Dr. Ps phone number no longer working, help nee... - Thyroid UK

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Dr. Ps phone number no longer working, help needed with adrenal exhaustion

Gasmanga profile image
22 Replies

Hi everyone

As I have read the posts from around 9 months ago relating to dr ps retirement, I have today hit breaking point with feeling so tired all the time no matter what I do, I was diagnosed a few years ago by dr.p with adrenal exhaustion and have been taking adrenavive 2 once a day along with vit b complex, a-z vits and iron, vit cs and a healthy diet etc, however I just can’t seem to shake the chronic constant fatigue which is having a really negative affect on my work and my relationship and my life in general as I am just always too tired to do anything

I am a self employed gas engineer/ plumber and am getting by doing the minimum work to make a living but I used to be so much more energetic and productive than I am now

I have read about liquorice root and grapefruit juice and have tested very low on cortisol but dr p never mentioned this, does anyone have any advice for me please as I am getting desperate, also can’t have the normal blood tests due to having a very severe needle phobia which can cause seizures 😢

Any help greatly appreciated

Kind regards

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Gasmanga profile image
Gasmanga
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22 Replies
RedApple profile image
RedAppleAdministrator

Welcome to the forum Gasmanga.

I assume that because of your needle phobia, you've never had your thyroid hormone levels tested?

Gasmanga profile image
Gasmanga in reply toRedApple

Thanks red apple

I was referred to hospital at one point by the gp who didn’t know how to deal with my situation and the hospital doctor just completely didn’t understand so I’m back to square one again, I did manage to do one of the home thyroid tests which for someone with my condition really wasn’t easy which showed normal thyroid levels, I have also done the cortisol/ dhea saliva and urine tests and that came back very low on cortisol throughout the day

My head is just always pounding with headaches and brain fog, I get anxiety, really dry flaky itchy skin on my face and head and am always over heating/ sweating but the biggest problem is the tiredness which I matter what I do I just can’t seem to make any better

RedApple profile image
RedAppleAdministrator in reply toGasmanga

That's great, well done for managing a home test! Can you post the details here so that we can see whether this might be a cause of your problems? Ideally, TSH, FT4, FT3, plus antibodies if tested. Add in the ranges for each result. And tell us when this test was done.

No amount of adrenal supplements etc. are likely to help if you don't have enough thyroid hormone. So maybe the first thing to address is the needle phobia so that you can get further testing. Have you tried any form of therapy at all for this? Help for this via the NHS is probably available, but likely waiting list will be way too long. Forgive me if I'm stating the obvious, or you've already investigated this a lot yourself. Does this document give us any indication of what your phobia is about? anxietycanada.com/sites/def...

Gasmanga profile image
Gasmanga in reply toRedApple

I have tried for years to address the issue and have done endless amounts of research on it, unfortunately it’s just a bodily reaction that I can’t help and can be life threatening so I cannot put myself in that situation

I will try to find my last results, but I have a bad feeling all of my test results where with dr Peatfield clinic 🙉😢

RedApple profile image
RedAppleAdministrator in reply toGasmanga

Apologies, I did think you had more than likely tried to get the phobia issue addressed, but we need to understand the full situation if there's any chance of being able to help :)

Reflex Anoxic Seizures mentioned by Lalatoot definitely sounds worth investigating.

Lalatoot profile image
Lalatoot

Not thyroid but re your seizures. Are you aware of Reflex Anoxic Seizures (RAS). My husband and 2 of my sons have this.

Gasmanga profile image
Gasmanga in reply toLalatoot

Ive not heard of those before, I’ve only had four in my lifetime but all have been medical related and can be life threatening I will take a look into that, thanks

Hillwoman profile image
Hillwoman

Would you be able to cope with a fingerprick test, rather than a venous blood collection?

There is a thyroid profile urine test available from Genova. Have a look on the TPAUK.com site. I think TPA can still act as your 'practitioner', since Genova won't release results directly to the paying customer. 🙄

humanbean profile image
humanbean in reply toHillwoman

Thyroid UK can act as a practitioner for Genova as well.

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/testin...

If you scroll down the link there are sections on "How to order" and "How to get your results".

Hillwoman profile image
Hillwoman in reply tohumanbean

Thanks, I didn't think TUK approved the urine test. 👍

humanbean profile image
humanbean in reply toHillwoman

Whether or not you get a discount depends on the test you order. But all tests Genova offer can be ordered, as far as I know.

Gasmanga profile image
Gasmanga in reply toHillwoman

I have done this fingerpick home thyroid test and the Genova urine/ saliva for cortisol and came back very low on cortisol

Hillwoman profile image
Hillwoman in reply toGasmanga

If you still have your thyroid test results, please could you post them here, otherwise it will difficult for us to advise you further. Don't forget to add the lab reference range after each result.

The adrenal and thyroid systems are intricately linked. You may well have a problem with both now.

If you carried out the thyroid fingerprick test longer than three or four months ago, it would be advisable carry out a fresh test, or the 24 hour urine test, in order that we can see what is happening with your health.

RedApple profile image
RedAppleAdministrator in reply toHillwoman

Have a feeling orders through TPA aren't possible at the moment, as that was tied to Dr. P being the practitioner.

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator

You probably need to retest cortisol and dhea

thyroiduk.org/tuk/testing/r...

regeneruslabs.com/products/...

cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0...

