Harpal clinic and recommendation for a good doctor

[Miss_Nestor]

Hi,

I'm looking for a good doctor in the Cambridge or London area. I have high rT3 but low T3 and T4, and I also would like to treat adrenal fatigue. Any recommendation? I found online the Harpal clinic, but I would like some feedback on it before investing.

Thank you for your help

[shaws Administrator]

Welcome to our forum Miss_Nestor. Have you been diagnosed with hypothyroid problem, or other dysfunctions?

You haven't given any background on your Profile i.e. the diagnosis, what you've been prescribed or not.

Ideally you need a Full Thyroid Function Test, which GPs rarely do but there is private labs which will do those that GP want. They give a far bigger picture.

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/testin...

All blood tests for thyroid hormones have to be at the very earliest, fasting (you can drink water) and if taking thyroid hormone replacements, you allow a 24 hour gap between the last one and the test and take afterwards. Food can also interfere with the uptake of the hormones so we don't eat until at least an hour later. Thyroid Hormones should be taken with one full glass of water. Some prefer a bedtime dose, in that case you'd allow a gap of about 3 hours if you've had a meal and the hormones. In this case, you'd miss the bedtime dose and take after blood test and at night as usual.

Ask GP to test B12, Vit D, iron, ferritin and folate.

You need:-

TSH, T4, T3, Free T4, Free T3 and thyroid antibodies. If GP wont do all of these you can get them through one of the private labs and I'll give a link below:

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/testin...

If you email Dionne at Thyroiduk she has a list of helpful doctors, Email below.

[e-mail]

We don't allow any doctors names on the forum only by Private Message.

[Miss_Nestor in reply to shaws]

Hi Shaws,

Thank you for your reply

My last blood test is :

TSH: 0.03 (0.35-5.5)

FT3: 4 (3.5-6.5)

FT4 : 7.7 (10-19)

I'm still waiting for the rT3, they say I'll have the result on the 21st of November.

I haven't tested antibodies recently but hey were high in the past.

Iron and Ferritin were fine too.

I have contacted the Harpal clinic for more information, and I don't really know if they are trustable. They said I'll have to pay £400 for the initial appointment plus £400 for blood tests. When I asked which blood tests, they say they don't want to disclose. Then when I said I would prefer to do some of the blood tests via the NHS or in France to avoid paying fo them, they say it's not possible. Then I explain to them that I need to know which blood tests I will have to do if I want to stop the correct medication and supplements before the blood test, and they answered that I don't need to know and shouldn't stop anything because it will give an idea of your day to day lifestyle and what may need to be adjusted. But they will measure the medication or the supplement in my blood, not what I actually keep when I'm off them right?

[shaws Administrator in reply to Miss_Nestor]

Thyroiduk.org.uk have a selection of labs that are private. I am sure they don't charge so much for tests and I'll give you a link. They do home pin-prick blood tests and make sure you are well-hydrated a couple of days before blood draw.

There's more sensible and knowledge people on this forum some of whom are par excellence (I am not including myself in this) with results etc. than paying exorbitant fees for basic information.

Many of us source our own hormones (where possible) as T3 is scarce at present.

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/testin...

It is simple to get our own blood tests and if someone sources NDT (natural dessicated thyroid hormones) which is the very original hormone which saved peoples lives from then onwards - even up until today even though Big Pharma may spread scare stories about it and some professionals do as well. If something has been in use since 1892 and saved lives from then on up until the present why not have a trial. After all we are dealing with hormones and not some medication that may have a reaction. Your latest results:-

TSH: 0.03 (0.35-5.5)

FT3: 4 (3.5-6.5)

FT4 : 7.7 (10-19)

FT3 is low as is FT4 (this is below range). Private isn't always the best when dealing with hormones as most Endocrinologists will try to reduce your dose as your TSH is below range, despite both Frees being inadequate.

You don't need to worry too much about RT3 and I believe that T4 converts to RT3 and then into T3. so my assumption is that if you are taking thyroid hormones your dose is too low. FT3 should be nearer 6 and FT4 near the upper part of the range.

You haven't put on your profile yet whether you've been diagnosed or not. If you are hypothyroid or have Autoimmune Thyroid Disease or if you take thyroid hormones and if it is levo or other thyroid hormone replacements. This is from one of our Advisers - now deceased:-

"Dr. Lowe: I respectfully disagree with your endocrinologist. Studies indicate that T4 is of no use to anyone except, figuratively, as a storage unit for the metabolically-active thyroid hormones T3, T2, and possibly T1. When T4 ends its long ride through the circulating blood, it enters cells. There, enzymes convert it to T3, and, after a while, other enzymes convert T3 to T2. The T2 becomes T1, and eventually T1 becomes T0 (T-zero). T0 is just the amino acid backbone(called "tyrosine") with no iodine atoms attached. Because it has no attached iodine atoms, T0 is no more a hormone than is T4.

Rather than being a hormone, T4 is a “prohormone.” That means that enzymes have to convert T4 to T3 before T4 benefits us. T4 is no more a hormone than beans in an unopened can are a food. For all practical purposes, canned beans become food only when a can opener frees them so you can eat them. Hence, T4, like canned beans, only potentially benefits us, but actually does so only after being freed from its metabolically unusable form.

Your endocrinologist may say that T4 is a gentler way to get T3 into your body. This to me, however, is a specious argument. When taken properly, T3 can effect one as gently as T3 derived from T4."

Copy and paste your above results onto a brand new post so that more members will read it and advise as well. Also state whether you are hypo or have hashimoto's.

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Miss_Nestor]

Are these results from when on Levothyroxine? Or NDT or on Levo plus T3?

Or some other mix

Can't see any vitamin D, folate or B12 test results at all on any other posts

Low vitamins are extremely common with Hashimoto's

As you have Hashimoto's Are you on strictly gluten free diet?

If not getting a £20 online coeliac blood test, just to rule it out, before trying strictly gluten free diet for 3-6 months minimum

You do not need any gut symptoms of any sort to still find significant benefits

amymyersmd.com/2017/02/3-im...

chriskresser.com/the-gluten...

thyroidpharmacist.com/artic...

scdlifestyle.com/2014/08/th...

drknews.com/changing-your-d...

thyroidpharmacist.com/artic...

Typical charge for first consultation with endocrinologist is only £200-£250.... not £400

Taking along Medichecks or Blue Horizon tests done just before consultation means no futher cost for blood tests either

[Walshamy]

Hi! Im a little late to the conversation, but I’ve been there and it didn’t work for me. The wrong drug was sent out and there was never an occasion where things just went smoothly for me. The doctor was nice enough but he seemed to be pushing all sorts of hormones and vitamins my way. You may want to do more research if you haven’t already invested as they failed their CQC inspection