HypoT hell!

[lynlondon]

Hi everybody :)) - I am a new member. I contracted M.E. 36 yrs ago and found myself unexpectedly pregnant while still weak from the ME. After the birth of my son one I became hypothyroid with full blown symptoms. To this day my thyroid panel tests come back as 'normal'. I get upper respiratory tract infections from the least chill and have full blown thyroid symptoms and feel energy-less and cold and somewhat ill most of the time.. sometimes really ill. Other than spend £1000's more on my health (now on a UK gov. pension) .. I am flummoxed as what to do next!??

[Clutter]

Welcome to the forum, LynLondon.

Can you post your recent thyroid results and ranges (figures in brackets after results). Normal is a broad range and where in the range the results are indicates whether there is a thyroid problem.

If you've had ferritin, vitamin D, B12 and folate tested please post those results too.

[lynlondon in reply to Clutter]

Thank you Clutter for your kindly response.. here are the results as I copied them from the surgery print out:-

Results August 2015:

free T3 ... 4.3 ... (3.10 -6.80)

TSH ...... 1.04 ... (0.30-4.20)

free T4 .... 15.5... (12.00-22.00)

Thyroid

peroxidase Abs .... 20 IU/mL (0.00 - 99.00)

Results from 2014:

ferritin ...50..... (13-150)

Folate ... 9.9 .... (4.6-18.7)

B12 .... 440 .... (191-693)

The Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead London

did not test Reverse T3 and thyroglobulin antibodies

It all looks fine..but I feel far from fine alas! Looking forward to your feedback

[Clutter in reply to lynlondon]

Lyn, Thyroid peroxidase antibodies are negative for autoimmune thyroid disease (Hashimoto's). The TSH, FT4 and FT3 results are euthyroid (normal) and don't indicate thyroid problems.

Ferritin was a little low, half way through range is optimal. You could supplement iron with 500mcg-1,000mg vitamin C to aid absorption and minimise constipation but retest 6 months after you start supplementing.

B12 was also low, 1,000 is optimal. Supplement methylcobalamin 1,000mcg sublingual lozenges, spray or patches and take a B Complex vitamin to keep the other B vits balanced.

[lynlondon in reply to Clutter]

Thank you Clutter .. I'll think on your suggestions! I see that there are 5 - 6 in one article, thyroid irregularities that wont show up on tests. The whole situation is such a conundrum for me. But thank you for your kind help and suggestions :))

[lynlondon in reply to Clutter]

Getting back to normal thyroid tests. Before lab tests doctors used to go by basal body temperature according to my research. I have a low body temperature in the mornings ..sometimes in the 96 degree range, also half an eyebrow/s, little body hair, ridged nails and hard to shift weight and about 10 other 'sluggish thyroid' symptoms.. Surely that there are tests that are still not sophisticated enough like how well the body is receiving the thyroid hormones. Do I just desist from further investigations as the tests are fine?

[Clutter in reply to lynlondon]

Lyn, before the thyroid blood tests were devised hypothyroidism was diagnosed on clinical symptoms including low basal temperature, high cholesterol, etc.

As you say, serum tests won't determine whether hormone is transported to cells and utilised. People do have gene impairments affecting transport, resistance to thyroid hormone etc. but I don't know how they are diagnosed.

Some members with TSH around 3 have self medicated and found relief when they couldn't get a NHS diagnosis. Your thyroid levels don't indicate medication will be helpful but a 3 month trial should be long enough to tell whether there is improvement. Patients >60 are started on 25mcg Levothyroxine which may be increased to 50mcg after 6 weeks.

[lynlondon in reply to Clutter]

Clutter I have just listened to a video that speaks so favorably about 'Functional Medicine' on YouTube and how it can show how the mitochondria are functioning etc. through a urine test..and how too it looks at the body as a whole and not just in parts divorced from each other. This is the video title 'The most important lab test (for those with normal thyroid labs)' youtube.com/watch?v=WdqFYKd...(Not working as expected?) I have emailed a practitioner in my area for her fees.. I'll let this forum know if some good comes from this avenue. No need for a reply. and thank you so much for your supplement suggestions!

[Clutter in reply to lynlondon]

Lyn, the problem with urine tests is getting the results interpreted. I've not seen anyone on the forum able to interpret urine results for thyroid. You will need someone to interpret, probably a functional practitioner, NHS doctors aren't trained to interpret thyroid urine tests afaik.

[lynlondon in reply to Clutter]

See my post dear person.. I mentioned emailing a local consultant :))

[lynlondon in reply to Clutter]

Sincere apologies Clutter.. I see that the part of my answer regarding emailing a Functional Medicine Dr. for a consultation was cut off by the picture from the video I watched inserting itself after I merely added a link! Yes you are right I realise I would need someone to interpret urine test results.

[lynlondon in reply to Clutter]

Clutter revisiting your helpful replies.. I wish to add that I was given a low does of Levothyroxine in the past by my doctor and I self medicated with Armour Thyroid too and none of it helped. What I have not done to my poor thyroid to push the envelope and try to elicit a positive response makes me so regretful now! (too high doses of Iodine as well :()

[Clutter in reply to lynlondon]

Lyn, your results don't indicate a thyroid problem and as trials of Levothyroxine, Armour and iodine didn't improve symptoms I think it is unlikely there's anything wrong with your thyroid.

I hope the functional doctor will be able to help you find out what is wrong and help you heal.

[lynlondon in reply to Clutter]

Yes I think you are right Clutter and its soo weird that I have such strong 'thyroid' symptoms ..even 'thyroid doctors' have said I present clinically as HypoT but not chemically (tests). I'll get back to this forum if I discover something else that is and has made me feel so below par for soo long now.. putting on a brave :)) face!

[Marz]

You look great and that can sometimes be part of the problem Looking forward to seeing your results with ranges !

[lynlondon in reply to Marz]

Thank you ..Well I do have false eyelashes on as hairless from the hypoT and cheek colour.. it all paints a 'healthier-looking' pic :))

[Marz in reply to lynlondon]

As Clutter mentioned further up the page your Ferritin needs to be mid-range. It is important to improve this result. Also your B12 - anything less than 500 can present with neurological symptoms - if neglected they become impossible to correct. Really worth researching B12 and its effects when LOW. The result you have is just the result in the blood and only 20% of that is available to be used in the cells where it is needed. So that makes it very low.

b12deficiency.info/signs-an...

Scroll down for all the signs and symptoms. There is also a questionnaire which will give you more information about your deficiency

I am reading Martyn Hoopers book for the third time - Pernicious Anaemia The Forgotten Disease and B12 Deficiency. Every home should have a copy !

Also I cannot see a VitD test result.... Ferritin - B12 - VitD - Iron - Folate - are the building blocks of our health in my book and have made a big difference to my progress. Click onto my name and you can read my edited Profile

[lynlondon in reply to Marz]

Thank you Marz - I bought some Jarrow B 12 today and am heeding your folks advice.. I'll ask the doctor for up-to-date blood tests on the areas you highlight as some posted results were from last year (2014) .. I don't know what haemoglobin as a whole signifies but the nurse says my reading is better than hers! Grateful for the advice you kind people proffer :))