TSH blood test and Hypo symptoms - Any ideas? - Thyroid UK

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TSH blood test and Hypo symptoms - Any ideas?

Joe4242 profile image
63 Replies

Just wondering if anyone could help me on this?

I'm 21 and within the last year but progressively getting worse I have had symptoms of hypothyroidism, feeling low, very little energy, heart palpitations, loss of libido, heat/cold intolerance and generally just feeling pretty rubbish, but what's bothering me the most is in the last 5 months my hair has began to shed all over and is getting worse, losing eyebrow hairs too and this is making me feel even lower.

I finally went to the doctor about it after realising what that it might be my thyroid causing this. He arranged a blood test for free T4 and my TSH. I went in to collect a print out of the results and the free T4 is said to be normal at 13.6 the range is (8.4 - 19.1). My TSH was flagged up as borderline high at 6.98 and a note of "Doubtful Significance repeat in 6 months" next to it, the range for TSH is (0.3 - 4.8) ... 6.98 seems high to me!

After reading many posts online people say TSH it should ideally be below 1 to feel good and reduce symptoms, is the doctor wrong to just ignore this as waiting another 6 months isn't ideal in my view as symptoms seem to be getting worse. Why would the TSH be high and the free T4 be normal or is this on the lower end for T4.

If anyone can help or has any suggestions that'd be really useful!

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Joe4242
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63 Replies

Hello joe4242

Welcome to our forum and sorry to hear that you feel so unwell.

Your symptoms sounds very much due to hypothyroidism but unfortunately as they overlap with many other health issues, doctors can sometimes miss this diagnosis.

Most doctors typically don’t run a full thyroid blood panel nor do they investigate the patient’s medical history, symptoms, or family history.

Instead they use a blood test result of TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) as this is the GP's gold standard for diagnosis and treatment of thyroid dysfunction. This hormone is released by the pituitary gland in the brain stimulating the thyroid gland to produce more hormone.

Many patients complain to their doctors of common hypothyroid symptoms yet because their TSH falls in the ‘normal’ range, their thyroid is declared normal.

The TSH range is controversial and even though your TSH is clearly over range, unfortunately doctors can still be reluctant to treat until it reaches 5 or over with symptoms, or 10 without.

I would advise asking your doctor for Levothyroxine (thyroid hormone medication) and pointing out your lack or eyebrows, hair loss and lethargy (all classic symptoms of hypothyroidism) or asking another doctor for a second opinion. This problem needs investigating and treating as will only get worse if left and could lead to a longer recovery.

joe4242, it is also advisable to ask for your Vit B12, Vit D, Folate and Ferritin levels to be blood tested. Long term thyroid issues can cause deficiencies in any of these which may impair recovery and so require supplementation.

Levels need to be top of the range.

Most people function best on a TSH of 1.0 or below and a T4 in the top quadrant of range. When we feel ill, what we need is support and guidance but sometimes we have to shout loudly and be persistent.

Good luck and I hope you feel better soon,

flower007

Joe4242 profile image
Joe4242 in reply to

Cheers for the quick reply!

Surely the doctor should be therefore open to treating it as mines quite over 5 and with symptoms that seem to be worsening?

I will go back and ask for the test you mentioned and ask for my T3 to be checked also as then I might know more as to whether it needs medication.

Thank you!

Jodypody profile image
Jodypody

T4 is ok but TSH is not. Insist he reconsider as 6.98 is too high coupled with your symptoms. How infuriating. Only wish I could come in with you it's not fair you should suffer unnecessarily. You have to fight for this and get T3 tested too! Good luck. If I can help let me know. My TSH was 3.28 and I felt horrendous. Turned out it was a low T3 that was the root cause. Admin staff on here can help you with anecdotal evidence to shove under your gps nose (politely of course). Be polite, respectful, persistent and keep pushing for a trial. I hate it but ultimately you have to kiss ass to get what you want. Balling your eyes out or being over emotional doesn't help.

