sample1 7.0 nmol/L range 12-22Sample2 3.1 nmol/L range 5.0-9.0Sample3 1.5 nmol/L range 3.0-7.0Sample4 0.6 nmol/L range 1.0-3.0DHEA levels Sample2 0.22 nmol/L range 5.0-9.0Sample3 0.16 nmol/L range 3.0-7.0DHEA mean 0.19 range 0.40-1.47DHEA;cortisol ratio 1.56 range 2.0-6.0Sorry for the long mail. I do not understand what is happening to me and why i feel worst on 2 grains of Erfa. I thought by now i will be feeling so much better! I am just 39 and I feel so much older and so very tired.Thanks a lot.Ana

[Guest guest]

Hello Ana,

For the last two years the only thing I drink is herbal teas and water. My boss jokes about it

and says "I am the flower" because everybody gets another round of beer and I get a water.

Before i could not do much of a diet because i could not eat but now i will start as soon as pos

to treat candida. Have you used antifungals as niastin to treat it?

I have been fighting Candida for over a decade ( but in earnest only for the past 4 years or so. I was hoping for short cuts, thinking it wasn't that serious, `one won't hurt' kind of philosophy... basically sticking my head in the sand. It was only when I saw my Candida antibody results off the scale (> 150, ref range is <10) that I got such a shock that I gave myself a big kick up the backside. And yes, I have followed Dr. Peatfields Candida treatment to the letter. In addition I practically live on probiotics (well, only slightly exaggerating) and take the prohibitively expensive ThreeLac powder daily. In my case it has become a way of life rather than a diet.....

What IMHO stands for? I just made an appointment for today to see the GP to ask

for the tests, hope he will not be square head.

IMHO= in my humble opinion ;o)) .... and good luck with working on your GP about the tests. I keep my fingers crossed.

I will up my NAX to see what happens but I do not know if it will help to recover from such low

cortisol.

If there is a chance that the adrenals will come up again with the help of NAX and other supplements, then it is preferable to go down that route. Steroid supplementation should only be used as a last resort. Taking HC is not without its problems. Long-term use of even physiological dosages can produce weight gain, muscle loss and mood swings. If at all possible, I would always give the vitamin & mineral route a good try. I am now in my 4th year of adrenal support and I still can't be without it, but I still preferit to HC. Having said that, I have tried HC for a few months last year, but weaned myself off again, as I could not detect them working any better than the supplements – plus, I am fighting Candida, and HC would make that so much harder......

If my adrenals are so low, would not stress them even more to increment the dose of Erfa?

I also read in the adrenals group that taking DHEA with low cortisol stresses even more the

adrenals so i do not know if to stop taking it or not.

I have no experience with taking DHEA, so can't answer that question, but yes, if you were to up your Erfa straight away it would be an extra strain on the adrenals......This is why I said to first of all sort out the Candida and to add any necessary minerals or vitamins (according to the blood test) and then up the adrenal support and only then would I try an increase. It is very likely that something is preventing the thyroid hormone from being utilized as it should, or perhaps your dosage is too low anyway. But first you need to find and sort out what is hindering the thyroid hormone from getting into the cells. You may need Vit D3, or Vit B12, or iron supplementation, or extra Magnesium, or whatever your test results are going to reveal..... provided your GP plays ball, that is – fingers crossed ! – But please do take the Candida fight seriously ... you will be surprised how much better you can feel just by cutting out sugars, alcohol and grains and drinking lots of plain water – and the antifungal treatment will do the rest; only you have to stay off the sugar for many months – else the Candida will come back.... that much I can guarantee ((

Very best wishes,

[Guest guest]

Hi ,Good news! I got the bloods from the GP! Not everything though... It was actually quite funny because their electric system was down and she didnot have access to my records... I guess she would have known about my battle with my last GP:).Anyway, she had to do the consultation like the good all times! with pen and paper but she was so stress about it that I took a bit of advantage of the moment.After 4 times of repeating to her what i wanted tested plus a bombarding of questions from her to get my history (I just did not get into much detail regarding some things ), I got the following tested:Ferritin, Vit B12, vit D, folate, cholesterol (LDL, HDL), full thyroid profile (TSH, T4,T3), renal, liver and lipid profile, glucose and sexual hormones for PCOS.I could not believe it!!. She was telling me or herself, not sure yet, she did not understand why she was doing all these testing, maybe unnecessary ... so I just said she was being through. I really wanted to say she was doing her job .I tried to get other minerals tested but she was saying they never order that, it was never ordered in her surgery. So I said to her: but that does not mean you can not order them?. She just did not do it and I felt i should not push further in case she changed her mind about the rest.There was a part of me that wanted to demand the tests but I thought for the first round it was not a bad result .When I first told her that I wanted the vitamins and minerals tested she told me why as they do not have anything to do with the thyroid. I told her if these are low the cells will not uptake all hormones needed, she did not comment.When she insisted in getting my TSH tested (instead of vit and minerals of course!), I asked her for the T3 to be tested and the results.She then asked me if I was a doctor as I knew so much?! I was sooo surprised. I told her no, she then asked what do you do? ... Can you believe it! I am just beginning to learn about my condition and how to manage it.It just makes me think, hey! what is going on through that head?It will be interesting to see what she will say when she has access to my history.I will also try to get an endo of my choice next time... this is another one and I am not sure for what exactly.Sorry that you have so much trouble with candida but at least you found a way to give it a goodkick! Thank you very much for all your help and tips.Ana

