Re: - Hi, New here - Intro - Be warned, Be Brave, it's long.

[Guest guest]

,

Afraid your post will get lost in the forum because you posted in reply to

another thread.... You would have done better to start a new topic.........

Having read through your post.... yep.... hypothyroid symptoms scream out all

the way through it.....

But at the bottom you seem fairly dismissive of the fact that the holistic

docctor prescribed you 1 grain of armour.... that's a great start!!! many

people try to get prescribed armour and are given thyroxine instead.....

1 grain (60 mcg) is probably a bit low but he wants to see you again to check

this.... via the tsh (ought to be via the free t3 and free t4 too).

Your adrenals sound like you might be having a bit of a problem...... can you

get a saliva test at 4 point in the day to see where your cortisol levels are?

he doc probably won't go for this and you'll have to atange it yourself, but I

bet he'd be interested in the results......

You are on the right path..... albeit a slow one..... this doc probably has a

rubbish bedside manner, but he appears to be on the right lines.....

.

>

> Hi All,

>

> I was diagnosed 2 weeks ago. Although, I think my Tgland has been failing for

> years.

> Two events seem to have triggered failure in my body.

>

>

> He sent me to have blood drawn which of course I did. Now I know it might

sound

> strange but when he told me my thyroid wasn't functioning I was overjoyed.

>

> My TSH was 5.3,

> Vit D-Low

> B12-High (anyone see elevated B12 in their labs?)

> Cholesterol - High (for the first time ever in my life)

> LDL - High (first time ever)

>

> I'm not too pleased with this doc. This guy didn't even examine my body. He

> never touched me!! I have joint pain, a puffy distended abdomen for cryin out

> loud. I mean this was before he knew about my thyorid. I think I'll try to

> find an Endocrinologist. I plan to arm myself with knowledge before I go

> however! From what I've read it seems a T3 and T4 and others should be done.

>

> He prescribed Armour Thyro- 60mg/day and 50K vit-D/week and told me to come

back

> in 6 weeks to check the TSH level.

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi , it sounds like you've been having a truly awful time - I'm so sorry. I'm relatively new here too so am really not knowledgeable enough about thyroid problems - but I can say that your experience of crying in the car,sensitivity to light/smells, panic attacks, etc is very familiar to me and I believe stems very much from adrenal problems. This is what I have and I've been seeing Dr P about this. His contact details are on the TPA website. The most important thing that I've understood is to get the adrenals sorted before you deal with thyroid problems.I did the Genova saliva cortisol test which has helped enormously to identify underlying problems. I wish you all the best and hope you start getting better soon. Best wishes, Alison>> Hi All,> > I was diagnosed 2 weeks ago. Although, I think my Tgland has been failing for > years.>

[Guest guest]

good grief laura...what a story and congratulations for still being here!!!!!

the hyper sensitivy you describe, crying about the trees, not being able to

tolerate music and so on ...they are all classic symptoms of adrenal collapse

and in my mind constitute a kind of nervous breakdown ...i've been through that

myself on two occasions. when the adrenals are struggling so is everything else

and it is essential to support your adrenal function before taking and type of

thyroid replacement.

given the amount of drugs you've taken to deal with the pain i would suggest

finding a way to support your liver function ...first thing would be to get a

squeaky clean diet but you may have that already because you mention your b12 is

over the range ...or do you supplement? milk thistle complex has a long history

of being good for toxic livers

natural support for the adrenals include large doses of vitamin c split

throughout the day, unrefined sea salt (or himalayian salt, organic saturated

fat such as butter and/or coconut oil, and getting to bed and being asleep as

near after ten pm as possible.

the itching you experience is most possibly due to a candida overgrowth ..have a

look in the files, there's loads of information on candida. the food for

candida is carbohydrates so radically reducing them is a way to start dealing

with it.

welcome to the forum by the way!

best wishes

trish

>

> Hi All,

>

> I was diagnosed 2 weeks ago. Although, I think my Tgland has been failing for

> years.

> Two events seem to have triggered failure in my body.

