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susiemw
August 21st, 2008, 01:59 PM
I know some of you may think i'm crazy but I was so happy to get my lab results back today showing that I am hypothyroid.

I've had significant frontal hair loss and I'm hoping that the hair loss is due to the hypothyroidism and not just a coincidence. I'm looking forward to getting on meds and
getting my hair back!!

Susan

sibylla
August 21st, 2008, 02:12 PM
That is great news!!!!
My mother got twice as thick hair when she started on her meds:)))))

lora410
August 21st, 2008, 02:17 PM
I am glad you feel relieved to finally have a possible hair loss answer :)

harley mama
August 21st, 2008, 02:26 PM
Hoping you will have a healthy body and happy hair once your meds have been adjusted accordingly!:D

Tapioca
August 21st, 2008, 02:31 PM
I remember the same odd feeling of relief at finally knowing *what* it was. And a tiny pill once a day is an easy price to pay for feeling normal.

RedRose
August 21st, 2008, 04:00 PM
It's great news that you finally have an answer, and can now start on the road to good health and beautiful, thick hair :-)

SaraMatty
August 21st, 2008, 04:44 PM
It's fantastic that you know what's going on :) I'm kind of hoping that's what's wrong with me too, since it's so fixable. I have an ultrasound scheduled for monday as my labs for the last year have my doctor concerned about my thyroid, which enlarged, and my adrenal glands, which have pretty much stopped working. Both problems can cause hair loss/thinning. Hopefully I'll have good news like you soon, and congrats on finding out. I know a lot of people who grew hair like mad once they got their meds and hormones evened out. Cheers for the returning hair :)

dor3girl
August 21st, 2008, 05:18 PM
Glad to hear you found out what was going on! I have a friend who was mis-diagnosed with either hyper or hypo-thyroidism (I forget which)--her hair got all coarse & stopped growing from the meds they were giving her. Turns out she just had wacked out hormones that lingered (for 18-24 mos) after having a baby. Isn't it FUN being a girl?

Madam Librarian
August 21st, 2008, 06:03 PM
It's nice to have answers isn't it? I hope your hair does well once you get the thyroid issues under control. I have hypothyroidism, but no experience with hair loss as a result. Good luck!

longhairedfairy
August 21st, 2008, 06:09 PM
I'm really glad you found out what the problem is and it should be easy to treat :) Yay! *hugs*

Airmide
August 21st, 2008, 08:05 PM
Congrats!!! It's HARD getting diagnosed hypo. Took me 12 years of telling docs to test me to finally find one to do the whole panel (including antibodies!) and confirm what I already knew - Hashimoto's.

And it was a thread here at LHC which helped me actually get treated correctly! I believe it was Softestacia who first linked www.stopthethyroidmadness.com (http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com) to me. Also go to www.yahoogroups.com (http://www.yahoogroups.com) and search for natural thyroid hormones. I seriously don't know if I woud have survived if not for those two sites!

I don't have the energy to type up my whole hypothyroid primer I usually do hehe. But feel free to email me (anyone seeing this and curious) for info on getting diagnosed and treated.

Whatever you do, do NOT let your doctor put you on any form of Synthroid and assume that will fix anything!! I have personally known several people and heard from dozens more who have had uncontrollable anxiety and suicidal depression immediatly after starting Synthroid.

Also I believe there is a pending class action lawsuit going on because Synthroid is known to cause excessive hair loss (including many women going bald!). My hair was really pretty fine before starting the meds despite being hypo, and as soon as I started Levoxyl my hair started falling out literaly in handfulls! I went from losing 30-50 strands per day to losing so many I couldn't even count them, 300 would be a conservative estimate.

After I switched to Armour my hair loss slowed down but it took months for it to reach even near the same rate as I started.

So good luck on treatment, and make sure you read those websites! Some people say they do fine on Synthroid but speaking from personal experience, I don't think it's worth the risk!

utdesertrunner
August 21st, 2008, 08:09 PM
I also developed hypothryoid after having my third son. I was SO relieved to know what it was, as I felt like poo and thought I was losing it. I bet you will get relief soon. I was able to treat my naturally and had good results if you're interested. YAY for finding out what was going on! It's surprisingly common in women now.

susiemw
August 21st, 2008, 08:43 PM
Thanks all,

I appreciate the support.

I work in the medical field and tend to be more
open minded than some of us in the field so I was planning on doing bioidentical hormone replacement therapy rather than
synthroid.

In fact, I attended an antiaging conference a couple weeks ago and I'm reviewing all the notes on thyroid lectures to help decide what I want to start on.... and review "optimal" levels as opposed to "normal levels" for thyroid labs and what to aim for.

I am not planning on taking synthroid.

I want to do a combo med of t3/t4 rather than synthroid, but I'm leaning away from armour thyroid and maybe going through a compounding pharmacy however, I'm assuming that will be a lot more expensive (armour should be cheap, it's been out forever)

I don't have insurance, so money is a consideration..... and besides the hair loss my brain function went south a few years ago and I'm hoping that will come back along with my hair. :)

Susan

Airmide
August 21st, 2008, 11:39 PM
Armour is pretty cheap. I'm curoius why are you leaning towards a compounding pharmacy rather than Armour?

One thing about a t4/t3 medication (you probably know this but others may not) that for some reason most doctors don't seem to know - your TSH results will be supressed. TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) is what they measure on the standard (incomplete) thyroid test. TSH is actually a pituitary hormone which shows how much thyroid your body is ASKING for, not how much it HAS. T4 is the stored form of thyroid hormones, and most people with thyroid problems have trouble converting stored t4 to active t3, which is one reason the natural bioidentical medications that have t3 as well as t4 (and traces of t1, t2 and calcitonin) are superior to synthetic t4 only medications. But because they supply both the passive and active forms, and give your body EXACTLY what it needs, your body won't have any need to ASK for more if you are at a good dosage. Therefore TSH becomes even more of a useless test than before lol, since it will register as supressed. It is then (as always really) essential to measure thyroid health by testing free t4, free T3 and antibodies, and most importantly by how you are feeling.

MermaidGirl
August 22nd, 2008, 01:12 AM
... my thyroid, which enlarged, and my adrenal glands, which have pretty much stopped working. Both problems can cause hair loss/thinning. ... I know a lot of people who grew hair like mad once they got their meds and hormones evened out. Cheers for the returning hair :)

OMG SaraMatty, are you my twin?!

I actually have at least 3 health conditions that cause thinning hair (isn't that just grand?!). My thyroid had enlarged a bit, and my tests have come back positive for hypothyroid. My adrenals have also pretty much completely stopped working (they haven't worked for years though), I'm also anemic, I have a magnesium deficiency and one of my female hormones was low. Yes, dor3girl, it IS fun being a girl!!!

I have noticable thinning on the sides of my hair and around the nape area. I am also having breakage, so I think these health problems are causing my hair to be brittle as well. Oddly, I thought for the longest time that my hair was a (i) thickness, but I measured it some months back and it was a bit over 3-1/2 inches. I measured it the other night, and it was just at 3-1/2 inches, so there has been very slight loss between those two measurings as far as hair fall from the scalp, though the breakage along the length is worse and my taper is too much for my liking. If I could get my thickness back, I would probably be bordering on or well into a (iii) category - I would LOVE that!


... I was planning on doing bioidentical hormone replacement therapy rather than synthroid.

In fact, I attended an antiaging conference a couple weeks ago and I'm reviewing all the notes on thyroid lectures to help decide what I want to start on.... and review "optimal" levels as opposed to "normal levels" for thyroid labs and what to aim for. ...

I ... maybe going through a compounding pharmacy however, I'm assuming that will be a lot more expensive (armour should be cheap, it's been out forever) ...

I don't have insurance, so money is a consideration..... and besides the hair loss my brain function went south a few years ago and I'm hoping that will come back along with my hair. :)

Susan

Susan, I am actually taking bioidentical thyroid (and cortisol and progesterone). I've only been on it a few weeks and am currently in the phase of gradually upping my dosage to 25 mcg. My doctor does not take insurance and my insurance wouldn't cover this doctor or his lab tests and bioID hormones/supplements anyhow, and yes, it is expensive. I am in California (LA) and spent $3,000 in July just on doctor visits (he's between $300 and $400 per O.V.!), labs (about $800) and meds.

I'm hoping my brain function returns as well with taking these meds. I have put off studing for my LSAT because I simply cannot concentrate and work through the harder logic games.

I for one would love to know what your conference notes say about the "normal" vs. "optimal" thyroid levels and what to shoot for. My doctor is shooting for "optimal" levels, which as we know are probably nowhere near the reference ranges of the lab tests!

willowcandra
August 22nd, 2008, 02:09 AM
I know some of you may think i'm crazy but I was so happy to get my lab results back today showing that I am hypothyroid.

I've had significant frontal hair loss and I'm hoping that the hair loss is due to the hypothyroidism and not just a coincidence. I'm looking forward to getting on meds and
getting my hair back!!

Susan


Lol I am waiting for those exact blood tests too. Hope yourmeds start making a difference soon.

Millielie
August 22nd, 2008, 09:21 AM
I hoped to be hypothyroid, too. I know that sounds odd, but it would clear up all the issues I have (can't concentrate, sweating, hair loss and so on) but my blood levels are all pretty normal.

lind01
August 22nd, 2008, 10:25 AM
Oh my gosh... i have been going through this... finally realizing that the brittle, transparent nature of my hair (and eyebrows) and the fact that it refuses to grow is because of my thyroid!
I know exactly what you mean: finally having a cause and a hope to correct it is strangely comforting.