Gismo333 profile image
Gismo333

Hi you are perfectly right, your TSH is high. I go to Dr Hertoghe in Belgium and he has sent me studies he did in Switzerland. It says no TSH should be above 2 as the heart will eventually suffer. I have to go to Belgium to get my meds now from him. I have no gland whatsoever and my doctor refuses to treat me due to a suppressed TSH. I even carry an exemption card, shat use is that!

Your doctor really sounds clueless as to what hypothyroidism is if he can't listen and see your hair falling out. They have forgotten to look at the patient and just look at the screen which is figures that don't work. I have paperwork from a inference in Scotland. Dr Toft brought in these tests and has now announced that they are far from accurate and T4 only is not the only way to treat. Quite amazing.

Can you mail me at lynthip@aol.com as I can give you some very good information.

Joe4242 profile image
Joe4242 in reply toGismo333

That sound interesting, yeah that's the thing, I don't see how he can put down 'Doubtful Significance' when all my symptoms seem to tie in. Seems more like he is just going on what's on the screen. Even then I still think having a TSH of 7 needs more attention than just repeat in 6 months?

I'll email you in a bit for the information, thank you for that!

Treepie profile image
Treepie

Joe ,you need to get your Free T3 tested. TSH of around one is the aim once being treated with levothyroxine not before treatment.

greygoose profile image
greygoose

Your TSH is way over range, but the reason they usually want to test again in six months is that it can be raised due to an infection or something else. When they get two raised results, then they take more interest (hopefully). The problem with that is that they didn't test antibodies. If you have antibodies, the TSH can go up and down without seemingly any reason. So, what you need to do next is ask for your antibodies to be tested : TPOab and Tgab.

Having said all that, your FT4 is just a gnat's whisker Under mid-range. That is too low. So, given that, plus your loss of eyebrows - that can only be due to hypo - if your doctor knew anything about thyroid, he would treat you. He obviously doesn't. But, try and convince him that loss of eyebrows is an infaillable hypo sign, and FT4 should be in the top third of the range, and the TSH, in a healthy person, is around one. Might work, who knows!

Hugs, Grey

Joe4242 profile image
Joe4242 in reply togreygoose

Hi!

I will ask about the antibodies as I am seeing my doctor next week, is this something they are normally willing to test?

Think my initial post made out I have lost most of my eyebrows, I meant that my hair on my head had been shedding a lot all over and have recently started to notice more eyebrow hairs being lost too.

I did think that I had read that T4 around 13.5 is getting on for low, so I'll mention about this possibly being lower than is ideal.

Thanks for your help!

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply toJoe4242

You're welcome!

As to the antibody tests, most doctors Don't know anything about antibodies, so never think to test them. And if they do think about it, the lab often refuse to do it! It's a terrible situation where a lab can over-rule a doctor, and only in the UK! But, if - one day - you decude to go for private testing - best way to get your FT3 done - you can always get antibodies done then. It's best to know.

Gmcc profile image
Gmcc

I had some blood tests last year which had FT4 of 13.4, comment from the lab was "borderline low FT4".

Doctors who are knowledgeable about the thyroid, use 3.0 as the upper limit of TSH. My blood tests from 1999 had TSH of 2.35 when I a lot younger and very healthy.

TSH can be temporarily high due to acute illness. However given your symptoms FT4 & TSH should be tested again in about 1 month rather than 6 months. You should check if any relatives have hypothyrodism. If they do, tell the doctor, this will help move things along.

Joe4242 profile image
Joe4242 in reply toGmcc

Hi, what sort of acute illness would cause a high TSH? No relatives have any problems with thyroid that I know of. But I did get it tested a couple of years ago as I was always too hot or cold and got cold sweats a lot in the night and I think they said my TSH was at the higher end of the normal range, I never asked for the figure as I had less symptoms then.

Could be that its on its way up as 2 years on its now TSH 7...

What do you think the best thing to do is, wait another month or get more tests done now?

Cheers for the help!

Gmcc profile image
Gmcc in reply toJoe4242

The best info I could find on illnesses that effect the thyroid was at: nhs.uk/Conditions/thyroidit...

