Help! 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.

[shaws Administrator]

If anyone has recommendations, please private message Sharon by clicking on her name.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK]

I found this statement on Pulse magazine site (doctors mag):

In prolonged cases, what are the likely underlying causes and what investigations should be considered?

Some 30% of individuals with chronic spontaneous urticaria have autoimmune thyroid disease and so thyroid function should be measured. However, treating the hypothyroidism will not resolve the urticarial rash.

pulsetoday.co.uk/clinical/t...

There is a whole article. You might well have to sign up to view it - which is free.

Rod