Update on endo visit today, slightly confused......

[DeniseR]

Okay, saw my endo today for about an hour and a half. He did try to explain everything to me and at some points we agreed to disagree but not sure what the real outcome is. he is doing more tests though, so I am grateful he is trying to be thorough.

He showed me the results of my Short Synacthen test but I'm not sure if they mean anything, he says normal.

The test was booked for 10.30am but didn't start until 11.30am, rough results are:

Initial blood test 226 he said over 200 is fine

30 mins after injection 567 he said over 500/550 is fine

60 mins after injection 711 again fine

I was also pretty stressed at the time,on the way in I thought my car was going to break down, I was already running late as someone had delayed me, when I got there had to queue to park, then wound myself up waiting for an hour in a very stressful environment!

The good thing is, he's going to test my pituitary and I will be having an MRI scan. He didn't realise when I was originally diagnosed it was because my FT4 was low, not that my TSH was high.

He won't however treat with T3 only and explained but I can't remember the exact reasoning, something to do with cellular levels and it not lasting long in your system I think - it seemed to make sense at the time. He'd forgotten he'd said anything about Reverse T3 completely but thinks the T3 made me feel better initially, purely because it increased my metabolism and said anyone taking it would feel good to start with but then energy store would be depleted and you'd feel bad again?????

He said Armour was no good as it's strength depends on the health of the animal it is extracted from. Not so sure I believe this but I didn't have a response as I don't know much about it.

He obviously bamboozled me a bit, hence the confusion but at least he is persisting with getting to the bottom of things.

He did mention the expense of a certain test but then quickly backtracked, saying it was not an issue at all. Hmmmmm.

Anyway, I've come away with 25mcg extra level to continue taking with my 50mcg Levo and 20mcg T3. That was one thing, he thought my latest thyroid tests were taken on 10mcg T3 and seemed surprised they weren't.

He also said that the fact my FT3 has dropped from 5.1 to 3.9 was irrelevant as levels fluctuate al the time - as long as they're in normal range it doesn't matter!!!!

So, that's my endo experience for today - Any thoughts on any of this very welcome

[shaws Administrator]

Even though T3 goes into your bloodstream quickly. This is an excerpt

Saturation isn’t likely to occur with sustained-release T3 because the T3 enters cells only in small amounts over an extended time. As a result, it’s not likely that large enough amounts of T3 will reach the receptors at one time to saturate them. But plain T3 in single doses enters cells in larger amounts. These larger amounts may provide the saturation needed to provoke transcription regulation by mutant T3-receptors. If so, these saturation amounts of T3 may induce waves of transcription that on the clinical level relieve symptoms of hypometabolism.

See question dated July 12, 2010

web.archive.org/web/2010122...

[DeniseR in reply to shaws]

Thanks Shaws. I have already been given this but didn't bother to show him as I know he would not see it as 'evidence' of anything, so there seemed no point unfortunately

Much appreciated though.

[greygoose]

Does he think that one tablet of Armour is made from one animal and then the next pill is made from the next animal??? All the thyroids removed from pigs and dried and powdered and mixed together. Then the strength is tested and it isn't sold unless the levels are correct. That really is ignorant prejudice. lol He has no idea what he's talking about.

Hugs, Grey

[Clarebear in reply to greygoose]

Exactly what I was going to say Greay Thank you. xxx

[DeniseR in reply to greygoose]

I knew there was a response! lol He was saying the batches are all different and they levels weren't accurately tested.

I knew he was talking BS anyway, especially when he said it's not available in this country - as I recently read that it is available on an NHS document at the discretion of the doctor. Unfortunately, I couldn't remember exactly what it said or where I read but think I will find it and email it to him

[Hidden in reply to DeniseR]

Ask him if he has ever heard of Teva Levo...!?

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/news.h...

Also, this is what you need:

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/treatm...

And Email me for 3 research papers into Armour:

[e-mail]

L

x

[DeniseR in reply to Hidden]

Thanks Louise, that's great! I'll email you now.

He also argued with me that any trials done for T3 only etc are done with such small number and with too many uncontrolled factors, that they are unreliable. But I'm going to send him what I can. Feel I may have to move on to a new endo if these next lot of tests don't show anything.....