Confused

[gsdjj]

About 20 years ago I bought Martin Budds book called Why am I always tired. My symptoms fitted a person with Hypothyroidism. I went and got tested. "Nothing Wrong" Im told. SInce then I have had the test done about 3 times more, "Nothing Wrong". My coldness is crippling, memory loss irritating, lack of libido permanent, confusion, earaches, cant lose weight and so on it goes. I had another test last week, "Nothing wrong". Different doctors BTW.

I ask for a copy of the report and my TSH shows at 0.46, my RBC count is 3.59 and Haematocrit is 0.347. The Serum ALT from the LIver function test is also above what it should be. Now, I dont have a clue what these mean, but I thought that with low TSH, then I should have Hyperthyroidism, not Hypo. ALl my smptoms point to Hypo.

I am confused.... and cold... very cold!!!

I am hopiing to go and see this Martin Budd, but should I be going to a Naturopath or Endocrinologist, or keep on at the Doctors who seem to hate a mere patient suggesting what may be wrong with them!

[greygoose]

That TSH isn't that low, not low enough for hyperthyroidism.

Did they just do the TSH? That was wrong of them. You should also have FT4, FT3 and antibodies tested to get the full picture. You could still be hypo even with that TSH if your FT4 and 3 are low. That would be secondary hypthyroidism, where it's not the thyroid gland that is at fault, but the pituitary. If the putitary doesn't produce enough TSH to stimulate the thyroid, your FT4 and FT3 will be low and that will be giving you the symptoms. TSH isn't a thyroid hormone, but doctors Don't understand this...

[bobsmydog]

If your doctor refuses to test FT4 , FT3 and antibodies you can get these tests done yourself privately.

[MariLiz]

It would also be a good idea to ask for your levels of B12, ferritin and folate to be tested. These can be low and cause many of the symptoms similar to underactive thyroid. Hope you can get a solution to this, I know how difficult it is to try and explain to a doctor how bad you are feeling. All they want to do is look at a list of results and say, well they're ok, you must be too! Best wishes MariLiz

[gsdjj]

Thank you everybody. I guess I will have to be brave and ask the doctor to test further. I have seen there is a Naturopath near York, and wondered if she would be a good person to see.

[faith63 in reply to gsdjj]

Dr. Borenstein is in Manhattan..charged me $200 for 3 minutes of his time and a 6 months prescription for a drug for my auto immune disease. I would order my own tests and see what they say before going broke..if you have lots of $, then go to the naturopath. mymedlab, you can order your own tests ft4, ft3, reverse t3, antibodies at a good price, last i checked.

[faith63]

If Martin Budd doesn't say to get a full thyroid panel, then he is missing something. Only TSH is what he says in the book?

[faith63]

Endocrinologists suck and won't see you without a referral or some kind of odd labs to go by. You have no abnormal tests yet.