Aa
need an endo--don't trust 'em
My GI wants me to see an endocrinologist--but I have to admit that I just don't trust them. I hear that my most recent doc, who had a stroke, may be getting back to working with patients. I am really in need of having blood work done again.
I am finding that I am really having trouble dealing with stress and feel like maybe I am one of the few people who might need a dose of HC higher than 30 mgs, or else i need to up-dose for things such as travel and stressful events----like family gatherings at our house when everyone gets loud and horsing around.
I made two 6 hour round trips in the car in 6 days. I tried to stress dose for both of them. By the time we got home early afternoon from the second trip, I rested for a couple of hours, and then had to go to the store, which exhausted me---I literally felt sick that evening and went to bed way earlier than normal.
Today I rested in the morning, but then took a trip to the store with my sister, then went to an estate sale with my son, then had to drive him around town. Tonight I feel crappy and kind of light headed. I have been headachy for most of the week.
Still having a hard time managing this and figuring out how much and when to take my HC. Ran across some info telling me I needed to take HC 2 hours apart from thyroid--anyone else heard this?
Just to add a little stress to my life, but also, hopefully an answer for the way my hubby has been. His testosterone 4 months after losing a testicle is definitely low---he will be taking testosterone shots weekly. He also needed his thyroid tested. I insisted on antibody testing---results look pretty damning for hashimnotos's.
Thyroglobulin antibodies were 30.8---range is 0-14.4
Thyroid peroxidase antibodies were 41.1----range is 0-3.9
TSH was 14.12----range.45-4.67----don't know when all the labs will get around to using the new ranges
FT4 was .26----range .71 to 1.85
FT3 was 2.5----range is 2.4 to 4.2
He only has 1/2 of a thyroid--other half was removed 18 years ago because of a very large, single nodule that they could not rule out cancer on. He tried to go off thyroid meds once, but his face started swelling up.
Could there be a connection between what looks like hashimoto's and his testosterone being low. Should he have other testing? He is taking 2 grains of NP thyroid.
Is hashimoto's treated in any other way besides giving replacement thyroid to normalize the TSH as much as possible? I told him I thought he needed to see an endocrinologist and have a complete work-up, to which he immediately said he did not need to do--he said he didn't need to go looking for trouble. I don't think he realizes that he is already headed for trouble if he doesn't get his thyroid treated properly.
By the way, it was our orthoped who ordered the thyroid tests for my hubby, but I told them what I wanted tested.
I am finding that I am really having trouble dealing with stress and feel like maybe I am one of the few people who might need a dose of HC higher than 30 mgs, or else i need to up-dose for things such as travel and stressful events----like family gatherings at our house when everyone gets loud and horsing around.
I made two 6 hour round trips in the car in 6 days. I tried to stress dose for both of them. By the time we got home early afternoon from the second trip, I rested for a couple of hours, and then had to go to the store, which exhausted me---I literally felt sick that evening and went to bed way earlier than normal.
Today I rested in the morning, but then took a trip to the store with my sister, then went to an estate sale with my son, then had to drive him around town. Tonight I feel crappy and kind of light headed. I have been headachy for most of the week.
Still having a hard time managing this and figuring out how much and when to take my HC. Ran across some info telling me I needed to take HC 2 hours apart from thyroid--anyone else heard this?
Just to add a little stress to my life, but also, hopefully an answer for the way my hubby has been. His testosterone 4 months after losing a testicle is definitely low---he will be taking testosterone shots weekly. He also needed his thyroid tested. I insisted on antibody testing---results look pretty damning for hashimnotos's.
Thyroglobulin antibodies were 30.8---range is 0-14.4
Thyroid peroxidase antibodies were 41.1----range is 0-3.9
TSH was 14.12----range.45-4.67----don't know when all the labs will get around to using the new ranges
FT4 was .26----range .71 to 1.85
FT3 was 2.5----range is 2.4 to 4.2
He only has 1/2 of a thyroid--other half was removed 18 years ago because of a very large, single nodule that they could not rule out cancer on. He tried to go off thyroid meds once, but his face started swelling up.
