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Pandora1151 · 04-20-2008, 11:51 PM

I have been suffering with symptoms of hypothyroid for a few years now. Recently, it got much worse due to some other issues but my tsh/t3/t4 was all in the "normal" to "low normal" range. I have been getting very frustrated with trying to receive help for my PCOS and figuring out what the heck else is wrong with me for a long time. I took a chance. I stopped all meds (don't read my tag at the bottom because it is completely different now) in October/November and I started doing more of my own research. My doctor basically told me that she was just guessing on what to do for me anyway. Well, after researching a lot of stuff about insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies and other supposed health care providers and how it's all about making money for them, I decided to look into an alternative. We have a Wellness Center in my city that was opened by a doctor I actually used to visit in my pre-PCOS days - when I was first starting to experience symptoms. He opened this practice because of so many women like me, who would come in complaining but receiving normal test results and his frustration at not being able to help them. I hesitated to visit him because he doesn't participate with any insurance and it cost $1500 for the basic treatment plan, not including blood tests (but my insurance did cover those). After more research, I decided that it was a benefit that he didn't participate with insurance. I paid for my visit with almost my entire FSA. In reference to the thyroid tests, yes they came back normal. However, he took it one step further and tested me for Reverse T3. Turns out, I have high levels of Reverse T3 that is causing me to be hypo! Even though my thyroid is kicking out the normal levels of TSH/T3/T4, the Reverse T3 is binding to the active T3 in my bloodstream and canceling it out. I began taking the natural supplement Armour Thyroid, that includes both T3 and T4. I haven't felt this good in 10 years! I can't believe how much better I feel. Now, mind you, he did very thorough testing of me and found some other problems I am also being treated for so it's a myriad of things that are making me feel better. But I know the jump in my energy, which still isn't even normal but is 1000 times better than what it was, is mostly due to being treated for the hypothyroid. I started the treatment for that first. I also had a Candida Yeast overgrowth, low progesterone & high estrogen/testosterone (no big surprise w/PCOS), Adrenal Fatigue, Vitamin D deficiency, Insulin Resistance/Glucose Intolerance (another test that usually came back normal, but with a 2 hour glucose tolerance test instead of a fasting insulin test I got the real story). I am currently on a temporary, 30 day diet/medication plan to kill the yeast overgrowth and in about a week I will start a natural progesterone cream that is formulated to match my body's progesterone exactly so I shouldn't have any side effects. There is a lot more to my treatment, including several supplements but after a couple months, the only meds I will be on are the progesterone cream and Armour thyroid. I posted this here for those of you who have all the symptoms with "normal" blood tests whose doctors won't treat you for hypo. I was in the same boat. Have them test your REVERSE T3. It has completely changed my life in less than a month and I'm still getting better! I also lost 9 pounds in 2 weeks on the special diet in conjunction with taking the Armour Thyroid. I got so sick of doctors telling me to lose weight and I'll be okay when it was impossible to lose any freakin weight! Exercise pooped me out. Now I actually have a little energy to exercise and stay awake during the day. To be honest, I stopped being concerned about losing weight to have a nice figure. I was so drained and sick all the time, I thought I was going to literally die in the next 5 - 10 years. I wasn't depressed. I just didn't see how my body would continue to function enough to keep me alive if I kept declining the way I was. Now I have hope again. All thanks to the Wellness Center I went to. They were my last hope and God answered my prayers! I don't know if it's appropriate to post a link. I don't want anyone to think I'm advertising. Send me a private message and I'll give you the link to their website. There's a lot of information on there about different things he looks for. He told me that 90% of the patients he sees have PCOS. Good luck everyone.