# Thyroid??



## Guest (Feb 22, 1999)

Hi SusanR. Thanks for responding. I have had thyroid tests done, and even tho my levels appear on the low end they are in the low, normal range so no credence is given to perhaps thryoid is low. I do feel lethargic and find it difficult to continue to exercise or get up the energey to do so. I also have to concentrate much harder than before. I figured it was because I had turned 50 and apparently so did every one else (medicos that is). I have received no conventional medicine comfort in my situation. I guess the only comfort there is is knowing that I don't have something deadly according to their tests. It is very difficult to know what to do so I just keep pushing forward. I quite smoking about 18 months ago and gained a lot of weight. Even tho I did not change one thing about my eating habits - did not increase amounts nor different types of food - I still gained. My physician said it was a metabolic change and bound to happen to everyone (didn't say that to me when I was contemplating quiting - smile). I have heard that thyroid is the most underdiagnoised condition in women today. I will be looking forward to hearing what you find. Why did they put you on synthyroid if they haven't done all the tests yet? Keep me posted. Have a healthy day. Linda


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## Guest (Feb 23, 1999)

Linda,My family doctor put me on synthyroid, and as adjusted the dose to fit me. I am going to a thyroid specialist, because I have been reading about a T3 hormone that they use in addition to synthroid, which is suppose to help even more. I have also read about a TRH test, which if you have been tested for thyroid and the test has come out negative, sometimes the TRH will prove positive for a thyroid condition. I will post more of what I learn on Wednesday night. I just turned 40, don't let the doctors tell you it is your age, that is just an excuse.


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## Guest (Feb 23, 1999)

Thanks for the information. I will look forward to what you hear and I will keep investigating on this end. It sure is frustrating when you pay big money to people who should know and you end up being your own doctor. Something wrong with this picture (smile).Have a healthy day.


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## Guest (Feb 23, 1999)

Hi, Linda. How are you? Just a question. Have you been diagnosed with fibromyalgia or do you just think this is thyroid?Kathy (who hasn't forgotten - just been feeling nasty and working! A difficult combination at best!)


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## Guest (Feb 23, 1999)

Hi Kathy, Actually I was told I had myofacial pain syndrome, which is somewhat different from fibromyalgia according to the literature (what else - smile). My question re: thyroid is because I have heard that many things going on with women like this can be attributed to a low thyroid and yet is missed in 80% of the cases (high number I think). Just because the numbers appear to be normal doesn't mean that your body is handling the "lowness" well. Does that make sense? Anyway, that is how it was explained to me.I am sorry you are feeling nasty. I know about those days (sigh). Take care and keep in touch.


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## Guest (Feb 24, 1999)

Hi, Linda I was just wondering because I think that the symptoms of fibromyalgia can be so mercurial, I don't care what the experts say. I've read so much conflicting info (what else is new is right!







) about fibro and cfs and I've read that myofacial pain syndrome is ALSO related to the above (as well as they are NOT related). I've always come out on the low end on the thyroid tests. The last test I took last month was right in the middle for the first time ever. Figure THAT one out. KathyPS - I'm at work, where I have no e-mail, and at home I've been fighting 4 other people! Tomorrow or Friday, for sure! (My days off - yippee!) Still feeling nasty, though.


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## Rose (Mar 25, 1999)

We are the hypo-thyroid family. We do not meet any of the normal statistics. 3 males and me in the household. We were all diagnosed within a couple of years after we had had a really bad flu. Believe that the virus began an autoimmune condition. My youngest son (Now 21) was about 12 when he began a few symptoms and in his case headaches. His tests were on the low end of normal but because of our family history and the fact that his tsh (thyroid stimulating hormone) test was high they began synthroid.The tsh measures how much thyroid is being called for by your body. So even though thyroid levels were normal his body was calling for more. Both sons seemed to have their thyroid problems get worse during that puberty age. Back into that hormone grey area you were discussing in your post.


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## Guest (Feb 27, 1999)

Linda and Rose,I went to my doctor Thursday and I asked her about the thyroid testing I've had. Turns out she has always done the tsh test because she thinks it's more reliable and it IS the one that has been all over the normal range. She and I went through it together and found that one time it was a hair above the low normal line, another time it was slightly above that, the latest one was exactly in the middle of normal, which concerned her since they have always been on the low side. So, she wants to test it again in the next couple of months to make sure it's not on an upward trend. SO - you see, you guys inspired me to look into the thyroid thing. This bb has been SO helpful to me!


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## Guest (Feb 28, 1999)

Hi Linda,As promised I am letting you know what I learned when I seen the thyroid specialist on Wednesday. He said that most people that come to him have, like you, the TSH test has been in normal range, but have all the symptoms of a underactive thyroid. He puts them on synthyroid anyway, and 9 times out of 10 that patients feel much better. He does not believe in the test TRH, this was the test that I was reading about where they give you an injection wait 25 minutes then take your blood. He said the best way is to give the patient synthyroid and see what happens. My eyebrows are very thin and at the end there is barely any eyebrow, that is a thyroid symptom, and of course my weight gain was out of control, my neck looked swelled that is where your thyroid gland is. The thyroid specialist put me on a T3 supplement which helps balance the body along with taking synthyroid. It comes through the mail, there is a special pharmacy that makes it, I will let you know how it works for me and I do have the telephone # of the pharmacy who makes it, if anyone is interested in itWhile I was there I asked him about my sister, who has a TSH of 39 which is high, but no symptoms of a thyroid problem, and is afraid to go on synthyroid, he said that she was generated too much T4 and instead of taking synthroid, she would benefit from taking T3 hormone to balance out her system. So my appointment with the specialist was very interesting, my thyroid tests are now normal, but I still felt like something was missing, that although my blood showed normal, something was still wrong. So I am very interested in the T3 hormone that is on its way. I do not know if I mentioned to you the web site what I got my referral of my thyroid specialist, it is thyroid.miningco.com - I find this web site very interesting. My doctor is in the Boston, MA area if anyone is interested in his name and #. I will let you know how things are going soon.


