Hi Shaws, I've put my levels in the box below, any advice will be very much appreciated! Sx

[Finkle14]

Hi shaws

My last test was 1/2/13, the TSH level was 1.10 mU/L, I was told the range was 0.27 to 4.2, in may last year it was 0.76mU/L and in jan 2011 it was 1.50mU/L, I have no idea what that means!!!

I've been told I'm menopausal, then I'm not, PCOS but my ovaries are clear, I dont want to wish that Ive got something wrong but I know I don't feel right, the last straw for me was someone at the school when I was picking my daughter, congratulated me and asked when the baby was due!!!!

i suffer from extreme anxiety and depression, I feel totally wiped out most of the time, plantar fasciitis in both feet, foggy head, when I came across this site, I had so many of the symptoms, I was gobsmacked.

I do have a very supportive GP she is on leave for another 3 weeks, I guess I really need to know what to ask her, I want to be able to say that ive done my research!!

I got to say too, I know I havent had a diagnosis but just to have found this sight and seen the support everyone gives, has given me a lot of hope, thank you everyone!!!

[Moggie]

Have you had any other tests done like your B12 , VitD, iron or ferritin. If you are low in any of these they will hinder your levo. Being low in VitD or B12 can mimic thyroid symptoms, which is a trap that I fell into, I was blaming every little ache, pain and symptom (expecially brain fog) on my thyroid illness but have recently discovered that after my GP cleared up a very low VitD level I am now quite happy on a lower dose of thyroid replacement meds.

I had a stomach that sounded like yours six weeks ago and since cutting wheat out of my diet my stomach has vastly improved, I also feel that its helping me absorb my meds better.

It is generally thought on here that a level of one or under should be acheived before you start feeling well again and seeing as your levels have been below one and you are still seeing no improvement maybe you should start looking at other things for the answers. Ask your GP to do further tests, expecially your VitD and B12, or even to change of thryoid meds.

Hope this has helped.

Moggie x

[Finkle14 in reply to Moggie]

Hi Moggie, thank you, I'll look into all of that, there is so much to try and take in, I will definitely look into the vitamin levels too! Sx

[Moggie in reply to Finkle14]

Your welcome - thats what this site is all about, trying to help each other and advising if your can. It wont be long before you are up to speed with it all and advising others.

Moggie x

[Finkle14 in reply to Moggie]

The best thing for me is that I may not be a 44 year old menopausal,hypochondriac, manic depressive fruit cake and I may actually have a legitimate problem! :)))))) Sx

[Moggie in reply to Finkle14]

You'll get there - we have all been told similar things. Its not until you start doing your research and asking questions on sites like this one that you can then hold your own with your GP and start to get things moving. Most GP's will treat you as some sort of time wasting nuisance and with a lot of self education (which will give you confindence) in no time at all you will be advising your GP on what you want and not the other way around.

I have a very good GP but even she needs a good kick up the behind every now and again when I can see she is on the wrong track.lol.

Moggie x

[wakeham in reply to Moggie]

Hi Moggie,

Hope you don't mind me asking my GP rang me last night to say that she had my Vit -D back and I was just a very little bit below what I should be!! so I went to get the results and they are 67-- range (70 - 200) she told me to get supplement from super Drug! can you please tell me what you used because my B12 & iron are low also.

When you said that you ached all over that is how I feel,I would be grateful for your help. Thank you in anticipation

Regards wakeham.

[Moggie in reply to wakeham]

Of course I dont mind you asking - here is a link to a very good B12 that most of us on here use due to the fact that it bypasses the gut and goes straight into your system, so if you have an absorbtion issue it will still work. You just dissolve in the mouth. Do you know your B12 results - were they very low or like your VitD just out of range. You need to be aiming to get your B12 up to about 600 - 700 so maybe start on 2,000iu daily and after a month or so drop down to 1,000iu daily. You cant overdose on B12 as any excess will come out in your wee. A girl on hre recently got her levels from 450 to 600 by taking 1,000iu daily.

amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_ss...

