Why Am I So Tired?: Is your thyroid making you ill?

However, blood testing is a controversial method of testing for hypothyroidism as many people experience the symptoms of low grade hypothyroidism, yet show apparently normal blood test results. Moreover, many sufferers do not fit into the medical catagories doctors expect. For example, many young hypothyroid patients are not overweight, but are often underweight. Despite the fact that the majority of patients being treated for hypothyroidism by the medical profession fall into a broad ‘overweight middle-aged female’ category, men and women of all ages can develop thyroid problems at any time in their life. As there are over 100 symptoms caused by thyroid deficiency each patient can show a unique combination of symptoms; even a case of mild hypothyroidism can give rise to between 10 and 20 different symptoms in each patient.

Blood test results are created by comparing the patient’s amount of thyroxine, triiodothyronine and TSH against standard test ranges. However, the normal ranges do not always reflect what is optimum for the patient.

In order to explain this clearly let’s look at a fictitious Helen. If Helen has a thyroxine (free T4) level of 12, this would be seen by her practitioner as normal. (The medical standard range for a normal level of thyroxine is between 10 and 25.) However, for Helen to feel healthy and well her optimum level of thyroxine should be 18. This means that her test may meet the medical standard but it is still too low for her. Consequently, Helen continues to suffer from the diverse symptoms of hypothyroidism even though her GP has told her that everything is normal and she does not have a thyroid malfunction.

The only reliable method to assess and understand the ‘normal’ levels of thyroid hormones for each patient is to request blood thyroid profiles when they are symptom free. This is rarely done. Thyroid testing is not usually required for insurance examinations and healthy patients do not normally request blood tests. I believe that apart from severe thyroid disease, blood test evidence is only of value in thyroid diagnosis when used in conjunction with the elements mentioned below.

As there is no archetypal patient with ‘typical symptoms’ and the modern blood test is unreliable, many people suffer needlessly from hypothyroid symptoms. If you feel you may be suffering from a mildly underactive thyroid it is important to base any diagnosis on three elements:

1 Morning temperatures

2 Symptom assessment

3 Blood test results

In Part Two of this book I will show you how to use each of these elements accurately and safely (in conjunction with a health practitioner) so that you can begin to recover from your mild hypothyroidism.

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