I don't want to take this off subject.. but I am scared to take medicine or the Armour supplements, and have ordered a raw glandular supplement from a different company. What do you guys take? What kind of results have you gotten?

lind01
August 22nd, 2008, 10:28 AM
utdesertrunner, how did you treat yours naturally? I would really like to do this.

Tapioca
August 22nd, 2008, 10:52 AM
I've been on Synthroid for about six years now, and I have nothing but good to say about it. The only downside is that it has to be taken on an empty stomach, so I have to wait an hour in the morning for breakfast.

Airmide
August 22nd, 2008, 12:20 PM
If you suspect hypo but your doctor tells you your blood levels are fine, make sure to request copies of all the results and then double check which tests were done and what the results were. That's what happened to me for 12 years till I found a doctor to test antibodies! Also TSH is a pretty useless range and besides that most labs are still using outdated values. Anything over 2.0 should really be considered hypo, but it's still most important to look for antibodies.

Armour is totally natural and bioidentical. So I think it should be much better than any glandular supplement you could buy over the counter because it is also a glandular supplement (dessicated pig thyroid) but is much more tightly regulated, so you know you're getting a consistent dosage with it.

You can also take 1 or 2 tablespoons of coconut oil a day and selenium to support thyroid function. Avoid soy because it is a giotergeneic food. Fermented soy is less bad than other forms (Soy sauce isn't as bad as say, tofu). Also it seems that a ton of people with thyroid issues also have celiac or gluten intolerance so you might want to try going gluten free.I know it made a HUGE HUGE HUGE difference for me!

MermaidGirl
August 22nd, 2008, 07:59 PM
Airmide, this is going to be a really silly question, but how exactly do you just go gluten free? Is there a diet to follow, or a list somewhere that tells you what foods contain gluten? I haven't got a clue ...

SaraMatty
August 22nd, 2008, 08:06 PM
OMG SaraMatty, are you my twin?!


Yep :) Right down to the anemia. Are you having troubles with vitamin D levels too? Oy. I only found out about the stuff other than the anemia when I started seeing a doctor who runs a practice with a naturopath on staff. It's made all the difference in actually getting answers. I *think* she ran the full thyroid panel this week (the order was for a complete metabolic panel, but I didn' think to ask which tests the lab groups with that) but won't know for certain until I get back my lab report, which won't beat the ultrasound anyway. From what I see on here and in other places it seems like thyroid and adrenal issues are becoming very common and very commonly overlooked. I'm just thrilled I finally found a doc that doesn't tell me that I can't possibly be experiencing the symptons I have, or that nothing can be done about any of it.

SaraMatty
August 22nd, 2008, 08:10 PM
MermaidGirl--take a look at this:
http://glutenfreegirl.blogspot.com/

Aside from all the other twinness, I was on a gluten free diet up until tuesday for the last year. Turns out that didn't do what they wanted it to do, so I'm allowed to try gluten again, but it's definitely worth a shot. The basic gist is no wheat, barley, rye or triticale or any derivitaves thereof. Shauna Ahern's blog has a huge amount of information on it and links to other resources.

Paniscus
August 22nd, 2008, 09:08 PM
If you suspect hypo but your doctor tells you your blood levels are fine, make sure to request copies of all the results and then double check which tests were done and what the results were. That's what happened to me for 12 years till I found a doctor to test antibodies! Also TSH is a pretty useless range and besides that most labs are still using outdated values. Anything over 2.0 should really be considered hypo, but it's still most important to look for antibodies.


Psychic LHC has done it again! I just got back my TSH results yesterday. Apparently the lab is using the outdated values, I'm guessing .5-5.0 or thereabout. They said I was in "normal range" for TSH (that was the ONLY test my doctor asked for), but from what I read (and googled online), I'd be hypo with the more current TSH range.

I wonder why these labs are still using the old values if current research would suggest to use a more tighter range?

susiemw
August 22nd, 2008, 11:28 PM
I wonder why these labs are still using the old values if current research would suggest to use a more tighter range?

It doesn't really matter what values the labs use....your health care provider is the one who gets to interpret them.

Give them a call back and let them know (since it sounds like they aren't aware of them) about the latest guidelines from
the
American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE)

you might want to check out this page which I will quote below:
http://thyroid.about.com/cs/testsforthyroid/a/labs2003.htm

"What to Send to Your Doctor

Since your doctor is likely to say "I haven't heard anything about these new changes," or "the lab is still showing .5 to 5 as the normal range, and I'm not changing anything until the lab does," you will want to send some materials to your doctor ahead of your next appointment. These include the following:

1. January 2003 Press Release from the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists
Get a copy now (http://www.aace.com/newsroom/press/2003/index.php?r=20030118)

Highlight the third paragraph for your doctor. this paragraph reads: "Until November 2002, doctors had relied on a normal TSH level ranging from 0.5 to 5.0 to diagnose and treat patients with a thyroid disorder who tested outside the boundaries of that range5 . Now AACE encourages doctors to consider treatment for patients who test outside the boundaries of a narrower margin based on a target TSH level of 0.3 to 3.04. AACE believes the new range will result in proper diagnosis for millions of Americans who suffer from a mild thyroid disorder, but have gone untreated until now."

2. The National Academy of Clinical Biochemistry, part of the Academy of the American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC), Laboratory Medicine Practice Guidelines: Laboratory Support for the Diagnosis and Monitoring of Thyroid Disease
Get a copy now (http://www.nacb.org/lmpg/thyroid_LMPG_PDF.stm)

You may want to highlight the sections that read:

"It is likely that the current upper limit of the population reference range is skewed by the inclusion of persons with occult thyroid dysfunction."

"In the future, it is likely that the upper limit of the serum TSH euthyroid reference range will be reduced to 2.5 mIU/L because >95% of rigorously screened normal euthyroid volunteers have serum TSH values between 0.4 and 2.5 mIU/L."

"A serum TSH result between 0.5 and 2.0 mIU/L is generally considered the therapeutic target for a standard L-T4 replacement dose for primary hypothyroidism." "

there is also a big difference between a "normal range" and an optimal range. Unfortunately in western medicine, we're not normally thinking of prevention or getting patients to an optimal level. It's very sad.

If your doc isn't open minded about the new levels you will want to find someone new to see about this problem.

Good luck with this.

Susan

susiemw
August 22nd, 2008, 11:30 PM
for those on armour thyroid and paying for it out of your own pocket....where do you get your meds? where have you found the best deals?

Susan

Airmide
August 22nd, 2008, 11:43 PM
Susiemw thanks for posting those links, I was just getting ready to search for that exact info!

In my experience the doctors will also say "Each lab has it's own range and tests differently so there is no standardized range". I haven't been able to come up with anything to refute that! I have found it's easier to look for a better doctor and/or self-treating or at least self-testing than to argue with a conventional doctor. And I didn't have any better luck with the naturopaths I went to!

TSH besides using an outdated lab range is flawed for other reasons. 1. when they established the "normal" ranges, they took a *very* small sampling of people! And they didn't rule out anyone with a family history of hypothyroid! Also TSH will usually not budge out of normal until very far along into being out of balance. And it is simply a snapshot in time, so if you have antibodies, 5 minutes later your TSH could be a 1000% different number!

You can get your hormones and adrenals tested here http://www.canaryclub.org/content/view/277/97/ . It looks like they've changed their offerings a little. I believe diagnost-techs is the most reliable lab. They used to test thyroid too but I'm not seeing that option now. Saliva is the most accurate for hormones and adrenals while blood is the most accurate for thyroid.

And now it's time for dinner so I'm posting this and hopefully I'll remember to come back later and say the rest of what I was going to say lol.

ShadowSwallow
August 22nd, 2008, 11:45 PM
Congrats on figuring out what's causing your hairloss!

I'm dealing with the same thing, only I'm not hypo/hyper at all. All the bloodwork is completely normal. But my thyroid is enlarged. I don't have any other hypo symptoms, either. I'm starting to take iodine religiously, and it seems like it's helping. :)

MermaidGirl
August 23rd, 2008, 01:05 AM
I've been on Synthroid for about six years now, and I have nothing but good to say about it. The only downside is that it has to be taken on an empty stomach, so I have to wait an hour in the morning for breakfast.

Tapioca, I feel your pain! My doctor's assistant asked me if I ever get up in the middle of the night to go potty and said if I do, to just take my thyroid medication then. Its not a regular thing for me to get up in the middle of the night, so I worry that my dosing is not happening on a precise 24 hour schedule, but I do take it if I happen to wake up around 4 or 5 a.m. to go tinkle (I don't usually get up until at least 7 a.m. or later).

Also, I'm not sure if this applies to Synthroid or not as I am taking bioidentical thyroid from a compounding pharmacy, but my doctor's assistant told me to allow a 3 hour window between taking my thyroid med and taking any sort of vitamin or other supplement containing minerals such as calcium. Apparently, the calcium binds to the thyroid, effectively flushing it from your system and you do not get the benefit of the thyroid med. This is why I like taking the thyroid med in the early in the a.m. if I wake up to go to the bathroom, because if I can get it in my system say at 5 a.m., then I can just get on with my life with my vitamins around 8 a.m.

