RE: Re: scream anger and frustration!

[Guest guest]

Helen, considering that your husbands GP told him that

" it's the TSH that counts " - he should also ask for TPO and Tg

antibodies to be tested to see if these are high. He should also include in his

letter the following, showing the unreliability of thyroid function tests, which

I sent to the RCP who, naturally, never did respond:

Thyroid function blood test results can be

influenced by many factors, any of which should be taken into

consideration, e.g.

·

Labelling errors

·

Bacterial

contamination

·

Yeast/Fungal

contamination

·

Clotting

·

Sampling errors

·

Sample

preparation errors

·

Sample storage

errors

·

Thermal cycling

·

Antithyroid

antibodies (any)

·

Antibodies from

any other cause

·

Presence of

specific ‘toxins’ in the blood

·

Presence of

pharmaceutical drugs (interferences) within the blood

·

The method of

analysis being carried out eg radio-immune assay (RIA)

·

‘Systematic’

errors in analytical equipment or methodology

·

Composite errors

<> pre-analysis (not mentioned above)

·

MCT8 mutations

Many individuals with classic symptoms of

hypothyroidism, such as low body temperature, joint pain, fatigue and

depression, are discouraged when they’re told that their thyroid hormone

levels are within the normal range. The question of whether they might be

resistant to their body’s own thyroid hormone is seldom considered. Yet,

a disease known as thyroid hormone resistance can prevent thyroid hormone from

reaching the body’s cells.

The discovery of MCT8 mutations explains

laboratory discrepancies (1) e.g. cases in which the lab results didn’t

fit a particular pattern. It also explains how thyroid hormone resistance

can cause TSH to appear normal even with a low FT4. In many instances

only the TSH test is performed. If the TSH result is normal, and symptoms of

hypothyroidism are observed, tests for FT4, FT3 and T3 should all be performed.

None of these types of error are ever shown

as being part of the reference range, but they all add to the unquantifiable

‘unreliability’ of the final number that appears on a lab report;

stated to be within/outside a reference range. The labs expect, but often

don’t get, notification of antibodies found by other labs or by

investigations showing antibody activity, to enable proper screening

(dilutions) for likely errors. e.g. vitiligo, alopecia, ongoing autoimmune

symptoms specific to such as lupus, autoimmune

attacks on specific organs, histology samples, haematological examinations.(2)

A search on Pubmed shows 126 such cases.

Luv - Sheila

1.

Winter and Neil , A New Type of Thyroid Disease, Advance for

Administrators of the Laboratory, June, 2008: 46-50.

2.

Sapin

R. [interferences in immunoassays: Mechanisms and outcomes in

endocrinology] Ann

Endocrinol (Paris). 2008 Nov; 69(5):415-25. Epub 2008 Jun 5.

> He argued that his T3 was outside the range. So what said his GP it's the

TSH that counts.It does not matter about the T3. My husband wanted and argued

for a referral to Dr Skinner. Absolute refusal. Blood tests for ferritin, etc

etc. Absolute refusal. Advice please?

>

[Guest guest]

Thank you all very much for your advise and support. Armed with your suggestions he will send this to his GP and we will let you know the outcome. Hopefully a positive one.Kind regards Helen