Hello lovely people,
I am looking for some recommendations of Acupuncturists in Derby and all the surrounding areas who specialises in fluid/oedema and thyroid weight gain. I have oedema all over my body and I am looking for something that might ease the pain I am in when I stand for any length of time. I also have a lot of trouble bending my knees & ankles due to swelling as well.
Thank you to anyone that can help
Have a look at this link which will be self-explanatory.
stopthethyroidmadness.com/h...
Get a new blood test. It should be the earliest possible, fasting (you can drink water) and allow a 24hour gap between last dose and test and take it afterwards.
Ask GP to test B12, Vit D, iron, ferritin and folate too. We can be deficient.
Get a print-out of your results with the ranges.
How many doctors tell their patients to diet or they eat too much, but how many doctors really know what clinical symptoms there are in hypo when undertreated?
thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/about_...
Tick off your symptoms and if you were on an optimum dose you'd have none.
Thank you! I am only on 25mcg of T3 at the moment, but my last blood test showed I was over medicated, (at the time of the test I was on 50 mcg of Levo and 25mcg of T3, but I wasn't converting so slowly reduced my Levo, so I'm not taking any at all now for about 3 weeks) but my symptoms just seem to get worse. My RT3 level is still high (I was thinking the unconverted T4 was converting to RT3) , so I am thinking it is blocking the T3 as, since I've been taking it I have left no difference at all, except possibly feeling worse. I don't know how long without any T4 I should leave it before having another RT3 & Thyroid test?
Did you feel overmedicated on a dose of 150mcg of hormones (50mcg levo and 25mcg T3) or are you only going by blood tests. If on T3 our TSH will be very low.
I take T3 only and I think most take more than 25mcg. Do you have a print-out of your last blood tests, with the ranges and post for comments. You have reduced your dose by 50mcg of T4 which is equal to about half tablet of T3.
25mcg of T3 is equal to around 100 mcg of levo, and many need more than that. I wouldn't worry too much about RT3 and will give you a link.
This is an extract from the following link:-
Some patients do have impaired conversion of T4 to T3. However, the available scientific evidence suggests that at the longest, impaired conversion lasts only a few weeks. I know of no scientific evidence supporting Dr. Dennis Wilson’s speculation that some patients have chronically impaired conversion of T4 to T3. When patients have impaired T4 to T3 conversion, they also have a predictable pattern of lab test results. However, despite extensive testing, one other researcher and I have never found this predictable lab test pattern in fibromyalgia outpatients. Read the post dated March 24, 1999 on the following link:
web.archive.org/web/2010103...
If you are not taking any T4 I don't think it possible to have RT3. Bearing in mind I'm not medically qualified. I think you are on an insufficient dose of T3 and we need a decent dose of hormones to relieve all symptoms. .
Thank you
Thyroid Monitoring rT3
- 10 June 2017
ENDOCRINOLOGY
Thyroid Function
THYROID STIMULATING HORMONE * 0.012 mIU/L (0.27 - 4.20)
FREE THYROXINE 11.44 pmol/L (12.00 - 22.00)
FREE T3 8.48 pmol/L (3.10 - 6.80)
REVERSE T3 24 ng/dL (10.00 - 24.00)
REVERSE T3 RATIO 25.09 (15.01 - 75.00)
As you can see, these were my last results from June this year. I was on 50 mcg Levo and 25 mcg of T3 when these were taken.
To be honest, I have never felt over-medicated, it is almost as if the medication doesn't have any effect on my at all. I originally went to see an Endo because I had a swelling the front of my throat and after blood tests my endo said that I was hypothyroid. Since then, they just went by the TSH levels, even though my symptoms have just actually got worse. I've been on Levo for about 2.5 years now and I actually feel worse than ever. Tiredness/Fatigue is a massive factor, lots of weight gain, oedema around my middle/face and lower legs, constipation, depression, muscle aching, lots of period issues etc. Whenever I go to my GP, she just treats each thing individually, wants me to be on an antidepressant for my suicidal thoughts, recommending dieting, diagnosis of Fibromyalgia etc.
In the end after chatting on here, I added T3 to my Levo, but just ended up over-medicated on my last blood test, but didn't feel any different in myself.
I have always had very high cortisol, but when I had my vitamins checked (vit B12, Vit D, iron etc) they all came back fine. I've started to take Vit C and selenium and magnesium to see if any of these things take, but being on benefits, everything is just so expensive, so I am currently saving up for another private blood test and a private estrogen test.
Thank you so much for your reply.
Did you have the blood tests at the very earliest, fasting (you can drink water) and did you allow a 24 hour gap approx between last dose of thyroid hormones and the test?
This recent set of results was after 12 hrs for my T3 and then 24hrs for my Levo, as I was advised on here. I had to go wait at the hospital, so I had fasted, and it was about 10am in the morning
I always leave 24 hours between dose of whatever I take. I am puzzled with your low FT4 and very high FT3. I am going to add SeasideSusie in as she may be able to throw some light on your unusual results.
Thank you. I did only leave it 12 hours from my last dose of T3, I get a bit confused, some say 24 hrs other 12 hrs!
I take a Levo/T3 combination and I leave 24 hours for Levo and 12 hours for T3, it's what I've always seen advised and keep to it so that I know I can compare results accurately, no point in doing any different now as the results won't be compared accurately.
Taking 50 Levo/25 T3
THYROID STIMULATING HORMONE * 0.012 mIU/L (0.27 - 4.20)
FREE THYROXINE 11.44 pmol/L (12.00 - 22.00)
FREE T3 8.48 pmol/L (3.10 - 6.80)
REVERSE T3 24 ng/dL (10.00 - 24.00)
REVERSE T3 RATIO 25.09 (15.01 - 75.00)
Bearing in mind I am not medically trained and can only reply based on my own experience and research.
I don't know how much you have reduced your Levo by, but when I reduced mine from 100 to 75mcg (keeping T3 the same) my FT4 plummeted from about 19 to 12.8.
I can't understand how your FT3 is so high on 25mcg T3.
I've not studied all your previous posts, just dipped into one or two, and see that your rT3 has come down a lot. Your ratio is now good, if you agree with the articles that say it should be over 20.
I think, from the couple your posts that I have looked at, that your medical history is complicated and may have some bearing on your results. There are other reasons for high rT3 besides too much T4 and it being converted to rT3 rather than FT3. One that jumps to mind is extreme dieting/calorie restriction and I see that you have anorexia
Here's a couple of links that mention causes
thyroidnation.com/6-factors...
thyrosynergy.com/top-five-r...
misslizzy.me/when-normal-th...
It's no good your GP treating every symptom individually, it's the bigger picture that needs looking at so I'm wondering if you would benefit from seeing a functional medicine doctor. You have such a lot going on that just adjusting your thyroid meds probably isn't the answer. You say you have always had very high cortisol, well this needs addressing, Dr P says to address the adrenals first then the thyroid. You mention an oestrogen test, well sex hormones are part of the adrenal/thyroid/sex hormone picture, they're all connected, so it's probably worth testing all sex hormones.
Thank you for your lovely detailed reply. I am just a mess at the moment, most of the time I'm not even sure there is even anything wrong with my thyroid, and I'm just fat. I seem to meet problems at every turn and nobody can ever give me a clear answer. I know anything to do with the thyroid is very complicated, but mine just seems even more so! I was half thinking of trying to get an appointment with Dr Peatfield, but don't want to waste anybody's time, I also wasn't sure whether he was still seeing any patients. I am in Derby so it would be a big trip, but I just want to find somebody that can help me. Thanks again x
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