As for your VitD - my GP told me to take 1,000iu for a maintenance dose so if I were you I would be taking 2,000 daily to see how you go. If you are not feeling any better after two weeks you could up your dose to 3,000 daily. If it was me I would choose this brand as its natural and DOES NOT contain calcium.

amazon.co.uk/Solgar-Vit-100...

You need to be aware that the more VitD in your body the more calcium your body makes which can be bad for you and lead to kidney stones and all sort of other nasty things, your GP should have automatically done a calcium test with the VitD test. I personally stay away from anything with added calcium in it.

Do you have your test results (with ranges) to be able to post as it would be helpful to see exactly what's what.

Sorry dont know much about Iron but whilst you are on one of the links you may want to put Iron in the search bar and see what comes up - always go for the purest form of vitamins you can and not those that have added ingredience.

Hope this has helped and if its not clear or you want more answers just shout.

Moggie x

p.s. this is only MY opinion and you may want to ask a question of your own regarding suppliments as others on here may have a different take on things.

[wakeham in reply to Moggie]

Hi Moggie

Thank you for your reply my results are

Serum Vit -D 67 severe deficiency <30nmol/1 Insufficiency =

30-70nmoI/I Replete 70 -200. (that's how it's written sorry!)

B12 Serum 290 Range (150 - 900)

Folate Serum >24.8 ug/L range (3.1 - 19.9)

Ferritin Serum 24 ug/L range (11.0 - 307)

Although the lab recommended supplementation My GP would not !so I told her that I was going to do it by myself and asked if she would give me a blood test in a few months time, she agreed.

I'm taking Jarrows 5,000 B12 1xday Solgar easy iron 20mg 1xday no vit D as yet.

So that's me Moggie thank you for your help.

wakeham x

[shaws]

Hi Finkle

I assume because of your low TSH your GP doesn't think you are hypo? I also think he hasn't prescribed levothyroxine for you yet despite your clinical symptms. Before the TSH came in patients were at least given a trial of thyroid hormone due to their clinical symptoms.

Your swollen stomach - I too had one and Moggie seems to have solved that and has given good advice.

You do sound hypo and there are some doctors who are sympathetic and would prescribe due to symptoms. The British Thyroid Association has guidelines which say 'wait until the TSH reaches' 10. before prescribing and I assume none are hypo and, if so, doing well on levo.

They have no idea what situations patients find themselves in due to the lack of the necessary hormone to make life bearable.

Dr Lowe (RIP) posted an article in which a 21year old Japanese women with multiple PCOS was cured when given thyroid medication.

Many women have had ops which may well have been unnecessary if only their symptoms were recognised as hypo.

This is a link to Dr Lowe's archived site and their are quite a few topics you may wish to look at the top of the page. He was an Adviser to Thyroiduk.org

web.archive.org/web/2010122...

I am not medically qualified but your TSH is within the normal range but that really doesn't mean very much when you have a lot of clinical symptoms which appear hypo. GP's etc do not now diagnose by clinical symptoms but by the TSH only.

My stomach swelled too before I was diagnosed but it is o.k. now.

This is another article in which you will see that this doctor is trying his best to change viewpoints but is ignored by the medical profession.

worldthyroidregister.com/

Also another link and I think you will recognise these women's stories.

thyroiduk.healthunlocked.co...

[Finkle14]

Thanks so much, I realise that it may not even be that but to just have somewhere to turn feels so much better, I do feel more positive than I've felt in such a long time, my GP is pretty good but away for 3 weeks, ill be able to go back fully armed!

[Moggie]

Hi Finkle,

Sorry I didn't realise that you weren't on thyroid meds, I thought you had already been diagnoised with thyroid problems. That would make getting your VitD, B12 and the others tested pronto even more important.

Let us know how you get on wont you.

Moggie x