Hypothyroidism symptoms or PMR?

[Bird-Girl]

Finally went to drs AND fasted from food and Levo (and lucky I did) as after discussing my symptoms the Dr said he thinks I might have PMR (Polymyalgia rheumatica). 

Link here if you are experiencing these symptoms (or are just curious): arthritisresearchuk.org/art...

Strange as I am only 38, but he said it is because of the auto-immune condition(s) I have.  But I have ensured that he has blood tested for EVERYTHING.  He also informed me my B12 is normal,l when last tested was 489.

I should hopefully get my blood results this afternoon for ESR (inflammation indicating PMR), Thyroid, Liver Function, Kidney, Cholesterol, HbA1c...er...I think that's it

Has anyone else here had experience with PMR?  Or is this just another fob off from a Dr who doesn't want to admit it is thyroid related?

[shaws]

I haven't but a doctor/scientist also Director of Fibromyalgia Research Foundation) who treated patients with 'fibromyalgia' and/or hypo says:-

Excerpt - go to date November 13, 2002

My impression is that most doctors and researchers don’t know that too little thyroid hormone regulation of cells in the brain stem and spinal cord can induce and sustain pain. When a hypothyroid patient is under-treated or denied treatment with thyroid hormone (the standard provisions of conventional medicine), and her main hypothyroid symptom is chronic, widespread pain, her doctor is likely to diagnose her pain as "fibromyalgia."

After the fibromyalgia diagnosis, conventional treatment will follow. This will entail various medications that don’t correct the underlying cause of her pain (hypothyroidism) and that are largely ineffective. Through conventional care, her health is likely to deteriorate further over time—partly from her continuing hypothyroidism and partly from the adverse effects of conventional medications. To avert this from happening, I suggest that you and your daughter promptly abandon conventional medical care, and at the same time, get her under the care of an alternative doctor who’ll competently treat her for her hypothyroidism. I wish her the very best.

web.archive.org/web/2010103...

[greygoose]

Bird-girl, you do know that your TSH will be low this afternoon, don't you? However, l doubt your doctor does, so be careful he doesn't want to lower your dose using that as an excuse.

He doesn't know about B12, either, does he. Yours may be in range, but it is far from optimal. Optimal is 1000. And anything under 500 can cause irreparable neurological damage, so you really ought to supplement that.

[Bird-Girl in reply to greygoose]

Thank you for that Greygoose forewarned is forearmed

I am lost about all this and can't believe the doc doesn't know about this? !

I have had my results back but the receptionist didn't want to give me them? ! She said that my dr would take me through it on Monday

However,  I did get out of her:

TSH 2.7

Free T4 15

ESR is 19 when the optimum range is between 3 & 9.

Any advice re the best supplement for B12 (apart from bakers yeast ) would be gratefully received!

TYIA

[greygoose in reply to Bird-Girl]

lol No, I wouldn't recommend baker's yeast. Either Solgar or Jarrow. You want 1000 mcg sublingual methylcobalamin. Get them on Amazon because they never have the right one in health food stores or pharmacies. And, with it you need to take a B complex, to keep the Bs balanced. Look for one with methylfolate rather than folic acid. Thorne do some good ones.

Doctors Don't know anything about thyroid because they Don't do much about it in med school. I think they have about one afternoon in the whole of their seven years. And, it would seem, you can't cover very much in one afternoon. All they learn is to test for TSH, and then follow the computer for diagnosing and treating. And the best treatment - or so they learn - is T4 only. So, they stick slavishly to that. I've met doctors who didn't know what T4 and T3 were - they didn't even know that levo was T4. lol So, they certainly wouldn't know about the subtleties of taking blood. That's why we have to learn as much as we can to make up for their ignorance.

[Bird-Girl]

Glad I made you laugh Greygoose

You and others might be interested to know that you can get the Jarrows one cheaper and with free delivery on Ebay

Sorry for all the questions but what did you mean about my TSH result being low in the afternoon?  As I made sure I fasted and had the blood test early yesterday morning - i got the results in the afternoon as that's when they are available

[greygoose in reply to Bird-Girl]

Ok! Sorry! I thought you said the test was in the afternoon. My bad. lol

Just been thinking... this is the first time I've ever heard of PMR. Is this a new disease they've just come up with? The name is pretty meaning less. Both polymyalgia and rheumatica both mean, more or less, 'pain everywhere'! Is this another dustbin diagnosis like fibromyalgia? Googled it, and one site suggested if was another name for fibro! I think it's just another thing doctors say when they have no idea what's wrong with you. But it's more than likely low T3.   

[Bird-Girl]

I think you're right y'know as when I googled it Fibromyalgia came up every time!

I feel that I am fighting a losing battle now as I am unable to afford any private testing or medications as am on benefits government cr@p and system $h!t...blah blah guess I have got to try and screw the system now for all its got as they are choosing not to treat me correctly and they wonder why people are remaining on benefits?!

Ok rant over