blood test results

[Tricia B]

I posted this last week, but now I have my test results fron May.  Just a little background:  I am 52 year old female - hysterectomy in 1990.  Put on Armour 1 grain am and 1 grain pm.  Took that for 10 years.  Then went to endo and he changed to Synthroid - now on 125 1xday.  Now, weight gain,(even when dieting), memory problems, am BONE-TIRED at times (could sleep for 3 days straight), left temporal headaches (all the time pretty much), dry skin, weak think nails, arthritis in neck, cheeks get red and hot periodically, sore throat (since I was 18 even after tonsils taken out), when in 20's had a grapefruit sized cyst on ovary but dissolved w/meds, very horrible periods w/large clots prior to hysterectomy, very dry eyes (have to wear an eye shield at night), can't sleep, no sexual drive at all, --well the list seems to go on and on.  My endo says that I am just getting old and fat and just need to eat less and move around more.  I almost cried when he said that!  ANYWAY, my labs in May were:  FREE T4 = 1.13; TSH = 2.27; TOTAL T3 = 137; FSH = 26.0.    Should I find another endo that will change my thyroid med to Armour like before when I was feeling human?  Or, am I just getting old and fat and tired.  Oh, they did test my cortisol level and said it was ok -- did the 24-hour test.  My GP did ordered the 24 hour urine test for cortisol, but I never did it because I was so disgusted with the endo after I saw him.  Should I go ahead and try that?

[Mark Lupo, M.D.]

Regarding the cortisol - you mentioned the 24-hour test was ok -- I presume that was urine -- if not, either do the urine test or simply a midnight salivary test to screen for the unlikely overproduction of cortisol.

For the thyroid - the TSH is a little higher than goal -- Armour is reasonable, but synthroid is more main-stream - there is no medical literature that addresses this issue very well, only trials that have not been able to show a definite benefit in T4/T3 - this is why most docs don't rx it.  The armour dose you were on sounds ok and if there is no cardiac over-stimulation and the TSH is not too low (ie <0.3 ish) may be worth a try.

There seems to be many patients with these symptoms around menopause (looks like you're perimenopausal) and there is inconsistent response to hormone rx (including "natural/bio-identical) -- so it may be in part thyroid but in part other issues relating to age/menopause and that metabolism slows significantly at this time.

[ancientmariner]

You are showing classic hypothyroid symptoms. How did you feel on the Armour? I went the other way from you - I was on Synthroid for 3 years and switched to Armour - and feel 100% better.....maybe you should ask to go back on Armour? And by the way, 2 grains of Armour is really not the average dose; that's between 3 and 5 grains to be treated optimally; BUT, how you feel is the most important thing, so if you feel good on 2 grains, that may be optimal for you. If you really want to pursue adrenal testing, the saliva test is the best, because it takes separate samples at 4 times during the day, not all mixed together like the 24-hour urine.....

As for the endo's callous and insensitive remark, it is not at all uncommon. Thousands of us have heard pretty much the same thing from our endos and/or PCPs. In fact, Mary Shomon just did an article on that very thing, if you want to read more tactless comments from other doctors like yours. Just go to http://thyroid.about.com/b/a/216038.htm#more

And by the way, a doctor that unfeeling should be fired, in my opinion. If he doesn't care how you feel, he won't help you feel WELL!

  

[Tricia B]

What are the signs of adrenal problems?  Do you think that I should have those done as well?

[ancientmariner]

I am not a doctor, so I really can't give you advice - I can only tell you my experiences. There is a really good website, www.drrind.com, that tells whether different symptoms are thyroid or adrenal or both. That might help you decide whether to ask for adrenal testing.

[Tricia B]

thanks so very much -- checking it out now.

[Tricia B]

Dr. Mark, I would appreciate your impression of the lab results from May.  I know I am due another round, but I think I am going to look for a new endo for that.  Do you think my labs look questionable?  I definitely know I feel questionable! Thank you for your time and expertise.

[PNWBabe]

I'd fire that SOB doctor. How dare someone treat you like that and get away with it. I would write a letter to the state medical board, complain and then find yourself someone who truly cares about their patients.

[Tricia B]

Thank you, PNW.  It has been so long since I have felt good that I am beginning to think that I AM just getting old and fat and tired.  But, I am a Cajun, and we can be pretty feisty once we have had enough, and I just might do what you suggested.  Surely there is an endo somewhere that cares about the patients feelings... right?  I am waiting to hear from Dr. Mark on this.  I really am wanting his input on this whole situation.  HOpefully he will post today sometimes.  Thanks so much for your making me feel a little better!

