RE: New member - hello and qus before I see my endo...

[Guest guest]

Thanks for the info on the group.

I thought the Eltroxin was the problem, as I was on the carbimazole only for a

few months and in spite of blood tests putting my T4 at about 5 (12-22) and

going down, I felt better than after the Eltroxin was added at 75/day and my T4

went up to 17 or 18. I also put on loads of weight (I don't do that naturally),

skin lousy etc. Sorry, don't know the T3s.

Also, that is the first time anyone has commented on whiplash and thyroid - my

endo said pure coincidence on accident and onset, but its just too much of one

for me (I had whiplash in my neck from the road hitting my head)! Any idea if

this is a physical thing - is the thyroid bruised, damaged in some way, maybe

the violent squish of it sends out loads of hormones and it gets into a funny

state? or is it to do with hormones/adrenalin/shock etc?

thanks,

Cath

[Guest guest]

Hi

Welcome to our forum where I hope you get all the help and

support you need.

First, if you have no confidence in your endocrinologist, then

why waste her time and your time going to see her. If this was me, I would find

a doctor who knows about T3 and the effect it has on the body, and how many of

us need T3 and not T4, either synthetic or natural, and get a referral to one

of them. To this end, I have sent you a list of such doctors recommended by our

members. You might need to go outside of your area, but it would be worth it in

the long run. If levothyroxine doesn't work for you, there is NO alternative

but to try the active hormone T3, either in combination with T4 or t3 on it's

own.

If you do go to see this endocrinologist, come straight out and

tell her that you have tried Eltroxin before and it is not the thyroid hormone

your body needs and that you want to try a combination therapy using the active

thyroid hormone T3.

Be firm, doctors cannot force you into taking any medication you

know doesn't work for you, and perhaps remind her that doctors and patients

should work together when making a decision about what course of therapy a

patient should take, it has to be agreed by both parties.

If she is not willing to give you a trial of T3, then say

goodbye to her and get a referral to somebody who will. This is your health,

but there are many doctors who don't seem to acknowledge this, and will treat you

in the ONLY way they know how, i.e. tell you that you don't have a problem if

your TSH is within the reference range, and tell you that the mainly INACTIVE

thyroid hormone T4, works for everybody. Just say NO!

Hope the consultation goes well, but always be prepared. If she

is going to be one of those endocrinologists who knows little to nothing about

the functioning of the greater thyroid system, and tries to tell you that you

don't need T3, and that is dangerous, and that the RCP and BTA recommend T4 as

the ONLY treatment because she has read about this on the BTA statement on

T4/T3 combination therapy versus T4-only, then copy off the TPA rebuttal to

this statement which has over 100 references to the scientific evidence to show

the BTA are wrong (who, by the way, have not backed up any of their statements

with scientific evidence - making them their opinion only). http://www.tpa-uk.org.uk/resp_bta_t4t3.pdf

Whilst there, ask your endocrinologist to test your levels of

iron, transferrin saturation%, ferritin, vitamin B12, vitamin D3, magnesium,

folate, copper and zinc, as hypothyroidism can cause very low levels in some of

these, which must be supplemented before thyroid hormone can be fully utilised

at the cellular level.

Good luck

Luv - Sheila

There is some difficulty in paying for things - not so much for the initial

consultation, but the ongoing costs of drugs and testing, if I need to go

privately. So in the short term getting as many tests as possible done on the

NHS would be useful. Has anyone in my situation managed this? I'm hoping that

my GP will help out with a second opinion...

Of course, whilst I wait for an appointment and go more and more hypo, I expect

that my current endo will want me to take the T4. Any great suggestions on

alternatives in this meantime?