# My loyalties are torn...



## Jo853 (Aug 16, 2013)

Hi all

All things considered, I'm thinking about asking for T3 but I know my doctors will not like it. It would be the cheaper alternative to the T-Convert the naturopath suggested as I am unemployed and trying to keep costs to a minimum.

There is a huge "but" in all of this...

The woman who runs my local thyroid support group meetings also specialises in reflexology which I have attended up until March when they ended. Well, she has a connection with a naturopath/therapist in complementary medicine and she insisted I arrange to see her.

Keeping an open mind, I went to this appointment where she "muscle tested" me - basically moving my legs and checking their resistance in relation to certain substances and medications. She then tested my chakras and said the only chakra that seemed to be working as well as it should was the one in my hypothalamus. So the pituitary, thyroid, thymus, gut and ovary ones weren't working.
Well, that in itself shocked me as I always look well...

She then sent me a letter detailing my medication regimen. She advised me to cut out gluten and dairy, which I have done, as well as adding 6 (5 as a priority) supplements to add, as well as continue with the Vitamin D and Vitamin B12. This for me is not doable as I am unemployed and the full amount price of these supplements she is suggesting costs more than I can afford.

As a result I have not bought them because I cannot afford them. And because I am unable to find the money to pay for them I have not gone back to see her for a follow-up as I have been told she wants people to do what she says. And it's not as though I don't want to do what she's set out - I've done as much as I can afford to - I just can't afford it.

Also the woman who runs my local thyroid support group meetings has a practitioner's account to buy supplements at a discounted price for us thyroid patients but she is not a qualified practitioner. My doctors have told me that she is effectively making money from people.

She also told me that to prove Vitamin D is not toxic in large doses, she dosed herself up on Vitamin D 3000IU spray and used it 5 times in one day. So she dosed herself up on 15000IU sprays a day. Apparently this is seen as irresponsible?? If so, she is making me doubt her methods and her connections with this naturopath I have seen...

I have not been in contact with either of them but it's not because I don't like them or don't want to talk to them, but more the case that I'm finding it hard to trust them. That's one of the main reasons why I'm trying to obtain T3 medication from my doctor/endo.

Can anyone see where I'm coming from? I sound like I'm narrating some sort of satirical skit but I feel like my loyalties are torn between my doctor and the people involved in the complementary medicine. I feel terrible enough as it is without having to stress over who I ought to be seeing regarding my care. :sad0049:

Thanks

Jo xxx


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## KeepOnGoing (Jan 2, 2013)

Personally, I would try T3 first! I've been on it about 2 months now, and it has totally transformed how I feel! I have gone from not being able to get through the afternoon without a nap to having the energy to think about running again! (note I did only say think about, but that's massive progress for me!)

I have some experience of alternative medicine, and there is much good there. However, when they start asking me to spend a great deal of money on particular supplements, I too start to feel uncomfortable.

If T3 doesn't help, then at least you know you have a Plan B to consider.


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## Jo853 (Aug 16, 2013)

Thank you very much for your reply.  I really appreciate feedback on this.

Because I feel no better with what I've been doing I would like to ask my doctor or endo to try me on T3, definitely. However, my doctors are now fully booked up until the 1st May. I was prepared to give it a day but when the receptionist told me that they were fully booked I figured there would be no chance of me being seen anytime soon.

So it looks like my other options now are to go to an urgent care centre at the hospital that I'm going to in May and suggest they put me through to the endo department to handle my query with T3, option 2 is to buy it online (which I know my doctor will get cross about), or option 3 is to just wait it out. To me, the 1st of May is a long time to wait for a doctor's appointment but by the same token so is waiting until the 20th May for my endo appointment!

Jo xxx


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## bigfoot (May 13, 2011)

In my eyes, western medicine and naturopathic medicine complement each other. What the naturopath suggested sounds somewhat familiar, based on what you are describing. Unfortunately, as you pointed out, the costs of obtaining supplements can get expensive. I think doing what you can to make yourself healthier overall are great steps in the right direction -- such as trying to cut out the gluten and dairy and seeing what happens. As far as the support group, it sounds good, but I would be cautious about obtaining medications from someone without a license.

I wonder if it's possible for you to call your regular doctor's office, speak to a nurse, and request that your doc let you trial a small amount of T3 -- perhaps 5 mcg daily. You could see what the T3 does for you in the meantime before the actual appointment, and share the results then with your doc. Since T3 is so fast-acting, you wouldn't have to wait long to at least see some sort of benefit from it. You said something about visiting an urgent care center; I'm not sure how that is run over there, but here it's essentially for everything from sprained ankles to routine physical exams. At best, they might hear you out and be willing to prescribe some T3. Your mention of buying T3 online -- I would steer clear of that if you can. There is no way to guarantee you are getting safe, effective medication that way. At the very least, it might not work, and at the worst, it could be downright dangerous.

