Where is the best place t learn easy to understand info on our conditions?

[scotchlass340]

Really struggling to understand how all this works, bloods, ranges and these other things. Feeling very wet behind ears and dont know where to start!

[puncturedbicycle]

Well this is an obvious answer, but: here! I have found this site very informative. Wiki offers good simple explanations of thyroid stuff.

I am always mindful of the vast internet universe largely filled with nonsense, so I tend to take most internet articles with a grain of salt, esp if they offer a 'simple cure' or similar. After a while you begin to feel more confident sorting the wheat from the chaff.

What sort of things are on your mind? This is a good place to ask questions. x

[scotchlass340]

Thank you puncturedbicycle, I read people talking about T3, T4, TSH (i think) NDT, Adrenaline salvia tests, different 'ranges' in blood tests, how thyroid converts stuff! I am desperate to learn what it all means, I as most of us do have put a lot o faith and trust in my doc but reading other people's experiences and my own, docs dont seem to know that much, its terrible that we have to fight for these people to listen to us and i would like to be well armed with as much info as poss for my nxt doc app. X

[puncturedbicycle in reply to scotchlass340]

Well to start, your test results will have a range which is specific to the lab which tested your blood, and this will determine whether or not your levels are considered to be 'normal' (though this is controversial in itself, as results just outside the range can also be responsible for symptoms). When you get your test results make sure the ranges are included so you can interpret them, or post them here for someone else to interpret.

T3/liothyronine is the directly available thyroid hormone and t4/levothyroxine is a storage hormone, which needs to be converted to t3. Ndt (natural desiccated thyroid) is ground up animal thyroid. Some people feel really well on one of these meds, some combine two and I believe a handful of people here are on all three.

Some people find it hard to feel well on thyroid hormones due to adrenal issues (this is more of a marginal theory that your gp will dispute) and I believe the saliva test is used to diagnose this. Adrenal problems have their own symptoms, similar to thyroid symptoms. If you do a search for it here and have a little read you can learn more.

By no means do I intend this as some kind of comprehensive guide but more of a thumbnail sketch to get you started. If I've got anything wrong I've no doubt someone will come along to clarify.

My opinion is that the nhs is not terribly good at treating chronic issues which are subtle and variable. My friend with disabling ra gets wonderful, expensive nhs treatment which has transformed her life, and I think that's because her problem is visible, painful and measureable. My Hashi's is invisible, the symptoms are subtle and can look like 'lifestyle' issues (anxiety, not enough sleep/exercise, etc). The outcomes for Hashi's patients are so variable I think it means the focus is on the patient themselves (personality, mental health) when the response to levo isn't good. x

[LouiseRoberts]

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/diagno...

This might help...

[Aurealis in reply to LouiseRoberts]

Agree, a very good place to start, you don't have to know what questions to ask

[Marz in reply to Aurealis]

....here here - or is hear hear

[scotchlass340]

Thank you for all your help even though iv been diagnosed hypo my weight does not fit with this and although i eat like a horse i can't fill myself and my body sugar seems to crash within mins i have been like this for years and been getting worse think it's a slight prob with metabolism (from what i understand thyroid and metabolism are connected?)

[Marz in reply to scotchlass340]

Maybe you are suffering with Hashimotos - which is an auto-immune condition. It can also cause you to be Hypo and Hyper at varying times. Have you had anti-bodies checked - Anti-TPO and Anti-Tg. You are right - the thyroid is the Master Gland of metabolism....

[Hidden in reply to scotchlass340]

Hi Scotchlass, I think there are some people on here who struggle putting on weight with hypothyroidism so I don't think you are alone. If you think you have blood sugar issues this might be adrenal related so you might check that out. Hopefully you will find the answers soon

[scotchlass340]

Yeh had antibodies checked and have just been on phone for copy of results so i can post them on here. The support on this site is amazing thank you everyone xx

[Sedum]

youtube.com/watch?v=bbfYcYM...(Not working as expected?) Very good info.