SaraMatty
August 23rd, 2008, 01:21 AM
Also, I'm not sure if this applies to Synthroid or not as I am taking bioidentical thyroid from a compounding pharmacy, but my doctor's assistant told me to allow a 3 hour window between taking my thyroid med and taking any sort of vitamin or other supplement containing minerals such as calcium. Apparently, the calcium binds to the thyroid, effectively flushing it from your system and you do not get the benefit of the thyroid med.
I've heard the same thing applies for iron supplements too, according to my aunt the RN. She'd know, she and her mom have been swinging hypo to hyper pretty much since they started having kids. She's also the one who told me the reason I was so horribly nauseous a few weeks ago was because the urgent care doc I saw when I was sick neglected to mention that my iron and vitamin supplements do not mix well with the antibiotic they put me on. Oops :rolleyes: Better make sure the one-off docs read the chart next time :)

MermaidGirl
August 23rd, 2008, 01:55 AM
OMG SaraMatty, are you my twin?!
Yep :) Right down to the anemia. Are you having troubles with vitamin D levels too? Oy. I only found out about the stuff other than the anemia when I started seeing a doctor who runs a practice with a naturopath on staff. It's made all the difference in actually getting answers. I *think* she ran the full thyroid panel this week (the order was for a complete metabolic panel, but I didn' think to ask which tests the lab groups with that) but won't know for certain until I get back my lab report, which won't beat the ultrasound anyway. From what I see on here and in other places it seems like thyroid and adrenal issues are becoming very common and very commonly overlooked. I'm just thrilled I finally found a doc that doesn't tell me that I can't possibly be experiencing the symptons I have, or that nothing can be done about any of it.

Roger that on the Vit. D deficiency, SaraMatty! My doctor has me supplementing with 10,000 IU (no, that is not a typo!) of Vit. D3 a day. I'm fair and burn up in the sun, so I try to avoid it, plus I work in an office and am sheltered from the environment most of the time. Of course, we are finding out now that 15 mins. a day of sun exposure is pretty much a must-have to stay healthy as far as Vit. D, and that short bits of sun exposure like that is actually good for you, and is not going to kill you or give you skin cancer.

Don't you just love it when the doctors tell you that you can't be having the symptoms you are absolutely experiencing?! Why they just won't cop to it and say "I haven't got a clue what is going on with you" really aggravates me. I think its ego! Luckily, the last couple doctors I've had haven't pulled that on me, but the one who years ago diagnosed the adrenal problems did try to medicate me into oblivion with big pharma drugs (vs. bioidenticals). I think more and more people are having adrenal problems because, among other things, the stress level of life these days has just gone off the charts ...

Please keep us posted as to what your lab results say.

MermaidGirl
August 23rd, 2008, 02:00 AM
MermaidGirl--take a look at this:
http://glutenfreegirl.blogspot.com/

Aside from all the other twinness, I was on a gluten free diet up until tuesday for the last year. Turns out that didn't do what they wanted it to do, so I'm allowed to try gluten again, but it's definitely worth a shot. The basic gist is no wheat, barley, rye or triticale or any derivitaves thereof. Shauna Ahern's blog has a huge amount of information on it and links to other resources.

Wow, thank you for the link to Shauna's blog - its very, very interesting! (I love the story of how she met her husband and their relationship!) Lots of information there and I will go back and peruse when I have more time. My doctor wants me on a higher protein, lower carb diet and I have a feeling that doing a diet like that might eliminate quite a bit of gluten just given the nature of required foods for the diet; that said, I know that gluten is insidious and is hidden in a lot of foods, so further research is in order.

Tell me, did you notice a significant difference in how you felt being off gluten? And being back on it, have you noticed the return of any ill-health symptoms?

MermaidGirl
August 23rd, 2008, 02:08 AM
Also, I'm not sure if this applies to Synthroid or not as I am taking bioidentical thyroid from a compounding pharmacy, but my doctor's assistant told me to allow a 3 hour window between taking my thyroid med and taking any sort of vitamin or other supplement containing minerals such as calcium. Apparently, the calcium binds to the thyroid, effectively flushing it from your system and you do not get the benefit of the thyroid med.
I've heard the same thing applies for iron supplements too, according to my aunt the RN. She'd know, she and her mom have been swinging hypo to hyper pretty much since they started having kids. She's also the one who told me the reason I was so horribly nauseous a few weeks ago was because the urgent care doc I saw when I was sick neglected to mention that my iron and vitamin supplements do not mix well with the antibiotic they put me on. Oops :rolleyes: Better make sure the one-off docs read the chart next time :)

I'm sorry you experienced horrible nauseousness! :( That sucks! Being sick to my stomach and being dizzy are two things that just FLATTEN me - I can take almost any other symptom of being ill, but those two just do me in. We have to remember that most Western medical doctors we have here in the U.S. are completely clueless when it comes to drug interaction with vitamins/supplements, so its up to us to warn them of these things ...

Good to know about the iron supplements not playing well with thyroid meds because, with being anemic, my doctor has me supplementing with iron, as well as iodine to further support the thyroid. In an abudance of caution, I usually take my thyroid med and wait 3 hours to take anything else - I don't even eat anything or drink milk until I'm sure 3 hours have elapsed.

MermaidGirl
August 23rd, 2008, 02:25 AM
You can also take 1 or 2 tablespoons of coconut oil a day and selenium to support thyroid function. Avoid soy because it is a giotergeneic food. Fermented soy is less bad than other forms (Soy sauce isn't as bad as say, tofu). Also it seems that a ton of people with thyroid issues also have celiac or gluten intolerance so you might want to try going gluten free.I know it made a HUGE HUGE HUGE difference for me!

Thank you for this information (as well as all the other info you've provided in this thread, Airmide, it has all been very helpful!). I Googled goitergenic and got a Wikipedia entry, and actually cried out in dismay as many of my favorite foods are on the list!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goitrogen





Certain foods have been identified as goitrogenic. These foods include:
Soybeans (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soybean) (and soybean products such as tofu (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tofu))
Pine nuts (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pine_nut)
Peanuts (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peanut)
Millet (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millet)
Strawberries (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strawberry)
Peaches (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peach)
Spinach (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spinach)
Bamboo shoots (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bamboo_shoot)
Radishes (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radish)
Horseradish (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horseradish)
Vegetables in the genus Brassica (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brassica)
Bok choy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bok_choy)
Broccoli (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broccoli)
Broccolini (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broccolini) (Asparations)
Brussels sprouts (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brussels_sprout)
Cabbage (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabbage)
Canola (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canola)
Cauliflower (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cauliflower)
Chinese cabbage (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_cabbage)
Choy sum (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Choy_sum)
Collard greens (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collard_greens)
Kai-lan (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kai-lan) (Chinese broccoli)
Kale (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kale)
Kohlrabi (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kohlrabi)
Mizuna (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mizuna)
Mustard greens (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brassica_juncea)
Rapeseed (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rapeseed) (yu choy)
Rapini (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rapini)
Rutabagas (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rutabaga)
Tatsoi (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tatsoi)
Turnips (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turnip)Foods stimulating thyroid tissue

Some foods and drinks have an opposite effect on the thyroid gland--that is, they stimulate thyroid function rather than suppressing it; examples being avocado (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avocado), coconut (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coconut),[4] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goitrogen#cite_note-coconut_effects-3) and saturated fat (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturated_fat).[5] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goitrogen#cite_note-4) Indeed some studies on rats suggest that excess caffeine (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caffeine) in conjunction with a lack of iodine (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iodine_deficiency) may promote the formation of thyroid cancers (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thyroid_cancer).[6] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goitrogen#cite_note-pmid12824900-5) Despite being generally a stimulant, caffeine (examples: coffee (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coffee), tea (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea), cola (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cola), chocolate (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chocolate)) acts on thyroid function as a suppressant.""Caffeine, Calcium and the Thyroid Nutritional Linkages to Thyroid Disease and Thyroid Drugs" (http://www.thyroid-info.com/articles/coffeecalcium.htm)".


That totally bums me out! I love brocolli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, and I love pine nuts, peanuts, strawberries, peaches, spinach and radishes! Oh well, I guess in moderation they would be OK, but I'd have to be sure I'm very regular with my dosing of thyroid and iodine, as well as coconut oil and selenium (BTW, I've heard selenium is good for the hair and skin as well - wonder if that's because it supports the thyroid?). I've been avoiding soy in all forms because of the effect it has on female hormones, and I've just read way too many bits of information that say it simply is not good for our health.

Tressie
August 23rd, 2008, 07:29 AM
Hi Susiemw! I know you are glad to know that your hair will get back to normal soon, and I'm glad you found the trouble as quickly as you did. Take care and let us know how things are progressing. God Bless!:)

SaraMatty
August 23rd, 2008, 10:59 AM
My doctor wants me on a higher protein, lower carb diet and I have a feeling that doing a diet like that might eliminate quite a bit of gluten just given the nature of required foods for the diet; that said, I know that gluten is insidious and is hidden in a lot of foods, so further research is in order.