Different types of thyroiditis are listed, some of them acute and causing high TSH.

Would be good if you could get your blood tests results from a couple of years ago. If it is with a different doctor or lab call them, get them to forward to you or your current doctor. If the doctor sees the TSH increasing over time, hopefully they will investigate further.

MDinTraining profile image
MDinTraining

High TSH is your pituitary trying to make more thyroid hormone because it's unhappy with the amount that's been around recently. In hashimotos you can have transient spikes in your t4 as the autoimmune process causes t4 to spill out of existing thyroid cells. The feedback system in that scenario is not quite as quick to respond. The result is sometimes normal t4 with a high TSH. With those results you should be tested for hashimotos and repeat labs should be done sooner.

Joe4242 profile image
Joe4242 in reply toMDinTraining

Could it just be a case of my t3 being too low as that hasn't been tested yet and isn't T3 the one that causes your symptoms? What would be the tests needed to diagnose hashimotos?

MDinTraining profile image
MDinTraining in reply toJoe4242

T4 creates the feedback loop on the brain, not t3 so TSH is really an indicator of t4 in the body. 3 tests are typically ordered. 1. Anti nuclear antibody (not specific for hashimotos but indicates autoimmune activity) 2. Antithyroglobulin antibodies and 3. Antimicrosomal antibodies (also known as thyroperoxidase).

helvella profile image
helvellaAdministrator in reply toMDinTraining

Are you suggesting that the hypothalamus is insensitive to T3?

Are you suggesting that the pituitary is insensitive to T3?

thyroperoxidase is a relatively rarely used term. On this forum there are around 1360 mentions of peroxidase to 35 of thyroperoxidase. A brief glance suggests a similar ratio out there on the wider web. Antimicrosomal has fallen well down the list - indeed, once thyroid peroxidase was identified as the antigen, there seems no reason whatsoever to perpetuate the old term (except when referring to older sources).

We have enough confusion without using less-than-standard terms.

MDinTraining profile image
MDinTraining in reply tohelvella

I'm saying bluntly serum T3 is not part of the negative feedback loop on the thyroid.

The terms I used are the same terms that I enter when I order these tests. They are the standard in every single book I own.

Any terms used differently may just be different because I am stateside however those are right and any doc will know what you're talking about if you ask for them. Just saying peroxidase is incomplete because there are many peroxidase in the body. If anything thyroperoxidase is the more correct term. Antimicrosomal is a relic but so are some docs so I included it so the OP can ask for it.

More than likely people stopped saying the thyroid part of thyroperoxidase because this is a thyroid forum.

All of that being said, everything I mentioned earlier holds true as far as a good recommendation for the OP. If you'd like to discuss medical terminology feel free to PM me.

helvella profile image
helvellaAdministrator in reply toMDinTraining

I want to understand.

If an athyreotic person takes only T3, and T3 does not have any effect on the negative feedback, I would expect their TSH to skyrocket. Or am I misinterpreting?

Yes - there are numerous peroxidases. Unfortunately the search mechanism on this site is poor and does not support searching for phrases (e.g. "thyroid peroxidase"). Nevertheless, I am confident that by far the majority of mentions of peroxidase would actually have "thyroid" immediately in front.

Stateside may have its relevance.This is Thyroid UK's forum and the dominant usage in the UK is Thyroid peroxidase.

MDinTraining profile image
MDinTraining in reply tohelvella

Yes without t4 and just t3 you will have sky-high tsh. I had a patient the other day drop their t4 and only take t3 because of finances who came in with a tsh of 12 but was largely asymptomatic because she was taking more of the t3. A vast majority of t4 is converted to t3 at the tissue level meaning it gets converted shortly before it is used and most of it doesn't actually circulate. That's why the dominant treatment for hypothyroidism is t4. Occasionally some people are refractory to t4 only and they seem to do well with a small dose of t3 on top for whatever reason. The challenge therein becomes the danger of hyperthyroidism symptoms with the addition of the t3 because our only measure of thyroid activity is really tsh. At this point you're largely treating symptomatically and often enough it is difficult to get accurate reporting of symptoms from patients. This is where the reluctance about prescibing t3 comes in as far as I have seen.

faith63 profile image
faith63 in reply toMDinTraining

Again..t3 meds lower TSH and yyes, it is part of the feedback loop. T4 meds are not needed at all. The t4 needs to be converted to an active form which is t3. When a person, isn't converting well, t4 is a useless medication.

