Mercury thermometer

[stillhopeful]

Can anyone tell me how to get a mercury thermometer as I need it for accurate daily average temperatures?

Thanks

Amanda

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

stillhopeful

It's impossible to buy a mercury thermometer. They were discontinued years ago due to being unsafe because of the mercury content.

[stillhopeful]

Well, I have a problem then as I am trying to follow the protocol on the RT3adrenals website. I have deteriorating health, high RT3 and all else ok.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to stillhopeful]

The site clearly has not caught up with reality!

It is not that much of a problem because even if you wish to go for a liquid metal thermometer, there are options. Such as:

amazon.co.uk/Geratherm-Anal...

That might not be the best model (or make) there are several available. Just the first I found.

People do report some difficulty in shaking down these thermometers after use - never tried one so do not know how difficult it is.

[stillhopeful in reply to helvella]

Many thanks for pointer. Will check with website and keep bashing on till I get somewhere.

[stillhopeful in reply to stillhopeful]

Have ordered a Geratherm. Thanks again.

[stillhopeful]

Has anyone got experience of following the RT3 adrenals website protocol in the uk? Was it helpful?

Amanda

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK]

For anyone who comes along in future and sees this post, I have copied a snippet which gives dates and legal background. However, it had been recognised for many years that mercury thermometers (and barometers and sphygmomanometers) were sources of mercury poisoning.

A lot of discussion centred around the pretty small amount of mercury in one item. But missed that the factories making them, those maintaining them, and places where many devices were in close proximity were sometimes very badly affected. There have been stories of old hospital buildings having mercury pollution from the accumulation of many years of broken thermometers.

United Kingdom

Since European Union directive 2007/51/EC came into force on 3 April 2009, the UK Health Protection Agency (HPA) reported that mercury thermometers could no longer be sold to the general public. Shops holding stocks of unsold thermometers had to withdraw them from sale; mercury thermometers purchased before this date could be used without legal implications. The purpose of these restrictions is to protect the environment and public health by decreasing the amount of mercury waste released. The HPA had, in 2007, released a guide to dealing with small spills of mercury.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercu...

[BrynGlas]

I bought a vintage one on eBay which I used to use, but I broke it. Have tried two of the new ones, but I am not convinced that they are accurate.

Can anyone tell us what thermometers are considered the best to record accurate temp please?

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to BrynGlas]

If they are not accurate, you should return them for a refund.

Have you compared the two of them? For example, putting both together in a decent volume of approximately blood temperature water. Check whether they both report the same temperature.

[BrynGlas in reply to helvella]

NoI haven't, simply because I don't have a mercury one to compare the new ones to. Or any other one for that matter.

I just wondered what others are using. Are the digital ones still thought of as unreliable? You don't really put one of those under your armpit for 10 mins first thing in the morning do you? LoL

[BrynGlas in reply to BrynGlas]

Oops, I didn't read your message through properly. No I haven't tried that!

Why? Because I wasn't clever enough to think about it!

Well, I was more worried about my weight than my basal temperature, let's face it. But I am still measuring 36 c when I wake up in the morning. God knows what my pulse is then, I usually fall asleep before I get to 1 minute!

I often wake up with my thermometer still firmly under my arm too! If I tried to fall asleep counting my pulse I woukdn't be able to do it.

I once got downstairs and wondered what the hell that thing was that was sticking out from my underarm area!

I worked out that it wasn't a bra wire because I had my pj's on!! LoL

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to BrynGlas]

There are lots of adequate machines to do pulse - and they can be quite accurate.

For example, a Mi Band.

[BrynGlas in reply to helvella]

I do have a BP machine, which does pulse too, but I would have to sit up in bed to put the cuff on! I would be raising my temp and pulse just doing that! LoL

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to BrynGlas]

I meant to compare the two with each other. (I did see you no longer have a mercury thermometer. )

Geratherm make some (expensive) medical thermometers. I am surprised if they are not at least consistent if used with a careful technique.

Sometimes it is consistency rather than absolute accuracy that is required.

[BrynGlas in reply to helvella]

Yes, I saw that when I actually read all of your message properly helvella!

What is considered to be a low basal temperature anyway, is there one, a basal temperature which is considered too low at all for that matter?

When I was first diagnosed I took great care to record my temp and pulse every day without fail.

I gave it all up when I finally resigned myself to the fact that the magic white pills were pretty useless to me after all.

I turned myself inside out trying to sort out my low thyroid, private doctor's, spent a great deal of time on anything thyroid related, searching for possible help, what to do, what not to do.

I was driving myself insane quite frankly and I really did put it behind me. I took my medication, went for blood tests, etc but resigned myself to never being what I considered normal again.

When I started to gain again last year in July, I had honestly not thought of blaming my thyroxine or even my thyroid for the fact that I could not lose weight reliably, and keep it off.

I can see now that I was so sick of being told that I could not possibly be eating what I told the GP's, or the Slimming World consultants that I was eating, or I would have been slim of course wouldn't ?! I lied to myself and everyone else it seemed.

I really did think it was me, my fault. I was doing something wrong. I never thought it was thyroxine, it never crossed my mind. It has really made me understand the power of suggestion I can tell you.

[SilverAvocado]

I've found this a constant concern, too Many of us are going around taking our temperature several times a day, and I've done a few weeks of measures on each dose change, every 6 weekw or so, for the past 4.5 years. I've got through several digital thermometers and have never completely trusted any of them.

Like another poster I got hold of what seems to be a second hand mercury thermometer, but I never managed to work it properly. It's possible I'm not strong enough to shake it down because I'm still quite sick.

I never thought of Helvella's suggestion to test several against each other, and it sounds a very good method.

But I'm not sure there's any perfect method to make sure your thermometer is accurate, and of course we want it accurate to at least half a degree and ideally even better.