Tonight 31st July on TV there was a programme, as above, where Greg Wallace had visited a spaghetti factory in Italy. Italy is the largest European producer of Durum wheat which, when ground down, produces the flour to make Semolina and Pasta.
Very I teresting and worth watching, especially on the texture and taste testing. He reported that Pasta made from normal wheat flour is more starchy and chewy than that made from Durum wheat, which was also more finely ground. We used to be given semolina at boarding school for pudding, also delicious with a nice dollop of raspberry jam
Just as Interesting, was a programme shown later called "a Prescription for Murder" - it was looking at the effects of SSRI antidepressants and the effects of Paroxtine on behaviour and mental health. I know that in recent years I was prescribed it, probably in France because my GP said I was 'anxious' - no, just frustrated at lack of health improvement via health system there. I'm glad to say I felt neither murderous or suicidal - I used to put my feelings down to ongoing effects of Brain Injury - it never occurred to ne at the time that the drug could have been the cause of increased confusion, lack of concentration and brain fog, possibly some of the balance issues i also had.
Given so many prescribed or OTC drugs are powder (calcium) coated, its no wonder I ended up with the gastro haemorrhage. Omeprzole which I'm on, is contained in a small yellow capsule and only has to be taken 2x daily - after breakfast and evening meal. Levothyroxine of course is a solid white powder coated pill. So there it sits in the empty stomach for a good Half hour+ Slowly disintegrating before any food or drink washes it further into the digestive system! Levo is the only medication I'm aware of that should be taken on an empty stomach with water only. Food for thoughterhsps!
I don't take the additional Liothyroninin ? Either because my FT3 + FT4 blood test results have always been in range.
It's always the TSH result that has been way off the mark in last 3/4 years and i see no chance of that coming down to the new levels when it couldn't make the old ones!
Having seen the Endocrinologist a couple of weeks ago, who said he's a Thyroid Specialist Consultant - he told me he still hadn't received results from the Laboratory on the blood tests I'd prevIously asked for to check out if my Pituitary and Adrenal Glands were working properly or not.
Very strange that on 2 occasions I'm told the lab has not sent out results weeks after blood samples taken! Now who's at fault or lying to me. The lab or the Specialist? Normal FBC test results come through in a few days. I had blood test done 1/2 hour or so before seeing The Haematologist last week and by the time our appointment was finished, at my request he'd printed off a copy of result from his computer. I was in a larger hospital that time though - More efficient?
Sorry I know I've covered 2 different issues here but given initial diagnoses in Dec 2012 of having a "blood disorder" I can't help drawing some conclusions that my different health conditions are inter-related - because I've had 2 big but different organ haemorrhages in 4 years, so I know I've been very lucky to survive both with no major ill effects (yet or hopefully)
Good luck with the television programmes if you choose to watch on iplayer. Both on mainstream channels.
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Do you know the names of the Pituitary and Adrenal Glands tests you had?
TSH is a pituitary test!
Were the adrenal tests synacthen (either short or long); saliva testing; 9am cortisol test or something else?
I would have thought all of the above should not take too long to come back. They don't get sent to a US lab like rT3 testing did/still does.
Worth checking the tests were not voided. Once I had an issue with a blood test result because there was not enough blood. Further investigation found the blood had been sitting around too long at the hospital before getting to the lab; so a lot of it had become unusable for testing purposes.
Most hypothyroid patients tend to have low stomach acid. Doctors often misdiagnose low stomach acid as high stomach acid. The symptoms are very similar, the treatments very different.
Lots of posts on here about how to tell the difference and how to treat low stomach acid
If you have to remain on PPI then you need to regularly check B12 and probably need to supplement both B12 and magnesium.
When taking B12 usually recommended to also take a Vitamin B complex too
Has your GP checked vitamin D, B12, folate and ferritin?
What are your most recent Thyroid test results. Very many people have found they don't get on with TEVA and have put in yellow card
SLow Dragon - new formula Teva is the one New to me brand also and I am getting on with much better than I did the others. I wouldn't ycurrwntky ellow card Teva.
Perhaps my other AI's and blood disorder and/or other/changes to red/white blood cell results that also help. Since stopping so many other meds back in 2015/6 plus self made chAnges to my diet that is increasing and Improved my cell count. Even the lesions via (myelin sheath breakdown) have and continue to lessen over rwcent weeks, along with having been on anti-biotics.
"Levothyroxine of course is a solid white powder coated pill."
I don't think that any of the UK levothyroxine tablets comes as a coated tablet!
Levothyroxine itself is more soluble in alkalis than acids or neutral solutions. I think that is one reason little is absorbed from the stomach. But could be wrong.
Helllvella - My Levo tabs definitely are coated - I could wash it off if I wanted, but I certainly feel it on my tongue before drinking the water. The chemist has changed brands I've was last given the Teva one and box says New Formulation.
