I F'ed up, now let's fix it

[natron]

then an endocrinologist is in order...

That would be the best bet, agreed

[Tatyana]

Yup, did that too. But the doctors still ignored me and everyone continues to NOT believe me. My temp was taken every morning prior to getting out of bed for a full week. Each time I took it, it measured at or below 97

That is a normal part of our diurnal cycle, our temperature drops when we sleep, staying warm consumes the vast majority of our calories, so there is no point in keeping our body temperature up when we don't need to.

I would get a repeat thyroid function test from another lab. You have the symptoms of subclinical hypothyroidism. You need to have a FREE T4 and FREE T3, not this outdated reverse T4 and uptake nonsense. Seriously, it is at least two decades out of date in clinical biochemistry.

I would also suggest you find another doctor, and request a basic female hormone panel, note what point in your cycle this is (four days past your period is ideal), and get an LH/FSH, oestradiol, progesterone, prolactin and cortisol.


Your total protein is normal.

The [ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reference_ranges_for_common_blood_tests"]reference range[/ame] for total protein is 60-85g/L. (It is also sometimes reported as "gm/dl" = 6.0-8.5 g/dL.)

• Concentrations below the reference range usually reflect low albumin concentration, for instance in [ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liver_disease"]liver disease[/ame] or [ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acute_infection"]acute infection[/ame].

• Concentrations above the reference range are found in [ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paraproteinaemia"]paraproteinaemia[/ame], Hodgkin's lymphoma or [ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leukaemia"]leukaemia[/ame].

[figurebre]

dr. pangloss-I thought about seeing an endo, and I might still do so. I just felt like I was wasting my time...because two doctors already shewed me away. My GP asked me if I had tried WEIGHT WATCHERS?!?!?! r u f-in kidding me? and what can they do? prescribe me meds? if I take thyroid meds, Ill have to take them for life.

Tatyana-
protein total 6.9 GM/DL [6.7-8.3]
albumin 4.2 GM/DL [4.0-5.1]


and random...but why is my platelet count low? 135 [172-411]

[figurebre]

Protein count-
Was explained to me as this:
'when a woman has a baby, her protein count is lowered dramatically because it took so much work for her body to create that other human. your labwork reflects the same effect, except yours is from extreme yo-yo dieting. You have done so much damage to your body, as if you could have created another human. Your protein count is 30% lower than it should be for your age and considering you have never had a baby'

Also, Layne Norton told me my protein count was very low as well.

[Dr Pangloss]

I hate to bad-mouth family practitioners, but in the US anyway a regular doc may not give you the right answer.

As Tat said, long-term low calorie diets can ellicit hypothyrodism. An endo, given your circumstances, symptoms, and blood work, may put 2+2 together.

[Tatyana]

dr. pangloss-I thought about seeing an endo, and I might still do so. I just felt like I was wasting my time...because two doctors already shewed me away. My GP asked me if I had tried WEIGHT WATCHERS?!?!?! r u f-in kidding me? and what can they do? prescribe me meds? if I take thyroid meds, Ill have to take them for life.

Tatyana-
protein total 6.9 GM/DL [6.7-8.3]
albumin 4.2 GM/DL [4.0-5.1]


and random...but why is my platelet count low? 135 [172-411]

Can you see that both the albumin and total protein fall within the reference range?

That means they are normal.

I am not as whiz bang with haemtology, but that isn't that low. It really shouldn't cause any sort of tendency to bleed.

Reference ranges only include 95% of the population, so that may be normal for you.


It could also be an artefactual result, it just happens in some blood samples.

Again, I can't believe they didn't do a coagulation, or request a follow up coagulation/clotting profile if they think that it is an issue with total protein and your platelets are slightly low.

I personally think they are wrong going down this avenue, but if they are going to do a proper investigation, at least do it right.

[figurebre]

lets just hope no one cuts me

[Tatyana]

lets just hope no one cuts me

Your platlets have to be around 80-100 to elicit problems.

If you were having issues with platelets now, you would probably have a tendency to bruising.

No offense, your doctor sounds like he was manipulating you to stop yo-yo dieting instead of actually trying to to figure out what, if anything, is going on with you.

How long has it been since your last comp?

It can take six months to a year to re-establish equilibrium from semi-starvation.

[figurebre]

last comp was jr nats, june 2009

[Tatyana]

last comp was jr nats, june 2009

I would highly recommend you read a few web sites that discuss the Minnesota Starvation study.

I highly suspect what you are going through is a normal physiological response to a long term semi-starvation diet.

The entire article is on this link, and Wiki has a nice summary as well.

http://junkfoodscience.blogspot.com/...ieve-that.html

The biological reality of our weights and weight control, and the effects of dieting, were clinically demonstrated more than 50 years ago in what remains the definitive research on the subject. The findings in this famous study, revolutionary at the time, have been replicated in the most precise, complicated metabolic studies of food intake behavior, energy expenditure and the biochemistry of fat conducted by the country’s top obesity researchers.

[figurebre]

Natron-
u say leptin and ghrelin are being effected negatively here. What do you mean by that. These are hormones that created the feeling of 'satiety', correct? Would that mean I would feel hunrgry or not feel hungry? Because for the most part, I dont feel hungry. I would have to miss a meal by about 4.5-5 hours in order to get a hungry belly.

[Tatyana]

Natron-
u say leptin and ghrelin are being effected negatively here. What do you mean by that. These are hormones that created the feeling of 'satiety', correct? Would that mean I would feel hunrgry or not feel hungry? Because for the most part, I dont feel hungry. I would have to miss a meal by about 4.5-5 hours in order to get a hungry belly.

The more bodyfat you have, theoretically, the more leptin you will have, which promotes satiety.

Ghreliin is the hunger hormone.

I would think these hormones are doing what they are meant to do.

[natron]

Natron-
u say leptin and ghrelin are being effected negatively here. What do you mean by that. These are hormones that created the feeling of 'satiety', correct? Would that mean I would feel hunrgry or not feel hungry? Because for the most part, I dont feel hungry. I would have to miss a meal by about 4.5-5 hours in order to get a hungry belly.

It's sort of touching base with what Tat has to say in regards to the semi starvation article.

Dieting of any type causes influx and redux in ghrelin and leptin, as well as other downstream variants.

I'm not too concerned with ghrelin, but leptin can be a real bitch (for lack of a better scientific term) to regulate and get back to normal.

High leptin levels, as well as low, can have a varied effect on body composition and metabolism. It's a quite complicated hormone to explain, as it is not even close to being fully understood. But this IMO, is the main reason why hypothyroidism induced by dieting in extreme deficits coupled with weight training and exercise take a long time to correct themselves.

At this point, get to an endocrinologist, get blood work done, and work from there. That is far more important at this point.

[figurebre]

Seeing an endocrinologist is going to be harder than I thought. I have to get a referral from my general practicioner first. ugh.

[juggernaut]

I hate that referral shit-fucking GPs should die.