What do I need to do to be diagnosed?

[DebsMG]

I am new to this site and I am desperate to find some answers.

I am almost 42 years old and am female.

I am 'borderline' hypothyroid according to my GP.

I have type 2 diabetes, which is not very well controlled despite me taking an injection of 1.2 of Victoza every morning.

I eat a healthy diabetic diet and I am still unable to keep my bloods under 10. The diabetic consultant will not put me on insulin as it will probably make me gain weight and she wants me to lose weight as this will help my blood sugar controls. My bloods go up after eating almost anything which in turn makes me fall asleep.

I also have Crohns disease. I have had lots of blood tests done recently however I do not know how to interpret the results.

I am grossly over weight. I belong to a slimming group and eat very little due to taking Victoza as it reduces your appetite, however I rarely lose any weight. I have very little body hair and I have lost the outer third of my eyebrows. I have terrible night sweats (I'm not menopausal according to my GP). My maternal grandmother and aunt also have thyroid issues. My other maternal aunt is also 'borderline' hypothyroid.

I am now not sure what else to write however please feel free to guide me in the right direction as I feel as though I am going round in circles!

Any help or advice would be very welcomed as sometimes I fell desperate! I also have depression

OBESE> HEALTHY EATING> NO WEIGHT LOSS> HIGH BLOOD SUGARS>TIRED>NO MOTIVATION> OBESE>HEALTHY EATING>NO WEIGHT LOSS>HIGH BLOOD SUGARS>

Etc etc etc

[shaws Administrator]

Welcome to our Forum,

This is a hypothetical question. What came first 'diabetes or hypo'.

All your above symptoms sound hypo, except high blood sugars.

Why doctors rely only on the thyroid gland blood tests and tell you you are 'borderline but ignoring clinical symptoms and do not prescribe.In fact, I do not think they know any clinical symptoms.

I think it is awful.

Unexplained weight gain is often the first sign of hypothyroidism and if you eventually get on medication, you have to be given enough to raise your metabolism to loose.

First of all, get a print-out of your thyroid gland blood tests from the GP complete with ranges as labs differ and post them here so that someone will comment on them.

This will now be a very big learning curve for you because we have to read and learn as much as possible as our medical profession are given guidelines which may suit some people but not others as regards to the thyroid gland plus symptoms. I think we eventually know more than them.

Also the fact that your relatives also are hypothyroid.

[Marz]

....how very sad that you are suffering with so many issues when it is so obvious to us non-medical folk that you are not just borderline - but struggling with an untreated thyroid.

As you have Crohns I would suggest that you may have Hashimotos - Auto-immune Thyroid Disease....as they can go hand in hand. Have they tested your anti-bodies ? If not may I suggest you ask your doc to do them as you are more likely to have another auto-immune illness with Crohns. The Anti-TPO antibodies. Diabetes too can be auto-immune. I have Crohns and Hashimotos....but at the time of diagnosis of the thyroid in 2005 all the thyroid tests were within range !!....but the anti-bodies were high. So without testing your anti-bodies how do they know ?

My thyroid was also scanned and had several nodes which are measured annually. Also my Thyroid Function Tests - TFT's - still remain in range ?? My husband - likewise had normal TFT's but his anti-bodies were also high - ummmm ! He's now on a small dose.

It may be worth considering looking at your diet and going gluten free - which is often suggested for people with Crohns and Hashimotos. There is lots of good information out there on the net. Start with drmyhill.co.uk So much good information for free.

My Crohns was diagnosed in 1973 when I was 27. I have had several lots of surgery and complications but things seem much better now. I live in Crete so eating healthily is not difficult . Do feel free to be in touch if you feel I can offer anything useful.....

Of course it goes without saying that you will be B12 deficient with Crohns - so again your GP should be testing that on a regular basis. VitD is also LOW in Crohns sufferers and needs to be at the top of the range. And whilst they're at it - have your Folates, Iron and Ferritin tested. All so VERY important with Crohns....as well as Thyroid issues.

Lots of excellent information on this site - if you look at the RIGHT of this page and click onto ' See more tags ' you will then be able to access so much more. There are so many good people here that will help you to wellness.....if you are prepared to put in the reading !!

Wishing you well soon..................

[shaws Administrator]

This is a video from the Scottish Parliament when two hypo ladies put their cases forward for consideration.

scottish.parliament.uk/news...

[DebsMG]

Thank you for your help so far. I have got some test results here and I will type them in as soon as I am able. I also forgot to say that I have high blood pressure. I currently take simvastatin at night.

[DebsMG]

Test results from 7/12/2012

Intrinsic factor antibody = 1.8U/ml (0.0-6.0)

Serum folate = 4.3ng/ml

Serum vitamin B12 = 397ng/L

Red blood cell distribution width = 13.8%

Basophil count = 0 10*9/L

Haematocrit = 0.344L/L

Lymphocyte count = 2 10*9/L (0.5-4.0)

Total white cell count = 9 10*9/L (4.0-11.0)

Necleated red blood cell count = 0 10*9 (0.0-0.0-)

Red blood cell (RBC) count = 3.9 10*12 (2.81-6.49)

Mean platelet volume = 8fL

Platelet count = 376 10*9/L (150-400)

Neutrophil count = 6.1 10*9/L (2.2-8.0)

Monocyte count = 0.6 10*9/L (0.1-1.1)

Mean corpuscular volume (MCV) = 88fl

Mean corpusc. Hb. cons (MCHC) = 328g/L

Mean corpusc. haemoglobin (MCH) = 28.9 pg

Heamoglobin estimation = 113g/L

Eosinophil count = 0.3 10*9/L (0.0-0.4)

Test results from 31/10/2012

Thyroid peroxidase antibody level = 21 IU/ml (0-34)

GFR calculated abbreviated MDRD = 163mL/min Original result 163mL/min/1.73m2 ()

Total cholesterol: HDL ratio = 3.5

Serum globulin = 34g/L

Fasting serum fasting glucose level = 9.8mmol/L High fluoride preserved specimen used for glucose analysis

Serum urea level = 2.3mmol/L Low

Serum triglycerides = 4.27mmol/L

Serum total protein = 72g/L

Serum sodium = 136mmol/L

Serum potassium = 4.6mmol/L

Calculated LDL cholesterol level = NA

Serum HDL cholesterol level = 1.31mmol/L

Serum gamma-glutamyl transferase level - 21 IU/L (8-45)

Serum creatinine =45 umol/L Low

Serum creatine kinase level = 32 IU/L (23-142)

Serum cholestrol = 4.6 mmol/L

Serum total bilirubin level = 5umol/L

ALT/SGPT serum level = 29IU/L (10-50)

Serum alkaline phosphatase = 141 IU/L High (25-100)

Serum albumin = 38g/L

I have older results which I will input soon.

[DebsMG]

Test results from 4/10/2012

Serum free T4 level = 11.6pmol/L

Serum C reactive protein level = 30mg/L High

Serum TSH level =2.07mU/L (0.27-4.20)

Does any of this help anyone to help me out with my quest?

[DebsMG]

I also forgot to say on my first post that I have heavy menstrual periods of which they are irregular. I have already had one endometrial ablation of the womb in order to combat the problem.

[LouiseRoberts]

Hi Debs

It may be a good idea to start a new question - comments can get missed.

Louise

x

[DebsMG in reply to LouiseRoberts]

Thanks