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## Rose (Mar 25, 1999)

Hi Susan, I was waiting for your specialist report. Hope this t3 works for you. I have never heard of it. Where did you find out about it ? Is it relatively new drug? If synthroid is a synthetic replacement for the bodies own thyroid hormone, what is this t3?One commment about your sisters tests: when we were all going through our testing period a few years back the drs. did tell us that different labs do have different normal ranges. So hers may not be quite as bad as you and I would suspect. Why is your sister afraid of synthroid?Just a bundle of questions, sorry.


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## Rose (Mar 25, 1999)

Hi Susan, Me again, I tried to connect with the website but my server couldn't make connections.


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## Guest (Feb 28, 1999)

Rose,I read about T3 hormone in the web site I mentioned in my last posting, the thyroid web site. Take a look at it, you might find that most of the symptoms that are posted may sound like all of your symptoms. Your thyroid needs both T3 and T4 to balance out is self. I guess it would be best if you go into the web site of thyroid.miningco.com and they can explain further. T3 hormone seems to be a new drug, and I can only get it from a pharmacy that mails it, and it is expecially made for each individual. I received it yesterday, this is my second day taking it.As far as my sister, yes she is just hitting the abnormal range with her TSH and mine is worse. My sister is afraid of taking synthyroid because synthyroid shuts down the normal workings of the thyroid and synthroid takes over doing the work for the thyroid and having no symptoms, she is afraid to ruin a good thing. In our case, we are feeling extremely sick and we have nothing to lose so I gave it a try and I am glad I did, I am finally feeling like a normal person again.


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## Rose (Mar 25, 1999)

Susan, After I posted on this board last night, I went searching on Yahoo and got into the mining site. Very interesting, but not easy reading for someone who was having a very long week.. I printed one page and bookmarked the site. Thanks much for the info.. .I am planning on sending this to my dr. and asking if this may be of help to my husband.


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## Guest (Mar 1, 1999)

I am amazed about such great repoire with your physicians. I couldn't get a doctor to give me a second thyroid test if my life depended on it. The tests say low normal and that is that. No sense in redoing. Since we have no competition for our clinic here there is no one else to go to unless you leave town and that never works as it is quite a distance away and in the winter doesn't work. Physicians here act quite insulted if you appear to have any knowlege at all; women in particular are treated very badly and "dismissed quickly".I shall keep pushing. I can see this is to my benefit. I thank God every day that I found this BB.Healthy day to all - Linda


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## Guest (Mar 1, 1999)

Oh, Linda - I'm so sorry to hear of your physician woes! Why doncha move to Maine? The doctors have been, for the most part, pretty good here! A lot of fibromyalgia knowledge here and there are also a lot of homeopaths! We'd have fun! I can tell you that my doc would redo the thyroid test if I asked her (is the HER the key here?).Kathy


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## Guest (Mar 1, 1999)

Moving to Maine sounds like great fun. However, from what I see on the news your weather is worse than ours and I think ours has a whole lot to be desired (laughter). I think I must be a sun goddess or perhaps was in a past life (rofl). Thank for all the great words of support and the great information. Together I think we can all be better. The sun is out here today so this helps alot. She physicians are in great minority here. I do believe that is a lot of the difference. This clinic is a "good old boys club" and even the men that go there aren't overly thrilled. Big bucks; little cure (sigh).Healthy day to all.


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## Guest (Mar 2, 1999)

Linda,Don't give up, I travelled one hour and 1/2 to see that thyroid specialist, it was worth every mile. I went to a male thyroid specialist, but my normal doctor is a women, and my obgyn is also a woman. It took me 1 1/2 years to find them. What I did is went through many, many doctors until I found one that would help me. After 40 years of age, it seems that only women doctors really understand what we are going through. I have insulted many doctors, because I read alot, I have always thought that this is my body and it is not in my head. When they got insulted because I knew too much, I just moved onto another doctor that repected me for keeping myself educated about my body. I have these webs sites to thank for that and alot of kind people, like you and Rose.I look forward to posting on the web site daily. Linda I do not know where you live, but there must be a city near you? Do you have a HMO, that you need a referral to go to a specialist. If you do, I been there that is really hard - I do not care for HMO's anymore, they are not good when you really get sick. Take care.


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## Guest (Mar 2, 1999)

Hi Linda -Ooops! Got stuck with computer problems. This thyroid stuff is interesting. I to have thyroid levels on the very low but Ok side. My Naturopath gave me something for it and it seemed to help. Thanks for reminding me. I will try to find out what it was. I think it was a homeopathic compound to stimulate the T3. I still have not found my booklet on Fibro. I did look. The only places left to look require bending over -- dread!!







Happy







[This message has been edited by Happy (edited 03-03-99).]


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