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Do you understand blood tests? Do I have a thyroid problem or is it something else?

Last post 09-01-2009, 3:15 PM by KiwiGal. 7 replies.
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  •  06-24-2009, 10:51 AM 8183

    Do you understand blood tests? Do I have a thyroid problem or is it something else?

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    I'd really appreciate any help you may give me.

     

    My basic history is 2008 diagnosed with chronic fatigue (I had problems with weight gain, tiredness, dry skin, but don't suffer any pains.) Chronic fatigue has again been mentioned.

     

    January 2009 diagnosed with severe depression and anxiety and signed off work. I'm still at home battling to have a 'normal' day. I read on the net that people suffering from thyroid do not find their depression medication effective and although I no longer take antidepressants when I did my depression got worse. Do you anything about this?
    I'm exploring the possibility that underactive thyroid could be the cause of my depression. A shot in the dark but I want to get better. I have trawled the net and have several other symptoms that could be attributed to a thyroid problem.
    I had a thyroid (throat) scan in January I was told it was clear. I have been told that scans show overactive thyroid only. Do you know if this is true?
    I have had blood tests last & this year & have been told by my old doctor that my thyroid levels were `ok'.
    Two friends last week separately asked me if I had a thyroid problem.
    I have looked at pictures of myself from 2005 and from 2007 can see a lump on my lower neck on some but not all photos mainly those taken at night. Could this be a thyroid problem and can the lump go up and down?
    I've just changed doctors and had full thyroid blood tests yesterday so results will be back Tuesday.
    I called my old doctors and they gave me previous blood test readings:
    1/7/04 Free T4 14.3pmol/L TSH 1.59 mIU/L LH 5.2 iu/L FSH 5.7 iu/L HbA1c level  6%

     27/3/08      T4 12.3            TSH 2.39 Serum HDL cholesterol level 1.78mmol/L serum LDL cholesterol 2.32mmol/L
    11/12/2008 T4 12.8            TSH 1.88 serum testosterone .8nmol/L Free androgen index .5 serum sex hormone binding glob 171nmol.L
    29/1/09       T4 9.8              TSH 1.2 u/L serum total bilirubin level 2umol/L serum total protein 60g/L (on Citlopram antidepressant)
    19/3/09       T4 11.9pmol/L TSH 5.46 mu/L (on Mirtazapine antidepressant)

    I was on Mirtazapine antidepressant in March 2009 could this give a high TSH reading that could go down? Can a THS reading go down?

    I'm told these readings are in the normal UK range but the USA range is different and friends in the USA say I have an underactive thyroid, can you comment on this?

    I had my eyes tested yesterday my short sighted perscription has improved

    Battling with depression and anxiety my symtoms are:
    Fatigue, sluggish, feeling down and very tired needing afternoon nap, inability to concentrate.

    Wake feeling tired

    Forgetting things trouble consentrating

    Dark facial hair growth premenstrual

    Sores on bottom and top of legs premenstrual

    Craving carbs, sweets

    Coffee to stay awake/alert

    Low sex drive

    Dry skin

    Swollen puffy eyes

    Swollen toes and feet

    Losing hair, coarse, dry, brittle wirey hair

    Strong but brittle nails

    Increased menstrual flow and increased pain

    Exhaustion when mensturating

    Cold intolerance

    Constipation

    Dry Eyes

    Light sensitive

    Shortness of breath when exercising

    Weight gain disproportionate to diet ( increased 21 lbs in a year)

    and just not feeling right.

    Can you tell me anything else that could help me?

  •  06-30-2009, 8:32 PM 8263 in reply to 8183

    Re: Do you understand blood tests? Do I have a thyroid problem or is it something else?

    Hi,

    These blood tests are often innacurate. Get hold of the book, 'Take Control of your Health and Escape the Sickness Industry' by Elaine Hollingsworth where you will find lots of help and advice.  Also, check out www.the-natural-choice.co.uk on the left hand side click on Glandular Support and this will take you to Nutri-Meds products to support Adrenals and Thyroid, also check out www.nutri-meds.com. You can speak to them.

    Keep hopeful, Doc's will depress you, there's always hope out there it's just a question of finding it! Hoping this brings you closer.

    Best wishes

    Anne

     

  •  06-30-2009, 9:39 PM 8264 in reply to 8183

    Re: Do you understand blood tests? Do I have a thyroid problem or is it something else?

    Hi,

    Your list of symptoms is so long they could be caused by many things but thyroid issues and adrenal fatigue would be high on my list.

    I can also recommend the Elaine Hollingsworth book and also Adrenal Fatigue ;The 21st Century Stress Syndrome by James Wilson.

    I highly recommend you contact a CHEK Practitioner in your area or someone who does a sound assessment of the basics of health as you need a proper assessment of your lifestyle, nutrition and physical condition and then recommendations based on the results.

    Go to www.chekconnect.com to find a practitioner or tell me which town/country you live in and I will try recommend one for you.

    Cheers

    Robin


    Robin Allan
    Chek Practitioner
    Natural Health Coach

    http://www.robinallan.com


    robin_allan@hotmail.com

    07967-366470
  •  08-30-2009, 7:59 PM 9278 in reply to 8183

    Re: Do you understand blood tests? Do I have a thyroid problem or is it something else?

    Your latest TSH suggests that your pituitary gland is not happy with the amount of thyroid hormone in your body and is trying to increase its output by raising the TSH to stimulate more thyroid hormone production. Hormones never act alone; and surely you are experiencing the effects that they have with other hormones, but your thyroid does appear from the last test to be too low and this can cause all of the symptoms that you described above.

