I am undiagnosed but with typical symptoms. I have yet to get bloods done privately as recommended here as my surgery have said they don’t accept those results. My GP says I’m subclinical and offered no thyroid related medication.
My question here is dietary, will fresh pineapple help my digestion as I have all the symptoms of low stomach acid associated with thyroid issues.
I have a chronic RA autoimmune condition which I manage snd other AI things such as Lichen Sclerosus and tests for cancer in 2023 found nothing. I’m not taking regular prescription medication except HRT (62) but do have mild diverticulitis and recently diagnosed with severe dry eyes. My weight is stable now at 8 stone 8 and I’m a healthy eater avoiding red meat. This constant bloating , headache and low grade nausea is getting me down though.
Any suggestions welcome.
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Stills
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Well if your doctor thinks you are sub clinical - have you been referred and now waiting to see an endocrinologist to confirm this diagnosis and commence treatment ?
As for the eyes maybe see an optician who can see behind your eyes - just to get the ' ok ' that there is nothing more serious going on -
and if all ok suggest that all eye drops, lotions and potions must be Preservative Free -
even those prescribed - and there are heavy duty little tubes of grease you can use overnight - so do this last thing before turning in - as your eyesight will be blurred after squeezing this ointment into your eyes.
Actually it might be quicker to contact the Thyroid Eye Disease Charity - and be signposted to your nearest clinic where you will be supported by an endo and an eye specialist to find your best treatment option. tedct.org.uk
I have read about pineapple but never tried - I use a teaspoon of Apple Cider Vinegar with mother - in a glass of warm water before eating my main meal containing protein - I've also used grapefruit segments with limited success :
Hi, no referral, GP says I need to be worse before I can be referred.
I have hydro scan day and night drops as recommended by my optician and they do help. One eye is changing shape though and I get double vision occasionally. Thank you for your advice re the eye charity, I will look into that today.
sorry your still struggling stills, me too, my gp is as yours ,twice been suggested he send me to cardiologist but doesn't and just asked me to fill in a form of symptoms and still does nothing. I had private blood test done and with symptoms the doc there said to see gp as subclinical but I didnt as had other pressing things but it was good to know for myself. my tsh was 4.7 and after high dose steroids gp tested and was down to 2.7. I still have ptosis and under eye swollen every morning. I am seeing ophthalmologist again soon and was given treatment for dry eye. I get the nausea and nibble on a ginger biscuit and a glass of acv a day which doesn't cure the bloating but helps. I get a blackberry flavour acv which tastes better. can you get a referral to ophthalmology, or get optician to refer you.
Sounds like we’re stuck in the same boat; there’s good advice in these replies but most need the cooperation and input of one’s GP which I don’t have. I think this stems from a blood test which indicated cancer and several procedures during 2023 looking for cancer which was not found and now my GP thinks I’m wasting her time even though in over a year, whilst cancer was suspected I only saw her once for 1O minutes. Unfortunately she is also the manager of the surgery at the moment as well. I’m in north Cambridgeshire and GPs are scare due to population surge.
I will try my opticians as you suggest te my eye: I didn’t realise they could make referrals so thanks for that suggestion 😀
yes my gp thinks as was diagnosed fibro years ago that’s it and any progression just says strange. My gp has let me down hugely they are supposed to help. Yes I just don’t go to him and yes as scarce darent leave the survey either 🤷♀️ your gp should be happy for you and these gps should be glad to rule things out not begrudge it, but yes if like mine they don’t want to refer due to cost.
Yes my gp wouldn’t refer me but luckily optician said he wanted to refer me .good luck.
Interesting question. I'd never thought of that. On the face of it, yes, it should. And on the face of it, there are no drawbacks - unless you're allergic to pineapple. It's acidic, full of fibre - although you don't want too much fiber, but seems you shouldn't drink more than a glass a day, anyway - and chock full of nutrients. I'd say give it a go and let us know how you get on. It certainly tastes better than ACV!
Hi, I don’t know any of my antibodies , thyroid or vitamin levels except surgery said they were ok after a blood test last summer. However symptoms remain although weight loss has stabilised. I am not supplementing and don’t eat meat by choice rather than ethic but following advice here I manage a little chicken once a week now but detest it. I eat healthily and don’t eat processed food or fizzy drinks. Fish, dairy, fruit snd veg, seeds and nuts are my preferred foods with the occasional slice of homemade cake. I weaned off omeprazole due to the debilitating headaches. Thanks for your constant good advice.
important to see EXACTLY what’s been tested, frequently only TSH (completely inadequate)
And GP would say any vitamin results within range were “normal”
Normal is not necessarily optimal
Eg Ferritin below 30 NICE defines as deficient. GP often won’t say ferritin is deficient unless below 10. Good ferritin level is at least over70
Vitamin D very rarely tested by GP. Optimal is at least over 80nmol
B12 range is very wide ….typically 180-760 approx. B12 below 400 can cause issues
You are legally entitled to printed copies of your blood test results and ranges.
The best way to get access to current and historic blood test results is to register for online access to your medical record and blood test results
UK GP practices are supposed to offer everyone online access for blood test results. Ring and ask if this is available and apply to do so if possible, if it is you may need "enhanced access" to see blood results.
