8. Misunderstanding and Misuse of the broad laboratory reference ranges (misleadingly called "normal ranges"). These
are not optimal ranges--not even close. They are 95%-inclusive population ranges--they include almost all of a group of "apparently healthy" adults who were not screened for symptoms of deficiency. Only the bottom and top 2.5% or "low" or "high". So if a person's hormone level is near the bottom of the range, he/she is in the lowest 5 to 10% of all adults! How can a physician say that's "good enough"? Even when someone is below a population range, in the lowest 2.5%, the doctor will typically repeat the test to see if he can get a "normal" result. Only If the level is still low, will he give them some hormone replacement to "normalize" their levels! This is a game of population statistics. It is not clinical medicine. In fact, much more than 2.5% of the population has suboptimal levels due to aging, endocrine dysfunction, and disease. Because so many persons have low levels of some hormones, the lower limits of the ranges are sometimes even listed as "0" or undetectable! Dr. Lindner calls this
unthinking practice "Reference Range Endocrinology". The doctor glances at the lab report and if there is no bold "H" or "L" for "high" or "low" next to the hormone level, declares that there is no hormonal problem--even if the patient has symptoms and the hormone level is near the bottom of the range!
There are no cut-offs in Nature. Hormones work on a continuum from the lowest to the highest levels. One cannot draw a line and say everything above this line is "normal", and everything below this line is "disease". There is no substitute for medical judgment in deciding who will benefit from hormone restoration. This question ultimately must be settled by a clinical trial--supplementing the hormone to higher levels/effects to see if it helps the patient.
9. Belief in many HORMONE MYTHS, such as:
Restoring a hormone that is below the reference range to any level within the reference range is good medicine. (In fact, given how the ranges are constructed, the lower thirds of many hormone reference ranges represent hormone deficiency for much of the population, and many studies show the benefits of higher levels within the ranges.)
I sincerely hope this will happen shaws, so that all people suffering thyroid problems in future will be returned to good health as soon as possible and not left suffering uneccasarily for many years.
I have never been optimally medicated ( 10 years on 50 mcgs levo before T4 being raised up to 100mcgs and seeing an Endo who added a small amount of T3 )
Doctors MUST be given full training on the thyroid and how important conversion of T4 to T3 is in order for those cells all over our bodies to be doing their work properly,to keep us well. ..........not just wait until we succumb to other conditions and prescribe a cocktail of drugs that we probably wouldn't have needed,if our thyroids had been looked after in the first place.
How about members on the forum are invited to be 'guinea pigs' for the Endocrinologists for their exams and we, the patients mark them according to how they diagnose/treat. The first thing we'd say is ignore the TSH and concentrate on relieving symptoms and allowing the FT4 and FT3 to be optimum. Also allowing changes in make etc of the product if one doesn't suit us.
Preferably give people a trial of NDT if they're not too well on T4/T3 combo. They should know their stuff just like doctors did before the 60's. Dr S, Dr P, and all the other doctors who lost their livelihood as they adhered to what they were taught - no blood tests at that time. We are not machines and our hormones are required to be optimum and that doesn't mean 'somewhere' within the range.
(My goodness 10 years on 50mcg of levo - words fail me).
My Endo,was recommended to me as the best in our area and highly regarded.However,at my last visit to see him,he asked where I was getting my T3 from? Well,he prescribed it when I first went to see him and my GP has continued to provide it for me( only 10mcgs MP). During that time I did send abroad for Armour Thyroid for a while which he said he could not prescribe but was willing to monitor me on it.I felt OK on it but because it was both T4 /T3 in one pill I became concerned about how adjustments could be made and decided to go back to my
prescribed T4/T3 .I do wish we could get it in this country on prescription now though.After my husband had sadly passed away ,my Endo said that I needed a holiday and should go to Turkey or Romania !!!
Nothing could have been further from my mind at that time.
I wonder,was he telling me where to get T3 in the future? I really must ask more questions.
Supposing at one of his conferences,the audience consisted of Thyroid patients and admin as well as GPs...........that could be interesting.
I Would approach the subject of raised cholesterol for starters! Do they never associate it with under medicated hypothyroidism?