>

> Birth of my son in 1997, a week after I got home I woke up one day and felt

like

> someone had poured cement into my entire body. I felt soooo heavy and painful

> and had headaches, stiffness and all over pain every day pretty much since.

> Its like having the flu everyday.

> I also started getting beyond horrible stomach pains which would knock me down

> to the bathroom floor where I would lay for hours. Then I would either throw

up

> or get diarrhea. I finally went to a doc, had endo's done and was diagnosed

> with gastritis and colitis. The pain attacks went away, but stomach has given

> me problems ever since. I have terrible burping ALL the time, heartburn etc.

I

> sound like a teenage boy trying to win a biggest burp contest. I hate that!

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

I'm sorry to hear you have been suffering so badly.

I am also new here so can't advise you on thyroid or adrenal issue, but I just

wanted to say that you mentioned you take Tramadol & that you suffer with Itchy

skin.

Itchy skin can be one of the side effects of Tramadol. My OH took it for back

pain and had to stop as the itching was driving him mad?

I know you need pain relief because of your Fibromyalgia but it might be worth

speaking to your Dr about trying a different pain killer to see if that helps

relieve the itching?

I get really itchy skin sometimes (usually after I take a shower) and know how

horrible it is.

Good luck hun,

x

>

I was told I had Fibromyalgia. Took Tramadol for

> the pain which does help some...

>

>

> The itchiness I've had for years has been beyond horrible recently, and when I

> scratch I break out in hives which disappear within 1/2 hour. I'm embarrassed

> to go shopping even, because I know people wonder " what the heck is wrong with

> that woman " . I scratch myself like a mad dog with mange.

>

[Guest guest]

Hello

I was diagnosed 2 weeks ago. Although, I think my Tgland has been failing

for years.

Two events seem to have triggered failure in my body.

Birth of my son in 1997, a week after I got home I woke up one day and felt

like someone had poured cement into my entire body. I felt soooo heavy

and painful and had headaches, stiffness and all over pain every day pretty

much since. Its like having the flu everyday.

Many people start their hypothyroidism after the birth of their

child. This is because the baby used all of your thyroid hormone and obviously,

no checks were made on your thyroid function whilst pregnant.

I

also started getting beyond horrible stomach pains which would knock me down to

the bathroom floor where I would lay for hours. Then I would either throw

up or get diarrhea. I finally went to a doc, had endo's done and was

diagnosed with gastritis and colitis. The pain attacks went away, but

stomach has given me problems ever since. I have terrible burping ALL the

time, heartburn etc. I sound like a teenage boy trying to win a biggest

burp contest. I hate that!

Do you know whether you tested positive for thyroid antibodies.

If you have not had these tests done, ask your GP to test for TPO Ab and TgAb.

If you test positive, this means your hypothyroidism has been caused through Hashimoto's

disease. See http://outsmartdisease.com/gut-repair-in-hashimotos-disease.

Antibodies thrive on gluten and you should try a gluten free diet if you do

find you have antibodies.

Immediately after the surgery 2006 (like the next day)... I had what seems like

a mental breakdown and the body pain issues worsed with an added bonus of itching.

I started with hyper-sensitivity to ALL sounds, lights, smells and people in

general. I would get to work and cry on the way, cry when I saw trees cut

down and have to pull over, seeing the trees cut down just made me so darned

sad I couldn't take it. I could not bare to have the TV on anywhere near

me, couldn't stand hearing music, I was freezing all the time, tired all the

time. Never had much of an appetite. It evolved into panic attacks (so

they say) and general anxiety and then severe agoraphobia, inability to drive,

and depression...go figure the last one! I had to stop working, I

couldn't get out of my car in the parking lot. It was soooo depressing

and no one could help me.

You need to get the 24 hour salivary adrenal profile done

through Genova Diagnostics . Go to our FILES section from the Home Page of

this forum web site thyroid treatment

.. Scroll down the list of files that opens, and click on 'Discounts on Tests

and Supplements' and then click on 'Genova Diagnostics'. This tests your levels

of cortisol and DHEA throughout a 24 hour period. You send back the saliva test

tubes and you should hear from them with your results in about 10 days. You can

claim a discount on the tests done by Genova, but follow the instructions

in this particular file, quoting 'Thyroid Patient Advocacy' as your

Practitioner.

