RE: Symptoms whilst taking medication

[Guest guest]

Hi Madeline

I understand fully where you are coming from.

Whilst I'm on a modesly low dosage of 75mcg, I still have some symptoms which

are not completely better.

When I questioned this with my Endo and GP I was told the same things as you,

words like depression and not enough exercise started flying about.

My advice is go and see another GP and ask for a referral to another Endo, it's

your right to get a second opinion, something I'm in the process of doing right

now.

You wouldn't take such shody service from a shop or restaurant, so why take it

from your Dr ?

Hope you get some answers soon.

Yours ... Neil

[Guest guest]

Dear Madeleine - this isn't YOUR ignorance - your ill health is

being caused through the ignorance of your doctors - this is why this group has

over 2025 members who have been left to suffer by NHS doctors.

I think it is time you took your own health into your own hands

mi dear!

First, write a letter to your GP telling him/her that you are no

longer going to put up with the suffering and their lack of ability to make you

well and that you are now determined to do whatever is necessary to find

the reason.

Next, list all of the symptoms and signs you are still suffering

(check yours against those in our web site www.tpa-uk.org.uk

under 'Hypothyroidism'). Next, take your basal temperature before you get out

of bed in a morning for 4 or 5 days, and if your temperature is lower than 98.7

(and it could be much lower) list these in your letter and tell the GP this is

an indication your metabolism is running too low and that it shows the thyroid

hormone replacement you are taking is not doing what it should.

Next, tell him that you want a blood test done to check your

levels of TSH, free T4 and free T3 - because it is T3 every cell in your body

and brain needs to make it function. Tell him that you know that thyroxine is a

mainly INACTIVE hormone that has to convert to the ACTIVE hormone T3 and for

many patients, for various reasons, they are unable to convert and the

thyroxine lies in the blood causing symptoms of toxicity.

Tell him that the thyroid function tests ONLY show the level of thyroid

stimulating hormone (TSH) secreted by the pituitary gland and the level of

thyroid hormone secreted by the thyroid gland and DO NOT tell whether the

thyroid hormone is being utilised at cellular level - and that this is one

reason you NEED your blood tested to see your level of free T3 in the blood.

Tell him/her that if he writes TSH and free T3 ONLY on a blood request form,

that the laboratory will test this because this is the tests they do to see if

a patient is suffering from hyperthyroidism.

Ask him also to test your levels of ferritin, vitamin B12,

vitamin D3, magnesium, folate, copper and zinc. Tell him that you are

specifically asking for these particular tests because research has shown that

if any of these levels are low in the reference range, no amount of thyroid

hormone can be properly utilised at cellular level. Ask that all the results of

your blood tests be sent to you, together with the reference range for each of

the tests done and then post them on the forum, so we can help with the

interpretation. Problem with a lot of doctors is that if your results appear

ANYWHERE within the reference range, they tell their patients they don't have a

problem. Grrr!

Next, tell him that you wish for a second opinion from a doctor

of your choice - which you are allowed to do. I will send you a list of doctors

recommended by members of this forum who will prescribe both synthetic T4 and

T3 in combination,. T3 alone, or natural thyroid extract. Choose who you would

like to see, and give your GP the name and address. This will be sent to you

privately.

Next, ask for your letter of requests to be placed into your

Medical Notes and at the bottom of the letter, write Cc. Head of Practice, so

s/he knows somebody else has got it too. Keep a copy of the letter yourself, in

case it 'accidentally' goes missing.

Meanwhile, go to our FILES section (accessible from the Home

page of this forum) and scroll down the list to the folder entitled 'Adrenals'.

Do the adrenal questionnaire, and also do the Home Testing for adrenals to see

how you score and let us know. Lower down, there is another folder entitled

'Medical Questionnaires' and in there you can see the Candida and Magnesium

Questionnaires too. Do those too.

Doctors pay a lot more attention to the written word believe me.

Just make sure your doctor knows that this is the end, you have had enough, and

that now, YOU are taking charge.

We will help you with the rest.

Luv - Sheila

Could someone please advise me? Is this true? Is it just my ignorance that makes

me think that changes in my thyroid levels will effect how I feel and

accompanying symptoms?