[cyning]

Rattlehead I don't convert T4 properly: there is no test as such for it: but for me I was upped to 500mg before a new Endo put me on T3: I improved so much after been put on it. My blood test results were a bit different: my T4 were normal: albeit very low normal, but my TSH was sky high.

Best thing I can reccomend to you is go to an Endo: and if they don't listen, find one who does listen. My endo is seeing me fortnightly at the moment because I'm thyrotoxic (pregnancy!!) and it really really makes a difference to have a good doctor "minding" you for want of a better word.

I feel the same way about Armour: some of the stuff I read scared me. But then loads of people have very positive experiences on it! I'm just glad the combination T3/T4 works for me.

Garhjw I would be very very slow not to take thyroid tablets even if you aren't displaying any symptoms. Like Cltt97 said if it is autoimmune long term the health complications would ge far worse. Even if you do decide not to take Eltroxin etc go for regular bloods and keep a really close eye on it. The other side is regular exercise etc is really good for anyone with thyroid problems so that may be why you aren't experiencing any problems.

Also if it is autoimmune in some people (like me!) the symptoms might not necessarily show up the way they do for most people: I have Graves Disease which is hyperthyroidism (before it was treated with radioactive iodine): and when I was first diagnosed I went from a size 10 to 18 in 5 months: the complete opposite of what you would expect.

[garhjw]

agin guys, thank you so much for the advice, i'll report back when i speak with my GP.

[cltt97]

Equamity - I suspect that the TRT is probably TFT which stands for thyroid function test - but this is usually just TSH and T4 (sometimes they do report FT4)

[garhjw]

evening guys, so i met with my GP earlier to review the results of my blood tests: they were:

TSH 8.17
Free T4 10.8

we discussed the options - prescribing hormones which i would probably have to take for life.
we also discussed the option of natural treatments. he agreed it is worht trying. My GP told me another patient of his has cured her hypothoroidism by natural treatments last year. my sister in law has a health food shop and extensive knowledge of natural medicines, herbs and vitamins. i went to see her this evening and thei is what i am going to do:

Diet:
1 cut out yeast
2 cut out sugar
3 no more coffee

Vitamins/Herbs:
1 a concoction with ginseng, muira puama, sasparilla and other stuff
2 pro bio tablets
3 selenium
4 vit b complex

in about 3 weeks, i will be adding more vits and herbs. will post them up then.

in 2 months i will go for more tests and see what effect it is having.

thanks agan for all the help on here.

[0lddog]

Have you looked at what fluoride ( water, toothpaste etc ) & goitrogenic foods are said to do ?

[Equanimity]

Originally Posted by cltt97

Equamity - I suspect that the TRT is probably TFT which stands for thyroid function test - but this is usually just TSH and T4 (sometimes they do report FT4)

Thanks a million - that makes sense now! It is indeed TFT !

S

[garhjw]

Originally Posted by 0lddog

Have you looked at what fluoride ( water, toothpaste etc ) & goitrogenic foods are said to do ?

hi, we didn't discuss fluoride but did discuss goitrogenic foods. i should have mentioned i am also cutting back on soy intake. i don't really eat raw vegetables - all boiled or roasted - so that shouldn't be too much of a problem.

have you experience in trying this?

[Wyldwood]

garhjw, watch the labels on bread, even the old reliable sliced pan can have soy flour in them.

[rOBeRt frETt]

Originally Posted by garhjw

evening guys, so i met with my GP earlier to review the results of my blood tests: they were:

TSH 8.17
Free T4 10.8

we discussed the options - prescribing hormones which i would probably have to take for life.
we also discussed the option of natural treatments. he agreed it is worht trying. My GP told me another patient of his has cured her hypothoroidism by natural treatments last year. my sister in law has a health food shop and extensive knowledge of natural medicines, herbs and vitamins. i went to see her this evening and thei is what i am going to do:

Diet:
1 cut out wheat
2 cut out sugar
3 no more coffee

Vitamins/Herbs:
1 a concoction with ginseng, muira puama, sasparilla and other stuff
2 pro bio tablets
3 selenium
4 vit b complex

in about 3 weeks, i will be adding more vits and herbs. will post them up then.

in 2 months i will go for more tests and see what effect it is having.

thanks agan for all the help on here.

Thanks Gar, keep us posted on this- did your doctor do an antibody test? it would be interesting if making the recommended changes brings down thyroid antibodies

[garhjw]

hi Robert, we didn't discuss the results on an antibody test so i presume 1 wasn't done.

i'll update on my progress over the next 2 months to see if it makes changes to how i feel.

as i said before, i don't think i have any symptoms but since i found out on monday i've probably been imagining that i have some!

[robinph]

I didn't realise that I had symptoms, but I knew for at least a year before they officially diagnosed me that they would be classing me as hypothyroid at some point due to a previous test being "slightly out of range". If I'd known more about it before they said that the numbers were finally out of range enough then I may have pushed to get the drugs sooner.

When it came to them diagnosing me around last xmas I was feeling so bad with "I didn't know what"'itis that I was worried something else was wrong me. If they offer to start treating you then take it, you don't want to get worse beforehand.

[rOBeRt frETt]

hear hear, untreated hypothyroidism will seriously f*@k you up

[garhjw]

hi robinph, you have a point there but i would like to try alternative means before committing to taking hormones, which should be created by my body. if changes to my diet etc do not work over the next 2 months, then i will look at my options again.

[rOBeRt frETt]

Gar, That's why I asked about Autoimmune disease, mostly it's not because your body is lacking the raw materials to make the hormone but the gland being under attack. 99% of the time it's hashimotos thyroiditis i.e. your body attacking your thyroid gland.
most likely the doctor did not run an antibody test - they never feckin do!

[cltt97]

And just to add to the debate - if you have antibodies and your thyroid is being destroyed, in order to meet the hormone demand of the body, the gland starts to grow - and then you get a goiter (that happened to me). So, next time when you go for your test in two months time, make sure you ask for the antibody test (TPO), so you can be sure what the underlying cause of your hypo state is. If you're one lucky guy, yours is caused by iodine deficiency or is transient or whatever else and can be fixed by nutritional intervention.