I suspect Hypo, Dr says all is normal. Your thoughts?
michelleshere
Posts: 19 Member
Hi! I so glad I finally found this group on here! I have so many questions! At my Dr. appointment yesterday I was pretty must shooed out of the room for bringing up possible thyroid issues. What are your thoughts?
Symptoms:
What others eat to lose, I maintain on or gain
Sleep problems
Restless legs
depression and anxiety
Twitchy eyes
Irregular cycles (since I was 14)
tingling toes
Lightheadedness (this one is new)
Brain fog
Exhaustion
Low heart rate (58b/min)
I did have my levels checked in September, not sure if they mean anything, but he said they were normal (keeping in mind I'm in Canada)
TSH: 4.55
T4 free: 10.0
Free T3: 4.9
B12 is low
His answers to most of my concerns were I'm stressed and tired, and should be grateful for my slow metabolism because I won't starve in times of Famine.
I do have a referral to an Endo at the end of the month. I want to go armed. I'm sick of being brushed aside and being told what I live with is normal.
Symptoms:
What others eat to lose, I maintain on or gain
Sleep problems
Restless legs
depression and anxiety
Twitchy eyes
Irregular cycles (since I was 14)
tingling toes
Lightheadedness (this one is new)
Brain fog
Exhaustion
Low heart rate (58b/min)
I did have my levels checked in September, not sure if they mean anything, but he said they were normal (keeping in mind I'm in Canada)
TSH: 4.55
T4 free: 10.0
Free T3: 4.9
B12 is low
His answers to most of my concerns were I'm stressed and tired, and should be grateful for my slow metabolism because I won't starve in times of Famine.
I do have a referral to an Endo at the end of the month. I want to go armed. I'm sick of being brushed aside and being told what I live with is normal. 0
Replies
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Wow - I don't know a single person who is grateful for a slow metabolism! What a jerk thing to say!
Some of your symptoms could indicate hypo, but some of your symptoms can indicate hypER. (Anxiety, restlessness, etc.)
From what I know, your thyroid levels are pretty high, even though they are in the "acceptable range" of under 5.0. Most people feel best under 2.0.
Have you thought about seeing a Naturopath to address some of the issues like the restless legs and anxiety? Mine has helped a lot with those issues for me.
Good luck!0 -
Are you on B12 supplements? Have you had your D checked? Did they check for anti bodies? Try a supplement with Chromium in it for restless legs. Also- consider a gluten free diet and see if any symptoms improve. Definitely keep the appt with the endo.0
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Hi! I so glad I finally found this group on here! I have so many questions! At my Dr. appointment yesterday I was pretty must shooed out of the room for bringing up possible thyroid issues. What are your thoughts?
Symptoms:
What others eat to lose, I maintain on or gain
Sleep problems
Restless legs
depression and anxiety
Twitchy eyes
Irregular cycles (since I was 14)
tingling toes
Lightheadedness (this one is new)
Brain fog
Exhaustion
Low heart rate (58b/min)
I did have my levels checked in September, not sure if they mean anything, but he said they were normal (keeping in mind I'm in Canada)
TSH: 4.55
T4 free: 10.0
Free T3: 4.9
B12 is low
His answers to most of my concerns were I'm stressed and tired, and should be grateful for my slow metabolism because I won't starve in times of Famine. I do have a referral to an Endo at the end of the month. I want to go armed. I'm sick of being brushed aside and being told what I live with is normal.
Wow. What an *kitten*. That's a horrible comment to make, and totally doesn't make sense???
Ok honey, you are SO hypothyroid that I don't know how you're functioning. Your doctor should have put you on meds before you even hit the endo's office. What province are you in? (I'm from BC but currently in SK) Do you have the option to NEVER go back to that doctor again??
So in Canada they are sticking with 4.5 as the top range of "normal" for TSH. I am active on several thyroid boards and have yet to meet someone who feels good with a TSH over 2.0. But TSH is a pituitary hormone, not a thyroid one, so it's not really as important.
T4 is the "storage" hormone, that your body needs to convert into the "active" hormone T3. Your body basically has zero stores. Don't let any doctor give you any crap about being "within normal range", because the bottom of the normal range IS HYPO. Your free T3 is dismally low.
I'll be honest, I had those levels about 2 months after my entire thyroid was taken out...! Your labs, plus all your symptoms, paint a pretty clear picture of hypothyroid.
Now what? Ok, so how long until the endo appointment? You'll want the endo to test for Hashimoto's antibodies, to see if you're dealing with autoimmune thyroid disease. If it's a crappy endo they might look at only your TSH and say you are "slightly hypo" - this is untrue, do not listen to this endo, and try to find someone else.
Meds: there are a few med options, but not all are equal. The default for most endos is prescribing a T4-only med like synthroid or levothyroxine. This is generally not the greatest for most people, because it does nothing about your low T3. You can also take a synthetic T3 along with the T4 med and that helps some people. Another option is to take a dessicated pig thyroid med, which contains both T3 and T4 -- most thyroid patients feel MUCH better on this.
If the endo doesn't work out, and you're in BC or Ontario (and hopefully soon Alberta) you can see a naturopath to get a prescription for a dessicated med (in Canada it's manufactured by Erfa and just called "Thyroid").
Vitamins and minerals: many are involved in the process of either creating thyroid hormone, converting it from T4 into T3, or in having the T3 act on your cells. Primary ones to look at are Vit D, Vit B, iron, ferritin (iron stores), selenium, and zinc. Fellow Canadian, I can pretty much guarantee that you need a hefty Vit D supplement...
But get your levels tested to see. 0 -
So, that sounds exactly like me, though you have more in the way of symptoms than I do. Our numbers are very similar, but I'm only on supplements in order to handle the deficiencies. Since you have symptoms, it might make sense for you to be put on an actual thyroid medication.
