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Questions and Answers Segment
Your questions answered
every 2 weeks. If you have a question for Dr Elstein,
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QUESTION 1:
I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's
disease in 2001. I take thyroid extract (pork derived).
My levels of TSH, T3, T4 are all 'normal' according to
blood tests but I still feel terrible. I have tinnitus
(but no hearing problems), TMJ problems, I'm tired all
the time, sensitive to loud noises, have a very low
tolerance to any stressors etc. I have read a lot of
interesting material on sites like yours that suggest
there may be ways to help me but no doctors I have been
to seem to be open to exploring these alternatives. Can
you recommend any holistic doctors in Melbourne who
really understand the complexities of autoimmune disease
and things like adrenal fatigue?
Answer:
There is some evidence that armour thyroid
which is the pork extract you describe can increase
reverse T3. This
hormone undermines the activity of T3 and T 4 making
these hormones less effective.
There are other ways to take T4 and T3, which are
formulated by compounding pharmacies.
You can contact 95896088, which is the phone
number of an organization that has a database of all the
doctors in Melbourne who are aware of this type of
treatment and utilise compounding pharmacies.
QUESTION 2: About 3 months ago I felt a
hot flushing in my face which persisted on & off, at
this time I took my temp (with a Braun ear thermometer)
it was around the 37.8 mark, I continued to monitor it
for around 3 weeks with temps ranging from 37.2 to 38.3
at all times, taking panadol would not bring it back to
(what I know my normal temp range is) of around 36.5.
Other than fatigue no other symptoms appeared.
I went to my local GP who was very thorough and
had me keep up the monitoring while having bloods &
repeat bloods done (all OK apart from fe studies were a
little low) as well as a chest X-ray, pelvis and abdo CT
(all came back normal). As these were all normal
he referred me to a specialist who examined me and told
me that until other symptoms appear there was nothing
they would do. He also told me to buy a mercury thermometer as he thought
that was a more accurate reading and said that I could
expect the mercury reading to be about 0.5 less than the
ear reading. Even now my temps still range between
37.2 and 38.3 with the ear reading and with the mercury
reading they are about 36.8 to 37.3.
The issue that I have is as I said previously
when I have taken my temp prior to this my normal range
has always been around 36.5 but I feel as though I'm
being dismissed and they think it's my reading that is
incorrect. In
saying that my local GP uses the ear reading also and is
getting the same result that I am at home.
Do you have any advice on where I should take
this next?
Answer: 37.8
would be the centigrade equivalent of close to 100
degrees Fahrenheit, which would definitely constitute a
fever. It
could be that you have an abnormal germ lurking
somewhere in your body.
Your GP could organise to do what is termed a
blood culture collection, which is one way to identify
abnormal germs. It is also possible that you have an
overactive thyroid or adrenals that are working overtime
and these possibilities can be evaluated by means of the
appropriate medical investigations.
Archives
Spa
Chakra
Phone 02 93680888
The Wharf
Woolloomooloo
Sydney
AUSTRALIA
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