Hi i dont have levels to post but know im not converting specialist confirmed.could someone please help n tell me which test to ask for to get to the bottom of this ive really had enough..been tryed on t3 n t4 felt worse then desicated (whole thyroid) with t4 no luck guessing not reaching right level..desprite..😩😩ðŸ˜ðŸ˜
Not converting..: Hi i dont have levels to post... - Thyroid UK
Not converting..
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farie02
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Hello farie02,
I am so sorry to hear that you are still feeling terrible.
I have looked at your previous posts and ask have you felt like this the whole time since your TT seven years ago?
Apart from the usual thyroid panel blood test, there is no other test farie02, unless your endo thinks there are problems with other endocrine glands.
You have tried every medication and various combinations. If this was me, I would be asking why the meds aren't working/converting.
1. Are you taking adequate meds? Without blood test results, it is hard for members to comment.
2. Are you taking meds 1 hour before food, 2 hours before supps and 4 hours before iron and calcium?
3. Do you take other meds such as antidepressants or PPI's that could interfere with thyroid meds?
3. Do you eat a healthy diet including protein, fats and carbs and avoiding raw cruciferous vegetables and anything soy?
4. Do you suffer from gut issues such as IBS, Celiac Disease, candida, etc?
5. Have you had vitamin & iron levels tested in order to address deficiencies. Thyroid meds indirectly require optimal levels of B12, Vit D, folate and ferritin to work in the body and many members have to supplement, often quite large amounts.
If I was confident all the above had been addressed, I would look at my adrenal glands. These are the stress glands and produce cortisol which is required for T4 to T3 conversion. If the body has had years of stress, both physical and mental, cortisol can go on "high alert" and become unable to switch off ( high cortisol) eventually becoming depleted (low cortisol). The symptoms of this condition overlap many of those found in hypothyroidism but are often accompanied with insulin resistence or hypoglycaemia as cortisol plays a big part in managing blood sugar levels. Do you have high or low blood sugar levels?
farie02, Cortisol can be tested by doing a private saliva stress test and details are on ThyroidUK website.
Abnormal or unusual cortisol patterns can be encouraged with the correct supplements and adaptogens.
All endocrine glands work together and inbalances can produce the most horrific symptoms. I previously told you I too have suffered weird head stuff and strange pyhscological symptoms as well as all the physical rubbish.
Believe you will get better farie02. It's just a case of finding how to make the right meds work in the right way for you.
I sympathise with you loads,
Flower007
in reply to
farie02, may find this link interesting
stopthethyroidmadness.com/t...
Flower007
Halinka in reply to
Farie, I don't have any advice as I am new to this but I am interested in why not to eat raw cruciferous veg and soy Flower007?
in reply to Halinka
oops sorry Halinka.
That advice is for those who suffer from Hashimotos as these veg can stimulate the thyroid gland so encouraging further antibodies.
farie02 has had her thyroid gland removed so I don't suppose it really matters.
thepaleomom.com/2013/04/tea...
Apologies farie02
flower007
Halinka in reply to
OK. I have Hashimoto's. So is it just these veg in their raw state. I love my cooked cauliflower and broccoli!
in reply to Halinka
I too have Hashimotos and eat cruciferous vegetables cooked.
Never touch anything in with soy either.
flower007
womentowomen.com/thyroid-he...
Halinka in reply to
Thanks Flower. Did you get my message?
in reply to Halinka
No. When did you send it?
flower007
Halinka in reply to
About the same time I was posting. It was to ask if you could paste the link to the cortisol testing. I couldn't find it on thyroid uk site. Is it a blood or saliva test? H
in reply to Halinka
The Genova Saliva stress test is not recognised by most doctors Halinka but gives you concise results of your cortisol's behaviour over a 24 hour period in order that you can consider the appropriate supplements and adaptogens.
thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/testin...
Flower007
farie02 in reply to
How do i get this test done
farie02 in reply to
Im in new Zealand how would i get this test done do they still do this far away
Halinka, do read my post above. It ha nothing to do with Hashis.
Greygoose, I don't see another post in this thread. What's the title if it? Halinka
greygoose in reply to
Flower, I would be interested in reading your source for that information. It isn't in the link you gave, she says there's no real justification for avoiding them. Besides, you would have to eat an abnormal amount for them to have an effect. In my experience - and this has always been a special interest of mine - very few hypos of any kind are affected by goitrogens. Some people react to one or two of them, be they cooked or raw, but I've never heard of anyone having a reaction to all of them.
in reply to greygoose
I think it was Izabella Wenzt but will have check gg.
I don't think this actually refers to hypos.
Just sufferers of Hashimotos.
flower007
greygoose in reply to
OK, thank you.
in reply to greygoose
gg, sorry to give wrong link.
This was my source of info but just couldn't remember.
Izabella Wentz " The Root Cause" page 89 referring to Hashimoto suffers she states " Cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower contain glusinolates, substances that block iodine uptake into the thyroid. Eating too many in the raw state can cause symptoms of hypothyroidism in someone with otherwise well controlled symptoms. Luckily cruciferous vegetables are only goitrogenic in the raw state."
Flower007
greygoose in reply to
Ok, so how do you deduce from that that they stimulate the thyroid and shouldn't be eaten by people with Hashis? What she's saying there is completely the opposite. And believe me, if you are particularly sensitive to a goitrogen, cooking it isn't going to make any difference.
in reply to greygoose
because if she advises not to eat them raw, then they need to be cooked! I don't know what else you mean gg?
The first link also stated "Sometimes eliminating the goitrogen is as simple as steaming your vegetables before you eat them"
Flower007
greygoose in reply to
I mean cooking them doesn't always make a difference.
