Thyroid Testing Advice Needed

[Guest guest]

Hi All,

As some of you know, I'm taking the integrated approach to my hormone

imbalances due to primarily adrenal fatigue and secondarily, more

adrenal fatigue caused by WP and hormone overdosing. My integrative

approach is using an ND and women's hormone MD (who was listed on

STTM site). Today I went to my MD for my annual PAP and check up. And

boy do I love her. Here's why:

1. They did a majorly thorough examination, not just PAP and breast,

but EKG, colon, a gillion quesitons, and ordered several labs,

including the pelvic ultrasound since i was on the WP. I want to be

sure I didn't totally screw my body by causing endometriosis.

2. In her off time, since 1992, she does (possibly voluntarily)

medical help in third world countries for women who desperately need

medical help--spending up to a month at a time with families and

women in villages who need help. When she told me she about how she

had to put up a board in her bedroom to keep the " cobra " out during

her stays...well... that just about told me her dedication to real

help.

3. She is not convinced that the epidemic of breast cancer and

thyroid disease is not caused by something (added or lacking) in our

environment (water or food). I don't think I've ever heard a doctor

admit this. Most say, just eat right, don't bother taking

supplements, they won't do you any good. Its so nice to hear a

medical professional express my suspicions and hear it w/my own ears.

Ok, enough of that. So I now have 2 Labs, one from the ND, one from

the MD, for testing the thyroid, but each one requests something

different for the thyroid. I'd like to hear input on which is the

better test as I can't possibly do them both that day, my insurance

company would probably crack up.

1. FROM MY MD: Comprehensive Metabolic, Lipid, CBC with Diff,

Ferritin, TSH(3rd Generation), T4 Free, Total T3, Estradiol, Free &

Total Testosterone

2. FROM MY ND: TSH (High Sensitive), Estradiol, Ferritin, TSH, Free

T3, ESR (Westergren), 25 OH D

I don't understand the T4 Free, Total T3 and Free T3 differences. If

I have to, I'll write in the missing test on one of them (like Free

t3 on the first one)...

Also since it is fasting, should i bother with cortisol (she said we

could test that...but i wonder if i should waste the blood/money)...

Oh and I'm doing this on day 14 for the estradiol. I'm running

another estradiol test on day 21 (saliva and serum) as well for the

ND.

Thanks for your input.

the lab rat