Tell me, did you notice a significant difference in how you felt being off gluten? And being back on it, have you noticed the return of any ill-health symptoms?
Actually, at first I did have a significant reaction to going off of gluten. Unfortunately for me, it was short lived, and turns out that I'm not really reactive enough to gluten for it to be a lifestyle change that will actually make a whole lot of difference, at least for now. I've been back eating gluten for almost a week and while I still have yet to have a grilled cheese sandwich (the one food I had the MOST trouble giving up), I have been eating bread and a curry sauce that I know has wheat starch in it and I've not had any really noticeable intestinal reaction. There's still something wrong, but gluten probably isn't it, unfortunately. Oh well, I think it's livable if I get to have a grilled cheese soon :) As for the low carb/high protein bit, I actually did go on the newer version of the south beach diet for a few months, just because it cut out so much of the stuff I already couldn't have and had a whole lot of options that were easy to adapt if they weren't already gf. The only problem I had with that one was that I wasn't supposed to eat a lot of fruit, and I basically live on watermelon from May to November, along with strawberries (phase 2 friendly), raspberries, cherries and oranges. I tried to be good for a while, but eventually caved. Needless to say, I didn't lose any appreciable weight, but I've done south beach religiously (and the old, strict version at that) along with 6 hours a week of cardio and another three hours of lower intensity exercise and STILL not lost anything, so I don't blame the diet. I do like that south beach has such a huge community behind it, as there are some great forums and boards with people supporting each other and offering up some great recipes or cooking techniques for the low-carb kitchen. There are even some gf people floating around on those and a lot of the recipes are tagged as gf as well, which makes it easy. I made some really good "crepes" out of ricotta and egg that satisfied a pancake craving far better than the gf mix did, and there weren't any scary preservatives in them. There are even ways to fake pasta without using flours of any kind that are pretty good, so even if you don't go totally gf and do opt for high protein there are lots of recipes out there that are still really, really good. Though not the black bean brownies. DO NOT TRY THE BLACK BEAN BROWNIES. Trust me on that one :)

Paniscus
August 23rd, 2008, 01:03 PM
Thanks for the information Susiemw! I do think many people tend to just follow what their doctors recommend without ever questioning (they're the white coats, eh?) I'm giving my doctor a call today (or at least starting with her nurse) and see what happens.

susiemw
August 23rd, 2008, 02:13 PM
I'm giving my doctor a call today (or at least starting with her nurse) and see what happens.

great idea, I hope that will go well for you.

It's way too easy for us (yes, I am guilty of it too)
in medicine to look at the labs and accept the labs stated
values and accept their definition of "normal".

Susan

Airmide
August 23rd, 2008, 02:13 PM
My husband and I both experienced a HUGE difference going gluten free. We were never tested for it, I just figured we had enough symptoms that it was worth giving it a try. I had a pretty bad die-off reaction (I think that's what it's called) a couple weeks after going off.I felt like all my hypo symptoms were coming back! Then a couple months later in preperation for a trip to NY,we ate at our favorite pizza place. I bloated up like a balloon to easily two to three times my normal tummy size and was so completely miserable! It took me a week of fatigue and feeling just achey and horrible to start to get back to normal. I still had pizza in NY, cause how could I not? Ate some on the first day, bloated up like that and decided not to have any more ever again, it's just not worth it! I have more energy, my skin is the clearest it's ever been, I don't usually bloat up like that, and my heartburn is nearly gone.

Also between eliminating first High Fructose Corn Syrup (it's evil!) and all artificial sweetners like aspartame, then eliminating soy (for thyroid function and also hormones, infertility and it's just bad in so many ways) then eliminating wheat, and then going from being vegetarian to eating meat....I have lost 40 pounds. I really don't think I would have been able to do that prior to Armour.

I have been through so much with doctors that I just don't trust them at ALL anymore. You wouldn't believe some of the horror stories I've been through! And I HAVE had them tell me flat out "Well gee, I just don't know!"...and then I suggest stuff and "Oh, yeah, I forgot about that". I catch them just plain not making any sense ALL the time!

Here is the link for more options on self-testing if you can't get your doctor to order the right tests (or if you don't have insurance anyway and might as well bypass a doctor when you can). http://thyroid.about.com/od/gettestedanddiagnosed/a/selftesting.htm

utdesertrunner
August 23rd, 2008, 02:24 PM
Lind01: The supplement I take is called Thyroiden (thyroid + parathyroid) made by Innovita. I was diagnosed by my obgyn about 8 weeks post partum. I went to our chiropractor (who does kineseology or muscle testing). I started taking 3 a day and am now down to just one a day. Along with the supplement I have also tried to be healthier overall (more water, less sugar, etc.) Another HUGE change that helped me was Yoga for a few minutes a day. Studies show that yoga can be very beneficial to the thyroid.

I feel MUCH better! I still have to take one supplement a day and take care of myself, but it's night and day difference.

lind01
August 25th, 2008, 10:08 AM
utsesertrunner,
thanks so much for the info. I'll definitely be looking at that supplement.

Tapioca
August 25th, 2008, 10:57 AM
Also, I'm not sure if this applies to Synthroid or not as I am taking bioidentical thyroid from a compounding pharmacy, but my doctor's assistant told me to allow a 3 hour window between taking my thyroid med and taking any sort of vitamin or other supplement containing minerals such as calcium. Apparently, the calcium binds to the thyroid, effectively flushing it from your system and you do not get the benefit of the thyroid med. This is why I like taking the thyroid med in the early in the a.m. if I wake up to go to the bathroom, because if I can get it in my system say at 5 a.m., then I can just get on with my life with my vitamins around 8 a.m.

I know about this one, so I take my vitamins at bedtime. That's the only time I can seem to remember. Also, I take fish oil supplements, and if I get the fish burpies, it happens in my sleep.

susiemw
September 8th, 2008, 04:31 PM
Here is a quick update that makes me very happy and very hopeful.

It took forever to get my thyroid meds... and after ONLY 3 days of meds I have almost NO shedding. I never thought I had excessiver shedding but, i've never ever had so little.
It's pretty amazing. I did not expect to see such fast results. I can't wait to see what happens next.

Susan

ssjhotau2
September 8th, 2008, 08:26 PM
I'm glad that the doctors were able to discern that it was your thyroid acting up and that you were able to get on medication at all.

We are having the most horrible time with my father's thyroid issues and have been for all of my life. His autoimmune system attacked his thyroid before I was born. Atleast thats the best we can figure as he has no trace of a thyroid that they can find, and he didn't get sick until his early 30s.

Anyhow everytime he goes to a new doctor they say "oh you have to have a thyroid, you can't NOT have one... lets just cancel your prescription and see how long it takes to start working again." They only start him on it again when he's been admitted to the emergency room multiple times because his heart is failing AGAIN.
Its ridiculous.:mad:

Also you may want to see if your meds have a slow release T3. Most thyroid meds (Synthroid, ect) only have T4 which your thyroid then converts to T3 from what I understand, but if you have an underactive thyroid then its best to get some of these already converted.

MermaidGirl
September 8th, 2008, 11:21 PM
Here's my update:

I saw my endocrinologist on 7/29/08 and started taking all the bioidentical meds and supplements he prescribed for me a week later, so its been about 5 weeks that I've been medicated. I was on 10 mcg. of bioidentical thyroid for 10 days, then slowly increased up to 25 mcg. (did 12.5 mcg. for 5 days, then 15 mcg. for 5 days, then 20 mcg. for 5 days and have been at 25 mcg. for about 10 days now).

In addition to the thyroid, I am taking cortisol for my adrenals and an adrenal support supplement, an iodine supplement for thyroid support, chelated iron for anemia, magnesium supplement to help with that deficiency, DHEA, and Vit. D3. Yes, my major hormones, including insulin, are all out of whack, but all that is being worked on and I'm hoping for the health issues to be resolved, of course! I'm also taking MSM, Vit. C, and silica (BioSil - have only been on it for about 4 or 5 days) to specifically help with my hair (Vit. C supports MSM for the skin, that's why I'm taking that).

I've noticed a lot less shedding when I shampoo and when I comb! I was pulling quite a bit of hair out during my washes, but its really reduced by about 1/2, which I am thrilled about! Also, I got 2 inches cut off a week ago and my highlights retouched at the roots, and my stylist said my hair didn't feel as thinned out as it did on my last visit (which was in April). Also, she and I both observed that the noticably thinned out spot I had above my temple and back of the hairline on my left side is filling in. I still need it to fill in more on both my sides above my ears and below my temples, but I'm really thinking it will continue to improve.

This is me right now -----> :cheese: and also -----> :disco:(you know, I never really noticed before, but that banana has got *the moves*!)

SaraMatty
October 24th, 2008, 07:38 PM
So...anyone have multiple colloid cysts? Like 10-12 of them? I got my report yesterday and my films from the ultrasound today which had a far clearer report attached that I am supposed to take to a surgeon for an evaluation. I'm wondering if anyone else has any experience with these? According to my report, mine are probably causing issues with function (BIG surprise there) but my primary was concerned enough that she wants me to see a surgeon. I'm over the initial freakout about seeing a surgeon and all that and now I'm just wondering whether anyone else has been in the same boat. I'm waiting on the bloodwork that actually would indicate whether or how much my thyroid has been compromised, but won't likely get those results back until my next appt on the seventh. I'm also curious because most of the lit I've found addressing thyroid nodules/cysts has mostly spoken of them in the cingular and not in multiples, or at least, not in this many multiples.
And if anyone was wondering what a very cystic thyroid looks like on ultrasound, in a word: ugly. In my case, lopsided and ugly.

susiemw
November 3rd, 2008, 04:23 PM
I'm back with an update.

Got to see my new doc today. I believe I spent
3 hours and 15 minutes with him.
Can you believe that?

So, not only am I hypothyroid but also have
underactive adrenal glands and low estrogen
and low b12 and vit D and TOO much of the bad thryoid
(reverse t3)... so, he's changing my thyroid
medication and adding a lot of other things to
control the adrenals, the estrogen etc...
so maybe I'm on the right track now.

