Hi there,I need to explain to my daughter and husband about hypothyroidism as they know nothing and my daughter has symptoms (update to my post last week on this coming very soon).
I've found this picture below on pinterest.
Is there something like this on the site that people have already created?
If not, would you add anything or have any comments?
I hope to use it or something like it to help me get my head around all the things we need to test for/take into account.
Cheers!
Hi Sneedle
I had to delete the diagram because it had advertising on it - I would say it is hard to fit everything on a diagram anyway. There are lots of books out there and a list of recommended on the thyroid UK website. I would not try to cram too much in at once though. My poor hubby is not scientific - definitely a humanities chap and finds the detail and the expanse of the effects of hypothyroidism too much to comprehend. I would say read lived experience and build a knowledge this way also ass the plain speak experiences of others is a great in road into the topic.
Are you waiting on a blood test? Also how old is your daughter? I used my bio to yes give some background, but also to provide a sort of case study that will hopefully help others see where things can get tricky. I did like the 'be your own thyroid advocate' as a starter book because the writer, who has hypothyroidism, has tried to keep it as simple as possible, but also written a chapter in the book specifically for family. I also have posts on my profile about various things Hypo-related as do many. Our own lived experiences give so much insight to this condition.
I've just caught up on your previous posts - gosh you have had it to do - one thing that strikes me - neither of you have had elevated TSH on these tests. Did you have elevated antibodies before, or is it only recently you have been testing? So perhaps there is a central hypothyroidism commonality for your hypothyroidism. It is supposed to be rare, but I think if it is not looked for you won't see it.
Hi Charlie-Farley,
No worries about the diagram I hadn't noticed the advertising!
I'm hoping to have the energy today to make an updated post wtih my new thyroid bloods as I have them now. So I'll post that as a new post.
Thanks for your thoughts and suggestions re info. It is overwhelming.
I'm not sure I have the umph to do a bio as my daughter is quite unwell too (I posted her results in a separate thread) and I'm trying to understand it all and explain it to her to give her hope and also get compliance (she has tried many things over the last three years and never got better). She's totally fed up with nutritional approaches and at 18 and just wanting a normal life I can understand!
I've been UAT for about 17 years, 75mcg levo, never well, this is my first proper go at understanding it all and starting to test properly outside of GP. I see a nutritionist and her bioresonance machine suggested sluggish thyroid three weeks ago. Because my daughter has symptoms I decided to test her too.
Your question about TSH, here are my last three tests:
1) 1.09 (0.55-4.78 mU/L)done at GP last Nov 12.15 not fasting. Probably took thyroxine that morning.
2) 1.06 (0.27-4.2 mIU/L) done last week 3.10pm not fasting Blue Horizon, no thyroxine.
3) 1.2 (0.27-4.2 mIU/L) done last Monday Medichecks 8.50am and fasting no thyroxine (finally got it right).
Probably only the bottom one is helpful.
Going to rest now if I haven't answered anything I'll try to get to it later.
Thank you for any more insight.
ooo that’s interesting! Your TSH is not at the bottom of the range - and is unreliable anyway generally and I would say if you are symptomatic you need a dose increase. On NICE guidelines there are a few contradictions- they are not obvious until you are in the position, like we are, to read it with knowing eyes. TSH FREQUENTLY Disagrees with peoples symptoms and there is a paragraph at the top of the guidelines that suggests it is most important to make the patient feel well.
Unfortunately, the doctors are not given enough training and are scared to step outside of the bounds of the blood test ranges. Also, bearing in mind that they are told to use TSH as the guide for treatment, this is why we have so many people being inadequately treated.
A useful guideline is how to dose and for levothyroxine it is 1.6 µg per kilogram, which makes total sense. If you think about it. If you read my bio you will see I compare my little friend to my rather ample proportions and the difference in levothyroxine we need in order to function.
I would use the analogy of a Land Rover and a Mini. If you give them the same volume of fuel, the Mini will go a lot further than the Land Rover. Well a Land Rover’s requirements are far more. - It’s a bigger engine.😂 I’m a land Rover!
Worth calculating your guideline dose, but please remember everything is a guide how you feel is always the most important thing.
The thyroid hormones and symptoms are, by far away, the most important measure when considering whether or not a person is hypo or undermedicated, and being in range is not sufficient, so I would urge you to read my bio, and I’ve laid it all out for other people to read and use simple analogies to try and explain some of the issues and what happened to me.
Jazzw has put a superb starting point for your journey and that if your daughter.
Nutrition is very important but you can’t heal a damaged and deteriorating thyroid - it is not like liver and sadly because people are reluctant to accept they need thyroid hormone replacement therapy will carry on JUST the nutritional path longer than it is probably advisable. Not to take anything away from the benefits.
There is another post that SlowDragon has popped advice on this may be a very beneficial read- sorry but at this stage it feels like an info dump - it is…
So how do you eat an elephant? Just one bite at a time 😊
How about this instead: thyroiduk.org/wp-content/up...
It’s a list of signs and symptoms of hypothyroidism which can be found on Thyroid UK’s website.
Hi Jazzw, That is a brilliant start. I confess to not have seen this before and will be having a good gander at this myself and where it resides.
It resides here C-F 😊 thyroiduk.org/if-you-are-un...
So much stuff to familiarise myself with! Thank you RedApple😀👍
Someone somewhere had a 'letter to my family' which I found super helpful and gave me the strength to explain how it can 'hurt to just be' etc. Since that my husband totally changed his approach and became super supportive and realised I couldn't control 'being me' from day to day and began to understand my obsession with reading and trying supplements and diet and all-sorts. I hope this helps, the tricky bit is when you are quite hypo your mental health can take a dive, so you feel like an onlooker, on the outside of the family looking in, its a weird feeling and I can honestly say, finally getting my doses closer to optimal that feeling has melted away. I feel comfortable in my space, I can take up space, I can speak up etc. Sorry that was meant to be short and turned into a ramble, hopefully there is something there that can help. I'm off to search for the 'letter to my family' 🌱
Edit: Found it healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
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