Possible hypothyroidism

That sucks to hear that people have a hard time getting diagnosed. I just feel like crap on a day to day basis right now and it's not getting any better. I hope I've not damaged my kidneys I really do because that would be the worst. I was told a reading of 5.1 from my bloods for potassium really won't be much to worry about and there was possible hematoma or whatever it's called of the blood sample anyway so they just want to see if it's come back down. I am quite a worrier and I'm worrying about my health right now. Thanks

Jamie, instead of worrying, empower yourself. Take charge of your health by changing to a clean diet. For thyroid  disease, a strict gluten free, paleo style diet is recommended. This provides enough protein for the body, and lots of nutrients from greens. You're young with fast metabolism, so you may want to include some starches, as well as good oils to get enough calories. Some people love coconut oil. My favorite is avocado oil. You can get calories from root vegetables and potatoes. Skip the grains, absolutely no wheat, rye or barley products of any sort. The gluten free stuff is super important to follow!  If you must have grains, try brown rice, white rice or buckwheat (buckwheat is not really a grain, but a type of seed and is very healthy) Eliminate processed foods. 

All this seems like a lot of trouble if you're used to quick stuff. But it's just habit, and once you learn and get used to eating healthy, you'll have done your body a favor for life.

I actually am already gluten free and have been for a year, it was making me sick, have diorreah, break out in to rashes, horrible fatigue and nausea. I was never tested for it though because they told me I have to eat it to get tested and I said no because it was getting too much. I'm trying to keep healthy but at the same time I'm a 20 year old boy I go out with my friends on a weekly basis. Hopefully everything is alright. I have been told a reading of 5.1 with potassium truly isn't overly worrying and I think other things would have been off if I had kidney disease or something. Hopefully I find out why I feel like I am feeling soon. Many thanks

Jamie, good job figuring out the gluten thing, and also for declining to test what you already know. There is a genetic test, but most labs don't offer it.

Worrying is no help. The potassium is probably due to a little dehydration. 

Sounds ds like you're doing all the rut things and have a good head on your shoulders. Though, I understand, brainfog isn't good for anyone.

It just really sucks because I'm a worrier by nature, and the day to day dizziness and tiredness really bring me down and it's that thing where I hate going to my doctors and complaining because I had a period last year where I was freaking out about something so worry they are just going to shove all my real problems from now on under the rug. I'm feeling quite depressed right now at how I feel as I wish I could go my day to day feeling like a normal healthy 20 year old boy but I don't do it gets me down. I also want to talk to people like my mum and things but she worries so much about me so it's hard. Just feel alone in this sometimes and it all sucks

Jamie/Try not to worry about kidney function. The dr will have also tested your renal function. Catherine has otns of good advice so I will butt out now.

Jane xxx

Hi Jamie, you mention dizziness. There seem to be a lot of thyroid posts where people mention this. 

I was was a swimmer for many years and periodically get dizziness. I think what happens, is when I don't eat enough meat, I tend to go more hyperthyroid, and my throid gland and neck swell up. This inflammation prevents the eustacian (spelling?) tubes that allow fluid to drain from the ears, from draining properly, resulting in fluid buildup in the inner ears, and essentially causing what I am familiar with, as swimmers ear, or inner ear infection if you get bacterial buildup. I find a little hydrogen peroxide or rubbing alcohol in the ear, breaks the surface tension of the fluid and it can drain out of the ear externally. I usually have to do a little sort of dance,shaking my head to the side to get the stuff going so the fluid can drain out the ear. If you know a long time swimmer, they will be very familiar with this technique. Let me know if your find this helpful.

Thanks for your help, I'll follow up with my doctor after I get these set of bloods to check if my potassium has went back down as I don't think my thyroid has been checked with these bloods. I'll tell him that I've been feeling generally fatigued and dizzy for the past month and a bit as well as other things and ask him to do a full blood check up to see what's going on. I haven't asked, do you have an underactive thyroid?

Hi Jamie, I've struggled with underactive thyroid since my teens. Had a bromine exposure that triggered hypothyroidism in my 20s, still undiagnosed, until 5 years later, a cysts showed up. Still undiagnosed, even when I saw an endo. Inadvertently got it into remission with diet and cleansing, also living in a warm climate helped. Had a decade of slender bliss, until a myriad of other factors retriggered the thyroid disease, which took another three years to get meds. Another 5 years and 8 different meds later, my condition only worsened. Out of desperation, I quit the meds and tried some amino acid therapy. I have a ton of health problems from the meds, which basically accelerated thyroid disease. But I'm getting my energy back and starting to be able to exercise again. 

My my whole life, I watched my other struggle with thyroid disease, the meds never worked for her either, and she eventually had her thyroid irradiated and then later,  removed. 

 i've read  thousands of posts and I studied molecular biology and chemistry. Worked in pharma and space sciences. Once I got my brain clear enough to think a little, the amino acid solution seemed the most likely way towards health. I put together a protocol to try, dumped the meds, and it worked! It's a shockingly simple and obvious solution from a biochemical perspective and I can't believe it's not all over the Internet.