Of course, he also warned me that I might feel
worse before I feel better (darn).

As long as I get my hair and brain back I'll be
happy. He thinks it's more my low estrogen in
relation to still high testosterone levels that
are the cause of the hair loss more than the low
thyroid though that obviously doesn't help. So, I
sit here wearing my new estrogen patch and have
to get my other new meds.

I hope everyone else is doing well with their thyroid
challenges!

Susan

MermaidGirl
November 5th, 2008, 11:14 PM
... Got to see my new doc today. I believe I spent 3 hours and 15 minutes with him.
Can you believe that?

NO! That's amazing! You *are* in the U.S., right?!


... so, he's changing my thyroid medication and adding a lot of other things to control the adrenals, the estrogen etc...

May I ask what he's giving you for your adrenals? Mine are almost completely blown out and I'd be interested to hear what your treatment is ... Thanks in advance!

Darian Moone
November 5th, 2008, 11:33 PM
If you suspect hypo but your doctor tells you your blood levels are fine, make sure to request copies of all the results and then double check which tests were done and what the results were. That's what happened to me for 12 years till I found a doctor to test antibodies! Also TSH is a pretty useless range and besides that most labs are still using outdated values. Anything over 2.0 should really be considered hypo, but it's still most important to look for antibodies.

Armour is totally natural and bioidentical. So I think it should be much better than any glandular supplement you could buy over the counter because it is also a glandular supplement (dessicated pig thyroid) but is much more tightly regulated, so you know you're getting a consistent dosage with it.

You can also take 1 or 2 tablespoons of coconut oil a day and selenium to support thyroid function. Avoid soy because it is a giotergeneic food. Fermented soy is less bad than other forms (Soy sauce isn't as bad as say, tofu). Also it seems that a ton of people with thyroid issues also have celiac or gluten intolerance so you might want to try going gluten free.I know it made a HUGE HUGE HUGE difference for me!

Airmide, my internist ran a bunch of blood work on me. It says my TSH 3rd Generation is 2.44. Is that normal? He said it was just fine. A month & a half ago I went back to my health & wellness MD and she said that it was a number that would put me in the "low normal" category and that it was not acceptable. She said that she wanted to see my thyroid functioning at a better level. She ordered more detailed blood tests for my thyroid and called to tell me that the results showed that my thyroid was functioning but not at optimal levels and she prescribed the lowest dosage of Armour for me.

I'm really nervous about taking the Armour though. I'm concerned about hair loss as well as the potential of racing heart, etc....all the things you hear of with thyroid meds. I'm also hesitant to get on yet another pill every day. I'm currently taking about 2 tspns of coconut oil a day. I'm guessing a thyroid on the low side will explain why I've been feeling so tired lately, why my hands and feet are so often cold and why I'm always cold when others are perfectly comfortable.

I know you're not a doc and can't give actual medical advice...just wondering what you think of this. I've no idea what is normal results wise for the test I've mentioned having. Thanks. :flower:

susiemw
November 5th, 2008, 11:42 PM
NO! That's amazing! You *are* in the U.S., right?!



May I ask what he's giving you for your adrenals? Mine are almost completely blown out and I'd be interested to hear what your treatment is ... Thanks in advance!

LOL, Yes, I am in the US... I was shocked too!
This doc doesn't take insurance. His fee is by the hour.
However, even though we spent
over 3 hours with me (it didn't seem that long but it was) he still only charged me his two hour evaluation fee. I was grateful.

He seems to know his stuff. Literally the day after I saw him my BP was normal... (the only change at that point was adding the hydrocortisone and the estrogen patch) and it hadn't been truely normal in years. My pulse which is normally above 100 and on meds it was only in the 90s...was 76 the day after seeing him.... now it's 90 but, my pulse hasn't been in the 70's in over 3 years. so my body seems to like these changes.

For the adrenals he has me on 10 mg of hydrocortisone in the am and noon and 5 mg after supper.

This goes along with changing my thyroid to sustained release T3, adding transdermal estrogen and progesterone cream.

The creams and patches are easy but I am struggling with having to take all these pills at various times. I've never been a pill taker.

I hope this helps. Let me know if you have any other questions.

Susan

MermaidGirl
November 6th, 2008, 12:28 AM
Susan, my doctor also does not take insurance (not that Kaiser would pay him even if he did), and office visit rates are *obscene* ($400/visit). That was really incredibly kind of your doc to only charge you for 2 hours - I doubt mine would ever do that (or spend that kind of time with me), because his office charges top dollar for everything and wouldn't ever cut anyone a break like that. He has me on various supplements, many of which I can get from other vendors at much lower prices. As an example, he has me on iodine for my thyroid, and his office charged me $65/bottle and I found the same brand/strength, etc. online for only for $30/bottle! Such an incredible ripoff! They were out of one of my supplements and sent it to my office via DHL Ground - the service only cost them $17 but they charged my credit card $34! I am so disappointed that EVERYTHING has to be a profit center for them.

Anyhow, my doc has me on cortisol for my adrenals, as well as an adrenal repair supplement. I think there was improvement in my blood test results at my last visit, but I don't know if I've backslid or what but I sure haven't been feeling that great lately. Just a word of warning to you about the hydrocortisone - *please* keep your eye on the side effects of it. Several years ago, my endocrinologist (not the same doc I am seeing now) put me on a hydrocortisone for my adrenals. At that time, my weight was normal, my blood pressure, pulse, cholestrol, blood sugar, etc. was all in the good ranges and I did not have Type II diabetes. It did not take too terribly long before I developed Type II diabetes and my weight shot up, which I am still dealing with now. My blood pressure, pulse, cholestrol, blood sugar have all gone up/outside the good ranges and into territory that must be treated now. What I have now is called Syndrome X and is a cascade of symptoms a person can get from having hormonal problems and blood sugar/weight gain issues - Google it. Come to find out that hydrocortisone can cause an otherwise non-diabetic person to DEVELOP diabetes, and subsequent weight problems along with the Syndrome X. Also, hydrocortisone can cause bone brittleness problems, which I also developed (osteopenia, which is preosteoporosis). I'm sure your doctor is giving you the hydrocortisone because he wants it to take up function that your adrenals are not doing, but please be aware that it can cause a lot of long-lasting problems, even from using it a relatively short time.

As for taking pills, I know its hard. I actually got myself off all medications at one point and was not taking *anything.* Well, I suffered because of it. What I did to help me remember my pills is to buy some small 2 in. x 2 in. plastic ziplock bags off eBay, and then use my label maker to label a bunch of them "AM," "Lunch," "Dinner" and "PM." I got larger bags (4 in. x 4 in.) and labeled those with the days of the week. I then put all the pills/supplements I am to take in the morning in the "AM" baggie and so on, and then put a day's worth of pills in their appropriate day of the week baggies. I fill the baggies once a week and basically portion out a whole week's worth of pills at one time. A friend of mine's daughter makes these really nice lined and zippered cloth bags, so I put my week's worth of ziplock-baggied pills in a larger one to protect them from light (light can degrade pills, which is why they are in either dark colored containers or opaque containers) and then use the smaller one to hold my day's worth of pills. I just toss the small bag with my day's worth of pills into my purse and its really easy to carry them with me - I don't have to drag bottles with me and my dosing is all clearly labeled. Then all you have to do is set the alarm on your cell phone or work calendar to go off when you are supposed to take your pills!

ale
November 6th, 2008, 01:45 AM
I have HUGE hypothyroidism (my TSH level was about 400, the "right" value being lower than 5), but luckily I had no symptoms at all! My doctor discovered it by chance.
I hope this will be the solution to your problems!

susiemw
November 6th, 2008, 08:36 AM
Susan, my doctor also does not take insurance (not that Kaiser would pay him even if he did), and office visit rates are *obscene* ($400/visit). That was really incredibly kind of your doc to only charge you for 2 hours]

Yes it was very nice of him and I appreciated it a lot.
His charges aren't as obscene as your doctors. His are
$215 an hour and then a 25% discount for paying at the time of the visit.

[quote] As an example, he has me on iodine for my thyroid, and his office charged me $65/bottle and I found the same brand/strength, etc. online for only for $30/bottle! Such an incredible ripoff!]

Mine does the same... however, he was very upfront with me that I could buy everything he carries cheaper elsewhere and
even told me where to find things cheaper. He obviously didn't like having to sell things at a mark up but I understand he needs to make a living too. The way he runs his practice
isn't a great way to make money. If you're only seeing one patient in an afternoon (like he was the day he saw me)
that is a recipe for financial disaster in the medical community.


[quote]
They were out of one of my supplements and sent it to my office via DHL Ground - the service only cost them $17 but they charged my credit card $34!
[quote]

that is really offensive and taking advantage of the situation.

how come you are buying from them, instead of buying online. You could find the products cheaper and the shipping would be cheaper as well!


[quote] Just a word of warning to you about the hydrocortisone - *please* keep your eye on the side effects of it. [quote]

Thanks, I will.
I work in medicine as well but am not an expert in bioidentical hormones or adrenal fatigue so wanted someone way smarter than me to deal with these issues for me...
and I am aware of the potential for problems with hydrocortisone. I'm already insulin
resistant and have had tachycardia for many years.

I'll be very disappointed if I end up with problems from the treatment because I'm already seeing good results.
After only two hydrocortisone doses my BP was down to 106/76 which is excellent and my heart rate (which even on meds to bring it down was always in the 90s) was 76! Today it was in the mid 80s which is a huge improvement for me.

too bad the cardiologist I saw 3 years ago wouldn't have had a clue....I wouldn't have needed to go through the angiography (which, luckily, was totally normal).

