Levels

[JellyJac]

Ok just quickly before I nip out. Had a rather disappointing visit to docs. He refused to do a new test and showed me my results from April. My t4 was 17.2 and my t3 was 3.2. Both within normal wage. He has given me another 2 months of orlistat as I had lost 2 lb this month, he said it was obviously working. I told him that I always eat a fat free healthy diet and have been exercising an hour a day although it's killing me, and I should have lost much more than that under normal circumstances. Again he used the age card. " well it is more difficult as you get older"! He obviously doesn't believe a word I say. Anyway; at least I got my t3 and t4 results. Any opinions would be welcome.

[Hidden]

I don't suppose you have the ranges for those results, do you? If the lab's used the range that's commonly used here in the UK, I'd say that FT3 value looks on the low side. And looking back at your earlier post, your TSH is 3.8? In my book, that makes it well worth trying a larger dose of thyroid hormones before throwing yucky Orlistat at you.

And you're 45? For heaven's sake. What do these doctors think of us? They obviously assume we sit around all day watching Jeremy Kyle (erm, apologies to all those undermedicated people who barely have enough energy to watch Jeremy Kyle). But your last post indicated that actually, you have a pretty busy life with more exercise in it than most!

[JellyJac in reply to Hidden]

Hi lilymay, I didnt get a good look, they were on his screen. Theybseemed to be on a scale and from what I can recall the T4 looked to be at the high end of the scale. The T3 was around the middle... I do have an extremely busy life and force myself to exercise daily, but I am almost on my knees by the end of the day... I said to him I am finding it extremely difficult to get the energy to exercise, he then told me to not do so much... I cannot win!

[Hidden]

I think I would check out whether you should be taking Orlistat as I think it can inhibit the uptake of thyroxine,which wouldn't help you much.I think I'd be careful

I was prescribed it some years ago and had a lot of success with it but eventually gave it up.I had a gallbladder attack and was diagnosed with some gallstones.

I wonder if there is any advice about this on your Orlistat patient leaflet ?

I think I would concentrate on getting thyroid medication sorted to optimal level in order to help you feel better.

[JellyJac]

I agree marfit. So peeved that he is throwing orlistat at me but wont even entertain that I may need more t3

[JellyJac]

P.s. I wont be taking any more orlistat.

[Angel_of_the_North]

Orlistat will prevent you from absorbing fat soluable vitamins. Low fat diets are a bad thing in general. 2lb a WEEK weight loss is what you'd expect for 'just a diet', so I'd say it isn't working as the ads say you'll lose more than by dieting alone. 2lb in a month is just normal fluctuation. Your T3 is low. If you've been taking fat binder your vitamin D is probably low too (and can cause aches and pains and poor immunity). You also need good ferritin - 70-90, B12 - top of range and folate to convert T4 to T3. And your T3 is too low. Are GPs paid by diet companies?

[JellyJac]

I knew it wasn't working for me as I hadn't had any of the side effects described by others who had taken it. I told him that as I have always eaten a healthy diet I didn't think it would work, but he insisted that as I had lost, I should carry on.

Oh he also told me that Levothyroxine had T3 in it when I asked to be prescribed T3.

I am at my wits end with him and have decided to go to a private doctor or Endo. Just trying to find a good one in my area (Liverpool)

[greygoose in reply to JellyJac]

Ummm... you do know he's wrong about the levo, don't you? lol Change doctors! Quick! This one is a moron!

But, you know, low fat IS NOT a healthy diet. It is a very poor diet. You need fat! It doesn't make you fat. In fact, research has shown that those that eat the most fat lose the most weight! OH! I hear you cry, but it's full of calories! Good!!! Calories are good things for us. You cannot convert if you don't have enough calories - that could be why you're not converting - because you aren't converting very well at all!

Hypos, in general, need more calories than the average. Low calorie diets are bad for us. We also need fat to make hormones. Low fat is bad for us. Low salt is also bad because the adrenals need salt, and we need the adrenals for - among other things - conversion! It all comes back to that...

Which leads me to exercise. Sorry, but you should not force yourself to exercise everyday. You may enjoy it, but the fact that it nearly kills you is nature's way of telling you that you shouldn't be doing it. Why? Because exercise uses up your T3 (and your calories) and you haven't got enough T3 to begin with! It really would be best if you could leave your exercising until you are on a decent replacement dose and your T3 is at a decent level (for you).

In any case, your increase in weight is probably not due to fat, it's something called mucin that we hypos get, that retains water. No diet or exercise is going to help that! Only getting more T3 is going to help it.

Besides, you go to work, don't you? You do the housework, don't you? Cook and vacuum and all that stuff? That is exercise! You don't need to go to a gym for exercise, every move we make is exercise. And that is more than enough for you in your present condition.

So, my advice - if you want it -

a) eat more fat and calories.

b) exercise less

c) forget about the horrible orlistat, which is probably doing more harm than good

That should make you lose more wieght for a start!

c) find out why you aren't converting - is it

a) your adrenals? Try taking vit C, liquorice, make sure you get enough salt

b) low iron, vit C vit D, selenium, zinc? Try and get them tested. If low, supplement.

and d) when you've done all that, see how you feel.

Hugs, Grey

[humanbean in reply to greygoose]

I wish I could recommend this (Grey's) post more than once!

[greygoose in reply to humanbean]

Why thank you, Human! I'm glad you like it. lol

[humanbean in reply to greygoose]

I get very frustrated by the number of people who post and say that they have been living on "fresh air and hope" for years while being told they need to eat less and exercise more. Blaming the patient and telling them to do exactly the opposite of what they should do to feel as well as possible (under the circumstances) drives me nuts!

[greygoose in reply to humanbean]

I know what you mean. But doctors just have no idea. They know nothing about thyroid and they know nothing about nutrition and weight control. A lethal combination!

[JellyJac]

Thanks for your reply Grey. Yes, I do know he is wrong about Levo but I fear for those who don't. He is a mass of contradictions, he told me last time I was not doing enough exercise this time he told me I am doing to much. I have always had the utmost respect for him but as I research more I realise he is not interested in my health at all.. I am sure he looks at me, see's "overweight and old" and thinks lazy and liar!

Thanks for your advice grey. I am at the moment exploring the option of going private and trying to find a sympathetic specialist, or self medicating. (I have ordered T3 from Turkey)

You are right though, I have a very busy life in any case. I don't drink or smoke, I have cut out caffeine salt and sugar due to suffering with Menieres disease and I eat healthily and get as much exercise as I can (as well as housework etc..) My excessive weight gain is a mystery to me.

I will try to get a full thyroid test as you recommend when I can find a decent doctor who will agree to this.