Ha! Have found out that ferritin, TSH and antibodies were tested and my record marked as no action needed. Yes, I know the actual results and ranges along with vitamin readings are required for a full picture but it’s taken me nearly a year to get this verbal info from surgery . I asked if private tests would be useful and they said you can do what you like but we will only go by our own tests. It’s progress of a sort,
you have to push receptionist sometimes. when you ask verbally for results they will usually only say ' x test was normal' etc. Go back in person, ask receptionist at desk for a printout of blood results and reference ranges from x date.
As long as GP has already seen the results, you can have them, not all receptionists are aware of this , so you may get an "i'll have to check with the doctor first" , in which case say fine i'll come back tomorrow and pick it up.
You are legally entitled to printed copies of your blood test results and ranges.
The best way to get access to current and historic blood test results is to register for online access to your medical record and blood test results
UK GP practices are supposed to offer everyone online access for blood test results. Ring and ask if this is available and apply to do so if possible, if it is you may need "enhanced access" to see blood results.
This currently only applies in England, not across the whole of the UK. Nether Scotland nor N.Ireland have released an NHS app for patients. (Scotland supposedly due in December '24.) Wales has an app, but only for booking appointments, repeat prescriptions and amending personal details
Thanks for your follow up, results not posted online although when I rang the (rude) receptionist told me if there was any thing to know THEY would have contacted me.
I continue to read and learn here and understand the wish for optimal rather than ‘within range’. Read your bio again today which is one hell of a journey.
Life is complicated atm as Mum 87 and a widow of 2 years this Xmas broke her hip and already has AS and PN plus only weighs 6 stone and is needing a lot of help from me so I’ve put my symptoms to the back of my mind for now.
Thanks again SD, I’ll post when I get results or more info that sheds light. Still losing weight, anxious, cold, under par, gastric issues, increased joint pain, not sleeping, dry eyes, sore throats, mood swings, all the usual suspects. I think I’ll start with optimising my vitamin levels following all the good advice here.
the (rude) receptionist told me if there was any thing to know THEY would have contacted me.
When I got access to my old historical results…I found my vitamin D was tested and result was 12nmol……not one medic told me I had even had vitamin D tested….let alone that result was (very) deficient ……nor was any vitamin D prescribed
I thought my previous GP was bad enough but yours sounds even worse!!
My GP put No Action Required on just about everything.
As said on here, you are entitled by law to have a printed copy of your medical results/records. As for taking a year to get verbal info from your surgery, I have never heard such a thing. As soon as I have a blood test, once dr looked at it I am straight at the reception desk asking for a printed copy and I have to say I won't leave until I get it either.
Some Drs don't like being presented with private test results but I say I want them done on the NHS then. I have gone through something similar myself with regard to my own Thyroid problem and currently a B12 deficiency. I went to a private Endocrinologist and just as well I did, my GP who thought he knew it all actually didn't. I am still under the care of the Private Endo.
Its a pity you don't have many other surgeries in your area, I think I would keep a look out for a better option if possible.
I also use apple cider vinegar with the mother (B&M's and Home Bargains usually stock it) I used to take some before every meal. You have to be wary with your teeth as obviously it's acidic.
Unfortunately even though I love the taste of ACV sometimes I struggled to take it and I now take a capsule once a day instead. If I forget I do find heartburn etc coming back so I do believe that it really helps with my digestion.
I find Lichen Sclerosus which I also have very difficult to manage.
It does sound like it would be a good idea to get private blood tests done yourself so you know where you're at with your thyroid hormone levels. My GP won't accept private tests either but I get them done as it's helpful for myself to know as I'm still titrating up with hormones. Sometimes having private blood results can prompt a GP to do further testing so may be worth a try.
Yes I find the ACV very useful and certainly symptoms come back if I don't take it. I also try to use a steroid cream for LS but I really struggle to use it.
Just to follow up on LS, I find flour based products really aggravate it. I kept a food diary and noted that it was always worse after our monthly curry including poppadoms, nann breads and things like that. Of course that could be coincidence or just in my mind afterall I’m a 60+ retired post menopausal hysterical woman .
Hi StillsI'm unsure about pineapple, although it has many benefits. I know a lady who had severe thyroid problems and took doterra Life Long Vitality Supplements with great success. You could also try a good quality pro-biotic
If you get private blood tests and the surgery refuses to look at them, point out that they use a private company to do their blood tests. About 85% of GP practices now use private testing.
But - even better - put the results here and we can help further as, in the main, we know more about the results than the GP. The wealth of knowledge on here is brilliant!
I take a spoonful of cider vinegar with a teaspoon of honey and a splash of warm water, all well mixed to stop the "burn" as it goes down. Hope this helps.
I hope you found out your lab results. Aren't they obliged to provide you with a copy of your medical file if you request it?
It sounds like you need treatment, which will probably resolve the low stomach acid. At least, NDT did for me. Levo did nothing, but it could work for you.
Pineapple has a lot of sugar and fibre, both which may worsen bloating. I take a 1000 mg vitamin C (ascorbic acid) capsule before dinner. Before breakfast and lunch, vinegar in a full glass of water. My low stomach acid returned when switching to a new brand. Idk if I am suboptimal or that something else is going on. But initially, it resolved with treatment.
Thanks for the info on pineapple which I hadn’t really considered although after eating it twice recently I can tentatively say I noticed a difference but it could be imagined.
If it's a positive difference, by all means continue. It's much tastier than vinegar . If in the long run you notice worse bloating, you can always switch to something else. Btw Once you are on thyroid meds, it is advised to avoid vitamin C for 4 hours after taking them.
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