- The Non-Diagnosis Club: This huge global group consists of those who have genuine or unrecognized hypothyroid symptoms, yet no accurate diagnosis. Why? Because of well-meaning but clueless doctors who fail to look at the entire cluster of your hypothyroid symptoms, or have a rigid reliance on two lousy labs: the TSH and the T4. You are then proclaimed “normal”.
- The T4-Only Club: This also-gigantic global club consists of those who have been diagnosed with a thyroid problem, but treated with Synthroid, Levoxyl, Oroxine, Levothyroxine, Eltroxin, et al, T4-only thyroxine pills. But hypothyroidism and the body is not meant to live on a storage hormone alone and leaves most patients with their own brand or intensity of lingering hypothyroid symptoms.
If you understand the following two points, then you know as much about hormones as any endocrinologist:
1. Hormone production peaks around the age 25 and then declines by 1-3% annually thereafter.
2. All hormones are related and interact with another.
Restated, the older you are, the fewer hormones you have and this is why your body tanks as you get older. There are some cliffs you can fall off along the way – like menopause for women and “andropause” for men.
Because hormones are inter-related with each other, when one hormone is deficient, then this can affect the proportion of the other hormones. Many hormones have feedback mechanisms on each other so that if one is up, the other is down. Similar classes of hormones can share protein carriers in the bloodstream. Relative amounts of one hormone can affect the protein binding of another hormone.
test-TSH is cheap and common. Be very aware that ranges were changed recently to TSH normal being 1-3. However most clinical labs still use a range from 1-5, thus many folks will be quite hypo before being considered "hypo". Drs dont know this. The higher the TSH level, the worse off your thryroid level. A pretty typical HT patient will have a TSH level of 5-20.
Sounds like you know a lot about it!
I just had a physical last week and my doctor wants me to come back in to get the thyroid re-done..I was on the 'high' end, although the number she gave me over the phone was super low, like 0.08. I was kind of confused because the person then said 'normal' range was from 0.04 - 5?? Something like that? It was a pretty large range, whatever it was. Well anyway, I think for me if I have an issue it'll be 'hyper', not 'hypo'. I have other things going on that would support the hyperthyroidism thing, and have had them for a handful of yrs, but whenever I've been tested they've told me I've been in the 'normal' range. We shall see.
Sounds like you know a lot about it!
I just had a physical last week and my doctor wants me to come back in to get the thyroid re-done..I was on the 'high' end, although the number she gave me over the phone was super low, like 0.08. I was kind of confused because the person then said 'normal' range was from 0.04 - 5?? Something like that? It was a pretty large range, whatever it was. Well anyway, I think for me if I have an issue it'll be 'hyper', not 'hypo'. I have other things going on that would support the hyperthyroidism thing, and have had them for a handful of yrs, but whenever I've been tested they've told me I've been in the 'normal' range. We shall see.
You're right it could be many different things. Are you anemic?I don't know - I've read a bunch on the internet. Some of it matches and some doesn't. I have dry, pale skin, have been chronically tired ever since I was about 12 or so (even with more than average amounts of sleep), and am freezing cold all the time to the point where even my nose is cold (this also dates back to when I was still a young teenager). The problem is that all of these symptoms could be explained in many various ways. I think I will go back to my doctor, but it takes quite awhile to get any kind of tests done here. I've heard some thyroid sufferers are missing enough zinc. Have any of you heard of that?
You're right it could be many different things. Are you anemic?
My mother was recently diagnosed with this but it wasn't deemed serious enough at this stage for hormone supplements. She is taking a kelp supplement (iodine) and has started regular reflexology which some report has good results (said to stimulate endocrine system).
I don't know - I've read a bunch on the internet. Some of it matches and some doesn't. I have dry, pale skin, have been chronically tired ever since I was about 12 or so (even with more than average amounts of sleep), and am freezing cold all the time to the point where even my nose is cold (this also dates back to when I was still a young teenager). The problem is that all of these symptoms could be explained in many various ways. I think I will go back to my doctor, but it takes quite awhile to get any kind of tests done here. I've heard some thyroid sufferers are missing enough zinc. Have any of you heard of that?
Thanks Synapse! Did you write all that? How did you become interested in the subject. There's some good information there that I will investigate further!