Thyroid

[1cookie]

Managed to get an appointment with my usual doctor. Previous thyroid test results, tsh 1.58 and T4 13 asked doctor to do a t3 and antibodies test which she has agreed to request however explained the lab might reject as thyroid results show as normal. She said that if my t3 was low that my tsh would be extremely high which they are not. Apparently a T3 test is to determine hyper not hypo!!!!!! Hope they don't refuse as she said going private could cost hundreds. Any advice or comments would be much appreciated. Thanks

[Marz]

Oh dear - poor thing. Yet another Doc that missed the 10 minute lecture on thyroids You could always offer to pay for the FT3 test on top of the NHS ones - that should throw her !! The test is important to see how LOW the FT3 is - in which case the T4 is not converting . Yes if the FT3 is over range then it may suggest Hyper ....

I suggest you have your thyroid anti-bodies tested - Anti-TPO and Anti-Tg. You may have Hashimotos - in that case you can have low or in range TSH - FT4 - FT3 but high anti-bodies. I did As it is the most common of thyroid issues EVERYONE should be tested....

There is information on the main Thyroid UK website about private testing and prices. Think she is trying to scare you !

[1cookie in reply to Marz]

I asked how I could get the T3 done private if the lab refuses and she said it would just be a matter of referring me but could cost hundreds. She said the lab will defo she the antibodies though so if I had Hashimotos would this show on the antibodies test results?

[Marz in reply to 1cookie]

healthunlocked.com/api/redi...

Yes if you have raised/over range anti-bodies then it will confirm Hashimotos. Do you have any gut issues ?

T3 testing does not cost hundreds. As I said before she is scaremongering - that is unkind and unsupportive. I could be ruder !

[1cookie in reply to Marz]

Yes major gut problems. I take omeprazole 40mg daily and have done so for a few years now. Also ecpkained to the doctor today that although recently been put on laxido and bysicodol for constipation that the feeling of nausea is still awakening me during the night as i must need the toiket but don't have the feeling to go

[Marz in reply to 1cookie]

You should NOT be allowed to stay on Omeprazole for a long period of time - that is wrong. So that means your B12 will be on the floor and making you feel terrible. You probably have LOW stomach acid - as is often the case when Hypo. So suppressing the acid is criminal.... Could you not try a more natural product - like Betaine-HCL ? Constipation is another symptom. Try taking Magnesium and VitC - that will soon cure the constipation. Kepp increasing the VitC until it eases

Funny that I have not met you and yet I suspected stomach problems - The medications for constipation will do untold harm in the long-term. I had Crohns diagnosed well over 40 years ago so know a thing or two about guts.

So please ensure you have the following tested too - B12 - Ferritin - Folate - Iron - VitD. When you have the results post them with ranges and people will comment.

Are you taking any other drugs ? Could be they are skewing your thyroid test results.....

[1cookie in reply to Marz]

If I don't take the omeprazole i'm in pure agony. I take vit c every morning and have done so for months now. So is the B12 etc part of the antibodies test or is it separate?

[Marz in reply to 1cookie]

B12 is a separate test - as is the Ferritin - the Folate - the Iron - the VitD. How much VitC are you taking ?

[1cookie in reply to Marz]

So is it easy enough to get my doctor to test all these or would it be another battle?

[Marz in reply to 1cookie]

It should be routine when you are trying to establish what is wrong with a patient. You could say you are keen to establish that the building blocks of your health are in place before any treatment commences.

Rather than give you a PPI - Omeprazole - he should be looking for what is causing the problem rather than treating the symptom. Also he should be aware that it blocks the production of B12 - and that creates very serious health issues when LOW. Docs are trained in establishments that are supported and funded by Big Pharma. PPI's are a big earner - and causing even more damage.

Same with your constipation - what is the underlying cause....Hypo ? Diet ? Dehydration ?

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

[Angel_of_the_North in reply to 1cookie]

Sadly, omeprazole has a sort of rebound effect in that it causes violent reflux when you stop it, so you have to wean yourself off it gradually by taking lower doses along with ordinary antacids until you can eventually stop both - takes at least a year, I think. It was designed as a medication for short term use only.

[rayjay]

It won't cost hundreds to test privately! I recently had TSH, TT4, FT4, FT3 and both antibodies tested via Blue Horizon Medicals and it cost just over £100. I did this because the lab refused to test more than TSH and FT4.

Also T3 won't necessarily be high with a low TSH - my TSH was mid range and both FT3 and FT4 were both on the low side. I have now been referred to an endo after I refused to accept that everything is fine just because the labs say 'normal'.

[1cookie in reply to rayjay]

So who has referred you to an Endo? And do you have to pay for this? If I contact Blue Horizon what do I ask for, i don't really have much knowledge on this I just know how I'm feeling.

[Marz in reply to 1cookie]

See my link above - about Private Testing...

[rayjay in reply to 1cookie]

I have been referred by my gp, probably to get rid of me because I was being a pest and would not accept her diagnosis of cfs without being certain there isn't a treatable reason for my symptoms. You can get the info on private testing from the Thyroid UK website and they have secured discounts. Blue Horizon do different types of testing - I opted for the finger prick test that I could do at home as my surgery charges for private phlebotomy services. It was easy to do and I got the results by email within a couple of days.

My advice is to do as much research as you can and be assertive with your gp. If you are knowledgeable on the subject they are less likely to be able to fob you off. My gp was quite flummoxed when I presented her with all my research notes and immediately did the referral!

Good luck, hope you get some answers x

[1cookie in reply to rayjay]

I actually took some notes with me today, she had a quick glance but looked at nothing over the page. Thanks for your replies

[Angel_of_the_North in reply to rayjay]

Exactly. T3 can be low with any level of TSH. My T4 looks OK (not bottom of the range) while both my T3 and TSH are at the bottom of the range. Either I don't make TSH or I don't make TRH, and when I do, I don't convert the T4. Not uncommon, I think.

[1cookie]

What is NDT? I don't really feel i have much knowledge on this and worry that I will just put their backs up if i'm trying to tell them how to do their job

[Poshpenny]

Get on the thyroid UK website, and start reading, there is loads of info on there and it will help you immensely