Have I had a Eureka moment? Really would be grateful if someone could take 5 and give their opinion....

[SandraCC]

I am hoping that this thread may get some responses - I am beginning to get a bit of a complex

Following all sorts of tests being done and with no conclusive responses to date (though I am waiting for the results for one more lot which should come through any day now) I can tell you that:-

a) My symptoms mirror those of Hypothyroidism

b) Dr P diagnosed mild Hypothyroidism

c) All Thyroid blood tests always come back within the 'normal' range.

d) Recently had cortisol done but apparently that is not conclusive as it should have been done throughout the day!!!!! (had another test of this done but results not in yet)

So, looking deeper:-

1) I was on the combined pill for 20 years

2) During that time, I came off it twice (due to pregnancy) and both times I broke out in awful acne - always on my chin and neck. At the time, I put this down to pregnancy however...

3) Since I was permanently taken off of the pill in 2010, I have an annual breakout - always on the chin and neck area

4) I never had any issues with managing weight over that 20 year period

5) In the last 5 years, I have not been able to lose weight continually or consistently.

I have been told that an imbalance in hormones can have the same symptoms as Hypothyroidism - is that correct?

Does anyone else see a pattern OR perhaps can spot something I have failed to?

Worst case scenario, is it 'safe' to treat hormones even if these tests also come back in the 'normal' range? Is there anything non synthetic available on the NHS to treat hormones for women who may have hormone imbalances i.e. just 40, not perimenopoausal just imbalanced - hormonally that is?

thanks in advance

[tinthy]

Tbh if you don't need to take levothyroxine then don't as I believe it has caused my tinnitus which is far worse than anything else. Hope you get the help you need though.

[SandraCC in reply to tinthy]

Difficult one because I don't want to go on feeling the way I have the last 5 years. Feeling like I am about to have serious burnout, I am just way too fatigued.

[tinthy in reply to SandraCC]

I know and I sympathize but tinnitus is the pits. As i write this its like a radio station stuck between channels but only I can hear it .

[Angel_of_the_North]

So what were your results for TSH, free t4 and free t3 with ranges?

You also need ferritin, B12, folate tested.

All hormones interact, so yes, any imbalance can result in symptoms that might be from a multitude of causes.

It can take years to get over the effects of synthetic hormone replacement. AFAIK the NHS only does horse pee and fake progesterone (unless you are very lucky). i did read a few years ago about an NHS GP in London who did some bioidenticals, but even he didn't believe in personalised dosing.

Don't take hormones if your body doesn't need them - you'll only end up in a worse mess.

[SandraCC in reply to Angel_of_the_North]

Hi Angel

All these symptoms started and persisted whenever I came off the combined pill the longest time being these last 5 years where I was taken off permanently. I cant believe it would take 5 years for the combined pill to leave my system.

It has to be 'other' hormone related if it is not thyroid related ie imbalance of oestrogen/progesterone. Also, if these latest results don't com back with raised cortisol I will eat my hat.

I will post the responses when I get them.

I understand what you are saying about not taking them if I don't need them though but I just do not understand what the hell else can be wrong if not these 'other hormones

[Angel_of_the_North in reply to SandraCC]

It took me about 10 years to recover from only a few month's "hormone abuse" when I was a body builder. My system just didn't want to make its own hormones any more (in a reasonable quantity). Even after 25 years, I still have low normal everything.

But I agree, everything interacts and it won't be just taking a combi pill for years, it'll be a mish mash of all sorts of different stresses and failures that just creep up on you. Hormones are like a line of dominoes - knock one out and they all go.

[greygoose in reply to SandraCC]

It's not just a question of it 'leaving your system', it's a question of your body adjusting to not being spoon-fed hormones and having to making them for itself. And balancing them, which is the hardest part. And if, on top of that, your thyroid is failing, that's going to make it extra difficult.

Do you know how many hormones there are? No. Nor do I. But there are an awful lot. And many more that haven't been identified yet. And now they're saying that vit D is actually a hormone, and vit B12 is possibly a hormone. Have you had those tested? They could be low.

And it's not just a question of hormones being 'in range', it's a question of being in the right place in the range, because ranges themselves aren't much help, and doctors have forgotten that they are really no more than a guide. It's symptoms that count. And if you have symptoms, you need to do something about it.

And having said all that, I have to admit, I Don't really understand your question. Are you saying you Don't think you have a thyroid problem? Or that, because you've 'just' come off the pill, it's just temporary? Well, the blood test results will help you decide that. I look forward to seeing them.

However, given that you came off the pill 5 years ago, I doubt that your thyroid problem is temporary. Temporary would have resolved itself before now, I should think. But even if it is temporary, you still need those missing hormones now to be able to function correctly. So, why not take them now, and see how it goes in the future. If you Don't need them, you'll soon find out.

And if you think I'm being contradictory, yes, I am. But that's hormones for you!

[SandraCC in reply to greygoose]

Hi there Grey Goose, Thanks for responding to me - appreciate that.

I know as well as anyone on here or any forum like this what 'being in range' means to GP vs the patient.

I also get that my body is clearly having trouble adjusting to the hormones since being taken off of the pill 5 years ago, I thought that the implication was that these 'hormones' from the pill were still in me which I would find hard to believe but, get that my bodies 'natural' state is not one of equilibrium and balance and I think it needs something to bring that balance back. That my weight is uncontrollable and my skin too since this time 5 years ago coupled with the fact that the only other time when I experienced this was when I was not taking the pill due to being pregnant tells me that there is a hormonal imbalance - but I don't know where it is.

Of the three hormone glands: the ovaries or testes (estrogen, progesterone, testosterone), the adrenals (stress glands) (DHEAS and 4 x cortisol) and the thyroid (TSH, fT4, fT3 and TPO antibodies) I have been tested for the TSH, FT4, FT3 etc which have always been in 'normal' range and whilst I have nevertheless been diagnosed Hypo on my symptoms alone, I wonder as I delve deeper, if it is actually estrogen/progesterone excess or deficiency that is the problem rather than Hypo as apparently the symptoms are very similar. I was hoping for some results today from the tests which I have had taken recently which are more extensive than just thyroid but they are not available yet!

So, I presented in my original email when I had issues with skin/weight and what I was or wasn't doing at that time and the only common denominator was that at all the times, I was not taking the combined pill when I was at my worst - something I had taken for over half my life by then.

I hope my query is clearer now - I really wont know definitively until these test come in, I suppose I was using this as a place to do a sense check really