New Formulation Teva (introduced October 2016 after a few years gap) really doesn't admit any ingredient that could sensibly be a coating, certainly none of the usual coatings. Excipients are:
Interesting comments. You have a lot going on and if you can put your blood results on here there are some very knowledgeable people who will help.
I am suspicious of the Omeprazole which you take, it stops too much acid forming when most people actually need more acid. This also stops B12 being utilised/ converted, so I wonder if low B12 is causing you problems. It's a very important vitamin to well being and I suggest you check out the Healthunlocked Pernicious Anemia B12 deficiency sister site as it's brilliant too and learn all about this. We cannot survive without B12.
I don't understand why doctors pay so little attention to our B12 levels when it's crucial to life. It sounds like this could be a big part of your problem and will require you reading lots and possibly making suggestions to the medical staff. Don't take any B12 before bloods are tested as it skews results for months.
The Sally Pacholok book is also very good, Could it be B12.
Bette Dowdell also has an interesting health blog and talks all about stomach acid and upping levels not diminishing acid. She also had a lot of hormone problems and talks so much sense.
Hi Mary Mary. I used to post my test results on here and as said my B12 levels were always within range. It's a while since that was lasted tested at my request to new GP here. I used to get acid reflux ocassionally several years ago (? An Indigestion symptom, one that took me to my then GP along with rapidly thinning hair) the Indigestion disappeared when I drank Milk, an alkali! The initial GP back in 2003 had suggested Milk of Magnesia while waiting for blood test result which said I was Hypothyroid hence the start of my other slowly advancing now current health problems.
It's all since my 2012 diagnosis of a "blood disorder" by a Haematologist that my whole system seems to have gone haywire. The Haemo did a bone marrow aspiration and result said myelodisplastic Syndrome (MDS). However after a house move to different part of France and a 2nd Haemo had same bone marrow test done but said I didn't have MDS.
When neither specialists or GP's can agree on lab test results, where do I go from here? Are the labs wrong? Again it will be different laboratories in different countries.
Since joining TUK, The two tests I have badgered and failed to get GP's to ask for over the last 3 years to be included are the Pituitary and Adrenal Gland ones.
The results my new Endocrinologist here says have not yet been sent to him on 2 consecutive occasions!
The French GP wouldn't even put B12, FT3 & FT4 on his blood test request. I had to wait till he was on holiday and got a replacement GP to ask for them. If I'd stayed down in the Montpellier area 5.5 years ago, I may well have had these tested there long ago.
Since arriving back in UK, seeing, different specialists as well the same GP! I've consistently said none of them are asking for the correct blood tests! I can't fault the NHS given the speed of these Specialist appointments coming up, having expected to wait months on end for them! I have a dossier of 8 yrs of french test results (always copied in to me automatically by the examining laboratories there) I am now in process of accumulating a UK test result dossier - but have to ask the GP surgery for a copy, which are so faintly printed out, it makes it difficult to read. It's not a printer ink problem - more a problem of how it is received by internet. No copy automatically sent to me here from UK Laboratory. Sometimes blood goes to hospital lab, other times to spevialist out of town lab. Same happened in France also, local or Specialist - but I was always sent a hard/original copy of results.
The French and UK health systems could both certainly learn something from each other which would benefit patients more as well! Perhaps even speeding up diagnoses and effective treatments. I'll just hook out last french and also UK B12 results and come back to you on this post with results.
Hi Kate, yes I have, only in France though and test result said I had them.not been tested here. I'm assuming that since my GP asked to see all my french medical papers over Easter, he does accept them and my word that I have the Autoimmune conditions I told him on first registration - hence all the rapid NHS Specialist appointments!
Thanks Katepots, yes I have thought about Blue Horizon, given what everybody on here has said about them over the years - that's as far as I got though - thinking.
With my Brain Injury it takes a longer time to research, think and then Act on whatever I need to do - to put it mildly I'm not exactly your "normal/everyday type of human being". Hopefully I'll get round to it sooner rather than too late!
you mentioned thyroid tablets are coated, but microcrystalline cellulose as a filler is also a big problem. My son ended up with a systemic granulating disease as a result of the cellulose filler in his thyroid extract. His tsh is constantly suppressed at <0.05 on thyroid extract (NDT) and that's just fine. Just to let you know we now use organic white rice flour as a filler and that works fine.
My GP has previously ordered TSH + T3 only for the lab to refuse the T3 and sit on the sample for weeks (rendering it useless). Labs in britain have 'a duty to do only required tests'. It's utterly stupid, the lab has noi idea what's appropriate for the patient and this second guessing the physician is in my view negligence.
NHS labs are becoming increasingly unprofessional and refusing tests despite having little responsibility for the clinical outcome.
If it is a hospital lab, contact it directly and speak to someone in managment there. Explain you take T3 medication and need the fT3 result but the lab keeps refusing to do it. I had to do this in the past to get the fT3 result when my GP had ordered the test in the past.
My endo issues the blood test forms so the hopsital does test fT3. It states on my blood test form I am taking Liothyronine.
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