Could there be a connection between what looks like hashimoto's and his testosterone being low. Should he have other testing? He is taking 2 grains of NP thyroid.
Is hashimoto's treated in any other way besides giving replacement thyroid to normalize the TSH as much as possible? I told him I thought he needed to see an endocrinologist and have a complete work-up, to which he immediately said he did not need to do--he said he didn't need to go looking for trouble. I don't think he realizes that he is already headed for trouble if he doesn't get his thyroid treated properly.
By the way, it was our orthoped who ordered the thyroid tests for my hubby, but I told them what I wanted tested.
NP Thyroid has T4, T3, T2, T1, and calcitonin---it has exactly the same things your own thyroid would make---and I think in the same amounts.
Gibbon, I've heard that taking testosterone can temporarily make your cortisol levels drop---don't know if that is something he needs to worry about. I think the plan right now is to test my husbands testosterone in about 3 months. I don't know what the urologist will want to do after that.
I will definitely talk to the endocrinologist about both issues. My testosterone was low because of my pituitary problem.
I have had bad luck with two different endocrinologists---I'm really hoping the new guy we will see will be ok---he comes with two recommendations---one from our orthodontist, who has been to him and liked him--he said he felt like he thought outside of the box. The other one comes from our neighbor who has a son with addison's disease---and her son really likes him.
My husband's thyroid used to get checked once a year. After he tried to go off a couple of years ago and his face started to swell, I wondered if his thyroid had quit working. He had been told that his 1/2 thyroid would work if he went off suppression therapy---I don't think he has been on suppression therapy for a number of years--I think they were treating him for hypothyroidism, which he did not have, originally.
I requested the antibody tests.
Rumpled---that is REALLY unfair---but I always tell my kids that there is no such thing as fair!!LOL!!
I didn't know there was a hashimoto gene--but I know it is connected to celiac disease---and we have one of the main genes for celiac disease----3 of my children have celiac disease. I am afraid if my hubby's hashimoto's is not gotten under control that he will get a full blown autoimmune attack and that it will set off celiac disease in him, also.
I will definitely talk to the endocrinologist about both issues. My testosterone was low because of my pituitary problem.
I have had bad luck with two different endocrinologists---I'm really hoping the new guy we will see will be ok---he comes with two recommendations---one from our orthodontist, who has been to him and liked him--he said he felt like he thought outside of the box. The other one comes from our neighbor who has a son with addison's disease---and her son really likes him.
My husband's thyroid used to get checked once a year. After he tried to go off a couple of years ago and his face started to swell, I wondered if his thyroid had quit working. He had been told that his 1/2 thyroid would work if he went off suppression therapy---I don't think he has been on suppression therapy for a number of years--I think they were treating him for hypothyroidism, which he did not have, originally.
I requested the antibody tests.
Rumpled---that is REALLY unfair---but I always tell my kids that there is no such thing as fair!!LOL!!
I didn't know there was a hashimoto gene--but I know it is connected to celiac disease---and we have one of the main genes for celiac disease----3 of my children have celiac disease. I am afraid if my hubby's hashimoto's is not gotten under control that he will get a full blown autoimmune attack and that it will set off celiac disease in him, also.
>I guess the only thing he can do at this point is raise his thyroid medication?
I have a small comment, is I think maybe.
On one hand testosterone also effects a lot of not particularly manly things, including just plain metabolism in men. Other hand, thyroid also effects metabolism. I have no idea how one would effect the other.
I would try to press any endocrinologist to consider the two together when sorting out the right dosage of each med. He should have his thyroid and testosterone both checked every six months, and not just 'forget' about one or the other.
I have a small comment, is I think maybe.
On one hand testosterone also effects a lot of not particularly manly things, including just plain metabolism in men. Other hand, thyroid also effects metabolism. I have no idea how one would effect the other.
I would try to press any endocrinologist to consider the two together when sorting out the right dosage of each med. He should have his thyroid and testosterone both checked every six months, and not just 'forget' about one or the other.
I guess I just swallow my thyroid... It could be that he needs some T4 to balance the T3. All I know about armour is the ratio or T3 is generally high and besides, T3 has a short half life, so you need a bit of T4 to balance it out to my thinking. I take both even though my conversion of T4 to T3 bites, I just take a lot of T4 and T3 too...