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply tofaith63

And most T4 to T3 conversion goes on in the liver.

faith63 profile image
faith63 in reply togreygoose

Before diagnosis with Hashi's i was diagnosed type 2 and had a mildly fatty liver, then Hashi's and i don't convert..oh, high trigs too, over 350...all connected to the Liver and inflammation. The high fats, Liver Fat, showed up when i had gained 30lbs in 3 months, by barely eating more than chicken and broth..i was very ill. The doctor sent me to a dietitian.

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply toMDinTraining

So that's what you're Learning in med school about T3! Do you have the slightest idea that it's all rubbish?

If that were the case, why did I have a TSH of zero and an FT4 of zero when I was taking a bit too much T3 only?

If that's the case, why does the TSH instantly drop when you start taking NDT, when it was high on T4?

Any answers???

faith63 profile image
faith63 in reply togreygoose

Thank you GG..i am am too upset to respond to the Dr.

shaws profile image
shawsAdministrator in reply toMDinTraining

I take T3 only and as I said elsewhere, thank God for it. My sky-high TSH is around 1 or slightly below. My assumption is whomsoever takes any thyroid hormones shortly before a blood test, it will be skewed. Therefore it is always wiser to leave a decent gap between hormones and test, approx 24 hours.

My constant palpitations and trips by ambulance to hospital ceased completely when I ceased levo. My heart calmed as did my whole irritated body tissues/joints etc. Its probably because I am not a 'theory' but an actual user. Whenever I had ECGs my heart showed no problems so I assume it was the fillers/binders in levo.

I also believe that adjusting doses of hormones due only to the TSH may result in prolonging or exacerbating the patients' symptoms.

Best wishes

PinkNinja profile image
PinkNinja in reply toshaws

My sky-high TSH from taking 100mcg t3-only is a whopping 0.03! Lol!

For anyone panicking at my low TSH, my GP is happy with this because my temperature, heart rate and blood pressure are all very healthy and I have no symptoms whatsoever of tissue over-stimulation. In fact I'm the healthiest he's ever seen me :)

faith63 profile image
faith63 in reply toshaws

Thank you Shaws..i cant respond to the man..i find it too upsetting.

shaws profile image
shawsAdministrator in reply tofaith63

Faith I am very happy the doctor in training has posted. At least it shows someone who can think on his own and expand his knowledge. What better way than speaking to people who are not responding to the 'evidence based' medicine they are using these days. He now knows far more than his colleagues and it would be good if they could follow his example. He might eventually be like Dr Hertoghe and Dr Lowe and Dr Skinner and Dr Peatfield and others of the same ilk who have put their principles first and foremost with regard to the treatment of their patients. Just take Dr. Stanislaw Burzynski who was/is persecuted because he cured cancer in many cases. I think Big Pharma is against his method as they wont get monetary gain.

youtube.com/watch?v=q2gRCL0...

faith63 profile image
faith63 in reply toshaws

I will watch this tomorrow. I didn't get the impression, at all, that he was interested in learning from us or even views it as learning. I believe he feels that we are dead wrong, will continue to believe what he was taught and find another forum. I hope i am wrong on this. I haven't seen many more replies from him, but it is too late to look. You must be up all night then?

shaws profile image
shawsAdministrator in reply tofaith63

When we are young and vital, and learning, we are filled with enthusiasm and hope for our future. We want to reach the top and gain knowledge, that's why he's put' his foot in the water here'. What's better than info from the horses' mouth?

