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Hey, if you walk in to a doc's office convinced that nothing else will work, why is the outcome a surprise? Self-fulfilling prophesy and placebo effect in reverse.
Who walks into a doc's office thinking nothing will work. I walked into probably 6 MD's over the 10 yrs seeking help, looking for support....you saying I had a self-fulfilling prophesy all those years. I was in depression and looking help and my GUT says it's sluggish thyroid but the numbers said otherwise. Oh those wise numbers and my dumb gut. Who knows our bodies best?
We are symptoms: depression, fatigue, weakness, cold/hot extremeties, apnea, hair loss, eye brow hair loss, pain, women's cycles, hormones, etc etc and there are some 60 symptoms to LOW thyroid.
I am not numbers, are YOU? If one believes that, then pharma has got them hook, line, sinker.
Last edited by jaminhealth; 01-15-2018 at 02:43 PM..
Well, all I can say I went 10 long years with depression, number of A/D drugs, and once on thyroid support the depression lifted. Coincidence?
Today, all doctors check with numbers. The D.O. who put me on Armour in 2002, did no labs, he knew as he was from the original old medical schools. Even the integrative MD I see does numbers. But I'm so thankful for the D.O. and his medical knowledge. I just know the depression was gone and that was a 10 yr nightmare.
I don't care what the med is doing with the thyroid, I'm good now, and I was 63 when finally put on the med.
So many, thousands/millions, I have no idea how much, are taking A/D drugs and could very well need thyroid support, but due to numbers don't get it. I'm so thankful to be off the cocktails of drugs for depression.
Suzy, there are many schools of healing.
Quote:
Originally Posted by suzy_q2010
One symptom can be due to many different causes. You insist on ignoring well established test results that show that thyroid function is either normal or not.
If the thyroid function studies are normal, the thyroid function is normal. Another reason for the symptom needs to be found.
^^^ both above posts illustrate the TRUTH of what every human being experience in their HEALTH and physical experiences... There's always a combination and must rule out scenario required. Some issues directly affect one system.. meanwhile other's can either and exasperate them or countering some of them.
There's been many strides made in this area of HC.. but to even try to pigeonhole ONE simple explanation is a "Fool's" errand!!! Medical folks look into familial tenancies and target what's genetically associated! A lot of historical info often exposes familial tendencies> A few would be Cancer/ Huntington's Chorea/ Heart Disease or any other familial history!!
What I cannot abide by is some wishing that symptoms are singular!! They are NOT.. It's always a combination!! and ignoring one symptom can and does often identify underlying issues which can and could be treated BEFORE the combo becomes too difficult to treat..
I don't remember when exactly, but the normal TSH range changed about 10-15 years ago. The normal range is a reference range and not everyone will fit neatly within that range, but many doctors tend to use rigid interpretations of the numbers.
When you hear the words, Your thyroid is normal , ask what the number was and what reference range the lab used. If you have unresolved symptoms, talk to your doctor about it. If he/she insists on using a rigid interpretation, look for another doctor. In the meantime, take charge of your health. Evaluate your diet. Reduce or eliminate foods that could be inhibiting your gland's ability to uptake iodine (goitrogens for example), and make sure you are getting enough foods with iodine.
If pig thyroid comes from factory-farmed pigs that are pumped full of antibiotics and who knows what else, I would be inclined to pass.
The ranges changed because testing methodology changed. More sensitive tests were developed.
Most people are going to be definitely within the normal range or definitely outside the normal range.
For those who are on the bubble of falling outside whatever the test range is, I think you will find most doctors are willing to evaluate the patient and perhaps do additional testing. Doctors do individualize treatment plans for patients.
Yes, porcine thyroid powder is made from glands from pigs slaughtered for food.
I have hypothyroidism. I went years with every symptom and was never diagnosed. Most doctors only do the basic tests and that's it. I had several endocrinologists refuse to even run the antibodies tests. One endo even told me that she could tell just by looking at me that my thyroid wasn't the problem.
Found a great family practice doc who is very well versed on thyroid issues. He ran the full battery of tests that the other doctors refused to do, and low and behold, my numbers were all messed up. I've been on thyroid meds for a couple years now and all my symptoms are gone.
I also found out that the guidelines are different depending on where you live. In Canada, for example, the "normal" range is different than the "normal" range in the US. So someone who is diagnosed with hypothyroidism in Canada and considered as needing treatment would be classified as normal in the US and no intervention will be given in most cases (unless you find a doc who treats based on symptoms). That's messed up.
I have hypothyroidism. I went years with every symptom and was never diagnosed. Most doctors only do the basic tests and that's it. I had several endocrinologists refuse to even run the antibodies tests. One endo even told me that she could tell just by looking at me that my thyroid wasn't the problem.