[quote]
As for taking pills, I know its hard. I actually got myself off all medications at one point and was not taking *anything.* Well, I suffered because of it. What I did to help me remember my pills is to buy some small 2 in. x 2 in. plastic ziplock bags off eBay, and then use my label maker to label a bunch of them "AM," "Lunch," "Dinner" and "PM." I got larger bags (4 in. x 4 in.) and labeled those with the days of the week.
<snipped>
Then all you have to do is set the alarm on your cell phone or work calendar to go off when you are supposed to take your pills!

good idea. I did the plastic baggie thing for my supplements when I travel for work, maybe I'll need to do that for at home also.
the cell phone alarm is a great idea.. in fact, I did that yesterday.... it would have worked better if I hadn't set the darn thing to "silent" mode and not forgotten to turn it back to normal!! I may need to buy one of those watches that you can set to beep at you to help keep me on time with the thryoid medication. Having to take that so strictly on time is going to be my biggest challenge... ok, that and not staining everything in my bathroom orange from the iodine! argghhh
LOL.

thanks for the suggestions, i appreciate them. I'll keep my eyes open for problems and get some frequent blood work
to help watch for problems as well.

to give you an idea about the vast differences in prices for "products"... I called the lab here in town that all the docs use to see how much the bloodwork I had to have would cost.
The price was $1500.00.
I then called labcorps, the lab I used in August, and the price for the same labs was $900.00
then I called privateMD labs (found them online)... the price
was $600.00! I stopped looking around at that point.

when i had my labwork done for private MD labs, it was drawn at the same place I went for lab corps AND the lab results came back from labcorps!!

I found a $900 difference in price for the exact same lab tests to be excessive and offensive. Needless to say, I did my labs through privateMD labs and saved the
$900.00. You really have to do your homework when it comes to this stuff.

Susan

susiemw
November 6th, 2008, 08:41 AM
I have HUGE hypothyroidism (my TSH level was about 400, the "right" value being lower than 5), but luckily I had no symptoms at all! My doctor discovered it by chance.
I hope this will be the solution to your problems!

Thanks for the good wishes!

I'm glad your doc found your hypothyroidism. 400 is insane!

Just as an FYI since 2003 the top "normal" range for
TSH is 3.0. A lot of labs still are using the pre-2003 levels as their normal range.
the optimum level is close to 1.0.

I'm sure glad your hypthyroidism didn't give you any problem with your hair. It's gorgeous!

Susan

susiemw
November 6th, 2008, 08:49 AM
Also you may want to see if your meds have a slow release T3. Most thyroid meds (Synthroid, ect) only have T4 which your thyroid then converts to T3 from what I understand, but if you have an underactive thyroid then its best to get some of these already converted.

I'm so sorry for what your dad is going through.
I hope he is doing well. I hope you can find a doc who
is better informed on thyroid issues (unfortunately, most
of them aren't).

I did just get switched this week from armour thyroid to sustained release T3. with armour thyroid, I was having too much of my t4 getting converted to reverse t3 instead of normal t3 and I couldn't take enough of the armour thyroid to deal with my symptoms cause of palpitations. I'm glad those are gone!

I'll cross my fingers for your dad!

Susan

susiemw
November 6th, 2008, 08:54 AM
They only start him on it again when he's been admitted to the emergency room multiple times because his heart is failing AGAIN.
Its ridiculous.:mad:



that really is insane!

If your dad is in california here is a link to docs in california who are good at dealing with thyroid.
Click here: About.com: http://www.thyroid-info.com/topdrs/california.htm (http://thyroid.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ&sdn=thyroid&cdn=health&tm=8&gps=266_474_1066_587&f=22&su=p284.9.336.ip_p726.4.336.ip_&tt=2&bt=1&bts=0&zu=http%3A//www.thyroid-info.com/topdrs/california.htm)

if he's in another state, you can find docs listed by state.

good luck with this!

Susan

MermaidGirl
November 6th, 2008, 08:38 PM
They were out of one of my supplements and sent it to my office via DHL Ground - the service only cost them $17 but they charged my credit card $34!


that is really offensive and taking advantage of the situation.

how come you are buying from them, instead of buying online. You could find the products cheaper and the shipping would be cheaper as well!

The one particular supplement I repurchased directly from the doctor's office is a private label blend, with the doctor's office label on it. I'm sure some vitamin company somewhere makes it in vast quantities and just sticks the doctor's office label on it. It is the adrenal repair formula and cost $76/bottle! I have tried Vitacost.com, Lifeextension.com and others and not found a supplement with the exact ingredients, but I am considering getting a blend that is close enough and then adding in single herb or vitamin supplements to basically replicate the private label blend. I did that with the d-ribose powder he wants me to take - it has d-ribose, malic acid and magnesium in it, so I went to Vitacost, got a d-ribose powder that is the same strength, and added in magnesium powder and malic acid in ratios to basically replicate the private label d-ribose powder my doctor sold me (at $119/bottle!).


I'm already insulin
resistant and have had tachycardia for many years.

I'm insulin resistant and have supra ventricular tachycardia! Jeez, I thought SaraMatty was my endocrinological twin - you might be our missing triplet!


... that and not staining everything in my bathroom orange from the iodine! argghhh
LOL.

So, you are taking a liquid iodine - internally? What brand/type if I may ask?


... to give you an idea about the vast differences in prices for "products"... I called the lab here in town that all the docs use to see how much the bloodwork I had to have would cost.
The price was $1500.00.
I then called labcorps, the lab I used in August, and the price for the same labs was $900.00
then I called privateMD labs (found them online)... the price
was $600.00! I stopped looking around at that point.

when i had my labwork done for private MD labs, it was drawn at the same place I went for lab corps AND the lab results came back from labcorps!!

I found a $900 difference in price for the exact same lab tests to be excessive and offensive. Needless to say, I did my labs through privateMD labs and saved the
$900.00. You really have to do your homework when it comes to this stuff.

This is such VALUABLE information and I appreciate you posting it! I've already spent $1,200 in just two lab visits, and must have another in January with even more test done, so the expense is going to be huge. I will check into privateMD labs and see where they are located (hopefully there is one here in Los Angeles!)

susiemw
November 6th, 2008, 08:57 PM
I'm insulin resistant and have supra ventricular tachycardia! Jeez, I thought SaraMatty was my endocrinological twin - you might be our missing triplet!

I've always wanted to be a twin! or triplet LOL




So, you are taking a liquid iodine - internally? What brand/type if I may ask?

I"m using lugols solution. I add it to my protein mix.

trivia I learned today... not only will you absorb iodine through your skin, but through your nails as well!! I thought I'd have
an orange finger nail til I trimmed but nah, a few hours later, my nails were normal colored again!



This is such VALUABLE information and I appreciate you posting it! I've already spent $1,200 in just two lab visits, and must have another in January with even more test done, so the expense is going to be huge. I will check into privateMD labs and see where they are located (hopefully there is one here in Los Angeles!)

When you go to their website, you can put your zip code in and it will tell you where you can go to have your blood work drawn. I hope they can save you some money!
I don't have insurance so I was thrilled to find them.

Susan

smilinjenn71
May 20th, 2010, 02:46 PM
What happens when your Dr tells you the free T3 and T4 ranges are "good" but you still feel like crap?!?!?!

And I can't find a link for what the 'normal ranges' are for the US!

T3- 126 (nurse said range is 90-178 )
T4 - 8.2 (and range is 6.1-12.2)
**so thus saying, I don't have hypo - but I can't find these particular lab ranges online anywhere....grrrr**

TSH the first time was 3.734 and second time 2.032. From what I've read TSH is useless for thyroid diagnosis BUT....why is it fluctuating so much. Those 2 blood draws were only 1 week apart!!

HELP!!:justy:

BTW- Vit D deficient as well. Prescribed 50,000 i.u. once a week for 12 weeks.

smilinjenn71
May 20th, 2010, 04:39 PM
And they didn't rule out anyone with a family history of hypothyroid! Also TSH will usually not budge out of normal until very far along into being out of balance. And it is simply a snapshot in time, so if you have antibodies, 5 minutes later your TSH could be a 1000% different number!

Re-reading this thread and just saw this! Hmmm, I'm making notes to take to my Dr tomorrow. Thank you for this info! Plus I am telling him family history weather he wants to hear it or not...LOL! My paternal grandmother, her daughter (my Aunt) and my Aunt's daughter (my 1st cousin) all had/have thyroid issues.

Beesweet
May 21st, 2010, 06:38 AM
Congrats!!! It's HARD getting diagnosed hypo. Took me 12 years of telling docs to test me to finally find one to do the whole panel (including antibodies!) and confirm what I already knew - Hashimoto's.

And it was a thread here at LHC which helped me actually get treated correctly! I believe it was Softestacia who first linked www.stopthethyroidmadness.com (http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com) to me. Also go to www.yahoogroups.com (http://www.yahoogroups.com) and search for natural thyroid hormones. I seriously don't know if I woud have survived if not for those two sites!

I don't have the energy to type up my whole hypothyroid primer I usually do hehe. But feel free to email me (anyone seeing this and curious) for info on getting diagnosed and treated.

Whatever you do, do NOT let your doctor put you on any form of Synthroid and assume that will fix anything!! I have personally known several people and heard from dozens more who have had uncontrollable anxiety and suicidal depression immediatly after starting Synthroid.