[Guest guest]

Hi ,Good news! I got the bloods from the GP! Not everything though... It was actually quite funny because their electric system was down and she didnot have access to my records... I guess she would have known about my battle with my last GP:).Anyway, she had to do the consultation like the good all times! with pen and paper but she was so stress about it that I took a bit of advantage of the moment.After 4 times of repeating to her what i wanted tested plus a bombarding of questions from her to get my history (I just did not get into much detail regarding some things ), I got the following tested:Ferritin, Vit B12, vit D, folate, cholesterol (LDL, HDL), full thyroid profile (TSH, T4,T3), renal, liver and lipid profile, glucose and sexual hormones for PCOS.I could not believe it!!. She was telling me or herself, not sure yet, she did not understand why she was doing all these testing, maybe unnecessary ... so I just said she was being through. I really wanted to say she was doing her job .I tried to get other minerals tested but she was saying they never order that, it was never ordered in her surgery. So I said to her: but that does not mean you can not order them?. She just did not do it and I felt i should not push further in case she changed her mind about the rest.There was a part of me that wanted to demand the tests but I thought for the first round it was not a bad result .When I first told her that I wanted the vitamins and minerals tested she told me why as they do not have anything to do with the thyroid. I told her if these are low the cells will not uptake all hormones needed, she did not comment.When she insisted in getting my TSH tested (instead of vit and minerals of course!), I asked her for the T3 to be tested and the results.She then asked me if I was a doctor as I knew so much?! I was sooo surprised. I told her no, she then asked what do you do? ... Can you believe it! I am just beginning to learn about my condition and how to manage it.It just makes me think, hey! what is going on through that head?It will be interesting to see what she will say when she has access to my history.I will also try to get an endo of my choice next time... this is another one and I am not sure for what exactly.Sorry that you have so much trouble with candida but at least you found a way to give it a goodkick! Thank you very much for all your help and tips.Ana

[Guest guest]

Hi Ana,

Good news! I got the bloods from the GP! Not everything though...

You've done well – good on you It's so funny that it completely threw your GP that the computer was down. I know, it is annoying when this happens, but it also gets to show just how dependent we all have become on computers... it'll all end in tears, I say <g>

Anyway, she had to do the consultation like the good all times! with pen and paper but she was so stress about it that I took a bit of advantage of the moment.

LOL ....

After 4 times of repeating to her what i wanted tested plus a bombarding of questions from her to get

my history (I just did not get into much detail regarding some things ), I got the following tested:

Ferritin, Vit B12, vit D, folate, cholesterol (LDL, HDL), full thyroid profile (TSH, T4,T3), renal, liver and lipid profile, glucose and sexual hormones for PCOS.

That's pretty good, well done .... Pity she did not do the thyroid antibodies (TPO & TgAB) but that would have been greedy perhaps <g>

I could not believe it!!. She was telling me or herself, not sure yet, she did not understand why she was doing all these testing, maybe unnecessary ... so I just said she was being through. I really wanted to say she was doing her job .

LOL.... it must have really thrown her off balance that the computer wasn't working. This is so funny. I think a guardian angel has sent you to this surgery just at the right time. Next time you better find the fuse box for the surgery yourself – can't rely on divine intervention all the time

I tried to get other minerals tested but she was saying they never order that, it was never ordered in her surgery. So I said to her: but that does not mean you can not order them?. She just did not do it and I felt i should not push further in case she changed her mind about the rest.

I would not have pushed either. My own GP told me the same story. Unfortunately for him I know that the lab is doing things like magnesium, zinc and copper because he had ordered them for me in 2008 and I got them.... but perhaps those are now casualties of the spending cuts....

When I first told her that I wanted the vitamins and minerals tested she told me why as they do not have anything to do with the thyroid. I told her if these are low the cells will not uptake all hormones needed, she did not comment.

Well, with a bit of luck she might have googled that when her computer was working again <g> - wouldn't hold my breath though.

When she insisted in getting my TSH tested (instead of vit and minerals of course!), I asked her for the T3 to be tested and the results.

If you haven't had the blood test already, it would be worth putting a comment on the form (or ask the nurse to do it when she takes the blood) – something like: "patient takes T3 containing medication"....this is why I had written by hand on my own form and the lab had done the FT3. The lab technicians usually take it upon themselves to ignore requests for the FT3 unless there is a note specifically requesting it.

She then asked me if I was a doctor as I knew so much?! I was sooo surprised. I told her no, she then asked what do you do? ... Can you believe it! I am just beginning to learn about my condition and how to manage it. It just makes me think, hey! what is going on through that head?

If she asked that without being sarcastic, then that's a good sign. The best doctors are not those who know everything (or think they do), but those who are inquisitive and willing to learn and work with their patients. Perhaps she just lost her confidence because she was lost without her computer, but she did ask you a lot of questions about your history, and that is something not every GP would have done.

It will be interesting to see what she will say when she has access to my history.

LOL – yeah, there is that.......

I will also try to get an endo of my choice next time... this is another one and I am not sure for what exactly.

If you want to see an endo, you have the right to choose whoever you want to see, anywhere in the country. Please don't let anyone tell you otherwise. A friend of mine was told by her GP that she could not see any consultant outside their area – this is rubbish. You can – it's all in the NHS guidelines.

Well – let's wait and see what the test results come up with then.

With best wishes,