How Autoimmunity Changed My Practice of Medicine - Cynthia Li, M.D.

[Polaris]

A really helpful presentation by a doctor who had to change her mindset from her traditional training to Functional medicine to begin healing:

youtube.com/watch?v=om0wg0e...(Not working as expected?)

[shaws Administrator]

As it is half-an-hour I'll listen later on. Thanks for posting.

[JGBH]

Hi,

Encouraging BUT that is very unlikely to happen in UK where GPs' mindset is like an impenetrable stone wall! They even refuse to believe in B12 deficiency....

No matter how many times I have given my GP various guidelines and spoken to her about the improvements that have occurred since I have had B12 injections she finally had to agree to prescribe she does not believe any of it and persists in saying I am very depressed! So keen to push her favourite stuff: antidepressants. The surgery must be well paid for every new prescription she write for antidepressants.

I don't believe there will be a change of mindset soon. Very disappointing.

However thanks for this post.

[Polaris in reply to JGBH]

I empathise and agree with you JGBH. Dr Li had to find her own way through too.

Having recovered from two viruses this year, I find myself beginning to experience neurological symptoms, so I'm obviously not absorbing enough Jarrows Methylcobalamin 500O SL any more. Having advocated for my relative to receive B12 injections and fought for my own thyroid diagnosis and adequate medication, I'm 'battle fatigued'. I've just ordered B12 from Germany to self inject......

Some surgeries love any excuse to categorise under 'mental health', which is much more profitable. We were devastated when relative's B12 injections were finally stopped and replaced with antipsychotics.

[JGBH in reply to Polaris]

Hi Polaris,

I do understand only too well when you say you are "battle fatigued"! It is unacceptable that people feeling so ill should have to fight in order to get some form of treatment. Very sorry you have had such a battle. Self-injecting is not difficult, the main thing is trying not to panic and inject in middle of outside thigh; place needle on skin and push it in gently. It take some time transferring the B12 liquid from the ampoule by first using a big green collarded needle then attaching smaller and finer blue collared to syringe in readiness to inject. Perhaps you already know how to do so. Good luck with the injections.

Can imagine my GP will soon tell me I can only have one injection every 3 months... she tried but I kept on quoting guidelines... but I "feel it" coming. So may well have to buy my own from abroad too at some point. When I saw her yesterday she still mention antidepressants! My friend was with me and told me GP was perhaps expecting to receive a bonus from antidepressant manufacturers, like a trip to Europe for the weekend!!!

Sadly GPs are not taught about many things and although they should keep up to date (to be fair there are perhaps too many things to keep up to date), B12 deficiency is not very high o their priority list. I feel they are not bothered in fact. It suits them to ignore this problem.

Please let us know how you get on and wishing you the best.

[Polaris in reply to JGBH]

Bless you JGBH and thank you for the tips on SI. I hope you continue to receive frequent injections for good recovery.

Very best wishes to you too.

[wellness1]

Very interesting, thank you! Another practitioner whose own experience is what motivated her to look beyond the traditional approach for answers.

[cheslee]

Thank you Polaris for sharing this video. It is a much simplified and shorter version of The Thyroid Secret which is advocating the same approach, looking for causes and treating the body as a whole. (Both American) Not sure we have anything like this Functional Medicine in the UK?

I have just found out through Medichecks ( which I recommend) that I have very high thyroid antibodies and will now begin this slow journey to try and help myself correct some of my bodies imbalances and hopefully begin to heal.

It would be so much easier to have a medical practitioner alongside me who truly understands this very complex disease and journey.

I have been reading the posts on this forum and it appears that I am about to walk into a minefield of supplements needed but do not know enough yet to work out just what is needed for me and dosages.

I will need to work out a specific step by step guide.

I am currently on 125 mg Levothyroxine having been diagnosed two years ago. The doses have been increasing every three months after blood tests. I have a very helpful and sympathetic GP but would question her knowledge of this disease.

First though I have been advised by Medichecks to supplement my very low Vitamin D levels, with Fultium -D 3 3,200 IU which I think I have get through a prescription as I cannot find it on the net. After 3 months I need to get it checked, then reduce to a maintenance dose of 400 IU and also then have my Levothyroxine increased.

