Holistic or Chemical Approach to Treatment?

[MikeR]

Ladies and Gentlemen, how do?!

As someone who hasn't had my condition confirmed by the medical fraternity, I suspect that an autoimmune disorder has taken to blight my health. Having spent 30 years running and keeping pretty active, when presented to the medical profession a seemingly very fit 54 year old, with normal blood results the diagnosis I received was one of a psychiatric nature. I.e. My anxiety deression and low mood were merely fixations of the mind. To which a firm response was duly returned suggesting 'they were completely wrong'.

A verbal conversation with my doctor (or his receptionist) about a TPOab et al test confimed my innermost fear reporting back a test result of 390+

My question is this: If my symptoms are thyroid related but my immune system is attacking my thyroid I don't actually think that the immune system is limiting its attack to just my thyroid. In which case medical itervention to tackle the symptoms of thyroid disfunction would be misplaced as surely the 'root cause' or inflamatory markers (TPOab) should perhaps be addressed via diet in the first instance?

I'd love to hear your views. Thank you.

Mike

[shaws Administrator]

If you have a copy of the blood test results with the ranges (for your thyroid function) and post them it will enable members to comment.

Nowadays, the diagnosis is built only upon the whereabouts of the TSH unfortunately. Did they do a Free T3 blood test as well as the usual ones? If our T3 is low, we cannot function normally as everything is too slow, i.e. pulse and heartbeat. The brain contains the most T3 receptors.

If our thyroid gland is failing, it also affects all other organs and our metabolism.

[MikeR in reply to shaws]

I'm still trying to pull all the results together but its proving difficult as my doctor is two hundred miles away! 30th June TSH 4.2 (had been at 4+ for last 5 years). T4 11.8 T3 not tested.

3-8-15 TSH 2.4 Free T4 13.1 T3 not tested.

17-8-15 TSH 3.1 T3 1.1

2-9-15 TPOab 390 still waiting for a copy of the remaining results.

[greygoose in reply to MikeR]

Do you have the ranges for the FT4 and FT3? I presume they were Frees. Your TSH is high enough to give you symptoms, but as doctors have no idea what the symptoms are, there's little chance of them taking them seriously.

It would be lovely if we could do something about our antibodies. But, as medical science stands at the moment, that's another thing doctors Don't take seriously! They try not to test them because they Don't know what to do it the results are positive.

As for diet, you could - and maybe should - try going gluten-free. That works for some people and brings their antibodies down. Some people find that dairy-free is best for them. Definately cut out all soy. And as much sugar as you can. But be aware that none of that works for some people. It didn't for me.

And that's about the best you can do. Unless... you can find someone to treat you with LDN. Now, I can't answer any questions about that, because I've never been able to try it, but I know it helps an awful lot of people. But the odds are, your doctor has never even heard of it! So, send him this link, and he can find out about it for himself :

ldnresearchtrust.org/

[shaws Administrator]

This is a chart which may be helpful. Doctors are told to wait till the TSH reaches 10 before prescribing. Some do prescribe around 5 with symptoms. Before the blood tests were introduced we were prescribed due to our symptoms only.

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/testin...

[Marz]

I live in Crete and was diagnosed with Hashimotos in 2005. The TSH - FT4 - FT3 were all within the range but I had very HIGH anti-bodies and the scan revealed nodes. So treatment began - as my GP explained it was to support the thyroid whilst under attack from the anti-bodies. I am now T3 only.

I also have Crohns, so diet has always been high on my agenda - healing the gut seems to be the way forward for so many conditions - from heart problems to alzheimers. I was once having Ayeurvedic treatment in India - the advice they gave was - if it doesn't grow don't eat it !!