Posted , 4 users are following.
I have suffered symptoms that match those of hypothyroidism for up to 3 years and have had one bloodtest that confirms this, but previous bloods and one subsequent one, the GP says are fine. I am struggling with fatigue, low miod, memory issues, weight gain, puffy ankles, hands and face, brittle and slitting nails. Is there any other way to investigate these symptoms?
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dave64969 samantha50635
Posted
Get copies of all your blood tests. Your doctor is obliged to provide them. Share them here if you need help understanding them or go online. Consider getting to see an endocrinologist.
Many doctors really don't know how to diagnose or treat hypothyroidism, and yours sounds like one of them.
samantha50635 dave64969
Posted
MtViewCatherine samantha50635
Posted
Hi Samantha, if you're only looking at the TSH blood test, this isn't enough. If you have advanced thyroid disiease, the pituitary will ofoten sort of give up trying to stimulate the thyroid and will drop TSH back to normal. This is why it can take decades to get a diagnosis. Just as a diagnosis is very difficult because your numbers are jumping all over the place, so is regulating the medication, which is based on blood tests.
Thyroid disease is predominantly autooimmune disease, so getting a diagnosis, while it seems really important, and is, if you want medication. However, the medications does nothing to treat the underlying autoimmune disease and can actually worsen it.
Get a FULL thyroid panel done, also, a thyroid ultrasound will look for cysts, which indicate thyroid disease.
Also see an endocrinologist, preferably have the endocrinologist order the bloodwork.
Lastly, there are tons of things you can do to calm the immune system and curb thyroid disease: gluten free paleo style diet, cleansing, stress management, etc.
Heavy metal toxicity and chemical exposure can trigger autoimmune disease, and particularly mercury and bromine can really wreak havoc with thyroid function.
This should give you some direction of what sort of research you need to do to help yourself. You can also ask lots of questions here, and you can read the many thyroid posts.
You may find this process difficult, as thyroid disease is also often accompanied by brainfog, which just makes it even more difficult as the disease progresses.
Hope that helps!
samantha50635 MtViewCatherine
Posted