can someone help me

[lola1956]

doctor thinks as my esr rate is getting higher that I may have bowel cancer, I have under active thyroid of three months ,very worried as my health has gone downhill so much, any one else have unexplained high esr that keeps rising

[marram]

Iola56, The ESR is a pointer for inflammation, my husband has a very high ESR and went for tests for cancer because the GP did not understand that he has an autoimmune condition (psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis) and ANY autoimmune condition can raise the ESR. If you have Hashimotos that could explain it.

If he is sending you for tests, then go for any tests he wants you to have, because if it all proves negative then at least your mind can be at rest about it. There is a blood test which can be done for certain antibodies which will show if there is the slightest possibility of cancer.

There are so many different reasons why you might have a high ESR that unless he has a very good reason to suspect bowel cancer, it is a strange conclusion to jump to. The ESR is a very inconclusive test and cannot be used on its own to make a cancer diagnosis. Have you had any signs which might indicate something wrong? He may be playing safe which is a good thing.

This is all about the ESR:

labtestsonline.org/understa...

This will help you to see what the ESR can and cannot tell the doctor.

Go for any tests he wants you to have, but stop worrying right now because you have nothing to go on at the moment. I do hope that it all proves negative and the high ESR is because of your thyroid being inflamed.

Marie XXX

[lola1956]

thank you for your reply, I brought my high esr to his attention as I have been keeping the print out of all blood test results, the only thing I did say was that my toilet habits were changing, ie constipation some days, but mainly very tierd , brain fog, very cold , pains all over my body, depression. He said I must forget the thyroid problem as it is not a problem now you are normal, he keeps saying this and I know its not true but now very worried as even tests for bowel cancer are terrible,

[marram in reply to lola1956]

If your hypothyroidism is not really optimally treated, constipation is the inevitable result. It is also not at all unusual for GPs to jump to the bowel cancer conclusion.

I had to undergo a colonoscopy because I had so many digestive problems (I had diarrhoea for three months one year!) but it came back negative. The conclusion? IBS. Now I am optimally treated (I had to do it privately) guess what! IBS has cleared up!

But once the spectre of cancer has been raised, then the only thing to do is to get any tests he wants to do, for your own peace of mind.

The colonoscopy was not how I expected, the worst bit to be honest was the purging first - and if you have been constipated that's almost a blessing! the actual colonoscopy was not bad. I was so drowsy that it was over before I knew it. I thought I had been talking to him non-stop but apparently I was fast asleep much of the time!

The most important thing is, don't be too anxious, and in all likelihood you will have the wonderful feeling of the all-clear at the end of it.

Do take care, Marie XX

[lola1956 in reply to marram]

thank you marie x

[rosetrees in reply to lola1956]

So you're tired, brain fogged, cold, depressed and have pains all over and your doctor doesn't think it's thyroid. It really IS time these doctors were actually taught something about thyroid/adrenal problems.

[tegz]

I know you have plenty on with the medics Lola- but two things helped my IBS -Low gluten [no white flour- anything] and Kefir to support gut/immune system.

Not a cure for any pathogenic illness - but a definite boost to your body when it's under stress.

Good luck with tests- and try not to worry too much. It's always darkest before the dawn !

[rosaann52 in reply to tegz]

What is Kefir and where do you get it....I'll try anything to help with IBS....at the moment taking Immodium to stop me going and Fybrogel to make me go.....no fun at all ....

[tegz in reply to rosaann52]

You need to get a starter from a friend or shop. There's info on here from me if you search Kefir. Gluten free is a great move if you have IBS. Even spelt loaf is better if you can't do without wheat.

Fybrogel has Aspartame in it, so I stopped- switched to Laxido- much kinder to system and just as good. I will fill in later if you get stuck PM me- but short of time now.