Alternatively, if you are unable to afford these tests, again go

to the FILES section, scroll down to the Folder entitled 'Medical

Questionnaires' and do the Adrenal, Candida and Magnesium questionnaires and

let us know how you score.

I

would also wake up every day to physical pain all over, stiffness, killer

headaches, difficulty in walking, bumping into walls, brain fog, cold all the

time, stiffness, puffiness. I was told I had Fibromyalgia. Took

Tramadol for the pain which does help some.

Askl your GP to check your levels of specific minerals and

vitamins. These are ferritin, vitamin B12m vitamin D3, magnesium, folate,

copper and zinc. Should any of these be low in the reference range, thyroid hormone

cannot be properly utilised at the cellular level and you will continue to

suffer with many of your present symptoms. When you get the results, ask for

the reference range for each of the tests done and post them here on the forum,

and we will help with the interpretation. If y our GP tells you there is no

association between these low levels and hypothyroidism, then copy off the

attached document to show him that there is. Check out the other attached

document also that shows reasons why thyroid hormone may not be working.

After

years of feeling like crap, with all blood tests always resulting in

Normal....and feeling like no one would ever really know what was wrong with

me, since FM is such a mystery.....about 1.5 months ago I suddenly felt really puffy

everywhere, especially my stomach, it seemed to just poof up overnight and I

couldn't zip up my pants.

Fibromyalgia (FM) has been found to be treated extremely

successfully with the active thyroid hormone triiodothyronine (T3). I had a

particularly severe case of FM with crippling pains in my lower back, shoulder

and under both heels. Had I not found natural thyroid extract, I would most

definitely be wheelchair bound. As it is, after only 9 days of changing from L-thyroxine

to Armour Thyroid, the sun came out for me and has never gone back in since,

and I have never had any further pain in all of the 8 years since then.

All of the symptoms and signs you describe are those of

hypothyroidism. You need to get an up to date thyroid function test of TSH,

free T4, free T3, TPO Ab and TgAb and let us know the results again with the

ref. range for each test done. TSH is quite insufficient.

He

sent me to have blood drawn which of course I did. Now I know it might

sound strange but when he told me my thyroid wasn't functioning I was

overjoyed. Finally!, I thought, something to fix!!! I called so

many people to tell them. I thought, this is whats been wrong with me all

these years!!! I can feel normal again. I don't know if that's true

however after all I've learned since the diagnosis. And who knows if this

is the answer to all my problems, but I am so happy to have something to

treat.

Now you have a diagnosis, we can help you move forward and we do

know a lot more than the average doctor - as their training in the world of

thyroid disease is quite appalling. Ask as many questions as you wish and we

will do whatever we can to find you some answers.

My

TSH was 5.3,

Vit D-Low

B12-High (anyone see elevated B12 in their labs?)

Can you let us have the numbers showing your B12 was elevated.

B12 SHOULD be right at the top of the reference range. Again, it is important

to get the results because doctors don't know how to interpret them. They

simply have not been taught.

Cholesterol

- High (for the first time ever in my life)

LDL - High (first time ever)

Many sufferers of hypothyroidism have high levels of

cholesterol. They used to diagnose hypothyroidism in the 'old days' by high

cholesterol levels.

I'm

not too pleased with this doc. This guy didn't even examine my

body. He never touched me!! I have joint pain, a puffy distended

abdomen for cryin out loud. I mean this was before he knew about my

thyorid. I think I'll try to find an Endocrinologist. I plan to arm

myself with knowledge before I go however! From what I've read it seems a

T3 and T4 and others should be done.

See above.

He

prescribed Armour Thyro- 60mg/day and 50K vit-D/week and told me to come back

in 6 weeks to check the TSH level.

