Visited an endo over at the priory bmi in Birmingham this evening which I paid privately for
Just wanted to give everyone an update in case you are thinking of going to see one
Pros
Really nice man was very understanding and explained a lot to me..more than the gp has ever done
Has agreed to increase me to 150 which was my main aim so it was worth it for that
Has also discussed my diagnosis of PCOS and is putting me onto metformin for this and explained about how the two are interlinked and have similar symptoms
I did take all my bloods and he did check them throughly
Cons
He is adamant that the tsh is the main test and if this is suppressed continuously it’s not good for the body..I did try and argue this with him in relation to t4 and t3 but he was very certain on the tsh as the main indicator. .however as I mentioned he has agreed to increase on the basis that my tsh currently isn’t suppressed (0.64) as long as the Increase doesn’t surpress it for a long period of time
I didn’t ask him about t3 or ndt as I got the impression he wouldn’t endorse this..
I think it was worth going to see him as it explained a lot to me
Happy to private message if anyone wants details
Written by
Fox78
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This is an excerpt from a statement by one of our Advisers (deceased) re PCOS - I don't have a link:
"
Multiple Ovarian Cysts as
a Major Symptom of Hypothyroidism
The case I describe below is of importance to women with polycystic ovaries. If they have evidence, such as a high TSH, that conventional clinicians accept as evidence of hypothyroidism, they may fair well. But the TSH is not a valid gauge of a woman's tissue thyroid status. Because of this, she may fair best by adopting self-directed care. At any rate, for women with ovarian cysts, this case is one of extreme importance.
In 2008, doctors at the gynecology department in Gunma, Japan reported the case of a 21-year-old women with primary hypothyroidism. Her doctor referred her to the gynecology department because she had abdominal pain and her abdomen was distended up to the level of her navel.
At the gynecology clinic she underwent an abdominal ultrasound and CT scan. These imaging procedures showed multiple cysts on both her right and her left ovary.
The woman's cholesterol level and liver function were increased. She also had a high level of the muscle enzyme (creatine phosphokinase) that's often high in hypothyroidism.
Blood testing also showed that the woman had primary hypothyroidism from autoimmune thyroiditis.
It is noteworthy that the young woman's ovarian cysts completely disappeared soon after she began thyroid hormone therapy. Other researchers have reported girls with primary hypothyroidism whose main health problems were ovarian cysts or or precocious
puberty. But this appears to be the first case in which a young adult female had ovarian cysts that resulted from autoimmune-induced hypothyroidism.
The researchers cautioned clinicians: "To avoid inadvertent surgery to remove an ovarian tumor, it is essential that a patient with multiple ovarian cysts and hypothyroidism be properly managed, as the simple replacement of a thyroid hormone could resolve the ovarian cysts."[1]
Reference:
1. Kubota, K., Itho, M., Kishi, H., et al.: Primary hypothyroidism presenting as
multiple ovarian cysts in an adult woman: a case report. Gynecol. Endocrinol.,
But, ignoring vitamins as having separate impacts and being looked at separately, what other test is there apart from t4 you’d like them to consider - he’s already giving you what you want, based on the t4 measure..? Yes they could look at t4/t3 ratio but - just asking and still new to this - would it make any difference?
My endo only checks tsh - and if it and symptoms don’t get right - he says will try t3 - but like yours, and mine comes highly recommended, he’s only looking at tsh. Are we over complicating things trying to look at other things? Or have even the best Endos really got it wrong?
Yes they have got it wrong. They are blinkered by TSH and don’t take into account your symptoms. TSH doesn’t show you have a poor conversion problem, so levo sloshes about in your blood making the TSH look good, meanwhile you are very hypo as you have no T3. That’s what happens when endos are blind, arrogant and stupid- they kill people. Treat yourself going on symptoms.
As you say, and I said, if they ignore symptoms they are totally wrong. I’m interested in what you say about the t4 lowering the tsh but not increasing the t3. Still, my Endo appears to be able to assess this from tsh+symptoms and no other measures and I’d prepared to give t3.
If I'd paid good money to be told TSH is king, I'd be sorely disappointed. One can understand if an NHS Endo feels they have to toe the NHS party line, but surely the benefit of a private Endo is that they are unfettered by that and can embody the best and most advanced of thinking within their field.
I don't know what advice you were given about taking metformin but from experience the lower the dose you start with and increase by (1\4 tablet at a time) the fewer the gastrointestinal side effects.
Hi I saw a private doctor in Ipswich last week. I have seen ,4 NHS consultants. He did different bloods shows me the results t3 low as t4 not convent ing and adrenal problems put me on t4/t3 he was great. D x
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Update on BH Bloods and GP visit
Suppressed TSH
Endo visit today 
Endo redeemed, a good consultation and outcome...
