New to group: Hello everyone! So glad to have... - Thyroid UK

Thyroid UK

140,286 members165,002 posts

New to group

rottilover64 profile image
5 Replies

Hello everyone! So glad to have found this group! I have hypothyroidism due to removal of my thyroid when I was 7 and diagnosed with Graves. I also have fibromyalgia and peripheral neuropathy. On a side note. I've been an EMT for the last 16yes but never thought that my thyroid levels could possibly be the cause of most of my probs! I'm looking forward to learning more thru this blog!

Written by
rottilover64 profile image
rottilover64
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
Read more about...
5 Replies
shaws profile image
shawsAdministrator

Welcome to our forum and you will get responses from those who have/had Graves.

7 is a very young age to have had a disrupted thyroid hormone condition. What is EMT, please?

cjrsquared profile image
cjrsquared in reply to shaws

I think EMT are emergency medical technicians, one down from a paramedic in the ambulance service.

shaws profile image
shawsAdministrator in reply to cjrsquared

I thought it was a medicine i.e. on EMT :) A big difference and thanks for translating.

helvella profile image
helvellaAdministratorThyroid UK in reply to shaws

Have a look here:

dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u...

Some might suggest that helvella added EMT after this thread had explained what it stood for, but I couldn't possibly comment. :-)

humanbean profile image
humanbean

For anyone with a thyroid condition who doesn't feel well there are several likely culprits. Low vitamin and mineral levels is a very common reason for not feeling well. Being under-medicated or wrongly-medicated is another reason.

I wonder if you are taking levothyroxine? People with no thyroid usually need more than just levothyroxine. I don't know if you know this, but Levo (also known as T4) is actually a synthetic storage hormone with almost no activity of its own. In order to be useful to the body it has to be converted to T3 which is the active hormone. In many people on thyroid treatment for hypothyroidism, levels of T3 are too low and this is what causes many of the symptoms people get.

There are alternative ways of treating hypothyroidism. You could have T3 added to your dose of levothyroxine. You could take NDT (Natural Dessiccated Thyroid - a very old treatment which is made from the thyroid of pigs) which is popular with many people who try it. Or you could try taking T3 on its own (an option doctors rarely prescribe).

You would need to ask your doctor for some blood tests to help you find out what needs to be done to help you feel better. You would also need to get copies of those results with the reference ranges. Tests to ask for :

TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone)

Free T4 (NOT Total T4)

Free T3 (NOT Total T3)

Vitamin B12

Vitamin D

Folate

Ferritin

CRP (C-Reactive Protein)

It might help if you discovered your levels of antibodies too. I am not knowledgeable on the subject of thyroid antibodies, particularly in those with Graves' Disease.

Be aware that many people asking for blood tests for thyroid function and related issues discover to their horror that the doctor only did TSH and nothing else. If that happens to you then you could order your own blood tests. See this link, and look part way down the page where it lists some labs in the US which do blood tests without the need for a doctor's permission or approval :

stopthethyroidmadness.com/r...

Welcome to the forum. :)

Not what you're looking for?

You may also like...

new to this group

hi I am a 67 year old female. I was started on levothyroxine in 2002 by a rheumatologist tho I...

I’m new to the group

I’m on my 6th week of 25mg of levothyroxine and was diagnosed with an under active thyroid. I have...

New to the group

Hi-Unfortunately I've had to join this group as I just received a blood test result that shows high...

New to thyroid and group

Hi everyone I'm meeting to the group as somebody recommended it and also have recently been...

Hi I am new to group

I had some blood tests done last week and have just been told I am overtly underactive thyroid. I...