Looking for advice!

[SharanLall]

I am a 34 year old woman who was diagnosed with an underactive Thyroid about 8 years ago, and have since been on Levothyroxine. I have not felt right since, and have experimented with alternative forms of medicine (acupuncture). This has helped ease the severity of some of the symptoms, but they are still there. Major symptoms include exhaustion, weight gain and the inability to lose it, insomnia, hair loss, swelling and most recently chronic hives. I also have a two year old, and am having trouble conceiving, so this tells me my levels are not right! I am active, and try and regularly exercise, but this is difficult as I am always exhausted.

Mr Doctor advises that my thyroid levels are 'in the range', but I am still suffering. I do have low vitamin D, but am supplementing. I am seeing a Endo at my local hospital, but he refuses to treat me with anything other than Thyroxine.

I have requested a list of the private Endo's and practitioners through Thyroid UK, but I was looking for some personal recommendations on the Drs on that list for the Central London area. As on paper, its hard to determine which one would benefit me? Also, as they are so expensive, and I do not have health insurance, I wanted to make sure that I am going to get he best for my money spent.

Any experiences with any Private Doctors would be great. I also live in the Greenwich area, so if anyone knows of a GP willing to treat with T3/ T4 combo or NDT, please private message me.

Lastly, if anyone has any suggestions at all on how I can manage my chronic hives, that would be great. They come up very severely and I get them all over. This is an issue, as people tend to assume I have a contagious rash. I have been advised by my acupuncturist to take a vit c supplement, which I am taking. This does not seen to help at the moment. I have had these for over a year now, and have seen a Allergy specialist who has advised that I do not have the obvious allergies which are tested for.

[Jackie]

Hi I am sure you are right and would benefit from T3. You say the GP says your results are "normal"? Are you sure that he has done TSH, T4 and Free T3? Essential for a "proper" diagnosis. Also have you had a print out ,with the ranges from your Lab ( all Labs vary).I need my t3 right at the top of range and most people need T4 top third , as a general rule Now, to save on costs a lot of GP`s only do the TSH, !!! You can pay for the tests yourself through TUK thyroid.uk.org.uk/tuk/te.Make sure you use a well known lab or a doc might not recognised it for treatment.

Best wishes,

Jackie

[Hope2]

Sounds like there is more going on with you . If you were my friend i would suggest you ask your G.P for a referral to an immunologist and rheumatologist to rule out things like chronic fatigue syndrome (M.E) and fibromyalgia which often goes hand in hand with an underactive thyroid and would explain the extreme fatigue that hasnt improved with levothyroxine.Also worth asking to see a gynaecologist re infertility to rule out anything else that may be interfering with your fertility .You probably will have to fight for help but you are young and things are not right so don't be fobbed off . . Best Wishes and good luck!

Hannah P.s You might find Jacob teitlebaums book /webb site "From fatigued to Fantastic" interesting.