HRT and thyroid testing

[LittleMissTeapot]

HI guys,

I am currently taking T3 ( split twice a day) and levothyroxine 100mcg, a small dose of progesterone .25ml and a natural wild yam HRT to help with the massive dip from menopause after a hysterectomy, but only been on these tablets for about 3 weeks - still really wiped out. ( Op over 3 months ago)

I normally follow not taking any B vits etc for a week before testing, but do I need to do anything differently with these meds before a finer prick testing? My Gp just doesn't listen and say get on with it despite feeling so rubbish and normally leave in tears. I have only seen an NHS endo once since I had thyroid cancer / clear now 5 years ago and not supported at all.

The progesterone and T3 is prescribed from a private GP, but it a while before I have another apt.

Any ideas, thank you to all on here for your support. Its such a rollercoaster.

[TiggerMe Ambassador]

I'd suggest getting a female hormone test done as I very much doubt you are currently on a high enough dose of HRT, finger prick is no good as it will get contaminated if any HRT is transdermal or maybe best to visit a menopause clinic if your private GP isn't up to speed

[LittleMissTeapot in reply to TiggerMe]

thank you, will look into it.

[diagnosed2013 in reply to TiggerMe]

Sorry to add this to your post, would you mind me asking if you can help me with these results please? I had a hysterectomy in 2018....thank you

Just had these results back....could you help me please 🙏

[helvella in reply to diagnosed2013]

Please create a brand new post with your question.

Adding it here is likely to result in confusion. Especially if people make even small mistakes in their replies or in understanding the threading.

You can call out to TiggerMe from a new post!

[diagnosed2013 in reply to helvella]

OK thank you

[sparkly]

I'm not sure how natural yam cream that is applied to skin will affect a finger prick blood test. I know transdermal oestrogen and testosterone will give a false high but as yam cream doesn't contain progesterone you'd think would be fine.I gather you're not taking oestrogen because of medical reasons?

[LittleMissTeapot in reply to sparkly]

I fell off the cliff with menopause rollercoaster of up and downs emotionally after my hystorectomy op, so started taking harmone harmony ( wild yam) is in tablet but the progesterone is a gel. Its such a minefield with hormones.

[Minimol]

I think but am not a doctor the key hormones for energy are testosterone and oestrogen with progesterone supplementation being necessary for protection against endometrial cancers which won’t apply if you have had a hysterectomy.

If I were you I would seek second opinions and support both from another GP doctor and from an endocrinologist who has experience of HRT.

[LittleMissTeapot]

thanks Minimol, I will look into an endo with experience of HRT, but its such a minefield,

[dina7]

It's awful that you have so little support after having cancer.

If you can afford to go privately you might want to try Dr Georgina Conway at thethyroidclinic.co.uk/ as she's the only person I know of who does both thyroid and HRT. I've just booked an appt for February so can't recommend her at this point but I'm hopeful she will help me balance the two. As it is my naturopath says he can't help re the HRT because it's prescribed by a doctor, and the doctors say they can't help with the thyroid because I take Metavive, not their prescription drugs ie levo.

I'm told not to use the testosterone 24 hours before a blood test, and as I put the oestrogen on at the same time I don't use that either, but I use progesterone as normal.

It's hard to get the balance right - and to keep it there - and you do have to research yourself and keep trying different people until you get there. I wish you luck.

[LittleMissTeapot in reply to dina7]

Thank you so much, I will have a look into her practice.

I didn't have a face to face specialist nurse, despite having right cord palsy from my thryoidectomy that removed my stage 3 cancer, which my voice was only a whisper, only a handful of calls during my cancer treatment , so had to find out loads myself and only one face to face endo since. Its been an 'interesting journey' for sure.

[Britomartis29]

I've been on HRT after hysterectomy and it really is excellent for improving quality of life. I take a bioidentical dissolving tablet (sublingual), compounded, of estrogen and progesterone, plus a testosterone gel. This is in addition to T3 pills (50 mcg, divided dose; I was formerly on T4+ T3 but dropped the T4band increased the T3 after a series of trials and tweaks). My doctor tests the full thyroid panel plus estradiol, progesterone, sbgh, testosterone, and free testosterone, every 6 months, and if I feel "off" in any way she insists on testing before tweaking.

I would recommend doing whatever it takes to get ALL these endocrine hormones in balance. It makes a truly unsurpassed difference in quality of life, energy, health, strength DEXA scans, libido, weight, hair/skin/nails, mood, mental clarity, and more. I pay a lot out of pocket for this regimen and it is worth every bit and more. We only have one life, one body, one chance at good health. It's precious.

[LittleMissTeapot]

thank you for sharing, you are so right, only one life and its needs to be lived well.

wow, that sounds incredible, I've never heard of a bioidentical dissolving tablet, but makes so much sense, as does the testing. Is it a Genova testing?

[Britomartis29 in reply to LittleMissTeapot]

I'm in the US now, so it's regular Quest or Labcorp testing, doctor ordered, done at one of the Quest or Labcorp offices.

Bioidentical sublingual dissolving tablet is what my compounding pharmacist makes, again, ordered by the doctor as a prescription. The idea with gels/creams/sublinguals is to bypass the liver as much as possible. 🤷‍♀️

(Sorry, I am not sure what Genova testing is.)