My $0.02, FWIW -- I think you should focus your attention on one area at a time. You are getting pulled many directions at once. It's best to adjust only one thing at a time, if possible. It sounds like you are very interested in T3, so I would pursue that angle first. I'd also be somewhat careful about burning any bridges with doctors, so to speak -- especially in a system where merely getting an appointment is a complete hassle.


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## Octavia (Aug 1, 2011)

bigfoot said:


> My $0.02, FWIW -- I think you should focus your attention on one area at a time. You are getting pulled many directions at once. It's best to adjust only one thing at a time, if possible. It sounds like you are very interested in T3, so I would pursue that angle first. I'd also be somewhat careful about burning any bridges with doctors, so to speak -- especially in a system where merely getting an appointment is a complete hassle.


I agree with this.


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## Jo853 (Aug 16, 2013)

Hi thanks for your reply.

Yes, I'm not sure if this woman has a licence...

I'm trying to get an appointment with the doctor who is clued up about T4 to T3 conversion but with appointments at the surgery fully booked up to the 1st that's pretty much impossible unless I now say it's more of an urgency. Unfortunately the receptionists tend to ask if the appointment is urgent. And to me it is as I've bid my time long enough for. And it concerns medication I take every day so surely that'd be one of their definitions of "urgent"...I don't know how receptionists' minds work.

Yes, an urgent care center here in the United Kingdom is for cuts and sprains. I have been there before for a swollen ankle and they suspected a hypo flare, so they called my doctor and secured me an appointment with them on my behalf as they were fully booked then, too.

So what I will now look to do is book an appointment with this doctor next week - no later - and insist on seeing him as he was the one who mentioned T4 to T3 conversion in the first instance. How I then word what I want to say is another matter. I guess something along the lines of "I have a question about my medication" and he'll then ask why. I'll then say "I don't think it's working." He'll more than likely bump my medication up but surely if I hand him a copy of my results that say my FT3 is in range but low he may consider a trial of T3. How that'll work I'm not sure but I'm not an assertive person and rarely do I get what I want with doctors!

Jo xxx


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## bigfoot (May 13, 2011)

Gotta remember, the receptionists are the first line of "defense" (so to speak) for screening patients. Beyond that, you've got the medical assistants, CNAs, and RNs. And further up the food chain is the actual doctor. If you feel your matter is urgent, just say so. Politely tell them you're having a lot of difficulty with daily functions, and that you are concerned about your disease having flared up & medication levels, and that you were recommended to this particular doctor since he/she is knowledgable.

It's not unusual here in the U.S. to wait for weeks or months to see doctors, too. Generally, once you are an established patient, things get a little bit easier, but you still may have to take wait. Doubly so if this doc is a surgeon, which it sounds like he/she may be.


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## Jo853 (Aug 16, 2013)

Hi thanks for your reply. 

I'll go ahead and tell the receptionist that I'm having difficulty with daily functions and that I'm concerned about the disease having flared up and medication levels.

Ah yes, upon looking up this doctor on the website one of his titles is MB ChB, which does mean he is a surgeon...but then so is the one who understands autoimmunity but not T4 conversion to T3. How confusing. I can only assume the two doctors trained and graduated from different colleges if that be the case.

But yes, I'll do what you helpfully advised and see how it goes. 

Jo xxx


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## bigfoot (May 13, 2011)

Jo853 said:


> I can only assume the two doctors trained and graduated from different colleges if that be the case.


I learned a while ago that it really isn't about the piece of paper hanging on the wall.


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## Jo853 (Aug 16, 2013)

bigfoot said:


> I learned a while ago that it really isn't about the piece of paper hanging on the wall.


Good point. I didn't think of that. :lol:


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## KeepOnGoing (Jan 2, 2013)

I got T3 (in the UK) by asking if I could try it, to see if it helped my symptoms. I definitely didn't underplay the difficulties I was having, but they were very real and were affecting my quality of life significantly. My FT4 was way over the top of the range but my FT3 was below the bottom of the range. I couldn't really function at all and my TSH was still not suppressed.

Mind you, I'm not sure if my GP would have prescribed it - the oncologist had to talk to the endo before prescribing it, so it does depend on how knowledgeable / brave your GP is. Also it is expensive - worth pointing out that 30 x 20mcg tablets would last you 2 months on 10mcg per day.

Good luck - I've really noticed a difference and am just hoping that the blood test results keep the oncologist happy too.