My whole like, I watched my mother struggle. Not my other.

Sounds like some journey, do you suggest I wait to find out if I actually have this before i try this solution?

Jamie, I'd first review your diet and look at whether you're getting enough meat in your diet. Also, make sure you have a good quality basic multivitamin and mineral supplement. If you feel you're on track with these, you can try some good quality protein powder, from an animal source. I prefer whey and egg white sources. Skip the peas, hemp, and vegetable sources. You might be able to get enough protein from making yourself some protein smoothies. You see how I've recommended from the most natural source first...  I feel the protein smoothies I was drinking while living in the warm climate contributed greatly to the remission. So you may be able to solve your problems just by getting a little extra protein in your diet.

If if you're still having problems after all this, you could try the amino acid therapy. In my case, I was so ill that I was bedridden, and felt I needed something that was a bit stronger. However, with thyroid disease (and bc of meds) I've also been having liver and kidney problems. The amino acids actually help everything. Except, if the kidneys are already jammed up, the high amino acids can be a bit problematic for the kidneys. Again, there are actually a lot of studies showing amino acids can cure kidney problems, but you really want to be careful with them, because in pill form, you're getting way more than you'd ever get from a natural source.

 

Sucks to hear you were having liver and kidney problems. I presume you had a hard time getting diagnosed with hypothyroidism? I'll go in to my GP next week and tell him of my symptoms and he'll probably order me a blood work up and hopefully a thyroid function but from what I've heard thyroid function tests are no good? If they were no good why would they do them? If that was the case I really dislike going to my doctor as it is because I always feel like when I go to the doctor I feel like I'm sitting there moaning and nobody likes hearing people complaining even though it's here job and if I had to go back I would hate asking him for more broad thyroid tests. I feel like I'm coping with whatever's going on like I'm still going about my day to day life fine but I just hate the dizzy feeling and random bouts of feeling drained. I don't want to have to "cope" all the time

Yes, Jamie, to all. All my blood tests were in rang, yet, I have severe advanced thyroid disease. I persevered bc there was a giant cyst on my thyroid, as if Mitchell were a giant red beacon screaming, "here's the problem!" Even once a large cyst had formed, it was another 14 years before I found an endo who was good and could treat it. Once I moved, I had a horrible time of things and have not been able to find a good endo.

Hence, I've tried a more natural approach. I've tried a lot of things, and have had quite a bit of progress. Some things help, some don't. The synthetic meds actually accelerate the disease. If you must take meds, it's best to use glandular so and to plan to take them temporarily while you're solving the underlying problems of toxicity, and stress through natural treatments.

 

Jamie MTCatherine is spot on.

Sounds good but self diagnosis is never good, I don't for sure know this is even what's going on so wouldn't be best for me to start treating something myself that might not even be

Perhaps your dr can help you . May I suggest that if you are concerned that you may have a thyroid disorder that a full thyroid screening plus thyroid antibodies screening plus anas, plus ebv plus a full anaemia and bone profile screening be done. Failing that then the other opion would be to get these tests done privately.

Take care.

 

typos option

Hi there. Somebody at my work has had an underactive thyroid for the past decade and that's why when I looked this up and she told me about it that it shouted out to me! She told me to ask to be tested for it but said that I should ask for a full thyroid panel of tests. Do you think my doctor would be open to doing this? I have been reading about some doctors refusing to do this. I don't know why though? I mean it is just a blood test it's not like it's a thousands of pounds worth CT scan or something. I think I'll go in to see my doc tomorrow

Hi Jamie, your friend was correct. Thyroid disease is extremely underdiagnosed bc the initial screening process is inadequate. The TSH test has been used for decades for screening because nothing else was available. But it only tells you what your pituitary gland (in the brain) is doing, based on what your brain thinks is going on. Often with advanced thyroid disease, or certain types of thyroid disorders caused by heavy metal toxicity, the brain does not respond by producing more thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH). The pituitary only tries to stimulate the thyroid to produce more thyroxin based on certain feedback loop constituents, in this case, believed to be mainly T4. So if you have a problem anywhere else in the complex thyroid feedback loop, it's unlikely to be seen by your pituitary function. 

There are many other tests that can be done, so it's best to look at the whole picture,ma full thyroid panel,madditional antibody tests, and symptoms, because thyroid disease is not a clear science. 

Also, treating thyroid disease is just as unclear as diagnosing.

All sounds so stupid. I don't understand if it's so ridiculously undiagnosed then why don't they do the extra tests. The NHS says that there is other tests to check for T3 levels or something but it isn't routine because T3 levels often remain normal even with a quite severe underactive thyroid

Jamie, you understand perfectly. Now extrapolate to medications, and you see what's ahead. Think diagnostics are bad? Meds are worse.

This is is why so many people search for alternative treatments.