My First Question

[Bumley]

I am a male aged 64 and my first tyhyroid blood test was 18 months ago and showed that I was marginal ( I did not ask for the results). I had a Heart Attack in March 2009 followed by a Triple By Pass in April 2009. I am a Type 2 Diabetic on both long term and short term insulin and have been recently diagnosed with COPD(58%). I have been advised that my heart grafts are in excellent condition

I recently had a blood test after 6 months review and this showed the following Thyroid TSH (range 0.35-5.5), T4 10.8 and Thyroid Peroxidase antibody 53 (range 0-40). The report apparently had a warning to the doctor and this seems to have been ignored since the test was done in late December. I was told that the test results had been lost. I don't know whether this is relevant but I also have blood red cell antibodies Anti-c and Anti-fya.

I have made an appointment to see a doctor ( have to wait over a month to see my GP) with a view to getting a referral to a consultant.

Symptoms are Carpel Tunnel in right hand with has increasingly worsened, poor memory (forgetting whether I have taken insulin or tablets as an example), peripheral coldness, chest pains/pressure (not angina), dry skin and some weight gain that I cannot lose in spite of a daily cardiovascular exercise regime and low fat diet.

I would be grateful for your thoughts

[Sheila2]

You didn't put what your TSH was only the ref range but your T4 looks low.

I had carpel tunnel and poor memory along with loads else most of which went away once the meds were right. What was the TSH?

[Bumley in reply to Sheila2]

TSH was 7 (range 0.35 - 5.5)

[Bumley]

Sorry,

TSH was 7 (range 0.35 - 5.5)

[Hidden in reply to Bumley]

Whaaaatttt!!!! 7!! there is nothing marginal about this.... a tsh of over 4 puts you at risk of heart problems according to the press release last year by the society of endocrinologists..... print it out and make sure your doc reads it.....endocrinology.org/press/pre...

More to the point, make him act on it.

Also have a read of Dr Mark Starrs Book, Hypothyroidism Type II where he publishes photographs of hearts before and after thyroid medication.... he says that often the first time people realise they have thyroid problems, ios when they suddenly have a heart attack......

Nel

[Bumley in reply to Bumley]

Thanks, I was beginning to think I was becoming a hypochondriac. My GP seems disinterested. I have downloaded both your suggested paper and that suggested by Muffy, a great deal of ammunition.

Another question bothering me is the Thyroid Peroxidase antibody reading. This reading was the one that set off a warning from the lab (which was ignored or missed). How significant is a reading of 53 (range 0-40)? Does my blood anti body give any clues?

Again many, many thanks

[Hidden in reply to Bumley]

If you have thyroid antibodies, then you have Hashimotos disease. The numbers are insignificant, they raise and then fall bu they do not go away until the thyroid is destroyed... (which can take years). There is no way of getting rid of the antibodies, they are there to stay until their job is done.

This means that eventually your thyroid will fail and you will be reliant on meds..... Best thing to do is treat you with meds so that what's left of your thyroid is not flogged to death ( via raised tsh) trying to compensate... If you are left untreated it can cause more problems....... heart, adrenals to name 2....

Nel.

[Bumley in reply to Bumley]

Thanks, you have really put matters into perspective for me.

Bumley

[Bumley in reply to Bumley]

I have just returned from the GP appointment and after some vacillating over whether you should give any credence to the internet, he finally prescribed Levothyroxine Sodium dose 25mcg. which we could review at my next diabetic appointment. He did say that he would be prepared to increase the dose.

I went to the appointment armed with my last reading together with a list of symptoms. When the doctor asked me what I wanted, I asked for a trial run to see if it mad a difference to the symptoms.

Thanks for your help in getting this far.

[Muffy]

Do as NellyB says and take the medical paper with you.

Also take the paper, 'A randomized double-blind crossover trial to investigate the efficacy of screening for adult hypothyroidism;, M Abu-Helalah,

M R Law, et al

jms.rsmjournals.com/cgi/con...

[Bumley in reply to Muffy]

Downloaded and in my pack for my future visit to the doctor, thanks.

Bumley

[Muffy in reply to Muffy]

Actually, you could download this one as well, 'Subclinical Hypothryroidism -The Treatment Controversy a report by Hassein Gharib, MD, MACP, MACE, Professor of Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and President, American College of Endocrinology (ACE).

Taken from, Thyroid Disorders, Touch Briefings 2008

Good luck.

[Bumley in reply to Muffy]

Muffy,

have tried to get this download but no joy, do you have an alternative link

Thank

Bumley

[Muffy in reply to Muffy]

Here's the link to The Treatment Controversy, Sorry I've mislaid my glasses and have some old weak ones on and spelt it as Hassein when it's Hossein.

touchbriefings.com/pdf/3183...

Hope that helps, if not just type in the paper's title in full + plus author into the search engine and it will come up that way.

[Bumley in reply to Muffy]

Thanks, glasses never there when you need them!