Does anyone know of a disease/conditi. that has the same symptoms as low thyroid, but isn't low thyroid?

Question:

During the last two years I have been tested for low thyroid on several occasions, but my blood work keeps coming back normal. During the last few months I have felt worse and my doctor tested me for low thyroid again, but it came back normal. I have also been tested for diabetes and that has come back normal too. My symptoms are that I'm always tired, forgetful, have a hard time concentrating, losing/thinning hair, cold hands & feet, dry skin, "cloudy" thinking, unpredictable periods with bad cramps, etc. What do you think is wrong with me?? I feel like I'm going crazy because it's been two years without any answer. Thanks!

Answers:
Have your doctor order a special thyroid test that measure the amount of T3 vs the amount of reverse T3 in your thyroid panel. This is important because MOST hypothyroidism actually occurs with the patient having normal thyroid levels. The problem here is one of the most important of the thyroid hormones is not biologically active. T3 and reverse T3 are exactly the same chemically. A normal thryroid test that measure T3 can't tell the difference. However, normal T3 is biologically active while it's isomer (an isomer is the name of a molecule that, while the same chemically, is actually shaped slightly differently), reverse T3 has very little biological activity.

Anyway, if you have that test done (all standard labs do this test nowadays..exactly for the reason I just mentioned) and you have lots of reverse T3 and very little normal T3, that is the problem. There's actually a way to stimulate your thyroid into fixing this problem involving the use of synthroid, but I don't know much about it. Consult and endocrinologist.

BTW, this sort of thing tends to present in women after they have their first child. Reverse T3 is something your body makes when under stress in order to slow down processes and conserve energy.

Be sure to read the information at this website:

http://www.wilsonssyndrome.com/

Other Answers:
Find a good doc who knows about Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, Lupus, Multiple Sclerosis. Get tested for all of these. I have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and what you mentioned are a lot of the symptoms. See symptoms list at www.cfids.org . There's some good docs listed at http://www.immunesupport.com/aboutus/aboutus.cfm?info=scientific-advisory-board#scientific-advisory-board
Also, there is a Dr. Paul Cheney in North or South Carolina, a Dr. Nancy Klimas in Miami, Dr. Debra Buchwald in Seattle WA.

my son has had two low blood results and is not being tested for another three months

Thank you, piquet0727, for asking this question, as I've been experiencing the EXACT same symptoms since last December.

Thank you, Panacea, for your very informative answer! I'll schedue an appointment and request specific tests, as you suggested.

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Does anyone know of a disease/conditi. that has the same symptoms as low thyroid, but isn't low thyroid?

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