Re: New and seeking diagnosis

June 6, 2011

Hi Pete, hi and welcome to this group. what you need to do is read all you can from our files, make a cup of tea or coffee and sit back and try to understand the endocrine system and hormones , look in wiki which has some good info. the main thing to do is get a 24 hour salivery test done privately as the NHS test is to wide to pick up all adrenal issues ,. i have had this done and

it helps as you say to no the score, so you can get well again. if low (then details in files) of where to buy adrenal support and how to take it. after some time maybe a few months get tested again to see if you feel better.

June 6, 2011

Hi Pete:

Actually having a cup of coffee or tea is not recommended if you have adrenal

fatigue or are low in iron in your system. This is very bad advice. Coffee

depletes the iron in our system. Have a glass of filtered water with unrefined

sea salt in it. This will immediately support your adrenal glands and is part of

the adrenal fatigue protocol.

Cheers,

JOT

make a cup of tea or coffee and sit back and try to understand the endocrine

system and hormones ,

>

June 6, 2011

Hi Pete

You mention: " My standard blood TSH hase declined over last few years from about

2 to 1.1 now, so I am still within range regards that. "

Did you have your free T4 (thyroxine) and free T3 (triiodothyronine) tests done

along with the TSH? The TSH alone does not tell us much. If you can get the

other tests done (push for the free T3 because they don't readily test for this

but it is VERY important) then we have something to go by.

You should also get a Salivary Stress Index profile done by Genova Diagnostics

quoting TPA as practitioner. This is in our FILES section

thyroid treatment/files/ADRENALS/ and

click on ADRENAL DISCOUNTS ON TESTS. This will test you for low adrenal

function/adrenal fatigue

I'm hoping that you will get more responses soon but if you have any questions,

just ask.

Jacquie

June 6, 2011

Hello

Pete and welcome to our forum where I hope you will get all the support and

help you need.

What

a stupid prat of a doctor - doesn't he even know that normal body temperature

is 37 degrees C (or 98.6 degrees F)? I would run a mile from a doctor with so

little knowledge. I am really serious about this, please find a doctor who

CARES about his patients because otherwise, this doc. could do you great harm.

It

does sound to me as if you could be suffering with low adrenal reserve,

especially as your temperature is dropping and you are getting all the symptoms

of adrenal fatigue, including the fluttering. What you need to do is to get the

24 h our salivary adrenal profile to see where your levels of cortisol and DHEA

lie at four specific times during the day. You spit into a small test tube at

8.00a.m. - 12.00 noon - 4.00p.m. and again at midnight and then send the specimens

off to Genova Diagnostics who will send the results to you direct. If you go to

the FILES section of this forum web site (check the Home Page in the Menu to

access this). On the page that opens, scroll down to 'Discounts on Tests and

Supplements'. Open that folder, and then click on 'Genova Diagnostics' and

follow their instructions there in order to claim your discount. Write that

'Thyroid Patient Advocacy' is your Practitioner.

Low

temperature and low BP are also signs of adrenal fatigue (and also

hypothyroidism). Have you had a full thyroid function test done? If not, ask

ANOTHER GP to test your levels of TSH, free T4, free T3 and tests to see

whether you have thyroid antibodies, especially if there are any members of

your family who have a thyroid or autoimmune disease. These are called TPA Ab

and TgAb.

Ask

the GP to also test your levels of ferritin, vitamin B12, vitamin D3,

magnesium, folate, copper and zinc. If any of these are showing low levels, you

need to supplement whatever is low. If the doctor tells you there is no

association between low levels of minerals/vitamins and hypothyroidism, then

copy off the attached document that will show him the science that shows that

there is.

When

you get the results, also get the reference range for each test done and post

them here. Doctors mainly do not know how to interpret thyroid function test

results and will tell you that you are 'normal' if they appear ANYWHERE within

the reference range. We need to know whether they are at the bottom, the middle

or the top of the range. A TSH on it's own is absolutely no use to man nor

beast. Insist that if the GP refuses to ask for the tests above to be done,

that you are referred to an endocrinologist at the earliest possible time.

If

you are referred to an endocrinologist, I would insist on going to one of your

own choice as we have learned that the majority know little about thyroid

disease, most specialising in diabetes only. We do have a lost of good doctors

recommended by the members here.

Don't

allow this doctor to waffle on Pete - tell him you would appreciate actually

finding a doctor who knows about thyroid disease and helping you to get well

again. If you are suffering with either adrenal fatigue or hypothyroidism, or

indeed, both, please be absolutely assured that there IS light at the end of

the tunnel and we will help you to find it.

