Dear Dr Peatfield – Temperature!

16430If you are taking your temperature to monitor your adrenal and thyroid situation – then I guess you should take five minutes out of your life and read this blog entry. Might save you some hassle. I have had a very surprising situation arise. I guess many people make the mistake I just made, so I guess it’s kinda important. So if you take your temps…you should read this one.

I am having discussions with Dr Peatfield about my adrenal and thyroid status. He is a major metabolic health guru over here in England. Written a really helpful book and treated many people successfully. He is kinda like the Culter of the thyroid world.

My correspondence with him is via the post. I have to write him letters. He is major league old skool and does not handle emails too well: so letter it is! He is very booked up so appointments are months apart.

Dear Dr Peatfield

Interesting things and odd discoveries have been going on over here. Let me explain:

As we discussed, and for the third time this year, I tried to support my adrenal glands, again with adrenal cortex. Now that the heart palpitations have stopped due to me giving up wheat, I tried again with Thorne brand Adrenal Cortex 50mg dose.

After 5 days on a very small quantity of adrenal cortex, just 25mg(1/2 a cap), a whole heap of nasty symptoms bombarded me and I had to stop supplementation on day seven. Toughing it out was not an option. Another adrenal experiment that failed.

Next I let side-effects dissipate and decided to get some lab tests done. You said I should get T3 and T4 tested, but I got a few other ones as well, as well my 4 x a day saliva cortisol saliva test. They are attached to this letter.

I read up and saw I need to go ‘no adrenal supplement’ on the adrenal stuff for two weeks in preparation for the tests, so I had two weeks off all adrenal support…not that I could take any anyways. I was also on zero thyroid support. Last time I tried I got a load of horrid symptoms.

Two weeks after the previous adrenal experiment, I got the tests done and awaited their results.

Next: You suggested switching adrenal brands on my next experiment, so I got some Nutri-Med Adrenal concentrate 100mg caps and tried that to see if a different brand/bigger quantity made a difference. This is the forth adrenal support attempt this year. I started and had a few bad days that week: rough but manageable. But I also had some good days too. Proper good days. Days that said “this is working”. Good news.

After 7 days I raised the dose to 2 caps a day: 200mg adrenal. Again some good days, but also a few bad days, but overall an improvement. Fatigue is probably 15pct less. I am not freezing cold anymore, but it is the hottest summer for 25 years, so not sure what to make of that yet. Libido came back as well…which is good, but the biggest problem is the fatigue and that is still very much there. I would call it chronic fatigue. I am tired all the time and only have two gears. First and second. Third, fourth and fifth are nowhere even close. I am still able to work in my office job without any problems. I cannot do any exercise whatsoever. I cannot drink any booze without feeling terrible the next day. Even a sip of beer makes for a bad next day.

Next: Thyroid Lab results came back – as attached this letter:

My comments:

1) I seem to have enough FT3 and FT4. Odd. Why am I so tired? Why am I so cold? Both in-range with high FT3. I seem to have enough hormones in me.

2) My Reverse T3 (RT3) is high (but in–range). Does this mean I have an RT3 problem? (People on-line thought I did have this problem.)

3) My Antibodies are in range…does that mean I don’t have an autoimmune condition like hashi’s?

(At this point I would like to remind you that I have had problems adding Multi B’s and B12 supplements. They have given weird side-effects and I have had to stop them. Is this a RT3 problem signal?)

Next: 4 x a day Saliva Cortisol test.

Three out of four samples are in-range. But the second sample is high and out of range. Says in the lab report that I have: ‘Resistance Stage 3 – Maladaptation: Pre-exhaustion or pre-adrenal fatigue’.

I did some research, and found some help on-line. Those people read the tests and explained that the early morning result was in fact 50pct lower than it should be, and that the rest of the days samples were too high as my body tried to compensate for the lack of cortisol in the night/morning.

I will let you decide what you think about my test results, but to summarise:

1) adrenal test shows: Resistance Stage 3 – Maladaptation: Pre-exhaustion or pre-adrenal fatigue’.

2) thyroid tests show: RT3 problem??????????

3) FT3 and FT4 both seem to show plenty of hormones…(which seems odd to me).