[lola1956 in reply to tegz]

I will try this , thank you

[sorrel89]

High ESR could be many things....it is an indicator of inflammation anywhere in the body....all autoimmune conditions present with elevated ESR levels....there is good advise above. Your GP appears to know very little... and has jumped to a big conclusion.....Hashimoto's can raise ERS significantly and you may well not be optimally medicated.....if you were diagnosed 3 months ago with an underactive thyroid it is more than likely that you are also deficient in trace elements, iron, magnesium, B12 etc so make sure you are supplementing....I also had all the invasive procedures, sigmoidoscopy, gastroscopy and barium emema...they also found nothing....I take serrapeptase everyday and that along with a multitude of vitamins and Armour I feel so much better. To reduce inflammation of any kind you need to reduce gluten, dairy, sugar, soy and deadly nightshade or eliminate it....very tough but it works...Good luck with all the investigations

[Malago]

Hi Lola 1956

Not nice struggling with health uncertainties, and it can be difficult to cheer up to order.

Here's something else to consider .... my autoimmune story not unique and now feel so much better.......

2006 December diagnosed with hypothyroidism and pernicious anaemia (stopped producing intrinsic factor) So began daily Levothyroxine and 3 monthly jabs and tests showed improvement, but not always feeling good put it down to stress, end of menopause and becoming OLD!

2010.... Slowly aches, feeling cold, increased anxiety, and depression dominated day to day living and tummy aches like labour contractions, followed by several embarrassing digestive problems. A new young male GP was too much to face with these probs so did nothing

2012 Feb Chatted with practice nurse (female) during jabs and bloods; said to see a woman GP at the surgery.

So booked a double appointment and listed a long list of symptoms/dissatisfactions with getting old (58 by then no age I know). Well she listened and examined me then I had some more blood tests. Went back and she gave me a probable diagnosis which would have to be confirmed by an endoscopy. Coeliac Disease was diagnosed 2-3 months later, which is another autoimmmune disease; gluten/free diet began and feel so much better. I was extremely lucky as Coeliac is often not considered by GPs for years (see Gluten Free Geurillas on Health Unchecked). My GP's friends daughter has it and in spring 2012 my Health Authority had an initiative that all folk with tummy/digestive probs would be screened with a simple blood test.

Thanks for getting to the end of this. It might be the explanation for your probs. Let me know how you get on

Best Wishes Maggie

[lola1956 in reply to Malago]

thank you malago and glad your feeling better

[merissa]

I had ESR high because of hashimotos, so try not to worry, I have been screaned for everything, my went high also when I took eltroxine and went hyper for a while. I am sure you will fine hunny , I also experienced embarrassing symptoms to say the least. As the above post have mentioned the blood test is a marker for inflammation in the body. It seems this particularly blood test is reading a autoimmune attack. Hope this helps a little. Xx

[wall]

Good answers for you by all .....

so you have support and try not to worry and stress as it does not help ..

.Good Luck and all will be sorted for you I am sure .

.God Bless xxxxxxxxxxxxxx Margaret xx

[Hidden]

Hi Lola, being hypo is not nice!! but when you clean your diet the benefits are worth it! Its not about losing weight just keep away from food that triggers/inflames your system. My turning point was going for a cheap hair analysis at a local Chinese herbalist. It came back with many foods that I had a low intolerance to. Chocolate was one that came up along with all white food such as flour/sugar, Chocolate!! for goodness sake been eating it all my life! ignored it for ages, feeling very ill and no help with meds so, one day I looked at my list of foods and decided to give it a bash. stopped gluten, then sugar - this was hard for me. I had to give up my job in teaching - never thought I would be able to function normal again. 3yrs later I am now holding down a job. Being hypo is a chronic illness which means you have it all time, this I found difficult and was one of the hardest things for me. However, can say my fog has gone, my memory thank goodness is returning, can handle stress better ... everything slows down with hypo so need to give your body/bowels help. Take probiotic and digestive enzyme daily to help your system and most importantly be gently with yourself. Your body needs lots of love, care and support. Take care Lola x

[lola1956]

thank you so much everybody for your replys, I am not sure what I would do without this site , so tired of living like this as its not really living any more, I think without you all as support I would have just given up but every time I get ignored by the doctors or another ugly symptom rears its head and I ask myself if I would be better off dead, one of you answers me and tells me it will be okay and not to give up , that I will get better, , I don't feel so alone , hope this all makes sense, you all give me strength to keep going x .

