so money CAN buy health

years ago ,my mum used to say , your health is everything , without it you have nothing... hmm i never DID understand that properly until the time came round for me to prove that quote!

she also used to say, money cant buy you health... well its starting to become apparent , that that may not be true! i have spent hours staring at blue horizon, even filling in the order form for my thyroid tests... 200 quid? phew , its a dream for me... so on i battle with my inferior choice... waiting in line patiently until i eventually find a doc that knows what they are doing... my search goes on.

[Jazzw]

£200? What were you ordering??? You really don't need more than the Thyroid 10 test at £79. homebloodtests.co.uk/epages...

[Hidden in reply to Jazzw]

oh right, i shall check that out , thankyou... i was looking at the test that does 20 things... thankyou for cheering me up. x

[Jazzw in reply to Hidden]

No worries. From what I've read of your posts you need to know what your FT3, ferritin and B12 is doing - and the Thyroid 10 test will tell you all of that.

[Hidden in reply to Jazzw]

going to go for that one when i get paid... xx

[Treepie in reply to Jazzw]

I paid £69,must have been special offer.

[bluebug in reply to Treepie]

They do randomly have special offers.

[Jazzw in reply to Treepie]

Yes, I thought £69 cos that's what I paid last week but when I went to get the link I had to edit my post to £79. It is all a bit random.

[looselywoven in reply to Treepie]

There is £10 off if you order it through Thyroid UK

[Pastille]

Hidden , your doctor should test ferritin, folate, Vitamin D and B12. T4, TSH, all you really need from BH is the FT3 test at £29 or RT3 should you need that. Obviously it would be ideal to have all these tested together but it is not always possible, Good luck.

[Hidden in reply to Pastille]

thankyou pastille, i would definitely like the rt3... i feel this is quite an important one? i also feel my adrenals may be struggling, have been so stressed for several years now... taking its toll... i shall definitely get the finger prick test from blue horizon... how easy is that?just pop it in the post n its done! hope you are well x

[Pastille in reply to Hidden]

Yes they are ALL important. I want to have adrenals tested myself, but sometimes it just has to be one at a time and baby steps, that's all I'm saying. By all means get everything you can done. Hope you start to make some progress soon. I gave up on GP long time ago.I Just get the levo from him and whatever blood tests he will do. other than that he just offers me Prozac, Zopiclone and Omeprazole. Just pointless really

[Hidden in reply to Pastille]

i was told i was 'depressed' .. i said no, am not depressed, just pissed off that no one is listening to me, in turn that leads to frustration which shows with tears and moods.. i want to be excited about life again, i watch my friends and colleagues living full lives, and i want that for me too!

i am so worried i get diagnosed as having cf or fibromyalgia... these do exist i know, but i feel are symptoms of my hypothyroidism rather than a primary illness.... am getting fobbed off , so will defo start to self medicate in time... before all my waist length hair falls out.. .cruel!

[Pastille in reply to Hidden]

My hair was falling out by the handful, it was dull lifeless and flat, it's okay now, full and shiny as it was before. You just need the right amount of thyroid hormone, and all nutrients at optimal levels. I'm not saying I have, I'm still experimenting, but I'm better than I was in a lot of ways. I'm getting there, you will too, unfortunately not with your GP but you will. I really feel for you with small children to look after. I am so tired when my grandchildren have been, I go in a coma. x

[Hidden in reply to Pastille]

what else do u take apart from levothyroxine? its useless for me... took me a year to reach top levels, and gradually my symptoms went worse not better... it doesnt work for me at all

[Pastille in reply to Hidden]

A lot of people don't do well on levothyroxine, many do, many don't. Some people are on it for years before they think sod this and try something else. Some people never realise and just get treated separately for symptoms, anti-depressants etc, therefore they stay in a rut of ill health. I have just added a small amount of T3 to my levo and will probably keep it at a small amount. But I also take B12, B Complex and biotin, Vitamin C, and Iron and Magnesium. Was taking Vit D but stopped when reached optimal level. If I stuck with my GP I would still be on 50mcg of levo, told that should sort it and come back in a year. Seriously! Are you taking it at the same time each day and an hour away from all food and drink/2hours away from any supplements?

[Hidden in reply to Pastille]

i can seriously believe that! i am losing all faith in the doctors ... sad really! i too am taking biotin ,vit c , zinc, selenium, and thinking of taking the b vits too.. i did use a good combo frm boots ,vitabiotics , they were good, but stopped coz i didnt think they were working, but clearly were! trial n error... i have had some bloods done and am gonna do the blue horizon one, n then do the spit test for cortisol.. its all time and money isnt it? sounds like u are well on the way to recovery thank goodness. xx

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

ps yes, i take my levo at 6 am , i set my alarm lol.. i dont get up til after 7 and i dont eat brekki til about 9...

[Pastille in reply to Hidden]

Only through the help of the people here.

