How do you know if you have Thyroid problem? I am an 82 year young lady! . I have AF and some athritis but my biggest problem is every night when I go to sleep I sweat excessively. My body feels it is overheating sometimes if I drink a hot tea etc. and I sweat a very little. I have suffered this for 6 years and at first the doctors thought it was Hormones. but nothing worked. It is affecting my life so much. When I suggest to the doctor could it be my Thyroid they say no although I have never had a test only a general blood test. Can anyone think of what I could do? I think I must go Private They have given me Amitriptyline 10mg which helps me get back to sleep.
Thank you.
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golfcrazy
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Ask GP to test vitamin levels - B12 and folate, also vitamin D and ferritin
Do you currently take any vitamin supplements?
To test thyroid
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
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)
Private tests are available as NHS currently rarely tests Ft3 or thyroid antibodies or all relevant vitamins
My being too hot for years turned out to be linked to high blood sugar. I eventually worked out that a lack of pro biotics. Was not allowing my gut to process starchy carbs. Rice was my nadir. I took vsl3 for a few months, And it realky helped. I also monittored my blood sugar and every time i was hot, it was high.
What was tested in the general blood test you had?
They might have already tested TSH. If this is in range the labs don’t test FT4 & FT3 and it’s assumed the thyroid levels should be in range.
It a good habit to obtain your blood test results to see what has been tested and the result, even results red flagged by the lab get missed.
Some practices offer online access to records, so see what your practice has available. If not contact the practice reception and ask for a printed copy of your results. They shouldn’t question why & you are legally entitled to them, but if they do, say for your records and don’t accept verbal or hand scribbled notes, you need a printed copy with ranges.
To be honest and if you can afford it I’d get a home fingerprick blood test kit from Medichecks it Blue Horizons and test your own. Get one that tests all aspects of your thyroid plus other things like CRP, vitamins and minerals and antibodies. It gives you a full picture and save you having to plead with a doctor who will like as not fob you off and not test everything you want anyway.
Just make sure you choose the test that does vitamins, minerals and antibodies - it will be the most expensive of the thyroid tests - used to be called Thyroid11 but I think it’s called something else now.
It’s awful when you waken up too hot - especially when you reach an age where hot flushes ought not that be happening.
First of all, few doctors know much more than to look at the result of a TSH test.
You can get a home private blood test. You are sent the appropriate items. AF is usually caused by too little a dose of thyroid hormones. I must also state I'm not medically qualified but had to diagnose myself.
Our heart and brain have the most T3 receptor cells (T3 is an Active thyroid hormone needed in our millions of T3 receptor cells) - T4 is an inactive thyroid hormone and has to covert to T3.
I shall give you a link and make sure (if you want to have this test) that blood draw is as early as possible, fasting and don't take thyroid hormones until after blood draw and that you're well hydrated a couple of days before.
Also request TSH, T4, T3, Free T4, Free T3 and thyroid antibodies - Vit D, iron, ferritin and folate to be checked. You can ask your GP first but he probably wont do all.
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