[JudyS]

Just to let you know that if you DO get a diagnosis of bowel cancer, try not to freak. It is one of the easier ones to treat and so many people do very well and make a full recovery. For example, a cousin of my husband's was misdiagnosed and her bowel cancer was not found and treated for a full 18 months during which time she lost a huge amount of weight and looked and felt awful. She then had resection surgery and all the treatment including a temporary colostomy bag and recovered well and is now discharged and couldn't be better. No recurrence, no residual problems and no colostomy bag necessary after the healing period.

Go and get the tests, and get any treatment going. You may be worrying unnecessarily. So many things cause a raised ESR - my mother had it going up and down like a yo-yo due to arthritis.

[lola1956 in reply to JudyS]

thank you judy, yes I will of course have the tests done

[dylandolly]

Hi Lola,you can look on line at website called gut doctor,I have used them and found them to be very good,both for products and advice,also I had a huge amount of inflammation show up in my blood tests and they couldn't work out what was wrong with me,until they discovered I had Hoffmans syndrome,now I feel good,best wishes to you hope you start to feel better soon

[Hidden]

it's probably nothing to do with your trouble but Dad had a pituitary problem hence automatically screened for bowel cancer, negative - as others have said, please bite the bullet and get tested if offered - my brother informed me the other day that all 60 year olds are screened at present - don't know if true

(please note my admin status means I am just a moderator, not that I have any expertise in this subject)

Meanwhile what do your Thyroid blood tests say? (you have the right to see them, get a printout & post it for help) constipation/dire rear are common symptoms of HypoT, meanwhile you can help yourself by getting your vits/minerals checked too (vit D, serum irons, folate ferritin B12 etc.) Hugs J x

[lola1956 in reply to Hidden]

hi yes I get printouts and I still am being under medicated but the doctor will not do any more blood tests for three months as he says I am now normal and these symptoms are nothing to do with the thyroid, its very hard to get help , even crying in the surgery that I feel so unwell does nothing , my bloods show that I am also anaemic and low in other vitamins but he refuses to acknowledge this, I have been to every doctor in my surgery (10) so do not know now what to do ,lack of motivation and depression makes it all harder to see a way through this, now the bowel cancer has reared its ugly head, so my mind is now spinning, I also have osteoarthritis in my spine and both knees made so much worse by the weight gain of recent times

[lola1956]

thank you all for your help my appointment has been confirmed as being 1st October at my local hospital, I am going to check out removing some foods from my diet to see if it helps , I am vegetarian so may lack in some things as well, every one of your replies has helped me feel I am not alone in this, xx

[Hidden in reply to lola1956]

You will be anaemic then unless you are supplementing irons, folate, ferritin and especially B12 (found in meat) personally I would look at what is lacking in your diet - just my humble opinion to get better - and don't forget Vit D3 (which controls calcium for starters). Vitamins are VITAl MINerals - please don't ignore them if you want your health back. good luck J

[lola1956]

doctor says I am only borderline anaemic but when talking about bowel cancer he referred to the point that I was anaemic, how does that work? I don't know how any one gets there health back, I have no energy most of the time and cant think long enough to help myself thank you for your good wishes

[PinkNinja in reply to lola1956]

If you are borderline anaemic you almost certainly have low iron and ferritin levels. Anaemia is a late-stage symptom of iron deficiency so if you are anaemic (even borderline) you have had low iron levels for a while. Doctors shouldn't be waiting until a person is anaemic before testing iron and ferritin. Bear in mind that if you have inflammation you may have a higher ferritin test than is actually true of your iron level.

Please get your iron and ferritin tested. If you are borderline anaemic you will almost certainly benefit from iron supplements. Do get nice gentle one though if you have a sensitive stomach and look into the other things that Spareribs mentioned. Hopefully some iron and B vits etc will help with your energy and other things

[lola1956]

thank you can you recommend any

[PinkNinja in reply to lola1956]

I take Spatone, two sachets a day when I'm a little low and one a day for maintenance as my iron seems to drop quite quickly. Other people have others that are gentle that they like and seem to be a little stronger too but I can't remember what they are called. You might want to ask a separate question about that for recommendations. I don't know if Floradix was one of them. It has ferrous gluconate which more easily absorbed than ferrous sulphate.