[PNWBabe]

There is an excellent online support group on yahoo. Search yahoo groups for natural thyroid hormones, it's the first group. Please come and join, there are many women just like us who will not tolerate that kind of treatment from a doctor. Hope to see you there. :)

[Tricia B]

I am awaiting my membership authorization in the yahoo forum.  Hopefully it will come soon and I can speak to others like me who are frustrated and just want to feel like a normal person again.  Thanks again for your help.

[fullmergavin]

I'm not a physician, and am a patient that believes the quality of care has slipped down to embarrassing levels these days. Physicians know little about anything it seems like on the surface these days, other than the cardio specialists, neurosurgeons, etc.

However, one thing that all of you with thyroid problems need to realize is that in the vast majority of these cases, the problem boils down to one of two possibilities-chemical toxicity, or the result of one's own mind.

Remember, the TSH is under the control of the pituatory gland, which in turn is controlled by your Hypothalmus (Part of your brain, essentially).

Negative thoughts/high stress ='s burned out adrenals and thyroid trouble. Docs can't do much for the patient in such circumstances.

The other possibilities are dental hygiene, and chemical toxicity. Remember, your thyroid is one of your first lines of defense against heavy metals. It sucks up what it can. Just for example's sake, the US Dept of Homeland Security recommends that everyone have a bottle of potassium iodide on hand in the event of a nuclear disaster, and/or metal poisoining. Potassium iodide, of course, is a form of iodine (Thyroid health central).

Poor dental hygiene is another. You swallow 1.5 liters of saliva per day. How's that gumline looking? If it's in bad shape, the thyroid gland will take the brundt of the hit.

Just stuff to keep in mind, folks. None of this is fun, certainly not. But doctors can't do everything and anything, either. Sometimes you still have to rely on Faith.

[Tricia B]

Thanks for your input -- my teeth and gums are in very good shape.  I brush regularly and floss as well daily. Well it looks as though you are thinking it may be poor dental hygine (sp) and the doc thinks that I am just getting old and fat.  Dr. Marc seems to possibly agree with that as well.  

I can show you pictures of me from 2000 when I was very thin --- and each year how I have gradually put on weight --- have gotten to where I am so bone tired and just not myself!  I just can't believe that every woman in her 50's puts on this weight and can hardly function because they are so tired.  I see other women out there that aren't going through this situation.  No one in my family has a weight problem --- NO ONE.  I find it hard to believe that I am just getting old and fat and that it is just the way things go for older women.  I know my own body, and it hasn't been "my body" in quite some time.

Quite frankly, I find it offensive to say that my oral hygine is possibly the problem! in addition to I am just getting older and fat.

[ancientmariner]

Can you back up your theory with real studies? I don't think so. In my opinion, your statement is pure BS, and I can't imagine what your reason is for making such a ridiculous statement. Heavy metals are only one cause of hypothyroidism. The most common cause in the US is Hashimoto's Disease, which is frequently triggered by pregnancy. Hashimoto's is an autoimmune disorder in which antibodies attack the thyroid gland. Lack of iodine can also cause hypothyroidism, but that doesn't happen in the US because iodine is added to so many foods. Patients with Hashi's do best to avoid iodine.

And to say that the only other cause of hypothyroidism is "all in your mind" shows that you are totally ignorant and are trying to belittle sufferers in the same manner that most doctors do.

By the way, my hypothyroidism was caused by a doctor who decided that my thyroid had to be killed with a radioactive iodine isotope.

[Tricia B]

Amen.  TY

[PNWBabe]

I just saw my dentist yesterday and got a clean bill of health. I see my dentist every 6 months and take care of any problem right away. I brush twice daily, floss and use gum stimulators. I don't happen to believe that your teeth have that kind of influence over your thyroid gland.

[fullmergavin]

By no means was it my intention to sound disrespectful. On the same hand, I've personally been through a pretty big deal in my lifetime. Was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes as an infant. Today, I remain free of any complications from the disease, even though I too have had some problems with my thyroid gland in the past (Hypothyroidism). I still do at times, as a matter of fact, and none of it's too fun.

