As I have read the posts from around 9 months ago relating to dr ps retirement, I have today hit breaking point with feeling so tired all the time no matter what I do, I was diagnosed a few years ago by dr.p with adrenal exhaustion and have been taking adrenavive 2 once a day along with vit b complex, a-z vits and iron, vit cs and a healthy diet etc, however I just can’t seem to shake the chronic constant fatigue which is having a really negative affect on my work and my relationship and my life in general as I am just always too tired to do anything
I am a self employed gas engineer/ plumber and am getting by doing the minimum work to make a living but I used to be so much more energetic and productive than I am now
I have read about liquorice root and grapefruit juice and have tested very low on cortisol but dr p never mentioned this, does anyone have any advice for me please as I am getting desperate, also can’t have the normal blood tests due to having a very severe needle phobia which can cause seizures 😢
Any help greatly appreciated
Kind regards
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Gasmanga
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I was referred to hospital at one point by the gp who didn’t know how to deal with my situation and the hospital doctor just completely didn’t understand so I’m back to square one again, I did manage to do one of the home thyroid tests which for someone with my condition really wasn’t easy which showed normal thyroid levels, I have also done the cortisol/ dhea saliva and urine tests and that came back very low on cortisol throughout the day
My head is just always pounding with headaches and brain fog, I get anxiety, really dry flaky itchy skin on my face and head and am always over heating/ sweating but the biggest problem is the tiredness which I matter what I do I just can’t seem to make any better
That's great, well done for managing a home test! Can you post the details here so that we can see whether this might be a cause of your problems? Ideally, TSH, FT4, FT3, plus antibodies if tested. Add in the ranges for each result. And tell us when this test was done.
No amount of adrenal supplements etc. are likely to help if you don't have enough thyroid hormone. So maybe the first thing to address is the needle phobia so that you can get further testing. Have you tried any form of therapy at all for this? Help for this via the NHS is probably available, but likely waiting list will be way too long. Forgive me if I'm stating the obvious, or you've already investigated this a lot yourself. Does this document give us any indication of what your phobia is about? anxietycanada.com/sites/def...
I have tried for years to address the issue and have done endless amounts of research on it, unfortunately it’s just a bodily reaction that I can’t help and can be life threatening so I cannot put myself in that situation
I will try to find my last results, but I have a bad feeling all of my test results where with dr Peatfield clinic 🙉😢
Apologies, I did think you had more than likely tried to get the phobia issue addressed, but we need to understand the full situation if there's any chance of being able to help
Reflex Anoxic Seizures mentioned by Lalatoot definitely sounds worth investigating.
Ive not heard of those before, I’ve only had four in my lifetime but all have been medical related and can be life threatening I will take a look into that, thanks
Would you be able to cope with a fingerprick test, rather than a venous blood collection?
There is a thyroid profile urine test available from Genova. Have a look on the TPAUK.com site. I think TPA can still act as your 'practitioner', since Genova won't release results directly to the paying customer. 🙄
If you still have your thyroid test results, please could you post them here, otherwise it will difficult for us to advise you further. Don't forget to add the lab reference range after each result.
The adrenal and thyroid systems are intricately linked. You may well have a problem with both now.
If you carried out the thyroid fingerprick test longer than three or four months ago, it would be advisable carry out a fresh test, or the 24 hour urine test, in order that we can see what is happening with your health.
What vitamin supplements are you currently taking?
Obviously absolutely essential to get FULL thyroid and vitamin testing
For full Thyroid evaluation you need TSH, FT4 and FT3 plus both TPO and TG thyroid antibodies tested. Also EXTREMELY important to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12
Low vitamin levels are extremely common, especially if you have autoimmune thyroid disease (Hashimoto's) diagnosed by raised Thyroid antibodies
You may need to get full Thyroid testing privately as NHS refuses to test TG antibodies if TPO antibodies are negative
Recommended on here that all thyroid blood tests should ideally be done as early as possible in morning and before eating or drinking anything other than water .
This gives highest TSH, lowest FT4 and most consistent results. (Patient to patient tip, best not mentioned to GP or phlebotomist)
Private tests are available. Thousands on here forced to do this as NHS often refuses to test FT3 or antibodies
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 special offers, Medichecks usually have offers on Thursdays, Blue Horizon its more random
Some of the clinics that can do private blood draw are within large NHS hospitals.....so could deal with any adverse reactions
So you need to work out where to FULL Thyroid and vitamin test done safely and with least anxiety
I’ve had very low cortisol last year. I then found out I had very low T3 and a positive DIO2 gene test. Which mean I’m a poor converter of T4 to active T3. I started a T3 trial privately. Within 4 weeks my cortisol had tripled. I felt so energised it was untrue. T3 fixed my thyroid issues and cortisol.
Please check T3, T4 and TSH as well as cortisol levels.
Are you on any steroid medications like inhalers etc. They can reduce your cortisol output.
This sounds very similar to what could be going on with me and it’s so good to hear that something can be done about it for a better way of life, can any of these tests you done be done at with home kits ?
I’m not on any steroid meds, but I do use a vape regularly
Yes, the gene DIO2 test is done through Regenerus Laboratories via Thyroid UK. Two options: just the test which is about £85 which will go to a Dr of your choice to interpret the results to you. Or, the one I chose, test plus a person the call you with the result £85 plus £65 for the result interpreted. They email you a copy of the gene test result also. T3 T4 and TSH through medichecks via Thyroid UK also. I’ve not done this as my GP puts T3 on my blood forms through the NHS. You may not have the faulty gene and still be a poor converter. I was glad to know why my T3 was so low. Now I know what and why. My cortisol is now so much better on T3 as well as my thyroid function. I’m more energetic, lost 3st in a year, I’d put on a lot last year as my conversion was very poor. I now go the gym 3/4 times a week. I feel incredibly lucky to have found this site and my private only Endocrinologist in Oxford. If you need his details just let me know, as it was him who put me on T3 when the NHS would not entertain T3 under any circumstances. Now they do!
Wow this is so good to hear, I am really struggling at the moment I have massive wipeouts where I just have to sleep as I can’t function properly and it’s having a huge strain on my relationship as my partner just doesn’t understand what I’m going through and thinks it’s because she isn’t my priority when she really is
I’m loading all these vitamins and adrenavive 2s and liquorice root trying to raise my cortisol but I’m still just crashing constantly, a few years ago I was in the gym 4/5 days a week sometimes twice a day and was 12st 12
I’m now over 16stone and starting to get very upset about it all
Do you have a link to the tests I would need to do at home please and a contact for your private endo as I am really starting to get quite desperate now, this has made me feel so low at some points to the point where I felt like I couldn’t go on, any help is much appreciated
You just need to go to google. Look up Regenerus Laboratories. Then look up DIO2 gene test.
Once you’ve completed this and paid. I went for option for test plus a person to call you to interpret to result, I paid about £165 in total Then you’ll get a DNA kit. Follow the instructions and send off your saliva sample. If you have the gene fault it may take 3 weeks for the result. If not you’ll find out in about a week. Well that’s how it worked for me positive = 3 weeks. My sister was negative = 1 week.
Looking at your results above though I’d say you do not have a conversion issue
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