Health regime - in progress

[Guest guest]

Dear Sheila

In reply to your email and having read the very useful attachment:

I will ask my GP to do the vitamin and mineral

tests as suggested when I see him next Monday.

 

I’m waiting for results for last weeks TSH,

Free T3, Free T4 and serum ferritin. These results will be going to the endocrinology dept at the hospital ready for my appointment on 20th Feb. But I will ask my GP to try to find them on the database. 

 

The last serum ferritin test was done via the

hospital some time last summer and the level was 8, with normal haemoglobin.

 

I took some Solgar’s Gentle Iron, 40mg each

evening for about 4 weeks. (dose probably too high?) Maybe I should have

carried on with iron supplement but I was a bit worried it might be harmful to

take too much.

 

 

Thyroid Meds:

 

I’ve included a bit of history here just in

case it’s relevant. Apologies for the length.

 

Up until November 2010 I had been taking a

basic dose of 2 grains Naturethroid (bought on line) with 25mcg thyroxine (prescribed by GP) and this dose brought back these results

 

19/11/2010 (test done in morning before taking

any meds)

TSH 0.01 (0.35 – 5)

Free T3 4.4 (2.6 – 5.7)

Free T4 14.8 (9.0 – 19.1)

 

I was ‘keeping going’ at this time but tending

to be fragile with not much stamina. My periods had become irregular. I think I was a bit gaunt

looking. I went through times where I didn’t sleep very well. I was feeling hot

at night. (I am in my late forties)

 

The above results were flagged by the

laboratory, advising GP to lower thyroid replacement, or to refer to

endocrinologist if I wasn’t on thyroid replacement. I had already agreed to

referral to an endocrinologist when a GP I don’t normally see - but who I saw when I had a frozen shoulder - had a bit of a

fit when he saw that I was using natural desiccated thyroid.  I had been uncomfortable that what I was doing medically was

“under the radar” although I checked more than once with the GP I usually saw

that Natural Desiccated Thyroid was in 

my medical notes.

 

I stopped taking any further thyroxin

when the GP’s receptionist conveyed

to me that I should take 25 mcg on alternate days based on the above blood test

results.

 

I was on around 2 – 2.5G Naturethroid over the winter

of 2010 -2011 (I remember I had naps a lot in the afternoons and tended to feel

somewhat depressed) 

 

21/1/2011 on 2 - 2.5 Grains Naturethroid

TSH 0.01

Free T3 5.4

Free T4 13.8

 

Saw endocrinologist around May. This first

endocrinologist I saw wanted to take me off Nature Throid and put me onto 75mcg thyroxin,

all in one go, but I refused because I doubted whether I would be able to carry

on with normal life and suspected that I would also become quite ill as a result. We then came to an agreement that I would trial reducing

my dose of NT and to have blood tests taken each 6 weeks:

 

6 weeks on 2 grains (taken in two split doses)

(blood taken after 1 grain of NT in the morning)

1/7/2011

TSH 0.01

Free T3 6.1 (at least this would seem to be my

peak free T3 on that dose)

Free T4 11.7

 

6 weeks on 1.5 grains (this was not fun. I definitely

had increased hypo symptoms – fortunately it was during a less busy time than

usual)

19.8.2011 (bloods taken before morning dose of

meds)

TSH 0.06

Free T3 3.4

Free T4 9.2

 

I decided to go back to 2 grains while waiting

for my next appointment with the endocrinologist because I didn’t like the fact that

it was increasingly hard to function and to carry on with everyday life. The

endo I saw at the next appointment – a different person to the first appointment

- was OK about this decision. We discussed whether I might do better on a

combination of thyroxin with natural desiccated thyroid and he was open to this. The first

endocrinologist had refused this option.

 

Bloods after being back on 2 grains for 6

weeks (bloods taken before morning dose of NT)

16.9.11

TSH 0.05

Free T3 3.2

Free T4 10.5

 

 

When I went back for third appointment after

the blood tests above, the endocrinologist – a third one -  revisited the subject of introducing

thyroxin and suggested I introduce some thyroxin as follows:

 

For one week

1.5 Grains NT and 25mcg of thyroxin

Thereafter

1 Grain of NT and 50 mcg of thyroxin

 

Until next appointment this February…

 

I haven’t found I can manage on this last dose.

I tried to keep it at around 1 ¼ grains of NT plus 50mcg thyroxine until I had

blood taken last week, prior to appointment

with endocrinologist this Feb 20th.  

 

And after the blood had been taken last week, I

raised my dose to 1 ½ grains of NT and also continuing with the 50 mcg of

thyroxin.

 

Last week I also started taking Nutri Adrenal

(containing 100mg of adrenal), one tablet a day.

 

I am feeling somewhat better on the higher thyroid hormone dose. I have slept a bit better. I haven’t yet had the

‘hot’ feeling at night which I had been getting quite a lot of previously. But

I feel generally weak. I can do activities like saw up some firewood which I

did this morning, but I feel weak and fragile afterwards. I was getting spells

of dizziness coming back when on the lower dose of thyroid hormones, which I

don’t seem to be getting now, but I feel a bit light headed at times. My mood

is definitely better on this dose.

 

Regarding other possible factors which you

refer to:

 

I have been using Wellsprings progesterone cream

for about 8 months. (I am 48 this year and about 18 months ago my periods

became less than regular and I was feeling hot at night plus uncomfortable

changes in breasts) I have noticed there has been some improvement using the

cream. 

 

I had a FSH test on 19/11/10 which came

back as follows:

My FSH 19.2u/L

Adult female ranges:

Post menopausal 26.7 – 133.4

Follicular 3.0 – 8.1

Mid Cycle 2.6 – 16.7

Luteal 1.4 – 5.5

 

I have also been supplementing with 2000IU of

vitamin D3 a day for about 6 months.

 

I started a course of B12 chewable tablets 3

weeks ago. (Over the last 6 years, I have got through quite a few pots of 1000mcg B12)

 

I also started taking 1 tablet “Nutri female”

which provides the other B vitamins (although not in a particularly high

dosage) along with Folic acid 200mcg, Selenium 20mcg, Vit C 100 mg, Manganese 5

mg (and ovary, pituitary and 20mg of adrenal)

 

(Should I stop taking these supplements in the

run up to the tests for vitamins and minerals which you suggest, which  I will ask my GP to do next week?)

 

I’m also currently taking BioCare

Antioxidant complex containing quercetin, green tea, turmeric and grapeseed

extract, lycopene and lutein.

 

I’m continuing with no gluten. I’m pretty sure

there has been some improvement as a result.

 

I’m thinking of asking my GP for another FSH

test. (A few of weeks ago I felt so awful I was thinking I would ask to try HRT.)

 

I occasionally measure my waking temperature.

Lately it seems to have been around 36.2

 

My pulse right now - having been sat at my

computer for well over an hour, writing this - is 68.

 

Any further help, should you have time, will be very much appreciated.

Thank you all

 

Lynne