What exactly do you think goitrogens do to you? That's the main question. Before you advise people to avoid them, maybe you should answer that. 
farie02 in reply to
6 mths after op i got told o had anxiety disorder so they put me on anti ds i never had ever had anxiety b4 thyroid....I feel its somethink to do with cortisol as i use to be on anti depressant an no longer am..so i think my body got use to the high level of cortisol now im on less its not converting but it stil reads within the normal range (cortisol) its the only thing specialist hasnt tryed to correct while try al other meds out..what supplements or adaptogens could use to help correct if its cortisol?? Im taken complex b an had b12 injection also take vit c..
in reply to farie02
Yes farie02,the adrenals work in synergy with thyroid hormones so could be compromised by now. It would be worth getting a saliva cortisol stress test done from Genova.
Depending on your results you could try adaptogens or glandulars. These supplements can be powerful and you need test results so you know what to supplement.
flower007
thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/testin...
farie02 in reply to
Im in new zealand how would this work
in reply to farie02
farie02,
I live in the UK but I googled "cortisol saliva test New zealand" and several links came up.
Obviously I haven't used these companies.
nutrisearch.co.nz/lab-diagn...
proactivehealth.co.nz/saliv...
flower007
Abbie Synthroid sorted me out!
Synthroid is only t4 and she doesn't convert..it will be useless for her!!
Yet to find y i the low cortisol
Hi Fairie02,
i suggest you ask for an "INTRINSIC BLOOD TEST " i have an underactive thyroid & for years never felt great because of exhaustion mainly, 4 years next month my Doctor took an intrinsic blood test & discovered i was pernicious anaemic, which is basically my body does not absorb vitimin B12 naturally from food so I get a B12 injection regularly it's generally given every 3 months though mine I get at different intervals that suit me, ìdo still have all the symtoms but at a greatly reduced level, ihope this information is helpful to you xx
Agree- why does your consultant think you r not converting?
What about the DIO2 gene test? Available through this web site?
It might be that you don't have enough T3 in tissues especially brain which would not be picked up in other blood tests.
Farie02, I had my TT just over 2 years ago, and had not been getting getting better. My consultant, etc did not seem to care, all they wanted was to make sure I had no thyroid! I lost my job and was was pretty much housebound, usually in bed.
At Xmas time I started seeing one of the doctors from the recommended list, email Louise.warvill@thyroiduk.org to get it. I went private and have paid about £1,500 so far. I really recommend doing this if you can.
He found my cortisol was not right, using a 24hr adrenal test. I have been taking adrenal extract and a few other things for about 2 months. Finally I am am getting getting some some improvement. At first my brain fog lifted, then I began to feel very tired but normal tired rather than fatigue, and now my energy is improving. I'm now out of bed all day, going for walks, and finding moving round the house to cook, shower, dress is hardly a problem.
I finally have hope that this is going going to take me all the way to where I want to be.
Hi I don't convert either, I take both levothyroxine T4 and liothyronine T3, from what I understand you need both... T4 takes T3 to where you body needs it. It took a while for the T3 to start working but when it did I felt better mentally. Brain fog wasn't half as bad and my memory got better. I take my T3 with my T4 in the morning and wait an hour before I eat or have a cup of tea or coffee.
Not really, it doesn't. The T3 can get there perfectly well by itself.
It's best if you can tolerate both, but some people just can't tolerate T4 in any shape or form, and live perfectly well with just T3.
If you don't convert, t4 is pretty useless..and no, you don't need both.
Hello Farie02,
I did a non-intrusive hair test with Bionetics (bionetics.co.uk) and it has been helpful to identify my Primary Stress factors and I'm in the process of eliminating them - if possible e.g. non fluoride toothpaste, mouthwashes and water.
Unfortunately ThryoidUK are not linked to them yet!
Hang in there with the rest of us......
youtube.com/watch?feature=p...
Good explanation how it all works together. Low cortisol means adrenals have worn themselves out from previous high levels.
The video did not open but it is John Bergman How to Heal Adrenals if you want to try youtube directly. It's worth watching.
There are literally maybe 15 reasons why someone doesn't convert. Just having Hashi's and high inflammation levels will cause this. You could have a faulty Gene too. Low Iron, Low or high Cortisol etc..good luck finding out which. Plus being hypothyroid, causes deficiencies in vits and minerals and increases inflammation..it is all a catch 22, double edged sword kinda thing. The best and easiest bet, would be to try t3 only..by itself, which bypasses the conversion problem. If course supplement where needed. Go up slowly on the dose. If it isn't tolerated, your cortisol may be low. Wise to have it checked first, a simple am blood test. A Free Cortisol. I know they say Saliva testing is more accurate, but for all these years prior to the invention of that, the blood has diagnosed and still does, Addison's Disease and low cortisol for other reasons. This way is quicker and won't cost you money, out of pocket.
ndt made me terrible ill too. I don't convert well, but do convert some. All vits and minerals, iron are optimal, but still don't convert well. I tracked my reverse t3 levels for 16 months. Have you had a reverse t3 test done? Would be wise to do too. T3 has helped may people..the autoimmune flare ups are bad for me.
you could try vitamin a, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/2..., i also dont convert well, after a couple of months on a multivitaminic with 6000 ui of retinol much less than the dosage in the paper, my ft3 finaly went up, and my ft4 y tsh went down, i began with tsh on 5.0 now after three months it's on 2.53 i hope it will can go lower and finaly solve this mess, i nearly lost my eyebrows, i've seen a lot of changes on my body
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