[Hidden in reply to Pastille]

i dont know how i stumbled on this forum.. but so glad i did, .... its nice to ask honest open questions, and not be laughed at. x

[Pastille in reply to Hidden]

Yes but once you learn a few things it will be you trying not to laugh at them (Gp's) lol x

[Hidden in reply to Pastille]

well, tbh i wanted to laugh at the stupid doc i saw yesterday..she asked where i was getting all my information from, and when i told her she scoffed!.. i wanted to say to her, that she should join , and may learn something! x

[Pastille in reply to Hidden]

I bet she does have a look if she never has. It is on my notes that I come here for advice. My Dr and nurse seem to think it's a good idea though. but they still won't test T3, but prob the labs decision

[Hidden in reply to Pastille]

well, i was trying for months to get t3 ttested.. i went to this new doc, she was an arse hole , no other way of putting it...arrogant.. but i had gone in with my bit of knowledge and everything she threw at me , i threw back...she said she would do a deal with me.. test my t3 if i had an open mind to the fact that it MAY NOT BE MY THYROID thats causing my probs... ha, i shook hands with the devil and said hell yeh doc, i wil keep an open mind... so i got to go to hosp and do t3 test.. she said i have unrealistic expectations.. i said .. 'well, if wanting to feel well again and not go bald is high expectations, then yes, u r right!

keep asking , and you will get... though i wont be going to see the patronising ignorant woman ever again!

[Pastille in reply to Hidden]

Well I might ask one more time but I think I will just go through BH for now. When I see true results and progress I will be sure to tell them how I got there though. They should really be made aware that their patient has had to resort to other ways to reach their 'unreal expectations' lol.

[Pastille in reply to Pastille]

I'd definitely start with the B12 and B complex though and test ferritin and get a good iron supplement if needed. Low B12 has so many symptoms and hair loss can also be due to low Iron levels. In my experience the hairloss has mainly happened with any sudden hormonal changes such as dose increases and then settled after a few weeks

[Hidden in reply to Pastille]

i agree.. its disgusting to feel this way, they have us by the short and curlys... thank goodness for the internet.. we can help ourselves rather than be trapped ... very liberating!

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Next time do say it to her.. I have got them to put a Thyroid UK poster up in our surgery. x

[Hidden in reply to Pastille]

You may have something there Pastille ..shall we start a 'LAUGH OUT LOUD' at GP's day? x

[julesdawn in reply to Pastille]

Pastille do yiu think the biotin helps with the hair loss? Once IT3 was added to my T4 and I started on a course of Vitamin D it stopped falling out. Some time later, vitamin D level is optimal, now on NDT and its coming out in handfuls again!

[Pastille in reply to julesdawn]

I really don't know, I think it does help with my hair, skin and nails in strength, condition etc but as for the actual shedding when I had an increase of T4, no. I shed hair when I first began levo and on every increase since. it does settle though, but I always shed for a while with the sudden hormonal change and I doubt any optimal levels of anything would change that tbh. It might improve it/make it happen less etc. I didn't shed any when I added T3 though, but I did reduce levo so I don't know if that made a difference, and I suppose there is still time as it's only been 6 weeks nearly. So touching wood :/

[Hidden in reply to Pastille]

good luck, maybe you are on the right road now... my hair is sly and sneaky... its doesnt come out in large amounts... i just keep noticing extremely thin patches round my temples and my parting is getting wider! ... it comes out even when i stroke it... if i hadnt seen the thin spots i woudnt notice it... sly or what!!

[Pastille in reply to Hidden]

I spoke too soon I washed my hair earlier and I can tell the difference in losing a few which is normal and losing them through hormonal changes. When it's hormonal they come out from the bulb and a few of them together, sort of a clean drop. But not too many so not too bad and I'm sure it will settle. Just goes to show how quickly we change with this! :0

[julesdawn in reply to Pastille]

I dread washing my hair! Just washed this morning

[Hidden in reply to julesdawn]

hi julesdawn... i am using biotin and selenium.. zinc and vit c... only been using a few days, so early to tell, but lots of ppl recommend it

[Iphoenix in reply to Hidden]

I hear you Martine, that was exactly what I got with my endo!

[Hidden in reply to Iphoenix]

hi iphoenix... this is all so frustrating... i aint giving up.... i think its disgusting... we are being damaged by the very people that are supposed to be helping us.... i cant understand it...

[Hidden in reply to Pastille]

Hi Pastille, your GP sounds like mine they keep 'REPEATING' on about other medication. x

[Jazzw in reply to Hidden]

Now see, I wouldn't bother with RT3. That's advanced stuff and something to worry about only once you've ruled out all of the other far more likely explanations for why levo isn't working for you. It wouldn't be a good use of your hard earned cash at the moment. Find out what your free T3 is, your Vit B12 and your ferritin first.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Thyroid plus eleven - £99 also includes vitamin D

They often have offers (esp towards end of month apparently)