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## CA-Lynn (Apr 29, 2010)

My two cents: there are a lot of non-professional people out there who prey on the vulnerable and give them false hope, all in the name of making money off their "advice" and selling products.

Consider that the infinite majority does extremely well on REAL thyroid medication.


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## KeepOnGoing (Jan 2, 2013)

The problem is, when you are one of the minority of people who do not do well on T4, you are driven to trying out things you wouldn't otherwise dream of, just for the chance, however unlikely, of feeling well again.

It has taken nearly 2 years to get T3, and by the beginning of this year, basically I'd have tried anything even vaguely sane in the hope that it would work. Now I'm on the T3 and it's working, I look back in amazement. But if they ever wanted to take me off the T3 again...

Hang on in there. It will get better.


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## Jo853 (Aug 16, 2013)

KeepOnGoing said:


> I got T3 (in the UK) by asking if I could try it, to see if it helped my symptoms. I definitely didn't underplay the difficulties I was having, but they were very real and were affecting my quality of life significantly. My FT4 was way over the top of the range but my FT3 was below the bottom of the range. I couldn't really function at all and my TSH was still not suppressed.
> 
> Mind you, I'm not sure if my GP would have prescribed it - the oncologist had to talk to the endo before prescribing it, so it does depend on how knowledgeable / brave your GP is. Also it is expensive - worth pointing out that 30 x 20mcg tablets would last you 2 months on 10mcg per day.
> 
> Good luck - I've really noticed a difference and am just hoping that the blood test results keep the oncologist happy too.


Hi thanks for your reply.

Whenever I see my doctor about how I've been feeling - and I always go to them reporting tiredness, fatigue, achy muscles, depression, constipation -- all the major hypo symptoms which have stayed with me all the time -- they do not go through all blood tests I have had done, only the previous one - and even then they don't suggest moving my medication up.

I don't understand it as the doctors are making me believe that in order to feel completely well my medication doesn't need to be moved up any more - but is it something I have to tell them? They're the ones who should know, surely...It's so confusing yet frustrating at the same time.

I have absolutely no idea how brave my doctor is but I can only hope he is keen enough for me to try T3 as a trial course.

Jo xxx


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## Jo853 (Aug 16, 2013)

CA-Lynn said:


> My two cents: there are a lot of non-professional people out there who prey on the vulnerable and give them false hope, all in the name of making money off their "advice" and selling products.
> 
> Consider that the infinite majority does extremely well on REAL thyroid medication.


Hi thanks for your reply.

I am very sure that this naturopath I saw did give me false hope as she suggested I had dairy intolerance - yet my symptoms do not correlate with dairy intolerance but dairy allergy. Ones I have experienced are highlighted in bold after drinking/consuming milk (at present I do not drink milk as I have eliminated it)

Symptoms of dairy intolerance are: bloating, cramps, *flatulence*, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting.

Symptoms of dairy allergy are: *skin rash*, *hives*, vomiting, *constipation*, stomach pain, *flatulence*.

:confused0006:

I cannot help but question her methods in diagnosis.

Jo xxx


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## Jo853 (Aug 16, 2013)

KeepOnGoing said:


> The problem is, when you are one of the minority of people who do not do well on T4, you are driven to trying out things you wouldn't otherwise dream of, just for the chance, however unlikely, of feeling well again.
> 
> It has taken nearly 2 years to get T3, and by the beginning of this year, basically I'd have tried anything even vaguely sane in the hope that it would work. Now I'm on the T3 and it's working, I look back in amazement. But if they ever wanted to take me off the T3 again...
> 
> Hang on in there. It will get better.


Hi, thanks for your reply. 

Yes, indeed. I have myself been driven to trying out all sorts to feel well again.

Things I have tried have included: reflexology, herbal remedies, autoimmune diet, etc. With the autoimmune diet the meals are incredibly broad and they consist of ingredients I myself cannot afford as I have no income except sick pay.

The herbal remedies have mainly been teas like peppermint tea, raspberry/elderberry tea, camomile tea. The one I have bought lately is dandelion, licorice, camomile and peppermint tea - only as it has "detoxifying" properties. It was cheap and I thought maybe it was worth a try. After drinking it I felt more alert and "peppy" but I want to give this particular thing more time to work as I am not sure it's as straightforward as one drink and everything's better again.

I doubt it will quell the antibody levels. In fact someone specialised in autoimmune/paleo protocol says that the only thing they know of that controls antibodiy levels is selenium - which I do not take.

So I can only assume that my antibody levels are still waxing and waning - and I won't know that until they are tested again and I would then know for definite.

Jo xxx


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