RE: Hello all, new here & looking for advice/ideas?

[Guest guest]

Hello Isobel and welcome to our support group where I hope you

get all the help and support you need.

You need to write to your GP and tell him that you have reached

a point where you have had enough and that you are now taking whatever action

is required to regain your normal health again. You do this in writing because

we know doctors pay much more attention to the written word than they do in a

face to face consultation - which they can forget about as soon as their

surgery door has closed behind you when you leave.

First, set out all of your symptoms and signs (check these

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

under 'Hypothyroidism). Next list any members of your family who have a thyroid

or autoimmune disease. You may be suffering with Hashimoto's thyroiditis as a

cause of your hypothyroidism, but I will come to that in a minute.

Take your basal temperature before you get out of bed in a

morning for 4 or 5 days and list these, especially if less than 36.6 degrees C

or 97.8 degrees F.

List the thyroid function tests you need. These are TSH, free

T4, free T3 and tests to see whether you have antibodies to your thyroid. These

are TPO and TgAb. This is important, because thyroid disease can come down the

family line. Hashimoto's is an autoimmune condition and the antibodies see your

thyroid gland as public enemy number one and gradually set about it's complete

destruction, so you are eventually unable to secrete the thyroid hormone your

body needs. If you have Hashimoto's disease, levothyroxine will not help - you

need either a combination of T4 and the active thyroid hormone T3, T3 alone, or

natural thyroid extract. Mention this to your GP in your letter.

Next, list the following specific minerals and vitamins that you

need testing. These are: ferritin, vitamin B12, vitamin D3, magnesium, folate,

copper and zinc. If any of these are low in the reference range, they will need

to be supplemented to raise their levels, again because the thyroid hormone

cannot be properly used at cellular level. Ask for all your thyroid and

vit/mins/ blood results to be sent to you, together with the reference range

for each test done. A doctor cannot withhold these from you. Post them on the

forum so we can help with any interpretation.

Next, ask for a referral to an endocrinologist of your choice (I

have sent you a list of good doctors recommended by our members who prescribe

using combination therapy, synthetic or natural, or T3 alone. You can be

referred outside of your area, so don't let y our GP try to tell you otherwise.

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

medical notes, send a copy to the Head of Practice and keep a copy for yourself

in case you need it at a later date.

You might also wish to take this special diet into

consideration. Many of our members have had great success with this where they

have been unable to lose weight with ordinary conventional diets. Read everything

it suggests, including the Dr Simeon's online Book 'Pounds and Inches' so you

know exactly what it is all about and why it works http://www.tpa-uk.org.uk/hcg_drops_diet.pdf

Good luck.

Luv - Sheila

Ive been diagnosed Hypo since 1999. Had my fair share of good & bad times,

weeks of feeling great & then weeks when... well you know!

Anyway, Ive been feeling progressivly low since March & last friday just

hit rock bottom, I was literally a heap of person unable to do anything but

sit.

As well as weight gain, slow thoughts, feeling cold and messed up periods over

the last few weeks I have developed a goiter... and its getting bigger. My GP

noticed it before I mentioned it, he took bloods and Ill get the results on

Tuesday.

Does anyone have any idea of what might happen now? I dont suppose my results

will change the fact that I have a goiter and I need to get rid of it.

I take 250mcg levothyroxine daily, since July 2009. The only result I can

remember atm was TSH at 19.4 in Feb. I dont think Ive ever had a 'normal'

reading but there have been lots of times when Ive been well & I dont

really think my results have much to do with how I feel anyway.

Re the weight gain... I was 80kgs in Oct 2010, 100kgs at Xmas and sine then my

hubbie & I have eaten & excercised the same... he's lost 10lbs and Ive

gained 16kgs!!!

My neck is noticably swollen, my voice catches and whislt swallowing food is

not hugley affected, I do feel like I have something in my throat all of the

time.

Its horrid, I can feel it stuck there on the front of my neck.

Im an otherwise healthy 30 yr old woman, Im already covering my neck with

scarves... pleaase someone tell me it will clear up & I can go back to

being my usual knackered but pretty self?!