Scary Article about what Anti depressants Really do

New Studies Say Antidepressants Cause Heart Disease

Arrrgh Doctors!

I recently went with my boyfriend to his doctors appointment.  Im fairly certain he is suffering with Adrenal fatigue.

He has pretty much every symptom going. Like severe lower back pain, insomnia and sleep disturbances, ibs, vertigo,tinnitus, depression, anxiety, stress,rage, short fused, lack of libido, headaches, socially isolated, allergies, memory problems. You name it he has it.

He suffered for years in silence until i discovered my thyroid problem and discovered the connection with Adrenals. I have since connected the dots with him and so we went to docs a few weeks back.

The appointment was difficult and all the doc could see was depression and kept pushing the antidepressants. He's been on them before, they half helped but didn't cure him just took the edge of his anxiety.

He got nowhere but I stepped in and asked for blood tests and said thought he had signs of Adrenal problems. She said his symptoms don't  match! I asked what would be symptoms, all she said a fat face!

I decided she was too old school and had limited knowledge. Which i think she then knew and asked me what tests to do! I was unprepared for this i stupidly expected the doctors to know what they were doing. So all i remembered was the cortisol test. Since going i know i should have asked for aldosterone and ACTH aswell.
She has tested for a lot of others including B12, Iron, thyroid and liver.

Anyway the appointment was nothing short of a  nightmare!!

I had warned him before about blood test results and that they will only look to see if they're in green. That means they're in range, no further investigation required. Highlighted Red means they're out of range and may need looking into! (Out of range to me means serious illness and don't stop looking until you've found something!)

So I told him you need to ask for ranges. You'll probably be in range but at the low end. I said I won't be able to do it as it's your appointment, it has to come from you.

So we get in there and she seemed to be in a hurry. She just said blood tests are all fine. Brought them up quickly said a couple of names of the tests he had along with "normal". And that was it! They weren't on the screen long enough for me to see any! And all my boyfriend could do was say ok!

To be honest i understand where he's coming from. I've been there myself. I've been under prepared and overwhelmed. I know what it's like to know what you want to say but it just won't come out. To feel like whatever you say is pointless anyway. But because I am a lot better these days I can see clearer. And that's why I went with him because he hasn't got the strength to fight for his health.

Anyway all I did was simply ask her "Is it possible if we could get a print out of his results?" Fair question i thought. Obviously i was wrong. With that she turned at me and said. "What is it exactly you are after? I remember we had a lot of this before!" It felt like I'd just asked to sleep with her husband or something!

I tried to explain i just wanted to know the ranges. She interrupted with "he's in the normal range" . Everytime i got halfway through saying "that's  just the reference range" she stopped me in my tracks. I didn't even get to the point of saying he could be low in ranges. She just kept shouting "they're normal" at me. I decided i couldn't communicate with her and shut up. After all it wasn't even my appointment. I could see my boyfriend getting very stressed. 

So I half listened whilst they talked anti depressants and counselling. But I was so full of emotion I felt myself welling up!  I've always  been a bit crier, not cos i want to, but because i can't help it. In fact i hate it. I like to get things on my own merit not because people feel sorry for me!

As much as i faught it, the tears started flowing. But actually this seemed to work in my favour. She saw me and apologised for shouting. I was able to then explain my experiences of 4 years of being put through hell because my results were at the wrong end of ranges and gone undetected. Only now that Im actually on thyroid meds that Im feeling better.

She asked who my doc was and when i said the name of the head doctor she seemed quite surprised and then took me seriously. She even asked to look at my records.

So then we went through a few tests, with ranges. Not all though. So i still don't see the point in having all the tests done, wasting all that money, if they're not going to use them!

I did end up feeling sorry for her. She apologised about 4 times saying it was a bad day. I know it's not her fault, it's the way she is trained to do her job. The whole system needs shaking up. It's sad day when it takes for you to cry to get access to your own medical records! I feel there must be something we can do to make this whole process easier and stop the focus on the range but number within the range?

Anyway to cut a long story short she's actually referred him to an endocrinologist! For anyone that doesn't know that's a specialist in hormones. It's actually quite a result as however much I asked to see one, and even with my female hormones being low they still wouldn't let me.

  So we shall wait and see what they have to say. Whether or not they will have better knowledge or understanding, considering they're supposed to be the experts you'd hope so. But unfortunately it's not always been my experience in the past.

Amazing article.

Stunning Discoveries Regarding Iron, Obesity, Candida & Thyroid | Weight Loss News

Here's an article I've just found that really makes sense, puts all the pieces of the puzzle together.

Article explaining it better than me!

The Right Kind of Vitamin B12 is Vital for Treating Deficiency

B12 Update

Forgot to mention yesterday about the B12 update. I probably forgot because in still deficient in B12!

