i’d be really grateful if someone could cast a quick eye over my latest results.

[Icicles]

In the last week, I have felt slightly ‘better’, hell, I bought a bike yesterday, made the decision to start oestrogen replacement therapy, and the scales went down 0.1kg this morning. I’m daring to think that I’m on the right track. Crikey!

Do my results reflect this? Is there more to do? I have been taking 2grains daily for around 6 weeks now and have only been taking NDT since April. Any impressions would be gratefully received. Thank you.

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Icicles

Looking pretty good. Room for an increase as there is room for FT3 to rise if you feel the need. Any increases are best done at 1/4 grain at a time so that you don't miss your sweet spot.

[Icicles in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thank you, SeasideSusie, I’m delighted.

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Icicles]

That's good to hear Good wishes for continued improvement.

I was considering buying a bike, I gave my pedal cycle to my neighbour when I knew I could no longer ride it. I was thinking about an electric tricycle, just about my limit oh and with a basket on the front for my little dog to enjoy the ride too

[Icicles in reply to SeasideSusie]

Oh, what a lovely image. Give one a test drive, they are amazing! I havent seen a tricycle, but that’s perfect, especially for your dog 🚴🏼‍♀️

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Icicles]

I can just imagine people saying - here comes the little old lady with her little fluffy dog. I live in a small seaside town, the sort where you know everyone by sight and many to pass the time of day with (except during holiday season when it gets very busy and manic). We already have a a few eccentrics, maybe I will join them

Or maybe not now I've seen the price jorviktricycles.com/product...

I think I'll just save up and wait for a mobility scooter which will surely come my way in a few years. I fancy a nice metallic red one and I'll have a basket on the front of that for the dog and one of those honky horns with a rubber bulb you squeeze so I can scare the poop out of people, maybe teach the dog to honk it

Oh how our aspirations change!

[Icicles in reply to SeasideSusie]

Yes, indeed! An electric bike! How the hell did that happen? Haha! And I’m definitely going to research horns!

[Hashi-Monster]

As Susie said there is room for an increase but you are on the right track.

Be careful with oestrogen as this will raise your TBG (Thyroid-binding globulin) and keep your thyroid hormones more bound. This means that they won’t be made free to get into your cells so easily, this is why pregnancy affects your thyroid as well and why hypo women need a dose increase when they get pregnant.

[Icicles in reply to Hashi-Monster]

Ah, ok, Missimal, thank you for that, I know that oestrogen is going to muddle things up and I nearly didn’t bother, but then I thought, why not? This test is without oestrogen, so it’s a bit like a baseline then, and maybe what you’re saying is that I might slide a bit while the oestrogen starts meddling with my thyroid hormones, but at least I’ll know what that is and be able to take action to balance out that effect. Will my endo understand that, I wonder. Well he hasn’t done so badly up to now, I’ll bring him up to speed, haha! Thank you

[Hashi-Monster in reply to Icicles]

I’m sure he’ll understand it’s quite well known because of the risk to pregnancy.

Good luck

[Icicles in reply to Hashi-Monster]

Oestrogen wasn’t on the agenda when I started my thyroid investigations. I was toughing it out because my gynae oncologist surgeon frightened the living daylights out of me about ever taking HRT again because of the risk of endometrial cancer. I guess I started to feel like I wasn’t just going to fade away when the NDT kicked in and I thought ‘let’s check it out’ but I hear what you’re saying and I’ll keep an eye on it. Thank you for this and good luck to you too

[Angel_of_the_North in reply to Icicles]

You will need progesterone as well as oestrogen - and make sure they are both bio-identical. Most women need only a very low amount of oestrogen and much more progesterone. The fake progesterone (progestin) is the one responsible for increased stroke risk etc, but this does not apply to bio-identical real progesterone. oestrogen on its own is not usually a good thing - and you need to know your levels of all the sex hormones in order to get the correct dose. One size does NOT fit all

[Lisaf01 in reply to Angel_of_the_North]

Is it possible to obtain bio-identical female hormones on NHS prescription?

[Angel_of_the_North in reply to Lisaf01]

I don't know. Perhaps in some areas. Bio-identical oestrogen probably, progesterone less likely.