Also I believe there is a pending class action lawsuit going on because Synthroid is known to cause excessive hair loss (including many women going bald!). My hair was really pretty fine before starting the meds despite being hypo, and as soon as I started Levoxyl my hair started falling out literaly in handfulls! I went from losing 30-50 strands per day to losing so many I couldn't even count them, 300 would be a conservative estimate.

After I switched to Armour my hair loss slowed down but it took months for it to reach even near the same rate as I started.

So good luck on treatment, and make sure you read those websites! Some people say they do fine on Synthroid but speaking from personal experience, I don't think it's worth the risk!

I completely and 100% second this. I think synthetic thyroid replacement is poison. Bone density loss, water weight gain, fibromyalgia, slowly feeling like garbage and then having synthroid docs tell you you need therapy, hair loss, stubborn weight gain, subtle brain/memory changes......

Here is one link (http://www.essortment.com/articles/natural-thyroid-replacement-hormone_103892.htm) that does a decent job of explaining why natural dessicated thyroid is better -- it has ALL the thyroid hormones, including ones that regulate vit D and bone stuff, and an natural diuretic, the one that works on fat metabolism, etc.

Warning -- you tell your run-of-the-mill endocrinologist that you want to start on dessicated thyroid and he/she will try to talk you out of it.

Warning 2 -- Armour thyroid, the original dessicated thyroid has somehow changed its formula and people have stopped responding to it, including myself.
There are other options -- Thyroid S from Canada, and Nature-Throid, which is what I use. There were shortages, but things are better, so don't let a doc talk you out of it because he/she says you won't be able to find it.

Good luck. I'm glad you found out what is going on.

Forever_Sophie
May 21st, 2010, 07:24 AM
It is a huge relief to get a diagnosis, good luck with everything :)

Velvettt
May 21st, 2010, 10:36 AM
Smilinjenn:
TSH and T3/T4:
Thyroid conditions often cause hairloss as well. The best TSH value is between 1 and 2. Values above 3 are still considered normal by many labs (the upper level of normal is 5) however it usually indicates an overactive thyroid and should prompt for future evaluation.

TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone): optimum level: .3 to 3.0 mlU/L
** if you are on thyroid medication already, your optimum level SHOULD be between .5 and 2.0 mlU/L
Total T3: optimum level: 100 to 200 ng/dL
Free T3: optimum level: 2.3 to 4.2
Total T4 (Total Thyroxin): optimum level: 4.5 to 12.5 mcg/dL
Free T4 (Free Thyroxin): optimum level: .7 to 2.0

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

There is a wonderful community called herhairlosshelp.com (http://herhairlosshelp.com/2009/01/blood-tests-to-have-done-first/), which addresses all the medical reasons for losing hair. This list of thyroid test results came from there. There is a lot more info to be had at that site.

smilinjenn71
May 21st, 2010, 03:24 PM
Well, just as expected my Dr said my thyroid is just fine - according to lab results.

He seems to think I could be depressed (don't feel that way emotionally but physical symptoms could fit) and prescribed Wellbutrin. We also did more blood work to check B12 deficiency, CBC and another test for any inflmmatory issues.

vindo
May 21st, 2010, 08:29 PM
I felt sort of happy too when the Doctor diagnosed me. Not knowing why I was loosing hair was horrid but that gave me something to battle.


That is great news!!!!
My mother got twice as thick hair when she started on her meds:)))))

O_O wow, I heard some times meds just keep it stable and that it won't worsen, but that sounds good.

I'm not on thyroid medication but my thyroid gets controlled by my prolactin medication. Since taking that I loose less hair than I have in the past 6+ yrs.!
Meaning I did not even notic it was increased until it went really bad.

GRU
May 21st, 2010, 08:55 PM
Ask your doc to start you on a low dose of Synthroid to see if he can get your TSH to 1.0 (or as close as possible). That really is the "magic number" -- but for some stupid reason, doctors don't want to treat anything under a TSH of 5.

You can get 90 days of Synthroid for ten bucks -- it's not like it's going to break the bank to give it a try!

If your TSH doesn't go down on Synthroid, you may need to add Cytomel or switch to Thyrolar or Armour Thyroid. Some people's bodies don't convert enough of the T4 in Synthroid to the T3 that the body uses, so they need to take a drug that has actual T3 in it.

It's *very* hard to find a doctor who is truly knowledgeable about thyroid issues. If you have symptoms beyond the ones that coincide with depression, that would be even more fuel for the "give it a try" argument. Dry skin, hair loss (I have really thin eyebrows, but I don't pluck them -- they just don't grow bushy since my thyroid started acting up), brittle fingernails, constipation, high cholesterol, muscle weakness, feeling cold, and changes in menstrual cycle can also occur from hypothyroidism, in addition to the "depression-like" symptoms of difficulty concentrating, weight gain, sleepiness, mental slowdown (fuzzy brain), sluggishness, aches-n-pains, etc.

Thyroid hormone is a pretty darn important little molecule. It affects the ENTIRE body -- bones, muscles, reproduction, nerves/brain, digestion/excretion, circulation, etc. Unfortunately, many of the symptoms *do* resemble depression, and the symptoms can be hit-or-miss -- most hypothyroid folks don't have every single symptom, so if they don't have trouble regulating body temperature or going poop, the doc might figure that it's depression b/c they don't have the "physical" symptoms of hypothyroidism. :rolleyes:

It sure won't hurt anything for the doc to give you a low dose of T4 for a trial. If you start sweating and having heart palpitations, you can stop taking the T4. If you start feeling better, you can save yourself the expense of the Wellbutrin and just take the $3/month Levothyroxine instead!

smilinjenn71
May 22nd, 2010, 08:07 AM
GRU - I'm not sure if you were addressing me or someone else.

Anyway, he wouldn't prescribe thyroid meds because he said that when a patient is treated that doesn't really *need* the meds, it can cause all of the symptoms you mentioned plus Osteoporosis. He is checking my B12 levels and honestly, I'm wondering if that might be some of my issue. It will be interesting to see what the blood work says this coming week. However, I'm not waiting - off to pick up some Vit B12 this morning. Oh and I'm not filling the Wellbutrin yet based on some of the side effects. I'm not really a fan of Insomnia! LOL

pinkrice
May 22nd, 2010, 11:51 AM
My mother has thyroid troubles too, but she is in excellent shape now. Best of luck with treatment!

HotRag
May 22nd, 2010, 02:03 PM
I think doctors prescribe antidepressants too easily.

I have eaten wellbutrin (or the brand that we have in my country, "Voxra" and I was better at first, but then I got really tired, started to loose hair and got really itchy and messed up scalp.

I was prescribed SSRI really easy, and no one ever think about that, just kept on giving me prescriptions for eight years. I have stopped that now, but it was NOT easy.

I would say try therapy or other stuff before starting with anti depressants. IF it is depression.

I tried thyroid medication even though my blood work was "normal" (in range, but just under hypo end). The result was that all of my symptomes lightened up. I stopped sleeping during day (slept 6 hours per day), I suddenly got much better at my physical training and a lot more.

I would not have gotten this result if I had not been needing that med. I would have gotten hyper symptomes.

In my case, I am starting to think the SSRI med made me hypo. It has been reported to cause "low thyroid hormone levels" which is T4 and T3 that many doctors wont measure. Some months after I had stopped the SSRI, I could lower the thyorid med (I even started to feel some hyper) and now I am off it and still hasn't gone back to the normal tiredness.

I know it wasn't placebo or something, it affected temperature, puls, blood pressure. AND, I did not really believe in it when I started which is essential for placebo effect. I just thought "I must try to know if this will work or not, but I don't think, nothing else has).

Mayanquice
May 22nd, 2010, 04:30 PM
I really need to check mine. I have been feeling symptoms for years & having hair loss around my hairline & right side-in the front. Reading through this I really need to get it checked.

GRU
May 22nd, 2010, 07:47 PM
Anyway, he wouldn't prescribe thyroid meds because he said that when a patient is treated that doesn't really *need* the meds, it can cause all of the symptoms you mentioned plus Osteoporosis.

If the B12 doesn't solve your problems, a month's trial of a beginner dose of thyroid hormone isn't going to kill you or make all your bones break. It's disgustingly easy to check your TSH after a month's trial and go from there. If you're closer to 1.0 but not quite there, the dosage can be upped a skosh. If you're lower than 1.0 and having the opposite of the symptoms I mentioned (the ones I mentioned are for hypo, not hyper), then the dosage can be lowered or eliminated; no harm, no foul.

The biggest problem that I see with thyroid tests is that doctors actually believe that the "normal" range really is as high as 4.0, when more than 95% of people with a properly working thyroid have a TSH between 0.8-1.2. Even endocrinologists, who are supposed to know all about these things, are sometimes too dependent upon what the lab says and not what their patient says.

Fortunately for me, the doctor that I have now works with me as a partner in my healthcare, instead of a dictator. He's much more interested in what my symptoms are like in conjunction with my TSH and T3 levels. If I'm asymptomatic with a TSH of 2.0, he wouldn't try to lower my TSH. Conversely, if I'm symptomatic with a TSH of 1.5, he would try to lower my TSH.

Just something to keep in mind, if the B12 isn't the root of the issue. Also, what did your CBC come back with? If the B12 is the problem, your CBC should have indicated anemia. And why didn't they do a CBC at the same time as they did your thyroid levels? That doesn't make any sense to me -- why poke you more than once?