Carolyn x

[lola1956]

thankyou

[Hidden in reply to lola1956]

please investigate B12 (lack of cobalt and it is SO important to heath) there's different types of anaemia, iron is a major one too (but as Carolyn says supplementing helps!) low B12 can be pernicious anaemia (Wiki quote " It is caused by loss of gastric parietal cells, which are responsible, in part, for the secretion of intrinsic factor, a protein essential for subsequent absorption of vitamin B12 in the ileum.") Sorry to harp on but your question was can anyone help? J x

[lola1956]

hi dont be sorry for harping on , i am glad to have your help. my last tests was b12 254pg/ml (191-663).......... folate ..6.6 ng/ml (4.6-18.7) ferritin ..35ng/ml (13-150) these were done early august and doctor says borderline but he wont help at this stage, i questioned that if b12 under 500 my meds would be hard to absorb but he laughed and said i was reading too much,,i have tried every doctor in my surgery now including the nurse x

[PinkNinja in reply to lola1956]

Personally, if it were me, I would supplement with folic acid (actually all B vitamins), a separate B12 in the form methylcobalamin, iron and vitamin C. Of course, I am not saying that you should necessarily do the same; that is up to you to decide. I find it scandalous that doctors won't do anything until their patients' levels are so low

There is recent research that shows that non-anaemic women with a ferritin level below 50 benefit from iron supplements so clearly your GP isn't up to date on his reading in this area.

[trevg in reply to PinkNinja]

I've recently had a genetic test done by 23& me and the results point to a problem with overmethylation- so I take Adenosyl B12 and also Lithium Orotate to support this use. [It gets reduced-7 is NOT the Lithium used in very heavy doses for mental issues]

There's also Hydroxy B12 -and these are both sub lingual.

Taking Methyl B12 is not good for the percentage of people with double polmorphs with COMT gene, basically.

On the iron issue I've been appraised, by a Health coach I much admire, that over supply of Iron and Copper under the wrong conditions of LOW Ceruloplasmin [the protein transporter of these two] can cause many long term oxydization and inflammation issues. If anyone like to pursue the site is Magnesium Advocacy Group , on Facebook.

[PinkNinja in reply to trevg]

Interesting information! Thank you

[lola1956 in reply to trevg]

Thanks for your help and very detailed information you have given me . Nice to see you back on here ☺

[lola1956]

i find that even armed with the print out of blood tests the doctors still will not believe what is written down

[lola1956]

tsh is 4,61 mu/l (0.27-4.2)............t4 level 14pmol/l(10-24) doctors at my surgery say i am now treated and i am normal....... get checked in 3 to 6 months????????

[PinkNinja in reply to lola1956]

This is not right, for most people. Dr Toft states in his booklet 'Understanding Thyroid disorders' (published in association with the BMA) that many people need their TSH in the lower part of the range and their T4 at the top of the range or, in some cases, slightly above the range. He also states the same in his Pulse statement to GPs. You might want to get a copy of the Pulse article from Louisewarvill if you are having trouble getting your GP to listen. You might also want to consider a different doctor that actually knows what they are talking about!

Your GP should be increasing your dose every 6 weeks until your symptoms go. That is even stated in the guidelines that we all rather dislike. Of course, it does state this should be done with TSH in range, which we know doesn't always work.

Looking at your results you are still hypothyroid. Your TSH is still above range and you are taking thyroxine! That is just plain wrong.

[lola1956]

on that last figures for thyroid i gave you the laboratory has clearly written abnormal but my doctor says ignore

[PinkNinja in reply to lola1956]

Your doctor is wrong and is being negligent. You really need to change doctors if at all possible!

[Hidden in reply to lola1956]

that's awful - they rely heavily on the TSH test then ignore it! Keep persevering - you know things aren't right and it's your body after all. Hugs Jane

[lola1956]

the sad thing is that i know he is wrong but its finding the strength to know what to do next, now hes saying i may have bowel cancer ? i feel awful every day "me" is not here anymore, iam very cold ache all over,the most overweight i have ever been , hair falling out , swollen ankles very depressed i could go on , yes your right i need to change doctors,i will see if louise can get me the pulse article, thankyou