I oddly don't have the hashimoto's gene - but had the active disease, as well as pretty much every form of hypothyroidism in the book. My brother has the gene, and his thyroid is fine. How unfair is that!!!
I oddly don't have the hashimoto's gene - but had the active disease, as well as pretty much every form of hypothyroidism in the book. My brother has the gene, and his thyroid is fine. How unfair is that!!!
My doctor is back to working, but is a little slow getting caught up---he is, however, sending my lab form out!!!
NP Thyroid is almost exactly the same thing that armour thyroid used to be before they di the two different formula changes on it. It is slightly sweet and can be taken sublingualy---instead of having to chew the naasty chalky tasting stuff.
It has pretty much of the same ratio of T4, T3, T2, T1, and calcitonin that armour does. so you get a quick burst from the T3 and you get storage from the T4 and you get what ever T2, T1 and calcitonin give you.
I have read, and the endo's nurse confirmed, that there is a connection between Hahimoto's and celiac disease. My husband carried one of themain genes for celiac disease. The said he has a double whammy.
It has pretty much of the same ratio of T4, T3, T2, T1, and calcitonin that armour does. so you get a quick burst from the T3 and you get storage from the T4 and you get what ever T2, T1 and calcitonin give you.
I have read, and the endo's nurse confirmed, that there is a connection between Hahimoto's and celiac disease. My husband carried one of themain genes for celiac disease. The said he has a double whammy.
I am simply not familiar at all with the NP thyroid... I think that is T3 based and it has a short half life and no storage - in which case it may not be the best choice. He may need a combo of T4 and T3.
I lost half my thyroid at 20 and did not take any meds - my other half worked for a while (I had hashi's at the time yet the idiot docs did not manage to tell me despite me telling them it ran in the family, that info would have been helpful) but zonked out later. So even without, the antibodies will still go bonkers. So I lost my entire thyroid - and because I had two surgeries - lost most my parathyroids too. Eh.
I lost half my thyroid at 20 and did not take any meds - my other half worked for a while (I had hashi's at the time yet the idiot docs did not manage to tell me despite me telling them it ran in the family, that info would have been helpful) but zonked out later. So even without, the antibodies will still go bonkers. So I lost my entire thyroid - and because I had two surgeries - lost most my parathyroids too. Eh.
My husband is taking 2 grains of NP Thyroid, although I told him not to take it the day of testing.
The urologist said that the shots worked the best for the low T. My husband has no problem giving them to himself, and even though the needle is large, he said it didn't seem to hurt.
I was concerned that his TSH was so high and his FT3 and FT4 were both so low and he is on 2 grains of thyroid. He used to have what appeared to be normal test results on about 125 mgs of synthroid. No one has ever tested his antibodies before, that I am aware of. After they removed 1/2 of his thyroid, he was put on suppression therapy and told that the 1/2 of thyroid he had left would function if he were to stop taking thryoid meds.
The original treating doctor retired, and over the years I think my husband got treated as hypothyroid instead of suppression------I wonder if he had been kept on suppression therapy if it would have kept the antibodies at bay?
When I was on suppression therapy, the doc would let my TSH stay at 0.
I guess the only thing he can do at this point is raise his thyroid medication?
The urologist said that the shots worked the best for the low T. My husband has no problem giving them to himself, and even though the needle is large, he said it didn't seem to hurt.
I was concerned that his TSH was so high and his FT3 and FT4 were both so low and he is on 2 grains of thyroid. He used to have what appeared to be normal test results on about 125 mgs of synthroid. No one has ever tested his antibodies before, that I am aware of. After they removed 1/2 of his thyroid, he was put on suppression therapy and told that the 1/2 of thyroid he had left would function if he were to stop taking thryoid meds.
The original treating doctor retired, and over the years I think my husband got treated as hypothyroid instead of suppression------I wonder if he had been kept on suppression therapy if it would have kept the antibodies at bay?
When I was on suppression therapy, the doc would let my TSH stay at 0.
I guess the only thing he can do at this point is raise his thyroid medication?
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