I am thinking about Selenium and magnesium supplements, and going on a Glutin free diet.

Quite a dramatic change for an old un!

I know you like results so these are mine:-

Diagnosis by Medichecks as follows

TSH 3.46 Range ( 0.27-4.2) mIU/L - advised Normal

FT4 23.5 Range (12-22) mIU/L - High

T4 140.9 Range (59 -154)nmol/L - Normal

FT3 3.86 Range (3.86) pmoL/L -normal

TGAB antibodies 4000.000 Range (0 - 115) IU/L - High

TPOAB antibodies 308.7 Range ( 0-34) IU/L - High

25 OH Vitamin D 14.3 Range (50-200) nmo/L - Low

Folate serum 13.28 Range (3.89 - 26.8)ug/L - Normal

Vitamin B12 239 Range (140 -724)pmol/L- Normal

Ferritin 55.94 Range (13-150)ugL - Normal

CRP 8.6 Range (0-5) mg/L - High

I think my B12 levels are a bit low.

Advise please on these next steps I have to take

Many Thanks

Cheslee.

[Marz in reply to cheslee]

cheslee - good that you have posted your results with ranges. However I am thinking that to add to the good advice from Polaris - it would be a good idea to start a new post/thread with your results. More people will see them and comment.

I would purchase your own VitD3 capsules - they are not expensive. Go for the gel ones with olive oil as D3 is fat soluble. I would suggest a dose of at least 5000 IU's daily and then re-test at the end of winter/spring. VitK2 MK7 is the one often suggested here to ensure improved calcium goes to the bones and teeth. Zinc and Magnesium are other co-factors and many are deficient in magnesium.

Look out for SeasideSusie - she often posts very good and detailed replies on the vitals ....

[cheslee in reply to Marz]

Thanks Marz for your reply. I had a similar thought after I posted this; so posted my results in a separate post and did indeed receive many very helpful replies including one from Seaside Susie.

[Polaris]

Hi Cheslee

So sorry to have only just got back to you.

Well done for all your research so far. I'm no expert on blood tests but can see that your B12 Is, in fact, low as well as vitamin D.

Re. high thyroid antibodies, doctors generally only treat the thyroid, they don't treat our autoimmune condition. I'm another oldie and I've been gluten free for nearly two years now. This, together with daily spoonfuls of sauerkraut (best probiotic I've tried) has alleviated all the digestive problems I'd had for years 🤗

I'd recommend Dr Datis Kharrizian's books "Why do I still have Thyroid Symptoms, when my Lab Tests are normal" and, "Why isn't my Brain Working". He is a leading neurologist and researcher into the gut/brain connection and it's link to autoimmune diseases. He lectures post graduates but his books are very readable to the layman. One of his recommendations is a gluten free diet and he confirms that you don't necessarily have to test positive for coeliac or have obvious gastric symptoms to be sensitive to gluten.

Foods high in gluten can damage the microvilli (little hairs) that line our intestinal system and make it harder to absorb vital nutrients like vitamin B12, D3, selenium, magnesium, etc. leading to other problems.

Re. vitamin B12, It would perhaps be a good idea to join the PAS forum for further links and information - as we age, the hydrochloric acid needed to absorb B12 diminishes and we are, therefore, more vulnerable to memory loss and other neurological symptoms of B12 def. In the meantime, here is my reply on the PAS site to another new thyroid member (bottom of the page):

healthunlocked.com/pasoc/po...

Very best wishes.

PS

Re. Vitamin D3 supplements, you probably already know that it's important to take it with K2 to ensure D3 goes to the bones and not the arteries.

[cheslee in reply to Polaris]

Thanks Polaris, have followed your advice and read your reply on the PAS site - wow more information I did not know. Thanks I will be delving into this now

Cheers

[shaws Administrator]

Thanks for posting - it just goes to show how the medical professions follow procedures and that's how so many of us feel unwell or remain undiagnosed.

This certainly was an eye-opener and shows the struggles that someone, even though a Professional doctor with many years studies behind her had to find a way to overcome all that was going on in her body.