But on the same hand, here I sit 27 years later with kidneys that are basically in as good of shape as anybody else's. No heart disease, or an EKG that is normal at least. Albumin, Hemoglobin, MRA, EEG, CBC, all normal. My A1C is a little higher than other's, but not by a whole lot, actually.

When I was diagnosed with this at the age of 15 months, my family was told that I was in critical condition and would not live through the night. Was given a 10% chance of survival. Beyond having extremely high blood sugars, I had Candidiasis growing out of my ears, nose, and throat, and had fallen into states of both Keto and Lactic Acidosis.

That was in 1977. Today, it's all different. Back than, it took a miracle to come through something like that, and that's exactly what happened.

My pediatiatrician and several nurses said that the entire episode was a miracle. Years later, one of the retired nurses told us that a young pharmacist had mistakingly sent up the wrong medication, one that was administered before anyone knew what had happened. Believe it or not, it was that medication that saved my life. The doc himself had ordered one that never would've worked, according to the nurse, anyway.

That night, my family called our congregation for a prayer chain-400 + prayed for me that night. In addition to that, my grandmother, a devout Christian, would not leave my bedside with her Bible, as she prayed for my survival all night long.

Two years ago, I fell into the first diabetic reaction of my life while driving. It happened during rush hour in the morning. I remember being down the street from my house, but after that, I still can't recall one single event from that morning.

About an hour after leaving, I woke up in the back of a squad car about 5-7 miles away, I suppose. Right in the middle of the city. I lost my license for a couple of days so that my doc could write the state and tell them that it had been a freak occurence, and that was all there was to it. I hadn't hit anybody, I hadn't caused any other accidents, didn't crash into a home, nothing. My doc was kind enough to order an MRA and EEG thereafter to access for any possible brain damage that had occured-tests came back perfect.

It was the worst diabetic reaction that I had ever experienced in my life. Never before had I actually lost consciousness like that, other than when I was first diagnosed. Perhaps I didn't lose consciousness, because somehow, someway I ended up across town in the car, I guess. But the greater point is quite clear. Could you drive a car safely while you were in deep sleep at night? Without hitting any cars or pedestrians, etc? No. Neither could I.

I'm not a doctor, so I don't know what they believe or disbelieve. I don't know what they think about any of this. It might be that they know more than they're leading on. But not in the "Evil way" that you would suspect. And if they don't see what all of this is about by this point, than they truly are as nieve about all of this as the rest of the population.

For those of you that love God, I would ask you when was the last time you talked to Him about what's going on with some of this, you know? When's the last time you remembered that He loves you, and that your heart should be with Him.

The moment that you ask Christ to come inside of you, your real journey begins, that which goes far beyond what you would ever imagine at this point, trust me. But a single prayer won't do it. It's possible, sure. He has the power to do that, but it's certainly not my place to speak for Him. Anyway, that's usually not the way things work, at least not in my case. It takes some real committment along the way, or so it is the case for me.

I know you feel sick, I know that you don't feel well, and I know that it's not always fair to have something affect you when others go free from the torment. But on the same hand, who's not to say that you're experience may just afford you the oppurtunity to come out ahead of others someday when it really counts.

Those that finish last on earth might just step to the front of the line someday when it really counts. Never forget that.

[ancientmariner]

I speak with God daily, and I fully believe that He helps those who help themselves. I believe that my thyroid failed for a reason, and that is why I have researched and read and learned, so that I may help others.

[fullmergavin]

Good for you, ancient. I'm proud of you. Keep it up, and you never know how all of this might turn out for you. Take care, my friend~.

[Tricia B]

I am a Christian as well and do pray may times daily.  Have had many obsticals in my life just as  all of us having reached the age of at least 50 have.  God sends everyone things to make them into the person that He wants them to be.  But, you, Fullergavin, have to remember that God has put us through these things to be strong.  Therefore, when we question and research --- I believe that is what we are meant to do.  God lets us all know that we don't know everything -- we should all question things and when we FEEL that something isn't right in our body, maybe it is HIM that is sending those feelings to us for us to find an answer! If we don't look until we are satisfied we haven't really heard what HE is saying to us.  So, I believe this site is here for us all and was sent to us all by God in order for us to get the help that we need.  

There is not an easy answer like "Pray and it will all be healed" because at times God wants to work in other ways.  Just keep your faith and also use all resources that He has sent to us all.

Happy Thanksgiving to EVERYONE -- and thanks for being here to help!!