New here and would appreciate some advice re my test results [1 Attachment]

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Forwarding this message from Debs to the forum as she sent it to

me by mistake. Don't worry Debs you will soon get used to it. It's always

frustrating when you start something new and need to get used to the rules.

Luv - Sheila

Hi Sheila

Sorry - I knew I would get this wrong! deleted on this mail

and will do the same on the moderators mail too

On 13 Jan 2012, at 17:42, SheilaT wrote:

Hey Sheila

Thanks you so much for getting back to me so quickly, your

support is appreciated more than you could know, I feel so up against it at the

moment and to have this support is priceless.

I have done a lot of soul searching over the last few days

and have decided to re-start my Nature-Thyroid, I will do this slowly starting

with a half grain for the first week then if all is well I will move to 1

grain. I am deeply unhappy about the new symptoms since stopping the meds and

that THS test at 5.8 seems way too high to me, I really wanted to avoid going

back onto medication because I have never been properly well when on it but I'm

concerned that the longer I leave it the worse it will get. My thyroid symptoms

creep up remarkably slowly so I am worried that if I leave it much longer I

will get even worse.

I was lucky in persuading my Endo to do the salivary test

but I don't think she understood it and when I try to explain to her that it

needs to be done as you have said she just doesn't listen. The tests that you

say are very low have raised my suspicions too - but the Endo's I have seen are

adamant that they are normal, I don't have the strength to argue with them any

more and will arrange a further test via Genova as you suggest - at least that

way I will know it is done correctly and will give me a proper 24 hour

assessment.

The Endo's I have seen and doctors all know about the high

levels of thyroid/endocrine problems in the family - all they ever get excited

about is diabetes! (like a red rag to a bull to me every time they mention it!)

I don't know if it is helpful or relevant to any other

members here but the lactose intolerance is a major discovery, I tried every

elimination diet including Candida and Gluten-free, it wasn't until I

eliminated lactose that the stomach and bowel problems stopped. I also avoid

carbohydrate - if I eat carbohydrate my body balloons, it's a miserable

diet but so far is the only one I have found that actually works. I have found

that since stopping thyroid medication the weight loss has stopped and in order

to keep my weight stable I frequently only have one low carb meal a day. I

don't think this is normal but as always the doctors do as 'it's my age' don't

you know! I exercise every day - currently 2 miles on a treadmill, I used to do

5 miles until mid summer but my body hurts so much at the moment 2 is all I can

force myself to do. Isn't it interesting that a lifetime of doing a lot of

exercise has not kept my body in check? I used to do a lot of aerobics and very

heavy weights but could never build any muscle, in fact exercise makes me feel

the opposite to how it is supposed to! I still push it as much as I can because

I am terrified of what my body will do if I don't. I think it's ridiculous as a

normal body would be anorexic on some of the regimes I have stuck with but my

metabolism just won't work and despite all the exercise I have no muscle tone

whatsoever. As ever the doctors ignore this as they ignore the hair problem and

just about everything else.

I have stayed off the meds for so long in part because I got

to the point of thinking that the doctors must be right and that there is

nothing wrong with my thyroid, although my brain is currently very foggy I can

think enough to know that having had problems with it since I was just 11

indicate that it has to be at the root of things. I also believed that if they

were right my hair would come back - the fact is it hasn't and I think that 8

months would show some sign of improvement. I am also concerned that being hypo

is more serious for my heart than being over-replaced, last time I followed an

Atkins type no carb diet my cholesterol and tryglycerides etc all came down -

this time they haven't, the only difference is no thyroid meds, I hope I'm

right in thinking that if I am getting seriously low it is more serious.

So my plan for today is to re-start my Nature-Throid at half

a grain, order the salivary cortisol test, try and remember which pharmacy I

bought the Nature-Throid from so I can order some more. I will try really hard

to take in the myriad of information on this website. I know you say I will get

there and that there is light at the end of the tunnel but I'm finding it hard

to cling onto that. It's really hard being a thyroid/endocrine victim, and I do

say victim as opposed to patient deliberately. If I had a broken arm or leg or

any number of other conditions the doctors would help me to fix it, with this

sort of problem it feels like you have to fix it yourself - if I had wanted to

be a doctor I would have studied medicine! In essence since I was 11 years old

I have been told there is nothing wrong, if the doctors had been listened too

at that age I simply would not have been here now. There have been so many

wasted years to this illness, I'm trying really hard to cling onto the fight

I've always had but it's so hard at the moment, sometimes I think I can still

keep fighting it and others I just want to give up - it just shouldn't be this

hard.

Thanks so much to you all here, the support is so valuable.

Debs

x

On 13 Jan 2012, at 15:30, Sheila wrote:

[Attachment(s) from Sheila included below]

Hi Debs

Yes, you have responded in the right way, but when you

respond to any message, leave just a small portion of what you are responding

to and delete the rest, otherwise it gets frustrating for those reading from a

Daily Digest or direct from the web site as they have to scroll through too

much stuff they have already read. However, it appears that whoever approved

your message has deleted everything I wrote previously, so I will just have to

trust you have answered the questions I asked. I will intersperse my comments

in your message.

The secret is to take one small step at a time and deal with

that first, before going on to the next issue. With brain fog, it becomes

almost impossible to take everything in, so deal with your problem this way,

and we will get there. There is light at the end of the tunnel - honestly!

Luv - Sheila