     

    Max

  •  08-30-2009, 10:46 PM 9281 in reply to 9278

    Re: Do you understand blood tests? Do I have a thyroid problem or is it something else?

    Hi Max

    Boy have you been busy since you (just) joined! All good advice though. It is clear that I have hypothyroidism (nearly all the symptoms, especially very low temp. in the morning, and weight gain which has nothing to do with my sparse, organic diet, and tingling,numb hands). Somebody mentioned a site to go on for products, and I notice that there are two - one apparently powdered thyroid from cattle and one from pigs. Would you know, if these are crate pigs or penned cattle, would this have an effect on the thyroid in the product, and which one would be best for humans - or is a thyroid a thyroid from anything?

    I'd appreciate your input. Thanks
    Heidi 

  •  08-30-2009, 11:12 PM 9282 in reply to 9281

    Re: Do you understand blood tests? Do I have a thyroid problem or is it something else?

    Actually slimmanz and everybody else, I've just found this website; he's Australian, but it looks like it could work.. ! http://www.thehypothyroidismsolution.com/?Thyroid&gclid=CJHTt7WuzJwCFU0A4wodvVinJQ
  •  09-01-2009, 2:23 PM 9299 in reply to 8183

    Re: Do you understand blood tests? Do I have a thyroid problem or is it something else?

    I too had every symptom on the 'thyroid' sheet and went to doctor asked for tests.  Think it was here that I went wrong, I told him what I wanted! One of the main symptoms was I could not get my temperature above 35.1c, the doctor said he never took any notice of temperatures any more. To pacify me (he said) he did the blood tests and when they came back the receptionist could not even let me talk to him.  She said the tests were negative and no further action would be taken.  Leaving the doctor I decided to find me a tame Natrapath, who agreed with my own diagnose and sent me off for further tests which showed my adrenals underpar.  He checked the symptoms and decided that I did have thyroid. He offered me thyroxine or natural thyroid which I took over the thyroxine. I can check my tablet intake with muscle testing, and I advise him if and when I change the dose.  I've noticed that since I have been on thyroid prescription I can eat other things that were impossible for me before, like wheat which I have been intolerant of for many years.  I'll never be able to eat the whole baggette but portions of it are ok, as well as Kamut/spelt bread and spaghetti.

    The more I read up about it, I'm sure that my allergies have  been caused by the thyroid not working properly.  It took me a good nine months before I realised I was feeling better, (so easy to give up after 3 months) but I'd had it for 20 odd years what made me think it would go over night?  I am not going to be an athlete but I have lots more energy than I've had for years.  I improve slowly over time.   Currently with all the talk about Vit D3 I wonder if there is a connection between this and thyroid.   I had my Vit D tested and it was low. being fair skinned I kept out of the sun for fear of burning like I did as a child.   I never use sunscreen as lots of them seem to have things in that my body does not want. So I am also increasing my Vit D3 and will get it tested again this autumn. Seems the countries using the most sunscreen are getting the most problems, and people staying out of the sun.  But thats another story, isnt it.  

    There is a good thyroid book by Barry Durrant-Peatfield - easy to read and understand.  He's very pleasant. "Your Thyroid & How To Keep it Healthy"  Oh and by the way my temperature is now constant at about 36.6c which is a good sign.   Look up works by Dr Broda Barnes, an American doctor who specialised in thyroid.

     There is a light at the end of the tunnel, don't let your doctor turn off the light and let you suffer.     Cheers

  •  09-01-2009, 3:15 PM 9304 in reply to 9299

    Re: Do you understand blood tests? Do I have a thyroid problem or is it something else?

    Hi bodynsoul
    That's good to know, especially the adrenals because mine have been in overload for a long time! And I always took kelp instead of salt, but this is the first time I'm holding weight that won't go away unless I do a great deal of exercise, and I don't believe that is necessary.

    I got out my colour therapy books and it says use orange (or visualise) - I'll do it with my Bioptron light and colours - and the underlying thought is "what's the use of balance; a fear of old age and death; a giving up of normality". The affirmation is: "I will no longer sabotage myself. I will make the most of all that comes and the least of that which goes". And it also says to massage the thyroid and parathyroid glands, nervous system, thymus, adrenal and pituitary gland areas - all on the feet.

    Another book (How to Stay Out of the Doctor's Office) says foods with thio-oxazidone block iodine absorption, e.g. raw spinach, lettuce, cabbage, turnips, beets and rutabaga (of course I eat most of these!). Soybeans and products contain a thyroid-depressing element as well. Take 8oz of pumpkin seeds daily. Do NOT take iodized salt because of all the rubbish in it. Apart from the usual supplements, Irish moss and black walnut are  high in iodine.

    With regard to your vitamin D, it is not necessary to put your body in the sun - just be out for an hour or so with no sunglasses on! The u.v. rays are absorbed through the eyes, not the skin, to the hyperthalamus which bangs it over to the pineal and on in the system to be broken down as needed. And doctors' tests on Vit.D are not accurate, by the way.

    Good job for not putting the cremes on - the sun blocking chemicals (apart from doing US harm) are being washed off in the water and settling on the coral reefs (near tourist spots) and killing the coral. 

    Since adrenals can provoke thyroid problems, I guess we have to go back to the cause, rather than dealing with the symptoms and find peace and balance in our lives. I can relate to the emotional content of that myself....

     

     

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