Oh, and you don't need prescription Vitamin D -- the over-the-counter stuff is WAY cheaper and much more effective. (Ask your pharmacist -- the only reason that there is a prescription version of Vit D is because the drug company got a patent for it!)

smilinjenn71
May 22nd, 2010, 08:01 PM
If the B12 doesn't solve your problems, a month's trial of a beginner dose of thyroid hormone isn't going to kill you or make all your bones break. It's disgustingly easy to check your TSH after a month's trial and go from there. If you're closer to 1.0 but not quite there, the dosage can be upped a skosh. If you're lower than 1.0 and having the opposite of the symptoms I mentioned (the ones I mentioned are for hypo, not hyper), then the dosage can be lowered or eliminated; no harm, no foul.

I think I would have to seek out different Dr's to get the Rx. My Dr said if the B12 comes back normal and the Wellbutrin doesn't make me feel better he wants to measure me for sleep apnea. Mainly b/c it takes a lot of work to get into the sleep clinic to get the CPAP machine. After reading the side effects I'm not too excited about Wellbutrin!!

The biggest problem that I see with thyroid tests is that doctors actually believe that the "normal" range really is as high as 4.0, when more than 95&#37; of people with a properly working thyroid have a TSH between 0.8-1.2. Even endocrinologists, who are supposed to know all about these things, are sometimes too dependent upon what the lab says and not what their patient says.

My first TSH was 3.734 and second was 2.032 but in conjunction with those numbers my T4 and free T3 were also normal, which is why my Dr said it's functioning normally.

Fortunately for me, the doctor that I have now works with me as a partner in my healthcare, instead of a dictator. He's much more interested in what my symptoms are like in conjunction with my TSH and T3 levels. If I'm asymptomatic with a TSH of 2.0, he wouldn't try to lower my TSH. Conversely, if I'm symptomatic with a TSH of 1.5, he would try to lower my TSH.

You aren't the only one I've read online to say this and you are lucky to have found a Dr that will work with you. Don't get me wrong, I love my Dr - but perhaps an Endocrinologist would be better me.

Just something to keep in mind, if the B12 isn't the root of the issue. Also, what did your CBC come back with? If the B12 is the problem, your CBC should have indicated anemia. And why didn't they do a CBC at the same time as they did your thyroid levels? That doesn't make any sense to me -- why poke you more than once?

My OB/GYN is the first Dr to do blood work, so I asked our Primary why all of this wasn't checked at the same time. He said that more test, of course, cost more so most Dr's wait to see if more testing is warranted. I told my Primary to please check whatever he thinks we need b/c I'm tire of being a pin cushion!

Oh, and you don't need prescription Vitamin D -- the over-the-counter stuff is WAY cheaper and much more effective. (Ask your pharmacist -- the only reason that there is a prescription version of Vit D is because the drug company got a patent for it!)

I'm not really sure why but my Rx for Vit D (50,000 i.u. once a week - so 4 pills) was less than $6. After reading more about B12 today I don't think I picked up the best choice when I went out today.....oh well. It will be interesting to see what those blood tests say!

Thank you so much for responding....I really appreciate it!

Tressie
May 22nd, 2010, 08:11 PM
I hope everything gets regulated properly soon, and your hair starts coming back to full glory!! (o: Take Care!

GRU
May 22nd, 2010, 10:06 PM
Thank you so much for responding....I really appreciate it!

Anytime! I learned a long time ago that (in spite of the fact that so many of them think that they walk on water) doctors are human, and they are not omniscient (no matter how much they want to believe that they are!).

I once diagnosed myself by poring through medical textbooks while sitting on the floor of my library's basement. It only took me a few hours to find my exact diagnosis... but the "specialist" that I had seen for the better part of a year had been totally stumped (in spite of the fact that he did a gazillion different tests on me). When he couldn't come up with a diagnosis, he did that old standby: "You need to see a shrink and get on tranquilizers because there is nothing wrong with you and it's all in your head." (ETA: this wasn't for my thyroid issue, it was something unrelated)

Now that we have the internet readily available (with many reputable websites, like the Mayo Clinic and the CDC, etc.), it's easier than ever to do your own research. No matter how nice your doctor is, the fact of the matter is that *his* life is unchanged by whether or not you receive a proper diagnosis and treatment. Nobody on this earth cares as much about your health as YOU do, so nobody else is going to devote all that much time/energy into finding the "right" answers.

And I simply cannot believe that ANY doctor would order a thyroid panel and not also do a CBC at the same time. (I'm not doubting that your doc did this, I'm just dumbfounded that it happened!) Unless you've had a CBC done within the past year, it's pretty much Standard Operating Procedure to pull a CBC any time there's any question about anything systemic -- like thyroid. Obviously if your reason for seeing the doctor is because you sprained your ankle, a CBC wouldn't be called for... but since the doctor was questioning your thyroid, that should have meant an automatic check-mark in the CBC box on the lab order form.

(Also, keep an eye on your cholesterol/triglyceride levels... low thyroid can cause high cholesterol.)

Good luck!!!!

GlennaGirl
May 22nd, 2010, 10:51 PM
I also developed hypothryoid after having my third son.

Me too...or I should say I had symptoms for many years but didn't know until a year after having my own third son.

I didn't connect thinning hair to being hypoT as A) I was sure it couldn't be hypoT -- I had been checked years prior and was deemed within normal ranges and B) I was expecting thinning a few months after my son's birth anyway since that was how it was with the other two.

It took me a while to get my meds dosage right, at least according to tests. Also, I cut in layers a year ago so I don't know whether my hair is thickening yet. OP, I will try to remember to refer to this thread and look you up if I should see a change in thickness. I do know thinning hair is absolutely a sign of hypoT (not every person who's hypoT has it, but a significant percentage). Hugs to you and I know the feeling of being glad to "finally know" what "it" is!

HotRag
May 23rd, 2010, 04:06 AM
The biggest problem that I see with thyroid tests is that doctors actually believe that the "normal" range really is as high as 4.0, when more than 95&#37; of people with a properly working thyroid have a TSH between 0.8-1.2. Even endocrinologists, who are supposed to know all about these things, are sometimes too dependent upon what the lab says and not what their patient says.
Yes, that's sad. It says in the education materials for doctors, that lab's ref are somthing different than health or "no disease". In their education material it says clearly just as you wrote above. Very strange they forget or don't care about this.

The lab's references are NOT what is healthy. Those refs are just what all tests show (a normal range with ends cut off, made not for a disease, but statistically).

A disease wich is common, would give "normal refs" that are sign of disease.

And the thing about bone density, I have read doctors that meant that this is happening when the Synthroid is not working and the person needs T3 (or NDT). It should be due to hypo, not the med. I am not saying this MUST be the truth, but I have read about it and think it could be worth looking into more if someone is curious of need to know more.

GRU
May 23rd, 2010, 09:28 AM
Untreated (or inadequately treated) hyperthyroidism is what causes thyroid-related bone density issues.

If someone's thyroid levels are too high (called thyrotoxicity, when thyroid levels are so high as to become toxic in the body), either through an overactive thyroid gland or through over-supplementation with thyroid hormone, the bones will undergo bone resorption (which happens in everyone on a daily basis) at a much faster rate than normal, but the body's normal bone-rebuilding efforts are not increased to keep up with the loss of density.

smilinjenn71
May 23rd, 2010, 09:52 AM
Anytime! I learned a long time ago that (in spite of the fact that so many of them think that they walk on water) doctors are human, and they are not omniscient (no matter how much they want to believe that they are!).

I once diagnosed myself by poring through medical textbooks while sitting on the floor of my library's basement. It only took me a few hours to find my exact diagnosis... but the "specialist" that I had seen for the better part of a year had been totally stumped (in spite of the fact that he did a gazillion different tests on me). When he couldn't come up with a diagnosis, he did that old standby: "You need to see a shrink and get on tranquilizers because there is nothing wrong with you and it's all in your head." (ETA: this wasn't for my thyroid issue, it was something unrelated)

Now that we have the internet readily available (with many reputable websites, like the Mayo Clinic and the CDC, etc.), it's easier than ever to do your own research. No matter how nice your doctor is, the fact of the matter is that *his* life is unchanged by whether or not you receive a proper diagnosis and treatment. Nobody on this earth cares as much about your health as YOU do, so nobody else is going to devote all that much time/energy into finding the "right" answers.

And I simply cannot believe that ANY doctor would order a thyroid panel and not also do a CBC at the same time. (I'm not doubting that your doc did this, I'm just dumbfounded that it happened!) Unless you've had a CBC done within the past year, it's pretty much Standard Operating Procedure to pull a CBC any time there's any question about anything systemic -- like thyroid. Obviously if your reason for seeing the doctor is because you sprained your ankle, a CBC wouldn't be called for... but since the doctor was questioning your thyroid, that should have meant an automatic check-mark in the CBC box on the lab order form.

(Also, keep an eye on your cholesterol/triglyceride levels... low thyroid can cause high cholesterol.)

Good luck!!!!
I agree!

In the past, when drawing for TSH, I don't think *any* of my Dr's did a CBC. Perhaps that should have been done when I had my T3/T4 done though. As I said, I wasn't impressed with my GYN.

And yes, I knew about the cholesterol and mentioned it to my Primary. He asked if it's ever been high before, even at a heavier weight and I told him no. He kinda raised his eyebrows on that one. I guess we'll see how things go...........

I might be one of those "difficult to diagnose" people....ugh!