An article in a newspaper made me sit up and and say "t

I know exactly how you feel, my symtoms started 11 years ago after the birth of my third child and seemed to get worse after I suffered a whiplash injury in an accident in 1999, my GP did blood tests regularly for years due to my constant moaning and admitted a few years ago that my thyroid function had been declining since 1997! But as I was still in the normal range wouldn't do anything about it (I was 0.2 above the lowest normal level) Friends and family worried about how little I ate and still the weight piled on, and I felt like an old lady, I slept for a good 10 hours each night and would still fall asleep in the afternoons,was always freezing cold, ached constantly you name a syptom and I had it! I struggled to keep working (part time)at the expense of the house, we lived in a tip as I was too tired to do anything.

Anyway a few months ago after going to bed yet again hoping that I wouldn't wake up as I felt so awful all the time and sad that what I feel should have been the best years of my life (I'm 39 now)had been wasted. I decided to take action, I read up on Thyroxine and ordered some off the internet I started on the lowest dose and have been gradually increasing it every 4-6 weeks, I know this seems irresponsible and could be dangerous but it's a chance I'm willing to take, and I feel like I've got my life back! I don't fall asleep in the afternoon or evening anymore, I can think straight, I'm gradually getting the house sorted, we've had our first fortnights holiday since our son was born and at last I feel like me again, I haven't lost any weight yet, but I feel so much better that I don't care, when I feel I've got the dose right I'll go to my GP and see if they'll prescribe it for me and monitor my levels properly.

I'm not advising others to do this, but I honestly feel if I hadn't then I wouldn't be here writing this now!

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Hi

I once asked a consultant who decideds on what "within normal range" is. I know my own body and i know when its not right. Everyone's body is different so what is normal for you may not be for me. Anyway the normal range is said to be between 0.3 - 1.6, this is "normal" my levels at the moment are a very bad 0.02, so i dont really feel very human at the minute, i have been taking thyroxine for well over 12months at a rate of 150mgs per day, after recent blood test my gp lowerd my dose to 125 per day, i dont really understand why as my levels are really low at the moment but hey im not the doctor. Hope this has helped you

nicky

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Nicky when you are hypothyroid your levels are high. So the lower your levels the better.I had levels of 40 when I was first diagnosed ,now they have gone down and I feel much better,keeping my level to the lower side of normal seems to work for me.Being on the high side of normal does not work for me at all. Even though most doctors like to think it should!:ok:

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Amanda - keep pushing for extra blood tests - they can be done on the NHS. My sister went for two years having the usual thyroid blood tests(GP and Guys Hospital)- all indicated that her thyroid was working normally. It wasn't! Further tests revealed that her THS (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone) had stopped functioning. She hadn't put on weight but was extremey fatigued all the time. She is now taking a daily thyroxine tablet. The change in her energy levels is astounding.

I know from the Internet that the thyroid is a particularly complex gland but there are tests that target specific aspects of it's functioning. Next time you got to the doctor take a friend for support to make sure you get the attention you deserve. Good luck, Joyce

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I totally agree with you - despite a family history of both over and underactive thyroid my GP refused to say anything more than 'you are within acceptable levels' However when staying with friends in France they commented on how tired and out of breath I became even just walking up stairs and sent me to their French GP. She immediately noticed what was wrong and with 24 hours I'd had blood test and the results back a day later - they showed my thyroid was disfuntioning. To cut a long story short with 2 weeks I'd seen specialists, had MRI and X-ray s (the results of which were given to me) and prescribed Thyroxine. I was also suffering from acute depression (a classic sign of underactive thyroid) and poor posture. My depression is lifting, my posture getting better and I have energy. At present my English GP prescribes the thyroxine but has only done 1 test in 18 months whereas the French GP does tests every 3 months and I only have to phone to find out what my doseage should be. I'm not sure if I'm losing the weight yet but I feel so much better.

My English GP still mantains that I was ok and I bless the day I went to France - so if you really want results - go and stay with a friend in France and get the French system to help you - you do have to pay but believe me it's worth it - acceptable limits my ******* acceptable to whom!!:magic:

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really really feel for you!!! And totally know what you are going through, although I haven't been diagnosed as yet, although I know my body well enough to know something is not right. I am 43 and loved being 40 and 41. I had a car accident at the end of October 2004 (juggernaut hit my car with me and the 3 children in - thank god we were ok but I hadn't accounted for the shock and how that would knock my system around). Was very interested to read about the other person who seems to have had this triggered by a car accident. Have been through the 5 doctors at my practice and the responses range from 'antidepressants' (To which I reply 'no I'm not depressed, just angry that I have put on 2 stone in 18 months for no reason whatsoever!'), to more blood tests (all of which come back 'within the normal range' or for thyroid 'at the low end of normal'. How on earth do they know what MY normal is??? Ok history: I exercise 4 times a week and have done for years - 2 aerobics classes and 2 gym sessions. I eat healthily and I am utterly fed up of well-meaning people advising me on what to eat, not eat, cut out, include, reduce etc in my diet. I started putting on weight just over 18 months ago ... and it has crept up and NOTHING I do will make the scales start to go the other way. I read Marilyn Glenville's book 'Fat around the middle', which is really interesting and makes sense. I stuck to the diet rigidly for 2 months and paid ?50 for supplements. Nothing! I put on half a stone. I try to remain positive for the sake of my sanity and the family. It's not always easy and today I have spent most of the day in tears. To try to have a goal, I have just entered 'The Race for Life' 5K run in July and have been training for the past 2 weeks, thinking this HAS to kick start something. Guess what! I have put on 5lbs! It's got to the point where nothing in my wardrobe fits me, I don't want to go out, I don't want to socialise, I hate mirrors and I really hate myself. My poor husband is wondering what to say or not say and to be honest he is better saying nothing because I don't want sympathy or placating ... I just desperately want ME back. I liked me and I miss that so much. I have to pull myself together for the children and work is my saviour as I can throw myself at it and forget. The summer is looming as a nightmare ... holidays ... at the moment I'd rather creep into a hole and stay there!

Reading the comments about things not improving after the medication has compounded my feelings of despair. I have an appointment at the endocronology dept in May and am now not confident with what the outcome will be. I have paid to see a homeopath who was perplexed by what was wrong. I have had accupuncture - relaxing but no difference. I would and will pay anything to get this sorted ... but as so many people here have said, nobody seems to really understand or care.

The only thing I know is that somehow I have to find a way of sorting this out and getting my life back. And that's how it feels at the moment - like it's fighting me every step of the way. You get to the point where you are scared to eat, scared to not eat, too tired to care anyway! Good luck all of you - you're in my thoughts!

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