Luv

- Sheila

I dont feel depressed. Have great faith. No worries about future etc and apart

from the pressure and fluttering and occasional cold feelings I actually feel

great.

My standard blood TSH hase declined over last few years from about 2 to 1.1

now, so I am still within range regards that.

Looking online for symptoms etc I seem to be a cross between hyper/hypo and

adrenal fatigue.

I can live with it I guess but I hate the idea of being undiagnosed. I don't

care (within reason) what the result is if it's bad, I just have to know, then

I can try to deal with it.

_._,___

1 of 1 File(s)

LOW MINERALS AND VITAMINS AND THE THYROID CONNECTION.doc

June 6, 2011

Pete

have you looked into testosterone and 'andropause'?

Do you have symptoms of low testosterone?

check out this questionnaire:

http://f1.grp.fs.com/v1/kAftTYkM8e7aORmqYt8GvjgbZhlv5b43GvsvabKdCWoRRvUDfkQ\

Az19s6jgg0u1R9jZ9K93aZQfsRRLnetu3Fs57OLSvi60q_xkPPCA/MEDICAL%20QUESTIONNAIRES/Ho\

rmone%20Questionnaire.Dr%20Thierry%20Hertoghe.xls

it may be more than one hormone at work, as i understand they rarely fail in

isolation. (i for instance am on testosterone, cortisol, pregnenolone, and

dhea, and may need to start growth hormone later on)

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1292604/Yes-male-menopause-DOES-exist-\

-time-women-took-seriously.html

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1372132/The-MANopause-How-doctors-pres\

cribing-HRT-men.html

this can be treated easily, if you see the right doctor of course!

chris

June 6, 2011

Funny you should say that. I visited my neighbour earlier down the lane who is

selling a campervan. The anticipation/stress whatever was mild. and I certainly

did not feel any *panics* coming on. However once we had done I went to see the

mother in the granny annexe and we had a long chat and I made us a cup of

regular coffee. Within 30 minutes I began feeling really quite bad (this was

about midday) like a warm tingly feeling in the body arms and warm light

pressure around my head face especially. I stuck it for another hour or so then

came home for some lucnh and an afternoon siesta still feeling quite bad. BP was

fine as was pulse. I got up a couple of hours later and still feel quite bad,

like I want to run or something (panic) but I'm sort of holding on. Really weird

cos as I say I'm such a cool cucumber. It's like something is fighting to get

out *hopefully not a woman* lol

To answer some of the other questions you guys generally posted (thanks) I shall

seek that adrenal saliva test, and I have a visit next Monday with another doc

and so will place the request for a full thyroid function/and or a referral to

an endo. I shall also print the document out you gave.

My vitamin D was in the low range (33) a few weeks back. Since then I have been

making active efforts to grab sunlight (30 mins a day) and 800iu supplement with

calcium and within two weeks the Vit D had gone up to 44 so it looks like that's

working but will keep on the supplements ( I am aware the latest global vit D

deficiency concerns, hence I had the thing checked, though not in relation to

thyroid issues but kidney issues) B12 is usually high to middle range and I do

have an excellent vegan diet with all the vits and minerals.

As an aside not sure if it's related. But I have lost 30lb in weight since

November on a diet (I'm a determined thing so it was relatively easy. Diet being

I stopped eating too much) This goal was attained in March and all was well. I

have been on two BP meds for last 20 years (due to kidney) and was keen to drop

one of them (Lisinopril) cos it had bad reports on kidney. I did this, again a

doddle, and kidney function (GFR) has gone up from 34 to 39. So that worked

still feeling fine. But been doing some research on natural things to lower BP

and tried various things like tomatoe juice, garlic etc etc, all well udner

control, some work some don't. However the REAL CHANGE occurred when i tried to

add some Lipo Carn supplements from Healthspan

- Lipo Carn

Typical values per two tablets:

Alpha Lipoic Acid 200mg

Acetyl-L-Carnitine HCl 250mg -

Within an hour of the first dose my BP and pulse had dropped way too low and I

had the first signs of this *feeling*. I stopped the supplement and later that

day all was *normal* again. I tried again a week or so later but by then I was

spooked and gave it up as a trial. This was back in April. Since then I have

been having these *issues* with temperature and pulse and worst in the last

month or so, though the last week I so I seem to be getting back to *normal* in

pulse area. I wonder if the lipo had *triggered* some kind of adrenal response.