I brought the 1000mcg  tablet from Holland and Barrett a few weeks back. A dose of 1000mcg should be plenty to top me up though considering im still middle of the range. In fact we only need 2.5mcg a day. The problem most people have is in the absorption. So the higher the dose the more likely people are going to get it into the system.

However theres a 3 different types of B12 one is methyl-cobalamin, another is hydro-cobalamin, the other is Cyano-cobalamin.

The problem is although all are B12, or its scientific name Cobalamin, the first part of the name refers to what type of compound it is. And can completely affect its absorption, and therefore effectiveness.

I think the problem Im having is that the Holland and Barrett variety is Cyanocobalamin. It's the Methylcobalamin variety that I need.

So will update you again when I order and get the new type (only available from overseas)!

One of those days?

Well today has been one of the worst days I've had in a long time. Probably since starting the t3. I hadn't realised quite how well I'd been, until how bad I've felt today.

I'm exhausted, depressed, fatigued, sleepy fog headed, drained just completely knackered to be honest. I feel like all I want to do is curl up in a ball and sleep.

There is two reasons that I can think of as to why this is. The first is that I've had an awful cold for the last 10days and it's finally catching up on me.

I perhaps did too much yesterday. Since my hours at work have been cut a few weeks back I now only do one day a week, woo! But even this news wasn't enough to override my previous anxiety free life. But today I can feel a wobble.

Anyway yesterday was my day to work, which I walked to. Added to that I had errands to run whilst I was in town, and then to the leisure where I swam a mile. This could of all been a little too much for my body to cope with. And it thrown a strop. Maybe on days like yesterday it needs an increase in the t3?

The other reason is my stomach. As you may be aware of or not. Most important bodily processes occur in the gut. Such as conversion of t4 to t3, and absorption of vital vitamins like D and B12.

Well I think it is something I ate, and my system has been a little 'off' today. About 30mins to an hour after taking my tablet I had to rush to the toilet. So I'm thinking the half tablet that should have got me through the afternoon got flushed out of my system. And that's why I'm feeling so low.

However it could all just be a coincidence, and I might be just be having one of those days! We'll see what tomorrow brings.

One month on T3

Well its been 4 weeks on the t3 and not really had any proper improvement or changes since a few weeks back.

Lots of my symptoms have got better, some have got worse. The positives I've noticed are my anxiety has disappeared! My depression almost eradicated. I have loads more energy. My mind is more focused, less stressed. I sleep very well, and through the night. Complexion and skin have improved greatly. Nails stronger. Constipation gone.  No muscle cramps.

However to couple with that, a lot of my symptoms have also got worse. I ache all over, all the time. Numbness of extremities is a lot more frequent.  Common Headaches (not migraines like I used to have). Severe fatigue and tiredness (can't stay awake later than 10pm). Increased hunger. Joint stiffness. 

Seeing as its hasn't been the miracle I had been hoping for, I am looking into possible reasons or alternative causes.

My first instinct is that my doses are wrong. However my doctor has advised against upping my dose because at my 4week check at the doctors my blood pressure had raised slightly from 90 to 95. However a home one revealed my bottom line was only 73.

My next port of call is Vitamin B12 deficiency.  Something I'd heard of, but never really knew the symptoms. Apparently I should have.

Although it may have eased my conscience being vegetarian for about 6yrs, from a health point of view it probably hasn't done me any favours.  However, I didn't know B12 was so important. I also didn't know you only found it in animal products. Obviously I have eggs, dairy and occasionally fish. But probably not enough to compensate.

Yes it might be my fault for not finding out. But its nothing you generally get told. People ask you how you get your protein and Iron, both of which I get plenty of from non animal sources. But not once has someone asked how I get my Vitamin B12!

Not even the doctor. Whom I went to 4 years ago with every single B12 deficiency symptom going. From aching joints, sore mouth, muscle weakness, depression, memory problems and fatigue. They tested my B12. It was even low, 280 in a ref  range of 179 -1164. But they did nothing. Didn't even ask if I was vegetarian.

It is only now, 4 years later, when I ask the doctor I find out how low it was. Because it was 'in range' I was considered 'normal'. The fact that was the low end of the range wasn't even thought about.

I have been retested this week. My current level is 537. So the doctor has called that 'normal'. The fact that in Japan (where they have the lowest dementia rates in the world) the low is considered 550 doesn't even seem to matter.

Added to that, like all lab tests, they are not taking into account they have no ref range for me personally. How do they know i don't need 900? The answer is they don't.

I know i feel better than i did 4 years ago. To be honest i felt like death 4 years ago. Things have improved a lot. I think mainly due to my own constant research and new trials. Like the coconut oil, like the sunshine, like the elimination of fluoride. They've all helped, but not completely cured me.  If my Vit B12 levels have nearly doubled, then maybe they need to triple to make me feel properly well.

So now it falls to me to self medicate. I am currently researching what the best tablets are to buy, and the best way to take them. I'll update  when treatment begins.