I think our responses will have made him think so don't worry. We learn through our experiences in life, so he might listen and learn if he wants to excel in his profession and I think he must be studying Endocrinology.

Considering there's about 24,000 + on this forum he has to realise something is wrong otherwise we would have very few or no members for a start and if that happened the doctors would be doing something right. So don't despair.

I am not in UK at present so there's a two hours difference.

faith63 profile image
faith63 in reply toshaws

i hope you are right. I have never run across a doctor willing to look at any info i brought in. This doctor, did not ask questions of us and he is not responding further.

shaws profile image
shawsAdministrator in reply tofaith63

Hi Faith,

He may not have responded because he has been told that a certain way to treat thyroid patients is, levo only plus TSH. It would be difficult for him yet to disagree. It will only be when his patient isn't improving/getting better that he may be able to use his own brains once qualified and try an alternative, i.e. addition of T3, T3 only. I am sure he can read up on NDT and it would be good if he could, like Dr Lowe, Dr Hertoghe, Dr Skinner treat the person and not the blood tests. He could become a 'holistic' doctor in that the whole person is taken into account, not just their disease. Dr Lowe as we know was a genius in that he had so many 'caps' ie. Director of Fibromyalgia Research, Director of Dr John Lowe, Thyroidscience etc. etc. Had numerous publications and his book The Metabolic Treatment of Fibromyalgia should be a recommendation to all students of metabolism.

You are right that the majority of doctors disregard anything we take off the internet. But one or two might. We know too that Dr S and Dr P were hounded by the 'authorities' as they treated patients as they were taught before the blood tests were introduced. The saw at first hand that the method wasn't working for many patients, whereas new doctors haven't had the experience.

Do new doctors know what Thyroid Hormone Resistance is, for instance? Are they aware of the joint/muscle pain some patients get/have before or after treatment. Are they aware of how unwell patients feel? Not yet, not until they treat numerous patients. This doctor in training, I think, is one step ahead of his colleagues already if he is aware of why a patient isn't recovering as stated in his training. Plus, if they prescribe pain killers, anti-d's and anything else instead of maximising patients vital hormones they will be failing somewhat in their vocation and also their patient.

faith63 profile image
faith63 in reply toshaws

The doctors are taught that if labs look ok, then the patients symptoms are not thyroid related and they don't believe you can have symptoms from having autoimmune disease...high antibodies. This is what is see again and again. I have been to 4 Endo's and consulted 3 GP..all said the same thing. But now with being on t3 only my labs don't look normal..now they can blame t3 only, for my symptoms.

shaws profile image
shawsAdministrator in reply tofaith63

Yes, I think they will certainly try to blame any remaining symptoms on T3. So thank goodness we know better.

I hope you find that T3 is more helpful than T4.

You are also very correct about their 'non training' in that they are ignorant of diagnosing us on symptoms alone. A great pity and knowledge lost.

faith63 profile image
faith63 in reply toshaws

I don't believe the "good doctor" has been back or responding to our information. I sent links to the way functional medicine doc's look at disease also.

PinkNinja profile image
PinkNinja in reply toMDinTraining

I'm on t3 only and my TSH is suppressed. T3 was often prescribed in the past in order to suppress TSH in cases of thyroid cancer, for example. My doctor says my TSH is suppressed due to my taking t3 and that would certainly fit with my history. He has personally used t3 in patients for whom levothyroxine raised their t4 above the top of the range but left their TSH raised. The addition of t3 reduced their TSH so it fell with the normal reference range or, in some cases, suppressed it.

This study, and others, use t3 to suppress TSH.

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

This study shows that all thyronines (t4, t3, t2 and t1) affect secretion of TSH.

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/105890

As for a relationship between t4, t3 and TSH, recent research shows that there is no single relationship that works for everyone (we are all individuals, as Python's 'Brian' would tell us) and therefore the TSH test on its own, without considering t4 and t3 levels and symptoms, is pretty much useless.

