Optimal replacement or not?: Just had a thought... - Thyroid UK

Thyroid UK

140,281 members164,998 posts

Optimal replacement or not?

dolphin5 profile image
6 Replies

Just had a thought - next time we find ourselves pleading for a higher dose of T4, or the addition of T3, we need to use an analogy.

"So, doctor, if I have my legs amputated half way up my thigh after a car accident, would I have prosthetic limbs made to make me my original height, or would you give me new legs that make me 6" shorter than I used to be, because that's within the normal range and the NHS is short of money so we can't afford to restore your previous height?"

"Thyroid function is superficially much like height. Leaving me way short of the height I used to be leaves me unable to ride my bicycle, unable to walk as fast as I used to, unable to wear the clothes I used to wear, unable to reach high cupboards. My whole identity changes as I can no longer do what I used to do, and that's just superficial stuff. Without adequate thyroid hormone, none of the cells in my body can be relied upon to work. My body breaks down and malfunctions, bit by bit. Life as I knew it with a fully functioning thyroid gland, and the levels of hormones that my body used to produce (with my set point, not someone else's) is over. Gone!"

Written by
dolphin5 profile image
dolphin5
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
Read more about...
6 Replies

Dolphin5 that is so funny but Oh so true. Prosthetics probably have an advantage over the thyroid in that you can actually see them, underactive thyroids destroy you unseen and unheard by the medical profession, so they blame us. I can almost hear the scenario to the prosthetics, "if you think they are not long enough it must be in your mind, perhaps some antidepressants would help you".

Howard39 profile image
Howard39 in reply to

Hi

Both comments are very funny and made me laugh out loud.

Good post

shaws profile image
shawsAdministrator

How we wish they'd learn the difference between optimal and 'in range'. I liked your post.

humanbean profile image
humanbean

I loved your analogy. :)

You might find this post of interest (although, sadly, it isn't funny) :

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

dolphin5 profile image
dolphin5 in reply to humanbean

The interesting thing about that chart is that even some people with a healthy thyroid gland have levels that are close to undetectable! My TSH is down there, but people with a much higher one should show the chart to their doctor.

Dalilafng profile image
Dalilafng

Super!

Not what you're looking for?

You may also like...

thyrotoxic me! diagnosed by me not some mad endo.

As I have been unable to get hold of my nature thyroid I have been experimenting with alternatives...

Optimal Thyroid Hormone Replacement

Just seen this paper - have not read more than the abstract so far. But it does explicitly agree...

Update !!!

Just an update from last week's rant about how my new gp wanted to reduce my levo dose to 25 or...

Fluorinated drugs. To use or not to use?

At first I want to say that I do not suggest anyone to quit their medication because it is...

Estimating Full Replacement Dose of Levothyroxine: A New Formula

When someone has a total thyroidectomy they are sent from having a wide range of thyroid levels –...