Recommend thyroid/adrenal practitioner in Dublin please?

[Jlangley]

Hi, I'm new here! I was just diagnosed hypothyroid last week. I've great faith in my GP, but based on what she has told me already and what I've learnt myself since (largely reading posts here!) I can see that this is not her area of expertise. She only tested TSH and Free T4 - which I gather is fairly normal. And when I asked what caused this she told me it was my "celtic blood"... but I can see that my lifestyle must at least play a part in this! To begin with she is treating me with 25mcg Eltroxin and I'm to go back for tests in about 2m (this time I'll be asking for T3 and rT3 to be measured also).

I had a baby 9m ago (my third) and have since then been severely sleep deprived. Just before Xmas I had dental surgery under GA which I think really took its toll. My diet's been less than ideal for quite a few months now (living on sandwiches, chocolate and tea! Standard mum-fare...), I'm depressed, fatigued, and generally in poor shape.

Having read about it, I suspect I may have some level of adrenal insufficiency as well.

Just wondering if anybody knows of any doctors in Dublin who would be a good starting point for getting cortisol and vit/mins tested etc please? I've googled a load... but I would prefer to choose based on recommendation...

Also.. any advice for someone starting this journey please?

Thank you!

[osannie]

heya, I dont have any info for you but just wanted to say hi, i am new on here too and reading your post i felt it could have been me writing it, i got diagnosed in july 6 months after having my baby, and living in cork, would be interested to hear any recommendations you get.

[Jlangley in reply to osannie]

Hi osannie, really sorry, I never saw this reply from you hence never responded. Hope your journey has been a positive one. I have to say, I’ve found it quite fascinating... It’s never been boring anyway! I haven’t ever been to see an endo or anything. As I went along asking my GP questions etc, it turned out she was more well versed in it than I realized. She was just following my lead in giving me info as I asked for it rather than bamboozling me with the science. She’s been amazing. Any time I ask for bloods to be done, she arranges it no bother (only prob is rT3. But i found out last week I can get that done in Blanchardstown ,so I might ask her for a referral there at some stage if next round of bloods isn’t up to par).

AFter a few weeks on 25mg eltroxin I started to feel well again, and that continued until quite recently when I totally fell under the weather again (multiple rounds of sickness with kids - chicken pox for them, shingles for me and a few other bouts of shite too!!!). Anyway, I got back into research mode, asked her for a wide panel of labs (which she happily sorted) and has helped me put together a good action plan for where to go next. She’s amazing and I love her!!!

I haven’t heard anything about docs/endos in Cork but I hope you got sorted. Tips I can give you from recent research/action plan:

- if you’re symptomatic and have been putting on or are unable to lose weight, leptin resistance could be an issue. THere’s a definite link to hypo there. I’m on a really clean (no sugar/alcohol/gluten/wheat) diet at the mo, just for 3 months, with HIIT exercise (I’ll start soon i swear!!!) because regular cardio doesn’t do what we need it to do, and I’m carb cycling to trick my body into thinking that I haven’t reduced carbs when I have. I’m also upping my dietary protein intake.

- I got my first vit B12 shot yesterday and already feel way better for it! My VitD levels are good but folate/ferritin def need addressing. I’m taking magnesium citrate (apparently epsom salt baths are also great for getting magnesium absorption up), and I’m planning on starting zinc/selenium too.

- for general health I’ve started drinking a little apple cider vinegar (diluted!) and I’m taking curcumin (ive read amazing things).

- For my latest round of bloods my doc got EVERYTHING done for me: thyroid panel (although bloody lab didn’t bother doing the full range she asked for! Grr!), immunology (same), liver and kidney function and diabetes testing just to see how the rest of my system was holding up. Turns out my kidneys are a bit wobbly (stage two Chronic Kidney Disease), which is apparently not uncommon in thyroid patients as T3 impacts on kidney function, but most people don’t get it tested because your kidneys have to be quite damaged before you become symptomatic and symptoms are quite similar to hypo....

So.... tips!

- get tested for kidney function (you want quite low creatinine and high GFR which is basically - as I understand it - the % your kidneys are functioning at. Mine are at 65 which is not great. Anything 85+ is great).

- If you’re symptomatic, and struggling with weight / sugar cravings / carb cravings, read up a bit about leptin resistance. I find Dr Westin Child’s website and SelfHacked really good for explaining things. If it sounds like you, consider a couple of months on a strict clean diet with HIIT cardio rather than regular cardio exercise to get your leptin resistance under control / rebooted because it will boost thyroid function.

- get FULL range of thyroid panel even if it means beating up your GP to do them for you (I thank god EVERY time I see her that she’s so supportive/accommodating!! It doesn’t seem to be the norm!!!). If GP flat out refuses, then get them done privately. A full set of results and a couple of hours in front of google learning to interpret them just makes you feel SO in control!!!

- Only buy high quality supplements and not a multivit/mineral general fix all ,as it wont work. Bioavailability (% of vit/min that your body can absorb) ranges wildly! You can take a massive dose of something and feck all gets absorbed because of fillers/form etc. I’m only starting to get my head around all that now, but its worth the time you spend researching!

- Highly recommend curcumin for general anti-inflam/anti-oxidant function, plus it helps with cortisol, insulin and leptin sensitivity, it also helps activate the VitD you have, protecting your intestines.

- Also recommend apple cider vinegar!!! But get the Braggs one not a cheaper one. It’s great for regulating your pH levels, helps to balance hormones, is a great detoxifier, aids in balancing gut flora, aids weight loss. Especially good if you drink it with/after a higher carb meal as it apparently reduces the amount of carb sugars you absorb by up to 30%.

- oh one other thing!!!! A really good, high quality (eg Udos) probiotic can make a major impact! Especially when it comes to absorption of other supplements!

Love to hear how your journey is going and any tips you’ve come across yourself

[silverfox7]

The only reference I have heard to Celtic Blood, I have Irish Ancestors, is to do with B12 and cirrhosis of the liver. We all associate that with drinking to excesses but Celtic people can get the problem without alcohol from a faulty gene. This fits in with my grandfather who I never knew. That was my grandfathers cause of death but my gran said he never drank and I suspected he pulled the wool over her eyes and loved permermint. A medica friend confirmed he was probably telling the truth but I didn't ask her to explain so the only link I can find to the thyroid is that we need a decent amount of B12 to help the thyroid so may be that's what she was meaning.