Many of us have had our t3 reduced by doctors who don't like a suppressed TSH. If what you are saying is correct, reducing or even stopping the t3 would have no effect on TSH whatsoever. This is clearly not the case.

However, I am always keen to learn and enjoy reading scientific papers so if you have any studies that prove that t3 does NOT affect TSH, please link to them so I can have a read.

helvella profile image
helvellaAdministrator in reply toMDinTraining

Maybe if she had been taking enough T3 to be even more asymptomatic her TSH would have dropped?

Sounds like underdosing to me. Given the financial imperative to reduce costs, it seems plausible that paying for the extra T3 might be as out-of-reach as paying for the T4.

Clutter profile image
Clutter in reply toMDinTraining

MDinTraining, That just isn't true. As I said, 60mcg T3 suppressed my TSH. It's likely your patient was on insufficient T3 after stopping T4 for TSH to rise to 12.

shaws profile image
shawsAdministrator in reply toMDinTraining

Sir,

Thank you for responding to the question. The problem in this forum is that we either remain undiagnosed due to the TSH mainly being interpreted as to whether or not we have hypothyroidism. Or, if medicated, remain very, very unwell on the stipulated 'levothyroxine alone' and not allowed to take sufficient to be well.

Young doctors should again take notice of Clinical Symptoms of hypothyroidism because sometimes the TSH doesn't respond as most doctors believe. We cannot be treated on 'theory alone'. Also why is it that many are suffering/struggling but the doctors don't rise to eliminate it. Before the blood tests were invented patients were prescribed a trial of Natural Dessicated Thyroid hormones and if they felt better - that was the crux/diagnosis. Nowadays instead they are willing to prescribe anti-depressants or anything else for symptoms for which there is no blood test but only due to the clinical symptoms presented.

I consulted many doctors - an overnight stay eventually in the Cardiac Dept and was discharged next day with 'probably viral with high cholesterol'. (a high cholesterol used to be indicative of hypothyroidism). If I had lived alone 'what?!' - if I complained further would I have been seen to have a 'mental condition' and incarcerated? It was a person who had studied first aid who suggested 'thyroid' and after my doctor phoned me at home to tell me 'your bloods are perfect'. What!!!! I was by now bedridden took advice of first aider - got to hospital had blood test for my thyroid gland and TSH was 100. Not one doctor knew instinctively. One even told me after a barium swallow a few months previously that I had a 'post cricoid web' which must be removed. Had procedure and did not have anything of the sort - discharged. What was on the X-ray I asked - I got no answer (I now know if was my Thyroid Gland).

It is time that doctors who want to help and assist their sick patients follow a functional method instead of a computer print-out. Everything in theory can be examined but we are flesh and blood. Have families (worried ones) work, a life but everything has to be put on hold. Some lose their jobs, family breakdown as the doctors are saying the patient doesn't have an illness so it must be 'mental'. Of course it must if our T3 is so low. This is how we would wish to be diagnosed, treated - with compassion and kindness. To have full confidence in our doctors' ability and get well.

It's easy if we have the correct hormones. I was even more unwell on levothyroxine with far more unpleasant and painful symptoms. I am now fit and well on T3 only and I thank God for that. Many young doctors obviously want to assist and help patients recover and the job (vocation really) will be very fulfilling. We wish to have compassionate doctors not only computer/diagnosis because we are dealing with vital hormone deficiencies affecting us from top to toe. This archived link to this doctor (RIP) is full of scientific evidence and he was another doctor villified by the authorities but loved by his patients. Lots of his topics at the top of the page. Particularly T3 as he himself had Thyroid Hormone Resistance and took 150mcg daily in order to function normally. Do doctors nowadays know about Resistance?

web.archive.org/web/2010103...

faith63 profile image
faith63 in reply toshaws

Amen..Shaws!!! I am very frightened as this guy, is representative of the new doctors coming into practice. His comments sound like what i get, when i go in saying that i still feel like i did before i started meds. My Endo told me that i probably have Fibromyalgia, like many of her other patients have developed. They refuse to believe that Hashi's has symptoms.