What vitamin supplements are you currently taking?

Obviously absolutely essential to get FULL thyroid and vitamin testing

For full Thyroid evaluation you need TSH, FT4 and FT3 plus both TPO and TG thyroid antibodies tested. Also EXTREMELY important to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12

Low vitamin levels are extremely common, especially if you have autoimmune thyroid disease (Hashimoto's) diagnosed by raised Thyroid antibodies

You may need to get full Thyroid testing privately as NHS refuses to test TG antibodies if TPO antibodies are negative

Recommended on here that all thyroid blood tests should ideally be done as early as possible in morning and before eating or drinking anything other than water .

This gives highest TSH, lowest FT4 and most consistent results. (Patient to patient tip, best not mentioned to GP or phlebotomist)

Private tests are available. Thousands on here forced to do this as NHS often refuses to test FT3 or antibodies

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/testin...

For thyroid including antibodies and vitamins

Medichecks Thyroid plus ultra vitamin or Blue Horizon Thyroid plus eleven are the most popular choice. DIY finger prick test or option to pay extra for private blood draw. Both companies often have special offers, Medichecks usually have offers on Thursdays, Blue Horizon its more random

Some of the clinics that can do private blood draw are within large NHS hospitals.....so could deal with any adverse reactions

So you need to work out where to FULL Thyroid and vitamin test done safely and with least anxiety

But perhaps do cortisol and DHEA test first

Gasmanga profile image
Gasmanga

Thanks for the replies they are greatly appreciated

Looks like I will have to do some re tests now then to see what is going on

Is it possible to get the full thyroid and vitamin testing done via one home kit ?

I’m currently taking adrenavive 2 once a day and a-z with iron, vit b complex and vit c

Does anyone have any views on raising cortisol levels with liquorice root ?

McPammy profile image
McPammy

I’ve had very low cortisol last year. I then found out I had very low T3 and a positive DIO2 gene test. Which mean I’m a poor converter of T4 to active T3. I started a T3 trial privately. Within 4 weeks my cortisol had tripled. I felt so energised it was untrue. T3 fixed my thyroid issues and cortisol.

Please check T3, T4 and TSH as well as cortisol levels.

Are you on any steroid medications like inhalers etc. They can reduce your cortisol output.

Gasmanga profile image
Gasmanga in reply toMcPammy

Thanks for your reply mcpammy

This sounds very similar to what could be going on with me and it’s so good to hear that something can be done about it for a better way of life, can any of these tests you done be done at with home kits ?

I’m not on any steroid meds, but I do use a vape regularly

McPammy profile image
McPammy

Yes, the gene DIO2 test is done through Regenerus Laboratories via Thyroid UK. Two options: just the test which is about £85 which will go to a Dr of your choice to interpret the results to you. Or, the one I chose, test plus a person the call you with the result £85 plus £65 for the result interpreted. They email you a copy of the gene test result also. T3 T4 and TSH through medichecks via Thyroid UK also. I’ve not done this as my GP puts T3 on my blood forms through the NHS. You may not have the faulty gene and still be a poor converter. I was glad to know why my T3 was so low. Now I know what and why. My cortisol is now so much better on T3 as well as my thyroid function. I’m more energetic, lost 3st in a year, I’d put on a lot last year as my conversion was very poor. I now go the gym 3/4 times a week. I feel incredibly lucky to have found this site and my private only Endocrinologist in Oxford. If you need his details just let me know, as it was him who put me on T3 when the NHS would not entertain T3 under any circumstances. Now they do!

Gasmanga profile image
Gasmanga in reply toMcPammy

Wow this is so good to hear, I am really struggling at the moment I have massive wipeouts where I just have to sleep as I can’t function properly and it’s having a huge strain on my relationship as my partner just doesn’t understand what I’m going through and thinks it’s because she isn’t my priority when she really is

I’m loading all these vitamins and adrenavive 2s and liquorice root trying to raise my cortisol but I’m still just crashing constantly, a few years ago I was in the gym 4/5 days a week sometimes twice a day and was 12st 12

I’m now over 16stone and starting to get very upset about it all

Do you have a link to the tests I would need to do at home please and a contact for your private endo as I am really starting to get quite desperate now, this has made me feel so low at some points to the point where I felt like I couldn’t go on, any help is much appreciated

Cheers

Lee

Gasmanga profile image
Gasmanga in reply toGasmanga

I have found the last results to be as follows if anyone can make sense of them

TSH: 1.86 mlu/L 0.27-4.3

FT4: 17.7 pmol/L 12.0-23.0

FT3: 5.52 pmol/L 3.1-6.8

T4: 74.1 nmol/ L 64.5-142

TPEX: 10.9 Kiu/L 0.0-34.0

TGAB: 12.3 ku/L 0.0-115.0 ku/L

McPammy profile image
McPammy in reply toGasmanga

You just need to go to google. Look up Regenerus Laboratories. Then look up DIO2 gene test.

Once you’ve completed this and paid. I went for option for test plus a person to call you to interpret to result, I paid about £165 in total Then you’ll get a DNA kit. Follow the instructions and send off your saliva sample. If you have the gene fault it may take 3 weeks for the result. If not you’ll find out in about a week. Well that’s how it worked for me positive = 3 weeks. My sister was negative = 1 week.

Looking at your results above though I’d say you do not have a conversion issue

Good luck!

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