Blood test results :)

[judburke]

Hi my doctor thinks I am just fine and might be depressed rather than having thyroid problems! I have generla tiredness, coldness, itchy skin, lack of focus etc etc She thinks I should not believe what I read on sites like this when I asked her about alternative medication and tests! Gggrrr. Anyway I now have a copy of my blood tests and would like some advice re supplements as I think I should look at those before I persue arguing for T3 tests etc

Serum TSH 2.36 range .3 to 4.2 mu/l

Serum vit B12 - 459 pg/ml (190 to 660 pg/ml)

Serum folate 8.2 ug/l (4.6 to 18.7 ug/l)

Serum ferratin 46 (20 to 300 ug/l

Serum FSH 13 u/l

Serum LH 9 u/L (I am late 40's does this mean I have hit the menopause? )

LH/FSH

Follicular phase - LH 1 to 20 ul FSH 4 to 16

Mid cycle LH 22 to 106 FSH 11 to 30

Luteal phase LH 1 to 28 ul FSH 3 to 16

Then there is a random comment saying "refer for thyroid test" but she hasn't done that.

Any comments gratefuly received. I am thinking that perhaps I should supplement with B12 folic acid and iron? She didn't do a D3 test.

Thanks in advance

[Orangelady1]

Hi, I had my thyroid removed, and recently have had all the symptoms you mentioned. My doctor said the same thing to me about anxiety, and said dont believe what you read! The whole thyroid issue seems to be quite a strange thing to GPS . How does your neck around your thyroid feel, did they examine it for you? Push for the tests to be done, and perhaps a thyroid scan. Hope you feel better soon.

[judburke in reply to Orangelady1]

I was so upset when she suggested that I was depressed! I have nothing to be depressed about and my lif erecently is much less demanding than a few years ago. My doc has not examined my neck at all nor has she even taken BP etc. I think once I get some comments on the Blood tests I might need to change doctors

[shaws Administrator]

I will only comment on your TSH, someone will comment on the others. Yours is too high.

Email [e-mail] for a copy of the Pulse article by Dr Toft, ex of the BTA and send a copy to your GP before your next appointment so she can absorb and learn. Will she say that the British Thyroid Association is also wrong.

Highlight question 6 if you think it refers to you.

[judburke in reply to shaws]

Thanks Shaws! My doctor thinks you should under medicate as "your body needs to work harder with more Thyroxin". Though a previous doctor always gave me the slightly higher dose "for busy lifestyle". I will ask for a copy of the article from Louise.

Your comments very much appreciated

[foreversummer in reply to judburke]

And did you feel better when on the slightly higher dose or the dose you are on now?

[judburke in reply to foreversummer]

Yes I think I functioned better at higher dose. It is strange as years ago I was on 175 and now I am on 125 or 150 on alternate days

[shaws Administrator in reply to judburke]

Obvioulsy your doctor doesn't know very much.If your body doesn't produce enough thyroid hormones of which T3 is the most important (levo converts to some T3) you cannot function. T3 is the active hormone which our bodies need to function. Our brains need the most T3 of the billions of cells in our bodies.

[judburke]

What a great article!!! Thanks for sharing it

[tulula59 in reply to judburke]

Just a short note. The menopause begins well before we hit the magic 50. The slow down of all sex hormones gathers momentum from around 45 onwards but symptoms can be present a long time before this.

As ovaries start to falter, so more pressure is put onto the adrenals to keep homeostatis (balance) and if these are already pretty exhausted as they are for many women who have led busy 20thC lives then there is a knock on effect onto the production of thyroid.

So the cycle begins of symptoms and general poor health.

Whether you are offically perimenopausal or not try to think in terms of 'its coming along anyway' so lets get started on supporting everything else I can in the meantime.

Take heart - and yes, get those other tests done if at all possible. I'm 54 now and still going through it after 8 years of crap and wish I'd dealt with some sutff earlier instead of waiting for GPs to know their stuff!

[judburke in reply to tulula59]

Thanks for this

I really believe that it is my thyroid that isn't right and possibly the vits D, B12 and iron might be lower than best for having an underactive thryroid. I was hoping someone mighthave commented on these tests for me.

What upsets me is that the docs seem to push "depression" before exploring general health. I now realise that low B12/low iron and low D can make you sluggish so why don't they focus on fixing this first rather than depression?

Anyway thanks to this site I do feel like I am understanding much better my condition. I have started taking my thyroxin either at night or in morning away from drinks and food and am also taking vit supps and things are feeling a bit better! My sleep is much more rested and my feet are getting warmer!!!

[tulula59 in reply to judburke]

Sad but true they score more 'points' for depression diagnoses and therefore get more funding than they do for hypothyroid issues!

[judburke in reply to tulula59]

Wow is that true? I was very surprised when she said depressed and refused to even discuss it with her

[tulula59 in reply to judburke]

I am told so yes. And anyway, even if we are 'depressed' isn't there some underlying reason for being so?

People don't just get depressed for no reason! If our lives are bobbing along okish, we're not recently bereaved, nor divorced, nor living in a war zone - maybe, just maybe there is a physical reason why we feel so underpar!

Ooohhhh..... it makes me soooo mad!

And another thing - whatever anyone says, at the end of my Psychology degree we covered a unit on depression and women. WE are far more likely to be diagnosed with depression than a health issue because we are 'female' - still in this day and age.

Partly, because we will seek advice where men are less likely and partly because WE are still seen a more emotional and less capable of handling high amounts of stress apparently.

That's what they are repeating from studies in UNI courses across the country and which is most likely pretty accurate.

The findings that is - not that I agree with this suggestion AT ALL.

Stress - I'll show you stress! It's no wonder they put it all down to 'feminine hysteria' rather than good solid medical reasoning.

I can't wait until my GP hits some form of hormone imbalance - then she'll get to understand maybe! As for the men GP's well we don't stand a great chance do we!

[Hidden]

HOW RIGHT YOU ARE ,SAW GP FOR MY RESULTS AND ALL HE COULD SAY WAS NORMAL, NORMAL,NORMAL EVEN THOUGH MY FERRITIN WAS 28, VIT D 44, TO GIVE TO EXAMPLES, I ASKED IF I COULD POSSIBLY HAVE A FOLATES AND B12 B/TEST AND WAS HANDED A FORM TO FILL IN AS I COULD BE DEPRESSED,TOLD HIM I WAS,NT DEPRESSED JUST FED UP WITH NOT BEING TESTED ,SO I NEW IF IT WAS SAFE TO TAKE SUPPLEMENTS SUCH AS IRON VIT D AND B12 ,I HAD POST NATAL DEPRESSION 42 YRS AGO SO I KNOW WHAT ITS LIKE TO BE DEPRESSED AND I AM CERTAIN I,M NOT DEPRESSED NOW,ARGGG! WHAT ARE WE TO DO!!!!!!

[judburke]

I feel your pain!!!! They should try and spend a day in our tired/fatiqued bodies so they know what it feels like. They might understand then.