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[CLKD]

Risks based on very old 'research' apparently.

[Mary G]

I think part of the problem is those wretched HRT studies.   Even though they have been discredited for being deeply flawed, mud sticks and the likes of Beral and McPherson (well past his sell by date judging by the state of him on Newsnight recently where he could barely string a sentence together) stick to it like the proverbial to a blanket.   

There needs to be a huge push to consign those studies to the dustbin of history along with the dinosaurs who are still wedded to it.

One thing they did (nearly) get right was the name, Million Women Study...  responsible for ruining millions of women's lives.

[CLKD]

A large shredder required!!

[SueLW]

They wouldn't not prescribe the necessary treatment for a thyroid condition,

Oh Dancinggirl, how I wish you were right about the above.  Thyroid diagnosis and treatment in this country is dire.  One of the worst there is.  You have to be nearly dead to get a starter dose of Levothyroxine these days.  Its got worse recently.  The choice of medication is 1.  The level of illness has to be almost non-functional to start treatment and then the chances of getting proper dose adjustment and care is close to zero.

I'd say it's worse than HRT.  I suffer both.  It's easier to get HRT and to try different HRT's.  Thyroid is kiss of death on the NHS.  A slow, depressed, fat, exhausted, lingering death.

I've had yet another gp appointment today where I've been told to loose weight.  I didn't have a weight problem before I got sick.  And I'm doing my best to make myself well despite the gp's, but I'm not even close yet and the thought of exercise makes me want to curl up and sob.

They think we are all bone idle wasters.

[CLKD]

Oh Sue   

Have you been referred to an endochronolist recently if your GP won't help?

[Dancinggirl]

SueLW - you are right about support for thyroid issues but at least if they do diagnose you properly, they don't frighten you about the treatment as they would with HRT.
I'm afraid I have found I have to go privately for most things now which I really can't afford. DG x

[SueLW]

Oh Sue   

Have you been referred to an endochronolist recently if your GP won't help?

I do have an endocrinologist appointment at the end of October, but that's to see if they can find anything wrong with my adrenal status.  I failed a short synacthen test 2 years ago and the results were ignored!  Now I'm trying to get my GP to repeat it but she is reluctant.  So she referred me. 

Sadly the view of many patients is that endocrinologists are useless at thyroid issues unless you are very lucky.

I've read extensively on thyroid over the past 6 years.  I am prepared to treat myself if they won't do what I know I need.  But for now I'm seeing how far they will go.  I had to get a private doctor, the one I see for HRT, to start me on thyroxine because I wasn't deemed ill enough by the NHS.

[SueLW]

but at least if they do diagnose you properly, they don't frighten you about the treatment

But they do.  They are terrified of osteoporosis and are fixated on the TSH blood test.  They ignore free T3 altogether, even though it is the active thyroid hormone and fixate on the pituitary hormone TSH which means many patients never get a big enough dose of medication to make them well. 

It's a crushing disease and the treatment is poor.

[Mary G]

Question: why don't the NHS conduct proper thyroid tests namely T3 free/total, T4 free/total and TSH?  You need the whole lot tested.

[Dancinggirl]

SueLW - I didn't know that thyroid treatment caused osteoporosis!!! Gosh I'm learning new things. I know so many women on thyroid treatment I thought it was something readily treated by the NHS!! I do have a friend who was suffering with burning mouth syndrome and her dentist referred her to specialists at Guy's Hospital and they diagnosed an under active thyroid (borderline) and put her on a low dose treatment which has transformed her life!!!  Hope you get what you need.  DG x

[SueLW]

SueLW - I didn't know that thyroid treatment caused osteoporosis!!! Gosh I'm learning new things. I know so many women on thyroid treatment I thought it was something readily treated by the NHS!! I do have a friend who was suffering with burning mouth syndrome and her dentist referred her to specialists at Guy's Hospital and they diagnosed an under active thyroid (borderline) and put her on a low dose treatment which has transformed her life!!!  Hope you get what you need.  DG x

Oh, Dancinggirl, don't get me wrong.  Hyperthyroidism, over active thyroid, can cause osteoporosis. Under active hypothyroidism doesn't.  But doctors no longer treat and diagnose on symptoms.  They worship the blood test instead.  TSH is a pituitary hormone, not a thyroid hormone and problems with the pituitary gland can make the numbers look high or low without there being a thyroid problem.  Or the number can fall low whilst the patient still has symptoms but the doctor won't increase the meds because they are afraid that the patient has become hyper and at risk for osteoporosis and heart disease.  So they keep patients under medicated to save themselves.  That's the jist of it.

Thyroid hormone needs steady and reasonably good levels of oestrogen to work well too.  Trying to balance both at the same time is hard.  But I do think I understand it more than either of my doctors.  They say some quite worrying things really. Things that give a red flag to their level of understanding.

[SueLW]

Question: why don't the NHS conduct proper thyroid tests namely T3 free/total, T4 free/total and TSH?  You need the whole lot tested.

Because of cost?  Or ignorance? Or perhaps both.  I've had doctors argue T3 is irrelevant. 

[CarryWarry]

My lovely Mum who is now 80 years old, was on HRT for 17 years and LOVED it.  She is fab for her age and makes me feel older than her at the moment!!!

My consultant wants me to stay on HRT for the rest of my life as she thinks it's perfectly safe and research has proved this.  I do realise that we have never had breast cancer in our family though and not sure how I'd feel if this were the case...  At the moment I'm more than happy to stay on it forever, even though mine still needs tweaking to perfection x

[CLKD]

Even I know that T3 is important in getting correct treatment  . ......... that stinks of negligence!

[Sgtvhilts]

I thought long and hard before starting hrt 4 months ago- basically I dithered for about 2 years. I am gutted by the fact that it has worked so well, i should have done it sooner.
When i went back to my go for the early review- he asked how long i was thinking about taking it- my reply-the rest of my life pal!!! Te he. But actually i meant it.
I have become a bit philosophical in my ripe old age of 48!! I am thinking - heck i'm only here once and i intend to enjoy it!!. Quality over quantity and all that.
Of course this outlook may well change, but at the mo it is all good ( well, a few night sweat is all)