So Turkey and Romania are more sympathetic to hypothyroid people and who can try different replacements to find one that makes them symptom-free without prescriptions. So these two countries must be far more advanced than ours who state levo alone is a perfect replacement
Re your husband's demise and Endo suggesting you have a 'hormone therapy' holiday is something someone with no compassion would say not considering the widow's raw feelings.
We could provide a paper with questions - for them to answer - such as "what condition is the cause of raised cholesterol levels when patient has good dietary habits .
Such as 'what is TSH' and from where is it issued? What does TSH mean? Where is the thyroid gland? What is its purpose? How many hormones should a healthy gland provide? Are there active thyroid hormones as well as inactive ones?
Shaws you are a wealth of knowledge! Oh my thank you so much for all your wisdom and shared experiences. It was your t3 link from a former doc that has passed away that got me looking hard at my free t3. Yes I’m starting on a low dose, but the doctor was hesitant about t3 period until I backed it up with knowledge. Thank you so much!! I only hope my road leads to healing😊
I do hope so. I hope also that your symptoms resolve relatively quickly. Take pulse/temp before beginning and if either rise too high, reduce dose slightly. Go by 'how you feel' rather than test results.
It is a national disgrace that people are told their results are 'normal' and they are suffering through lack of - or low - hormones. No wonder the following doctor cannot take on any more patients (in USA) but he has the same attitude of Dr Lowe, Dr Skinner and Dr Peatfield and other doctors but in the UK doctors have been taught wrongly. We know this because we either remain undiagnosed due to TSH or too low. or wrong thyroid hormones. for particular people.
No, don't give up although I realise how despondent patients are when doctors or endocrinologists seem not to have a clue but are willing to give 'other' prescriptions for the symptoms and the fact is that they are so poorly trained in symptoms and that TSH is 'not the answer'.
It is the patient's FT4 and FT3 which should be tested to make sure both are optimum plus dose increased until symptom-free and both frees are towards the top of the range.
Also they have to realise, despite what they imagine, that many of us cannot and do not improve on levothyroxine alone. I cannot improve on it whatsoever and was even far more unwell than when my TSH was 100, so I was pretty unwell until T3 resolved it. I did try NDT to but that didn't suit me so well but quite a number on the forum have. So we should have options.
Doctors are restricted as are Endocrinologists, in that it seems the rules have been laid down for training by the Pharma Companies. I have read so many stupid comments as well as read the Associations who you would imagine after all their training that they must have missed dysfunctions of the thyroid gland altogether - we assume it was upon the TSH and T4 alone - and TSH is fine for diagnosing - if it is ever taken (mine wasn't). In the UK they've decided 10 is a cut-off point when other countries it is 3+ and they are so ignorant about symptoms which we used to be before blood tests and levo were introduced.
NDT suits many as it contains all of the hormones a healthy gland would produce - it was freely prescribed - then withdrawn through misinformation by Associations who we should have respected to know more than us (uneducated). Considering it was prescribed since 1892 and safely, up until a while ago in the NHS. I have read an article that proves these organisations know nothing about NDT and how successful it is for many. Then after NDT - T3 was withdrawn and the opportunity came about by exorbitant rises in price.
The organisations I would have thought would be more scientific in their decisions and language because we know it is untrue about NDT because so many get better on it (if permitted) or with T3 added to T4 or T3 only.
Our bodies are different and we, the patient, listen to it but doctors/endocrinologist refuse to listen to us, the patient, and some patients are sent off with a 'flea in their ear' and very distressed when they had such hopes that the 'specialists' woud resolve their symptoms and know what they are talking about.
Don't give up and members are supportive as we've 'been there and done that'.
Post them on here first, with the ranges, for comments upon them. as Doctors are fixated on TSH and T4 alone, it woud seem. Remember to have the blood draw at the earliest, fasting (you can drink water) and if taking thyroid hormone replacements allow a 24 hour gap between dose and test and take afterwards.
I have contacted medichecks and had a chat, thank you. I notice on thyroid UK that they benefit from each blood test ordered, how do I make this happen, is it a specific link?
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Low Cortisol - help please.