It's definitely good that you have a referral to an endocrinologist.0 -
I was put on 25mcg of Thyroxine at 15 with a level of 4.7 as she classed me as borderline! Go to another GP and get another blood test if you can. As for "be grateful for my slow metabolism because I won't starve in times of Famine" I'd have walked out. Maybe its easier in the UK but I will push for what I want and my GP is great Keep positive 0
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Hi! I so glad I finally found this group on here! I have so many questions! At my Dr. appointment yesterday I was pretty must shooed out of the room for bringing up possible thyroid issues. What are your thoughts?
Symptoms:
What others eat to lose, I maintain on or gain
Sleep problems
Restless legs
depression and anxiety
Twitchy eyes
Irregular cycles (since I was 14)
tingling toes
Lightheadedness (this one is new)
Brain fog
Exhaustion
Low heart rate (58b/min)
I did have my levels checked in September, not sure if they mean anything, but he said they were normal (keeping in mind I'm in Canada)
TSH: 4.55
T4 free: 10.0
Free T3: 4.9
B12 is low
His answers to most of my concerns were I'm stressed and tired, and should be grateful for my slow metabolism because I won't starve in times of Famine. I do have a referral to an Endo at the end of the month. I want to go armed. I'm sick of being brushed aside and being told what I live with is normal.
Wow. What an *kitten*. That's a horrible comment to make, and totally doesn't make sense???
Ok honey, you are SO hypothyroid that I don't know how you're functioning. Your doctor should have put you on meds before you even hit the endo's office. What province are you in? (I'm from BC but currently in SK) Do you have the option to NEVER go back to that doctor again??
So in Canada they are sticking with 4.5 as the top range of "normal" for TSH. I am active on several thyroid boards and have yet to meet someone who feels good with a TSH over 2.0. But TSH is a pituitary hormone, not a thyroid one, so it's not really as important.
T4 is the "storage" hormone, that your body needs to convert into the "active" hormone T3. Your body basically has zero stores. Don't let any doctor give you any crap about being "within normal range", because the bottom of the normal range IS HYPO. Your free T3 is dismally low.
I'll be honest, I had those levels about 2 months after my entire thyroid was taken out...! Your labs, plus all your symptoms, paint a pretty clear picture of hypothyroid.
Now what? Ok, so how long until the endo appointment? You'll want the endo to test for Hashimoto's antibodies, to see if you're dealing with autoimmune thyroid disease. If it's a crappy endo they might look at only your TSH and say you are "slightly hypo" - this is untrue, do not listen to this endo, and try to find someone else.
Meds: there are a few med options, but not all are equal. The default for most endos is prescribing a T4-only med like synthroid or levothyroxine. This is generally not the greatest for most people, because it does nothing about your low T3. You can also take a synthetic T3 along with the T4 med and that helps some people. Another option is to take a dessicated pig thyroid med, which contains both T3 and T4 -- most thyroid patients feel MUCH better on this.
If the endo doesn't work out, and you're in BC or Ontario (and hopefully soon Alberta) you can see a naturopath to get a prescription for a dessicated med (in Canada it's manufactured by Erfa and just called "Thyroid").
Vitamins and minerals: many are involved in the process of either creating thyroid hormone, converting it from T4 into T3, or in having the T3 act on your cells. Primary ones to look at are Vit D, Vit B, iron, ferritin (iron stores), selenium, and zinc. Fellow Canadian, I can pretty much guarantee that you need a hefty Vit D supplement... But get your levels tested to see.
Wow. There are no words to thank you enough for your encouraging post. I truly appreciate the time it took you to provide me with all this information. I'm in Ontario, the Dr. is my family Dr, but I can see a nurse practitioner most of the time. I have an Endo appointment at the end of this month, like the 25th. I want to go armed. Just not sure where to start!
And to everyone else to took the time to reply, I value your thoughts as well, I'm glad to know that the symptoms with the numbers are pointing towards some type of Thyroid disorder. 0 -
Wow. There are no words to thank you enough for your encouraging post. I truly appreciate the time it took you to provide me with all this information. I'm in Ontario, the Dr. is my family Dr, but I can see a nurse practitioner most of the time. I have an Endo appointment at the end of this month, like the 25th. I want to go armed. Just not sure where to start!
And to everyone else to took the time to reply, I value your thoughts as well, I'm glad to know that the symptoms with the numbers are pointing towards some type of Thyroid disorder.
I've found endos in Canada not the greatest, to be honest - they seem to focus more on diabetes. You might find that the endo focuses only on TSH, or won't even test or look at your free T3 levels. Being in Ontario is bad because apparently your provincial health program is pushing back on free T3 testing, I guess because it's expensive...? And they want to push people to use the TSH test. But, as I said, that's a pituitary hormone and really only good for some initial diagnosis (and then not on its own).
The *good* things about being in Ontario are:
a) you have private labs where you can ask for a free T3 test any time you want, without seeing a doctor. Not sure of the cost but should be about $35.
b) naturopaths in Ontario can prescribe thyroid meds! If the endo doesn't work out I would try to find a good naturopath. Do you have extended health care through work at all?0 -
Gah. I'm self employed so no extended health care coverage. I'll see how this next appointment goes and go from there. Its around February 25, I'll update you after!0
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Gah. I'm self employed so no extended health care coverage. I'll see how this next appointment goes and go from there. Its around February 25, I'll update you after!
Good luck!!0 -
You are absolutely hypo. I hope you can keep visiting endo's until someone will treat you. I had the same symptoms at a TSH of 2.55 and it was no way to live. Most people feel optimally around a TSH of 1. Good luck to you.0
