I am currently in a place where I have been to my GP numerous times regarding hypothyroidism. I suffer from so many of the symptoms but my GP refuses to take it any further as my TSH levels are 2.68 within the normal levels. I am constantly cold, tired, depressed and gain weight despite a healthy diet and a lot of exercise. Recently my hair has also started to fall out. My Grandmother, Mother and Uncle all have thyroid problems, to the point where my mum has no function at all.
I suppose my question is where can I go with this. Are there different tests that can be done? I am happy to go privately and pay if need be.
TIA
Written by
Harperhan
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For full Thyroid evaluation you need TSH, FT4, FT3 plus TPO and TG thyroid antibodies and also very important to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12
with family members having autoimmune thyroid disease it's highly likely you have high thyroid antibodies
Low vitamin levels are EXTREMELY common
Ask GP to test both TPO and TG antibodies and vitamin D, folate, B12 and ferritin
Private tests are available. Thousands on here forced to do this as NHS often refuses to test FT3 or antibodies or vitamins
Medichecks Thyroid plus ultra vitamin or Blue Horizon Thyroid plus eleven are the most popular choice. DIY finger prick test or option to pay extra for private blood draw. Both companies often have money off offers.
All thyroid tests should ideally be done as early as possible in morning and fasting. This gives highest TSH, lowest FT4 and most consistent results. (Patient to patient tip, GP will be unaware)
If antibodies are high this is Hashimoto's, (also known by medics here in UK more commonly as autoimmune thyroid disease).
About 90% of all hypothyroidism in Uk is due to Hashimoto's. Low vitamins are especially common with Hashimoto's. Food intolerances are very common too, especially gluten. So it's important to get TPO and TG thyroid antibodies tested at least once .
Just testing TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone) is pointless. People can have a TSH that is within the reference range while also having low Free T4 and/or low Free T3. If this happens then it is very important to know because it could be indicating that someone has central hypothyroidism (CH).
CH is a condition that is caused by the pituitary (which produces TSH) being unable to produce enough TSH for the person's needs. The hypothalamus may be implicated as well. If TSH is too low then thyroid hormone levels will also be too low.
You should give up doing lots of exercise, at least until you know the levels of your thyroid hormones. If your T3 is low then hard exercise is not a good idea.
Another factor in how you are feeling is your vitamin and mineral levels. If you are hypothyroid (and a TSH of 2.68 suggests you are on the way) then people can't absorb nutrients from their food very well because of low stomach acid. Do you take antacids or acid blockers? If you do it makes poor nutrient absorption worse.
I do actually enjoy the exercise but frustrating when I bust between 500 -800 calories 5 days a week at CrossFit and see not a lb in weight disappear. The doctor keeps telling me weight loss is a simple equation of calories in versus calories out, which is not the case for me at all.
Calories in vs calories out being helpful for weight loss isn't the case for many people, with or without a thyroid problem. If you cut your calories your body thinks you are living through a famine and it slows down your metabolism to allow you to survive until the famine is over. This is why your body hangs on to every pound.
One thing to bear in mind - if your doctor is from the UK then they will know absolutely nothing about nutrition and losing weight - it doesn't get covered in medical training. I don't know about other countries.
You could try a completely different approach to eating, and perhaps look into low fat, high carb (LFHC) eating - it doesn't involve counting calories at all. How high the fat and how low the carb levels you eat is up to you.
You might find the Diet Doctor website of interest - it has quite a lot of resources and recipes available for free. You can also get a free month's membership then cancel if you want, and this lets you see the whole website for that month.
Another point to make about low calorie diets is that they affect thyroid function a lot i.e. they dampen down its activity.
As recommended by others it is good to get the full thyroid tests, including the Free T3. T3 is the active thyroid hormone in the body, which controls every cell and Free T3 is the best measure of it.
Your list of symptoms and your family history points to a genetic condition. The condition is known as Impaired Sensitivity to Thyroid Hormone, sometimes called Thyroid Hormone Resistance.
It requires very high levels of Free T3 to overcome the resistance.
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