Clutter profile image
Clutter in reply toMDinTraining

MDinTraining, T3 must be part of the negative feedback loop. I was prescribed 60mcg T3 daily for 3 months to suppress TSH post thyroidectomy for thyCa prior to RAI. Stopping T3 for 2 weeks is usually long enough to allow TSH to rise >30 for uptake of RAI.

faith63 profile image
faith63 in reply toMDinTraining

Sorry but when my ft3 is up or raise my t3 meds, my TSH lowers..t3 meds do a real good job of suppressing TSH.

KLR22 profile image
KLR22

Isn't it amazing that most doctors routinely only use TSH to measure thyroid levels and recommend it as a reliable test but then this TSH test is put down as of "doubtful significance"! Do they only trust the TSH test when it suits them?

Karen

MDinTraining profile image
MDinTraining in reply toKLR22

I agree with you. I would find the TSH very concerning. More testing and sooner is certainly warranted.

PinkNinja profile image
PinkNinja in reply toMDinTraining

This I agree with :)

marram profile image
marram in reply toMDinTraining

It may amaze you to know that there WAS a time when doctors successfully treated thyroid deficient patients without actually testing their blood over and over again, but by actually observing the extremely obvious signs and listening to the symptoms reported. They did not have to constantly keep checking the blood, because they were treated with bio-identical hormones which were very good at treating the condition and improving the signs and symptoms, so much so that many hypothyroid patients went on to live a long and healthy life free of pain and misery. That bio-identical hormone was called Thyroid BP, a natural Desiccated Thyroid product. My Nan took it for years and lived to the ripe old age of 84 - in fact she was living alone until she was 80, doing all her own cooking and housework, and I never heard her complain that she was still in pain. and she visited her doctor once a year at most.

Why are things SO different nowadays?

I leave the reader to work that one out for him/herself.

Marie xxxx

Oh - what happened to my Nan? Well, when she was about 80 in about 1958 she was given a wonder drug instead of her old-fashioned Thyroid BP.

Within a few months she was disabled due to several strokes, had sky-high cholesterol, weighed four stone more than before, and practically lived on aspirin for constant pain. She had to come to live with us so she could be cared for. Eventually she had a hip measurement of 54 inches. She was four feet 6 inches tall. My poor Nan's doctor had discovered- Levothyroxine! She died in 1962 from a stroke. Comments not needed, I reckon.

faith63 profile image
faith63 in reply tomarram

So terrible..isn't it so sad that we didn't know what we do now, to help our loved ones..terrible!!!

shaws profile image
shawsAdministrator in reply tomarram

Marram - Your Grandmother's story is what should be called 'Evidence Based Medication' and it's a very sorry story. Not the whereabouts of the TSH.

How dreadful to be healthy and fit till the age of 80 and then 'new' medication ruins your last days.

marram profile image
marram in reply toshaws

Remember, this was the era of Thalidomide. Nobody had ever considered that they could get things SO wrong.

(Apparently, though, like Levothyroxine, Thalidomide is still available, though not for pregnant women).

Three years later, my Dad died of pneumonia because they had failed to note he was allergic to Penicillin. He had had a massive reaction to penicillin dressings after a motorcycle accident in the 50s but no note was taken of this. When he got 'flu and it turned to pneumonia they did not send him to hospital but kept giving him Penbritin syrup. His mouth, throat and gullet ulcerated so badly he just stopped eating, and lost two stones in three weeks. We begged the doctor to send him to Hospital but he said it was not necessary. When he did eventually admit he was not recovering, it was already too late. He died on 15th September 1965 weighing only 6 stones 10lbs; he was only 5ft3ins tall so never weighed a lot.

I was 20 years old and a single Mum of a 9 week old baby, still mourning my Nan. Neither I nor my mother ever really recovered from those traumatic years. I was already completely off the rails, and only my son kept me from self destruction. My Nan and my Dad were the two people I loved most in the world.

By a bizarre coincidence, my Nan died on my father's Birthday and my father died on my Nan's birthday.