WOO HOO! You are SO lucky. Stick with this man, it is quite

unlikely that an endocrinologist will prescribe you natural thyroid extract and

thyroxine alone (which is a mainly INACTIVE thyroid hormone) could actually

make you much worse. Armour Thyroid contains all the thyroid hormones your body

requires, i.e. T4,. T3, T2, T1 plus calcitonin for the bones. You lucky, lucky

girl, forget that he is a crap doctor for not giving you a physical examination,

believe me, members here would sell their souls to find a doctor willing to

prescribe them this wonderful thyroid hormone replacement on the NHS. Can you

send his name to me privately please and the address he works from. This is

important as I am collecting names of doctors who will prescribe either synthetic

T4;'/T3 combination or natural thyroid extract. These doctors are like

gold-dust.

If you go to our FILES section - yet again, open the Folder

entitled 'Natural Desiccated Thyroid Extract' and there you will find a

document telling you exactly how you should use NDT and how you should increase

your dose.

Well, that's about it I guess. I

apologize for writing so much and for not being the flowing coherent writer

that I used to be. Just can't do it anymore. But I was so excited to find

you all I was desperate for someone who might understand to hear my

story. I have no support from anyone in my life. And no one understands.

There will be many here who

fully understand your story, me in particular - been there, worn the T-shirt

and come out at the other end feeling absolutely wonderful. You will find that

light at the end of the tunnel .

Luv - Sheila

2 of 2 File(s)

LOW MINERALS AND VITAMINS AND THE THYROID CONNECTION.doc

Why thyroid hormone stops working (2).doc

[Guest guest]

Hi All, I've been reading your responses and I very much appreciate your input. Rather than try to respond to each and every one, I'm responding below to as many comments and ?s that I can remember.I rarely take the Tramadol. I take it so rarely...maybe 3 times/month when I am in agony. So I really don't think that's the cause of the itching. Usually, I take Ibuprofen, but don't like taking that since I have gastritis and doc said never to take it. I would ask for a different pain killer, but I'm afraid they'll think I'm a drug seeker. But I thank you for the insight. Will keep it in mind. I didn't mention it in my Intro post but I have had such bad back/neck/spine pain

recently as well, that I insisted on an MRI of my entire spine. The doc wasn't so keen on

it but gave me the script. Results were that I have a T4 fracture that is tilted and out of line with rest of spine and numerous deteriorating disks and a bulge. I see an Ortho next week about that. Might ask him something for pain if I can get up the nerve.This might sound off, but when the thyroid really started failing and my body got puffy all over (even inside) I really think that aggravated the back. I didn't have pain like that until the week I swelled up.I asked the doc for a T3/T4 and he said, "Well, I don't really use those, that's something an Endocrinologist might order". And he turned away. I felt strongly about a physical exam because of swelling sticking out behind my knees, swollen stomach. I've never had a doc not palpate vital organs. I told him my abdomen was extremely distended and that it happened very fast and it was not fat.And yes, I am happy to be on the

Armour. I didn't know that I was lucky to get it until after I got home and started reading that day.Labs:TSH - 5.3Vit D - 28.5Vit B12 - 1096Folate - 10.6 (normal)Also, on Spine MRI - a 1.2cm functional cyst within L ovary was noted and there were T1 hypointense foci probably representing fibroids in the uterus.Although I'm 2 yrs without menses (age 49), still wondering if the cyst in the ovary could be causing any problems hormonally. I will have this investigated since I am having some sharp pain over there now and then. But for now it will have to wait till I can afford to do it. I'm broke.BTW, I live in the US. When I joined I didn't realize it was for the UK. Does this mean I can't be a member? I hope not. I could just be a lurker if you don't want to hear from me. I have learned so much already from you all. And feel I have friends of a

sort out there.I thank you all and wish everyone here to feel well again!!!From: grey2harris <grey2harris@...>thyroid treatment Sent: Sun, June 5, 2011 9:22:40 AMSubject: Re: - Hi, New here - Intro - Be warned,

Be Brave, it's long.

Hi ,

I'm sorry to hear you have been suffering so badly.

I am also new here so can't advise you on thyroid or adrenal issue, but I just wanted to say that you mentioned you take Tramadol & that you suffer with Itchy skin.

