Self medicating, bad idea ?

[Irishjen]

I am currently on holiday and considering buying levothyroxine and t3 if i csn get it over the counter. Hubby is really against me doing this but im at my wits end.

Long story short ive had every thyroid test done including antibodies ( apart from reverse t3 ) along with vitamin b, d, iron, ferritin and full blood count and they are all normal. I have recently been told i have nodules and 1 is 3cm x 2cm and other smaller ones. Had ultrasound and fine needle biopsy and will get the results from biopsy whem i come back from hols.

All my problems seem to come from exertion may that be a hard workout or gentle walk. I end up with headaches, feel burnt out for days and depressed and just generally feeling off. Hair thinning out, outer eyebrows thinning out, weight gain etc. Due to these symptoms i have avoided any kind of exercise but with me being on holiday today i went for a walk im intense heat and did some gentle swimming amd bam a few hours later i am back to square 1 amd now feel like going to the chemist and buying some t3 or thyroxine or armour or any thyroid medication i cam get my hands on just to see if it makes any difference.

Im obviously wary of doing this because all my bloods are normal but obviously i have hypo symptoms (apart from feeling cold ) and large nodules so surely there s some issue with my thyroid but those bloody blood tests and all saying normal. Im so frustrated now sitting on my holidays feeling exhausted, sad and fed up and my husband just does not understand 😡

I dont have my recent results to hand as im on hols but all i remember is tsh is 0.27 so not exactly looking like its hypo as this would be raised.

Would self medicating do me harm even though my tsh doesn't show hypo yet i have what seems like some sort of issue going on with thyroid?

Thanks

[ljk1]

Personally I would buy everything you can lol! I am well down the self medicating road and 'this lady is not for turning'! Levo takes a couple of weeks to get into your system, T3 is instant. Not knowing your history I wouldn't dare advise you, I can only say what works for me and that is T3. What the doctors call normal doesn't mean a thing! If you have got nodules there is definitely something wrong! Have they not offered you any treatment at all?

[Irishjen in reply to ljk1]

Lol. I already know i will try and buy stuff. In bulgaria so not sure what they will sell without prescription.

No they arent offering me anything. I know i nees to get the biopsy results when i come home from hols but the ultrasound did show a dominant nodule on the left thyroid gland and other smallerz ones in the right. If the biopsy shows no cancer then that's it they aren't medicating me. Well hacked off 😢

[Irishjen]

Im in bulgaria and i know they are more strict than whaat they used to be in chemists

[shaws]

I shall give you a list of clinical symptoms and also a couple of others which might be helpful:-

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/about_...

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/testin...

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/testin...

I would not rush into self-medicating yet as it could be your vitamins/minerals that are low and they could give you symptoms too.

Ask GP to test TSH, T3, T4, Free T4, Free T3 and Free T4 and thyroid antibodies, Vitamin B12, Vit D, iron, ferritin and folate.

'Normal' is meaningless if we don't feel well and you should always get a print-out of your results with the ranges for your own records and you can post if you have a query.

[Irishjen in reply to shaws]

Shaws, ive had every test done apart from rt3 and apparently they are all good. I have the print outs but am on my holidays do dont have results to hand.

I will check out the links.

Thank you

[shaws in reply to Irishjen]

The doctor may think they are good but if you are having symptoms, something is causing them. RT3 - I shall give you a link/explanation

Go to the date March 24, 1999 on the following link:

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

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/about_...

If GP didn't test Free T4 and Free T3 maybe you could get them when you come home or privately as GPs wont usually do FT4 and FT3..

I'm sorry you aren't too good on holiday.

[shaws in reply to shaws]

The home tests are done at home and make sure you are well hydrated a couple of days before as it makes the blood run better, also make sure your hands are warm.

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/testin...

[Zephyrbear in reply to shaws]

Your local hospital will also have a phlebotomy service and they will quite happily do a venous draw for you privately. At my local hospital (Shrewsbury) this was a drop-in clinic from 8.45am - 5pm Mon-Fri and they only charged me £5! Ring them up...

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Zephyrbear]

Unless you have a local hospital that insists on a letter from your GP even for a blood draw for private tests like mine, despite mentioning that I expected to pay for the service.

[Zephyrbear in reply to SeasideSusie]

Wow! I thought they'd all be the same... I must be pretty lucky then, although I still had to travel 30 miles to get there from my home.

[humanbean]

ive had every test done apart from rt3 and apparently they are all good

A doctor's idea of good might be different to how patients feel on the subject.

For example, a ferritin level of 20 or 15 or 10 with a reference range of 13 - 150. Do you think that is good or bad? Most doctors tell their patients it's "normal" or "fine" or "okay".

Personally, I would beg to differ. I felt an awful lot better when I increased my ferritin from bottom of the range to mid-range.

The same arguments apply to lots of blood tests.

Once you get home, post your thyroid and nutrient results in a new post. If you have results for an iron panel and a full blood count as well, that would be helpful.

[hollyhobbi]

Have you had your blood calcium and parathyroid hormone levels checked? It sounds to me as if you could have another endocrine issue with your parathyroid glands.

[Irishjen in reply to hollyhobbi]

I actually know somene who bas just been diagnosed with that. I havent had my parathyroid checked. I didnt think the parathyroid and thyroid were linked. Would that explaim the nodules ?

[hollyhobbi in reply to Irishjen]

The doctors say they're not linked but I suspect they are. I had a large nodule on my thyroid and most of the people who have parathyroid problems also have thyroid nodules. I ended up having half my thyroid removed in an operation to check my parathyroid glands and remove any that were wonky!

[Heloise]

I think a reverse T3 might be revealing. I like this article about adrenals and they do overlap with thyroid in many ways. health-matrix.net/2013/06/2...

[Irishjen in reply to Heloise]

Im going to get rt3 done when i get home. Interesting read thay article. Ive had tests for adrenals, cortisol dhe and i have slight adrenal issues nothing major though.

[Marz in reply to Irishjen]

Why not have tests done there in Bulagaria. They probably have walk in testing Clinics like they do here in Crete and you could also see a Doc quite easily. It could be far easier than you think with no waiting lists

[Wishingwell in reply to Marz]

Marz I'm in Crete next week and would be very interested in walk in clinics for bloods and costs - can I pm you please?

[Marz in reply to Wishingwell]

Yes ... 😊

[silverfox7]

Be aware of phrases like 'in range'! For both the thyroid and vitaminda it's where in the range that is important. Also always give ranges with any results as they differ from lab to lab.

[melville999]

your husband clearly loves you a lot that he doesn't want you to buy unprescribed drugs in a country where you don't know how good they are.He,nor anyone but you will know how crap you feel.However you need to get your biopsy results before you think of taking anything.even if all thyroid blood tests are ok,I would ask for them to be repeated if your biopsy is ok in your own country,and as someone suggested. Ask for a cortisol test and vitamin d too.It can harm you in the long run taking drugs you don't need.Sometimes stubborn seeming partners care enough in their opposition.I am sure that meds can be bought elsewhere when not abroad.however I would not ingest any medicine ever if it doesn't come from a reliable company.chill out and make the most of your holiday.If you do have early subclinical hypothyroidism you are far more likely to switch off bad auto antibodies by having fun and a few cocktails and not expecting too much of your self.re charge.hope biopsy ok when you get home.

[Redditch]

I would do it. You feel rubbish, T3 is the best idea because it works very quickly and you can just miss one or stop if you feel worse so any adverse affects would be over in 24 hours. I would take 30 mcg split into 3 doses 10 first thing 10 at midday and 10 mid afternoon.