What is most amazing is that I still did not lose faith in doctors even then! In the words of Oscar Wilde, a 'triumph of hope over experience'. Not any more!

faith63 profile image
faith63 in reply toMDinTraining

Why not look at the symptoms? I doubt that you know what they are...beyond a few. Why do you rely on a test for everything? Dr. Lowe proved, that testing for Thyroid was unreliable, once the first test was done and sometimes never reliable, especially if someone is thyroid hormone resistant. They are especially unreliable to use as a guide for treatment and if someone has Hashi's, which causes false readings..I think doctors need the tests, to use in case of a lawsuit. So what if the patient is still suffering, as long as the labs look good. No one can prosecute the doctor for neglect.

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply tofaith63

I am very frightened for the future. If this sort of rubbish is what doctors are Learning now, and they Don't have the oomph to think for themselves, what hope is there for human kind?

We are all being poisoned by unclean air, fluoride and chlorine in our water, mercury in our teeth, and soy and other poisons in our food - there is no real food anymore. Intellects are going to suffer - I think we're already seeing that. Tempers fray more easily. With unbalanced hormones and brains filled with antidepressants people are more agressive. And now our doctors have no idea how to treat us! The human race is going to wipe itself out. And maybe that won't be such a bad thing, because we, as a race, and Big Pharma and its greed in particular, got ourselves into this mess, we've got nobody else to blame!!!

faith63 profile image
faith63 in reply togreygoose

It is Horrifying..i fully expect that when i get older or more incapacitated, i will end up being put on t4 and die of my hypothyroidism, by a Nursing Home or Hospital. This is in cards for all of us who are self treating or on dessicated.

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply tofaith63

Indeed it is. But I think I've managed to train my children well enough to be able to look after me now. But it is a constant worry!

faith63 profile image
faith63 in reply togreygoose

It is a concern. I rarely see my daughter anymore, since she moved in with the man of another color, security guard, for gosh sakes!!! Maybe he is well endowed..or something.

Why others are out working or retired and planning fun things to do, i am planning my death, because of how i feel. I am scared..i can't believe this is happening. I have not gotten to live yet either. I took care of ill children and a dying husband and now i am sick. I feel so foggy and tired all day. I can't bear to go for more tests or see a doctor again. I don't know what to do. I have started ldn again and pray it helps!!

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply tofaith63

I pray it helps, too, Faith. I've heard some very good things about it. Keep me up to date with your progress, please, let me know you're alright.

faith63 profile image
faith63 in reply togreygoose

Thank you. I really like you. I love your stories about how you are treated, your kids..even if they aren't meant to be funny..they are humorous..sad and humorous!

faith63 profile image
faith63 in reply tofaith63

Oh..and the insane ex husband..!!!

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply tofaith63

lol Yes, best to make a joke out of everything, if you can. Laughter is the best médicine. One day, I will tell you how laughter cured my toothache! I really ought to write my mémoires... lol

faith63 profile image
faith63 in reply togreygoose

you could do a little blog!! Your mind is still good..i feel i am losing mine.

shaws profile image
shawsAdministrator in reply tofaith63

Faith I am so sorry you are still struggling to get well. It is a worry for us if we get to a 'certain age' and the doctor(s) decide for us what is best, instead of us getting what suits us. I think we shall have to make a 'living will' if we are to live a reasonable pain-free life.

faith63 profile image
faith63 in reply toshaws

Thanks Shaws..but do you think a doctor would have to allow me t3 only, for example, when he is in charge of my care, in a hospital setting, if he doesn't agree or thinks it is detrimental? ? I really doubt he would HAVE to follow my orders, being as most only do TSH and this is totally exceptable.

shaws profile image
shawsAdministrator in reply tofaith63

Marz has just posted an article with Dr Mercola and Dr Kendrick. It is a must read. We have been 'blinded' by promotions over these past years by data wrongly processed and the rush to make money.

faith63 profile image
faith63 in reply toshaws

i will try and find it..thanks.

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