Itchy skin can be one of the side effects of Tramadol. My OH took it for back pain and had to stop as the itching was driving him mad?

I know you need pain relief because of your Fibromyalgia but it might be worth speaking to your Dr about trying a different pain killer to see if that helps relieve the itching?

I get really itchy skin sometimes (usually after I take a shower) and know how horrible it is.

Good luck hun,

x

>

I was told I had Fibromyalgia. Took Tramadol for

> the pain which does help some...

>

>

> The itchiness I've had for years has been beyond horrible recently, and when I

> scratch I break out in hives which disappear within 1/2 hour. I'm embarrassed

> to go shopping even, because I know people wonder "what the heck is wrong with

> that woman". I scratch myself like a mad dog with mange.

>

[Guest guest]

Hi , We're UK based, but we have members for all over the world, but you'll have to remember that the medical system is rather different here and we have over the counter pain killers with different names- so it's best to use the name of the active ingredient, not the trade name- for example I don't know what Tramadol contains. Low thyroid states can affect the whole body- and may be making your skeletal problems worse, so you need to make sure you are optimally medicated- you've made a good start with Armour, but need to go back for a dose increase not longer than 6 weeks- your doc should be aiming for a TSH of around 1.0 or even lower- when taking Armour it's the FT4 and FT3 levels that are more important, but the most important thing is to feel well- and to increase dose until you do! After all Armour was used long before the tests were invented and for some folk they do cause problems, so don't fuss about getting tests done. Low thyroid also affects the reproductive system and often causes very heavy bleeding- which thankfully you seem to be free of, but not everyone is affected the same way- you may find that your periods restart when you general health improves. Have a good long read of the papers that are in the forum files- there's an amazing amount of good info there- including' how to take natural dessicated thyroid' writted by Dr. Peatfield. thyroid treatment From: laura_blankenship@...Date: Sun, 5 Jun 2011 21:27:47 -0700Subject: Re: Re: - Hi, New here - Intro - Be warned, Be Brave, it's long.

Hi All, .I rarely take the Tramadol. I take it so rarely...maybe 3 times/month when I am in agony. So I really don't think that's the cause of the itching. Usually, I take Ibuprofen, but don't like taking that since I have gastritis and doc said never to take it. I would ask for a different pain killer, but I'm afraid they'll think I'm a drug seeker. But I thank you for the insight. Will keep it in mind. I asked the doc for a T3/T4 and he said, "Well, I don't really use those, that's something an Endocrinologist might order". And he turned away. I felt strongly about a physical exam because of swelling sticking out behind my knees, swollen stomach. I've never had a doc not palpate vital organs. I told him my abdomen was extremely distended and that it happened very fast and it was not fat.And yes, I am happy to be on the

Armour. I didn't know that I was lucky to get it until after I got home and started reading that day.Labs:TSH - 5.3Also, on Spine MRI - a 1.2cm functional cyst within L ovary was noted and there were T1 hypointense foci probably representing fibroids in the uterus.Although I'm 2 yrs without menses (age 49), still wondering if the cyst in the ovary could be causing any problems hormonally. BTW, I live in the US. When I joined I didn't realize it was for the UK. Does this mean I can't be a member? I hope not. I could just be a lurker if you don't want to hear from me. I have learned so much already from you all. And feel I have friends of a

sort out there.

>

[Guest guest]

Hi , I love the bit " writted by Dr.Peatfield " It sounds like something out

of the Goon Show (if you are old enough to remember the Goon Show.).

Cheers.

> Have a good long read of the papers that are in the forum files- there's an

amazing amount of good info there- including' how to take natural dessicated

thyroid' writted by Dr. Peatfield.

>

>

> thyroid treatment

> From: laura_blankenship@...

> Date: Sun, 5 Jun 2011 21:27:47 -0700

> Subject: Re: Re: - Hi, New here - Intro - Be warned,

Be Brave, it's long.

>

>

>

> Hi All, .

>

> I rarely take the Tramadol.

[Ed]