I have posted several questions re my long list of hypo symptoms and health concerns, going to see GP with my results from Blue Horizon, but general consensus appears to be that my bloods show hypo pattern, but probably not severe enough to gain GP help. Several members have mentioned self medicating, not neccessarily advising me to do this, but raising the issue that many people end up choosing this course of action as alawt resort. So what I would like to know is what products are people favouring and indeed getting the best results from, and where to buy them?
Please see guidelines on the right hand side - no one is allowed to post details of where to obtain prescription only medicines without a prescription - sorry.
Thyroxine and NDT are prescription only, but Dr P often recommends Nutri Thyroid (non-precription) to his patients, usually to be taken alongside a reduced dose of thyroxine. These are a glandular made from bovine thyroid tissue (prescription NDT is from porcine thyroid tissue) and are not supposed to contain any thyroid hormones, but there has been considerable debate on here about whether they do or not. If you put "Nutri" into the search box above you can look at the previous discussions - my experiences with it are on the second page. Xx
Hi if GP will not treat you, find a really good endo, the best consultants go by bloods,and how a patients feel being paramount I see 12+ ,they all do that. in fact, I even had a lecture from one that bloods do not matter!
If you are keen to self medicate, may I suggest you have a test 6 weeks after starting, TSH, T4 and FT3 ,I pay £61 with the TUK 10 discount from Blue Horizon. Their Harley street doc advises if glaring results!Also to then repeat 3 monthly. they are very powerful drugs and there is more help available now.
Ooh good idea regarding having blood test following self medication to see if we are making a difference or doing ok, I'm still hoping GP will sort this, but have great doubt seeing as there are so many similar stories of GP failure to diagnose and treat amyone with less than stupidly high levels of TSH Will research endo's too and hopefully gain th help I need and pay my tax and NI for. Grrrrr
That's what makes me think that self medicating isn't any more dangerous that having GP's who will not act in your behalf. Reading blood test results isn't exactly rocket science. Knowing what to do after reading them is the difficult part. Still it's troublesome not to have an adviser and if you can find one or can afford to pay for a private one, it would be better.
I would definitely do something before I'd let my health go down the drain.
Hello Femme 1
I thought I'd reply as I've started self-treating with Thyroxine, which I've managed to purchase on-line. My results are very similar to yours, my FT4 is the bottom half of the range, TSH in the top half. Have had symptoms stretching back to teenage years, including hemithyroidectomy. Now in my 50's & as old age brings more problems felt very daunted by what lies ahead.
1st Step - Started with my own GP who've I've been going to for various hypo-related aliments for years. Had the usual tests, came back normal.
2nd Step - Been to Dr P who agreed that thyroid is underfunctioning (endorsed by low basal temperature & slow pulse). Have been one year on Nutri Thyroid & NAX, had candida treatment, now use 20-1 cream + taking some very good vitamins & supplements. While I had some great improvements after a year on NT - mainly with constipation & a lot less hair coming out. Two major problems remained - poor sleep & headaches/migraines. Now these two things are life limiting for me and causing big problems. Both make me depressed and irritable. To find a cure would be the difference between existing and living life.
Step 3 - and I've been through a lot to get here. Firstly I don't want to self-medicate, I don't like doing it and wouldn't recommend it lightly. I've now put myself on a trial of Thyroxine (I think I'm converting to T3 OK) but my personal thyroxine is low in the range. I've got a small bottle of 25 mcg which I'm splitting into 4 so taking a really tiny dose for 6-8 weeks). I will then do another test.
I've been doing this for 4 weeks now and absolutely amazed at the difference it's made to my sleep. I started off by taking my 1/4 quite early in the morning as I'm usually awake about 4 o'clock. I would normally just lie awake in bed until 6 when hubby wakes up. But this time within 1/2 hour of taking the tablet, my thumping heart subsided, anxious thoughts disappeared & I drifted off to sleep. I thought my heart was thumping because I was anxious about not sleeping, but for some reason, the thyroxine seems to calm it down. I now take it in the night when I get up for a wee and I'm sleeping much deeper & having proper dreams which I haven't had for ages.
A couple of other things I've noticed:
Dizziness is another constant problem - this has now improved.
Double vision - despite having prisms in both lenses it never quite got rid of the double vision. Everthing now looks clearer & more in focus like I've got a new pair of glasses.
Numb hands at night - much improved, although I do get a creeping feeling along the top of my thumbs sometimes.
I'm still doing the basal temp and at 36.2 & pulse at 56 are still a bit low but it is very cold at the moment.
I'm hoping these improvments will last but then I will have the dilemma of whether to tell my doctor.
Sorry it's a bit long, but hope is of some help. Flo
Thanks Flo, dont apologise for the length of your response,it's really helpful and good of you to take the time to respond in the first place
I find this all really interesting and reassuring, it's not good that any of us suffer in this way, and its a travesty that we have to take our health into our own hands and risk the wrath of the 'professionals' when we dabble at self medicating, but if they refuse to help or listen to the symptoms we are repeatedly complaining of and allowing us to leave their surgeries still feeling like hell what else remains?
Its encouraging that you are noticing a gradual but positive change since taking a small amount of thyroxin, justa shame that we are left feeling like naughty children in terms of daring to discuss findings withGP!
I will start monitoring my pulse and temp too, didn't really bother before because this seemed to be another area of controversy re hypo signs, but people do appear to agree on how the pulse and basal temp are affected.
I hope this is the start of the end of your suffering Flo, and thanks again for your advice, it's much appreciated x
Thanks Femme. I figured this was the only way to find out whether my symptoms are hypo related or not was to increase my thyroxine & see what happens. Nutrithyroid worked up to a point, but more than 4 a day caused 'the runs' so I couldn't increase any more. I do seem to be responding well to thyroxine, but I know it doesn't suit everyone, and some are better on NDT or T3 etc. I think I will need to increase it a bit as I don't think I'm quite ther yet, but I'm doing this so gently, sort of creeping up on it if you like. I was getting a lot of weird symptoms at night which kept me awake: waking up choking, cramps in calves, feeling very cold, numb hands, 2 or 3 times for a wee, feeling muzzy headed, and just plain anxiety.
Have you tried Nutrithyroid yet, it's always worth trying that first?
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