Hi!
First, I wish you the best of luck finding a doctor who will listen to
you. I know from personal experience that it can be extremely difficult!!!!
Second, a lot of talk goes on about the TSH since so many doctors use that
level as gospel in determining if you have high or low thyroid or normal.
Greg gave a good explanation of how all that works....or rather should work!
Doc Don (on this list, practicing in South Bend Indiana) explained to me
why blood tests are so innacurate, especially TSH. The TSH value was
determined based on 29 Scotish men (if I remember correctly). There was
no control on that, in that some were 'normal', others had low thyroid and
were treated, some had been high and were on
thyroid suppressants, others
had all or part of thyroid removed due to cancer. This then became the
international gospel for determining thyroid function (and considered 100%
accurate). Another problem is that blood tests measure the thyroid
hormones in the blood, but it is every cell in the body that needs the
hormones. We are not measuring the thyroid levels in the cells....
Another commnent made is that it is 'unhealthy people' who go for help and
have blood tests done. Ranges therefore are made from a range
of 'unhealthy people'.
Another point on the total stupidity of the TSH value as gospel for thyroid
function..... My blood tests show low thyroid hormones, with a low TSH.
Because of this low TSH, I could not get help! All said I had some form of
thyroid problem, but they refused to treat low thyroid because of the low
TSH. One maintained I was HYPERthyroid, and insinuated I was too s
tupid to
know my symptoms because what I said sounded like low thyroid but the TSH
clearly indicated that I was hyperthyroid. She was willing to put me on a
thyroid suppressant. When I questioned her about the low hormone levels
and the symptoms, she said thyroid hormones were irrelevant and as for
symptoms, "You have it backwards.... you are HYPERTHYROID!". Anyway, I
refused her thyroid suppressant....then was asked not to go back to her
again, (like I planned to anyway!)
I went to see Doc Don, and the first comment he made about the low TSH
(accually non-existent - and I was not on any thyroid medications), was
that the pituitary gland puts out the TSH....what happens if the pituitary
is not working properly?.....Little or no TSH! He said there were at least
a million things that could affect the TSH (other than the fact that it is
very innacurate). Wilson's syndrome is another that
might affect the TSH
in some people.
So basically, we cannot rely on the TSH as much of a guide...You need to
find a doctor who will treat YOU and not that slip of paper with funny
numbers written on it.
If your thyroid condition is not very severe, there are naturopathic
thyroid supplements that help many. They are not very helpful for
hashimoto's, but a lot of people do get great results with them. I was on
one for a while, but only got 2 weeks of improvement....my blood levels
still continued to plumit. But I have a few friends who are feeling much
better with them and actually feeling human again. I guess everyone is an
individual.
I wish you the best of luck!
Andrea
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