I am quite in tune with my body and do feel, daft as it may seem, there was some

connection though it beats me why. Any thoughts, ring any bells?

My temp now is 36.6 so it's on the up presently.

Cheers guys.

>

> Hi Pete:

>

> Actually having a cup of coffee or tea is not recommended if you have adrenal

fatigue or are low in iron in your system. This is very bad advice. Coffee

depletes the iron in our system. Have a glass of filtered water with unrefined

sea salt in it. This will immediately support your adrenal glands and is part of

the adrenal fatigue protocol.

>

> Cheers,

> JOT

>

> make a cup of tea or coffee and sit back and try to understand the endocrine

system and hormones ,

> >

>

June 6, 2011

Thanks Jacquie that's a good page with some stuff to check. I shall start with

the self testing page

No the only testing my docs do is the occasional TSH and last month was the

first for about a year, but then I had no apparent thyroid issues anyway.

>

> Hi Pete

>

> You mention: " My standard blood TSH hase declined over last few years from

about 2 to 1.1 now, so I am still within range regards that. "

>

> Did you have your free T4 (thyroxine) and free T3 (triiodothyronine) tests

done along with the TSH? The TSH alone does not tell us much. If you can get

the other tests done (push for the free T3 because they don't readily test for

this but it is VERY important) then we have something to go by.

>

> You should also get a Salivary Stress Index profile done by Genova Diagnostics

quoting TPA as practitioner. This is in our FILES section

thyroid treatment/files/ADRENALS/ and

click on ADRENAL DISCOUNTS ON TESTS. This will test you for low adrenal

function/adrenal fatigue

>

> I'm hoping that you will get more responses soon but if you have any

questions, just ask.

>

> Jacquie

>

June 6, 2011

Thanks Sheila that's a great help and I shall get on to the case. I knew I wasnt

going mad lol

>

> Hello Pete and welcome to our forum where I hope you will get all the

> support and help you need.

>

> What a stupid prat of a doctor - doesn't he even know that normal body

> temperature is 37 degrees C (or 98.6 degrees F)? I would run a mile from a

> doctor with so little knowledge. I am really serious about this, please find

> a doctor who CARES about his patients because otherwise, this doc. could do

> you great harm.

>

June 6, 2011

I wonder if it lowered your blood sugar too much - hypoglycemia - alhpa lipoic

acid can cause this apparently? perhaps any anxiety was adrenals pumping out

adrenaline cortisol etc to raise blood sugar.

i too have tried ALA and find it gives me hypoglycemia symptoms

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-the-most-common-alpha-lipoic-acid-side-effects.\

htm

chris

===

Typical values per two tablets:

Alpha Lipoic Acid 200mg

Acetyl-L-Carnitine HCl 250mg -

Within an hour of the first dose my BP and pulse had dropped way too low and I

had the first signs of this *feeling*. [... ] I wonder if the lipo had

*triggered* some kind of adrenal response. I am quite in tune with my body and

do feel, daft as it may seem, there was some

connection though it beats me why. Any thoughts, ring any bells?

June 6, 2011

Hi Pete:

Here's a few links to read on celtic sea salt, blood pressure, adrenal vs

hypothyroid, magnesium and the heart/BP, supplements for adrenal fatigue:

http://www.celticseasaltblog.com/articles/salt-articles/salt-your-way-to-health/

http://healthfreedoms.org/2011/06/03/despite-salt-friendly-studies-stick-with-un\

refined/

http://www.drlam.com/articles/adrenalfatiguevshypothyroidism.asp

http://www.mgwater.com/benes.shtml#heart

http://hbmag.com/supplements-to-fight-adrenal-fatigue/

The road back to adrenal health is usually a slow one, but people who give up

caffeine, tea, soda, sweets, alcohol and who get to bed early fare much better.

Coffee, either caffeinated or decaffeinated is not allowed. Herbal teas which

are naturally decaffeinated are allowed but only one or two cups a day. If you

get to love sea salt in water, you'll start to repair much quicker.

Drinking 1/2 teaspoon of salt in a glass of water the first thing when you wake

up works well. It gives the adrenals a much needed boost. The adrenals need salt

like lungs need air..If you are not already supplementing magnesium, you should

start that immediately, 400 mgs a day.

.....and if the woman does pop out, we'll be happy to chat with her as well...LOL

Cheers,

JOT

Really weird cos as I say I'm such a cool cucumber. It's like something is

fighting to get out *hopefully not a woman* lol

> Within an hour of the first dose my BP and pulse had dropped way too low and I