Re: What should I do to improve my ferritin?

[Guest guest]

Helen,

There are no NICE guidelines for treatment of hypothyroidism. Doctors are free

to follow whatever guidelines they wish. There is an uncorroborated

statement on hypothyroidism iven by the BTA and RCP, but this is not a

guideline.

There is nothing normal about a low ferritin and a high tsh. A normal tsh is

1.

Have a look at the 'holy miracle of the infallable tsh test' on you tube......

and find a new doctor.... one that snaps at you is no use..... although I

have one.... I'm planning to have her working in Macdonalds by the end of the

year!

You need to get that ferritin up.... nothing will be right until you do......

take iron well away from thyroid meds.......

x

>

> I had hoped this doctor would be a bit less obsessed with the N.I.C.E

guidelines,

[Guest guest]

How can a doctor snap

" normal " back at you when your TSH is already above the laboratory

reference range. This doctor is an idiot and will only cause you worsening

health. You are above the laboratory range and if you lived in the US the top

level is 3.0. If you lived in Germany, Sweden, Belgium, the top of the TSH

range is 2.5 with a recommendation this should be lowered still further to 1.5.

This is bad, bad, bad.

There are NO NICE GUIDELINES.

There are no UK Guidelines, only statements (opinions) ma\de by the RCP and the

BTA and these so called statements have not even been backed up with references

to any scientific research or studies. Appalling that any doctor should base

his diagnosing and treatment protocol on such statements. They want the backs

of their hands smacked and told to go and do research themselves, instead of

relying on such statements.

The Royal College of Physicians

and the 'UK guidelines for thyroid function' however, DO state categorically

that in reaching a diagnosis of hypothyroidism, TSH should be tested with a

measure of free T4 - so your GP is talking clap-trap when he tells you that fT4

is not measured unless TSH is over 10. Ye Gods, give me strength!

Your serum ferritin is

dangerously low. For goodness sake, get rid of this GP and find a doctor who

actually cares about his patients and knows the basics of doctoring. Your

ferritin should be above 90 and you should be started on a course of iron

supplements, preferably iron infusions or 200mgs Ferrous Fumerate/Glutomate at

least three times daily to start with. Once your ferritin (stored iron)

has been used up, your body will start to take iron from elsewhere and before

you know where you are, you will be suffering with severe anaemia.

Your B12 should also be higher,

as this result should be right at the top of the reference range and you need

B12 1000mcgs daily (sublingual are best). Folate is OK.

Hope this helps, I just feel

extremely angry that doctors are being paid such high salaries for sitting

there knowing absolutely nothing, and getting away with it, with no questions

being asked. Again, this is appalling June.

Luv - Sheila

I had hoped this doctor would be a bit less obsessed with the N.I.C.E

guidelines, since he has started treating my hypo husband on a higher does

Levothyroxine and said he would have started him on it much earlier than was

the case. My husband has clearly been hypo for years, had half his thyroid

removed in 2008 for nodules, and STILL didn't get any treatment till a few

months ago. I don't know what his test readings were because he always forgets

to ask. They let him think for years that he had (intractable, untreatable)

M.E./C.F.S, when it was hypothyroid all along. So it's hardly surprising that I

don't hold much store by their magic TSH numbers...

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[Guest guest]

Thank you chaps! I was astonished when I got home and saw what my ferritin level

was, since he handed me the printouts I requested without going over the numbers

at all - he simply looked at the screen and said 'normal, normal, normal'! I did

tell him that AACE lowered the upper TSH level to 3, ten years ago, but he said

something about 'well that sounds extremely low, but anyway we go by the NICE

guidelines'.

I'd never heard anything about NICE guidelines before! How funny that he just

made that up. I was also amazed by his attitude, though I shouldn't be - I've

heard enough examples of it here.

I told him quite frankly that I don't think those 'guideline' numbers are

meaningful, and that I'm prepared to obtain NDT myself if I see fit. Of course

he 'advised against it'. I said 'well then, if I'm normal, why am I so

exhausted?'. He began the usual stuff about 'could be many factors... hard to

say.. could be stress' and I observed that the only thing stressing me is that

I'm so tired! He eventually suggested referring me to an endocrinologist, but to

be honest, I expect they'll be even worse, from what I've heard of other

people's experiences. I'm not sure I'll gain anything from it.

I'll go back to my usual doctor in future, she at least had the wit to tell me

that my thyroid function was 'a bit low' even though it falls inside the magic

numbers.

Meanwhile, I'll take the iron supplements as you suggest, alongside the Nutri

Adrenal Extra and other mineral/vitamin supps that I'm taking. Later in the

year, I'd like to try NDT, but I want to get underlying problems with adrenals

(and now, iron) improved first. Presently I'm not taking any thyroid medication.

>

> How can a doctor snap " normal " back at you when your TSH is already above

> the laboratory reference range. This doctor is an idiot and will only cause

> you worsening health. You are above the laboratory range and if you lived in

> the US the top level is 3.0. If you lived in Germany, Sweden, Belgium, the

> top of the TSH range is 2.5 with a recommendation this should be lowered

> still further to 1.5. This is bad, bad, bad.