Hi Gemini. Thanks. I appreciate your advice.
I know our labs are out of date but I don't have any real options. In my city, there is only one lab provider and since we are in Canada, there is no competition. I mentioned this to my doctor a month or so ago with regards to my 9 year old son's TSH which is 4.85 (0.20-6.00); it was tested after I told him of my son's slow growth and he noted my boy's slowed reflexes. I wanted more testing but he outright refused because the test was in normal range. I came back a week later and got a referral to a pediatrician (on Wednesday) who will hopefully help us out with this.
Geez.....slow growth and slowed reflexes are signs of thyroid disease and the growth thing can also be Celiac, as you probably know. It's criminal that doctors ignore signs until there is a crisis. It's infuriating and they wonder why people doctor shop. I went years without going to any doctors because of this type of BS. I honestly did better off without them.
The Canadian reference ranges don't sound that different from the American ones, quite honestly. Your ranges are too high, like many American ones and that is just stubborness on the medical fields part resisting change for the better. You must stress your son's and your symptoms and not let them brush you off. Easier said than done, I know. Is your son gluten-free or been tested for Celiac?
Anyway, I know it should be more like 0.5-3.0 but he claims our labs are different than the American system, and the testing procedure might be different so you can't compare; like how we measure cholesterol differently... Bull. The units are the same .
Yup...I agree. How different can testing be? They are checking for thyroid hormone levels and you both have symptoms and yours aren't close to resolving yet.
I also asked for free T's but a total T3 and a free T4 is what I got. Sigh. I suppose a total T3 that is that low means I have a pretty low free T3 too.
Most likely it is if the total is low. But it would have been nice to know, Doc!
I don't think I have ever been hyper. I have had shaking hands but that is usually a hypoglycemic thing for me and is improving on the gluten-free diet. I'm usually more of a slug really... LOL
If you don't think you have been hyper, you probably haven't been because it's something you won't forget. I didn't sleep for almost a week once and you can lose weight quickly....I did. Heart palps....it's horrible. It usually happens once you start treatment, when you are trying to figure the correct dose. When you are undertreated, it's unlikely it will happen. I say it usually happens when you start treatment but some lucky people don't experience it. Mine happened because I was starting to absorb the meds finally after following the gluten-free diet for 3 years and wham! The dose was too large. It can br tricky balancing the thyroid out.
I'm going to start doctor shopping this week. I have someone in mind, I just hope he's taking patients. And to be honest, I'm afraid of offending and then losing my GP since MANY people here don't have a GP at all. Ah geez, I should have asked to be referred to an endocrinologist. Oops.
Do people have no GP because they can't find someone they like or is there a shortage of good doctors? This is starting to happen in the US because.....well.....of the current administrations push through of the revamp of the health care system. I'm not trying to become political so please, people, save the debate for another time. I see people who cannot find a doctor who will accept Medicare (healthcare for seniors) because the government won't reimburse doctors that much. People are beginning to have to fight for testing or the doctors only do minimal tests. They pressure people into screening tests they don't need yet won't do testing for problems they are having....it's nuts. At least we have some competition with labs and hospitals but that is changing. There are beginning to be wait times for appointments.....much longer than normal.
Totally annoying, especially when you are not well.
Keep us posted and good luck with your search....I hope you find someone who listens. Maybe post on the other thread and ask anyone for referrals in your area?