Found a great family practice doc who is very well versed on thyroid issues. He ran the full battery of tests that the other doctors refused to do, and low and behold, my numbers were all messed up. I've been on thyroid meds for a couple years now and all my symptoms are gone.
I also found out that the guidelines are different depending on where you live. In Canada, for example, the "normal" range is different than the "normal" range in the US. So someone who is diagnosed with hypothyroidism in Canada and considered as needing treatment would be classified as normal in the US and no intervention will be given in most cases (unless you find a doc who treats based on symptoms). That's messed up.
You said one endo could tell by looking at you that your thyroid is no problem. While in the 10 yrs I was seeking help, one endo felt around my neck and said you are fine but you have Fibro...then one endo had me drink a cup of water and said your thyroid is fine. I ran out of both their offices as soon as I could.
And guidelines, good grief, really makes one wonder more and more about them all and those numbers.
So I have a question since we are having this discussion. Is there any difference in the way a person would feel having a TSH in the high-normal range (say 3.0) vs. someone (like my husband) with a normal of .5?
I have always been curious since my TSH is always "normal" but on the higher end.
I would imagine it depends on the individual. My endo got mine down from 38 to 4.0 and I felt a ton better but not just right. She increased the synthroid and got it down to 2.0.
The difference change was very gradual but my eyebrows and lashes grew back, facial puffiness went away and the hair on my head is finally filling in. Small stuff but significant for me.
The cautionary note is to make sure you don't become hyperthyroid.
I have hypothyroidism. I went years with every symptom and was never diagnosed. Most doctors only do the basic tests and that's it. I had several endocrinologists refuse to even run the antibodies tests. One endo even told me that she could tell just by looking at me that my thyroid wasn't the problem.
Found a great family practice doc who is very well versed on thyroid issues. He ran the full battery of tests that the other doctors refused to do, and low and behold, my numbers were all messed up. I've been on thyroid meds for a couple years now and all my symptoms are gone.
I also found out that the guidelines are different depending on where you live. In Canada, for example, the "normal" range is different than the "normal" range in the US. So someone who is diagnosed with hypothyroidism in Canada and considered as needing treatment would be classified as normal in the US and no intervention will be given in most cases (unless you find a doc who treats based on symptoms). That's messed up.
The "normal" range depends on the lab doing the test. "Normals" are determined by testing groups of people with no symptoms and are designed to encompass about 95% of "normals". That testing has to be done for every different testing system used.
Therefore it is not "messed up" that the normal range would be different between a lab in the US and a lab in Canada.
In fact, the ranges will differ from lab to lab within either country. You would not use your test result from one lab with the normal range from another lab.
If you are re-tested, you use the range for the lab that does the test.
The problem with chasing symptoms is that the symptom, and for hypothyroidism it is often fatigue, is that hypothyroidism has symptoms that can be caused by many other conditions, and that is especially true of fatigue. Changing medication and escalating doses can just result in overtreatment, and there are risks, especially heart risks, to doing that. That is why it is irresponsible to tell people to ignore the numbers and just treat the symptoms.
Jamin has never had abnormal thyroid function studies. She found a doctor who was willing to give her thyroid medication with no evidence that she was hypothyroid.
I didn't have an "abnormal" test - just on the low end, but the doc put me on meds too. Made a big difference. Very low dose.
I have hypothyroidism. I went years with every symptom and was never diagnosed. Most doctors only do the basic tests and that's it. I had several endocrinologists refuse to even run the antibodies tests. One endo even told me that she could tell just by looking at me that my thyroid wasn't the problem.
Found a great family practice doc who is very well versed on thyroid issues. He ran the full battery of tests that the other doctors refused to do, and low and behold, my numbers were all messed up. I've been on thyroid meds for a couple years now and all my symptoms are gone.
I also found out that the guidelines are different depending on where you live. In Canada, for example, the "normal" range is different than the "normal" range in the US. So someone who is diagnosed with hypothyroidism in Canada and considered as needing treatment would be classified as normal in the US and no intervention will be given in most cases (unless you find a doc who treats based on symptoms). That's messed up.
Yes, this is the kind of problem I was referring to when doctors use rigid interpretations of the reference range. The reference range is still debated, by the way.
Thyroid disorders can go undetected for a long time when only going by rigid interpretations of the reference guidelines while ignoring other symptoms and refusing further tests. Symptoms can, and often do, surface before a disorder progresses to the point where the patient falls outside the normal reference range. It can go on for many years. The problem is insufficient diagnostics.
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