All through these adrenal support experiments, and breaks between-experiments, I have been religiously taking my temperature. 3 per day. 3,6,9 hours after waking. Taking the average of the three. They have all been low and unstable: which I know means adrenals struggling and thyroid fatigued. This is basically how it has been since I started taking my temps 5-6 months ago. Temps mostly between 35.4 to 35.8 deg’s c. (Using electric thermometer).

But another ‘something’ has happened: in speaking with the people on-line, they gave me loads of pointers and suggestions. One of them was to make sure I was using the correct thermometer because most/some of those electric ones are rubbish. I thought they might be a little off, and it was only a guide, so I have been using the hassle-free, 20 second electric thermometer.

I have been using that electric one for 3 years and decide to test it against one that they recommended. A Geratherm mercury free thermometer. I already had one but didn’t use it because it is a real bitch to shake down. (I have really thrash it down to get it to zero and it hurts my arm). In-mouth for 10 minutes to get an accurate reading.

And I can’t believe my bloody eyes!
What the hell is this?
Holy $hit!
Excuse my bloody language but, but, but….$%£**&*!

Results with Geratherm thermometer:
Day 1: 36.8, 36.35, 37.2 = average 36.78 deg C
Day 2: 36.5, 36.4, 37.0   = average 36.63 deg C (in the air conditioned office)
Day 3: 36.5, 36.35, 37.3 = average 36.71 deg C (in the air conditioned office)
Day 4: 36.7, 36.9, 36.7   = average 36.76 deg C (slept badly. Felt rough in day)
Day 5: 36.7, 36.4, 37.0   = average 36.70 deg C (in the air conditioned office)

Oh boy…this is a massive surprise! Huge! Super large capital letter SURPRISE!

My temps are normal! I can’t believe it.
My temps are very close to each other, i.e they are stable!

For the last six months that I have been taking my temps daily with the electric thermometer: temps have been unstable and below 36.0 – every single day!

I know the current weather is very hot for England, 25-30 deg’s C everyday…but this is a massive difference from my electric thermometer. But I don’t feel any better in this heat, and my temps are normal, and it still feel pretty rough. I have been working on a different assumption all this year!

I have had some benefits from the adrenal support: libido, I seem less cold and I have a little more energy…but I don’t know what my correct temperatures where before I started adrenal support. They may have been as above??? Not sure? Any point in stopping adrenal support to see what the temps do?

Anyways…that’s where I am at. I am not going to increase the adrenal support anymore. I don’t seem to need it. Stay at 200mg Adrenal concentrate with Nutri-Med.

What does this all mean? I am gigantically surprised about the temps. I am still very tired and fatigued…and yet have normal and stable temps? Whats going on?

What do my lab results mean when my temps are normal? My temps may have been wrong all this time, but the lab tests still show things are broken. This has not all sunk in yet.

I understand the temps have been wrong. Now it looks like my temps are stable and at the right level. Yet I still feel very fatigued. And my lab tests came in showing some things are broken:

1) 4 x a day Saliva adrenal test shows: Resistance Stage 3 – Maladaptation: Pre-exhaustion or pre-adrenal fatigue’. No enough cortisol in the morning, too much in the day.

2) Thyroid tests show: FT3 and FT4 both seem to show plenty of hormones. But high RT3 – shows I have an RT3 problem.

I’m just trying to my head around this: My temps normal. My temps stable. Yet I still have no energy. Lab tests show adrenal issues and RT3 issues.

I don’t even know if I should be happy or sad?

I guess my question is, is this normal? I mean is it normal to have normal temps, stable temps…and yet still feel so greatly lacking in energy. Is this what having an RT3 problem is like?

Your advice, help and wisdom are greatly required here. Do you want me to come down and see you? Or should we stick to the letters? Phone call?

Best regards
Sunshine

So there we have it. What fun eh! Those thermometers that do actually work correctly cost peanuts too: less than £5, or USD7.07. Available @ all Amazon websites around the world. You want a Geratherm mercury free thermometer.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Medicalises-Geratherm-Thermometer-Mercury-Free-Oral/dp/B0013NE0RC/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1375452490&sr=8-2&keywords=Geratherm+mercury+free+thermometer

In other news I am currently on holiday camping in the Loire valley in France. Weather is amazing. Super hot: 37 deg’s yesterday and 27 deg’s today. Spending much time at the pool topping up the tan! I wish every day could be a holiday!!

That’s all folks!
Sunshine.