Back from gp's .....

[lare73]

Ok, my 10 min appointment turned into 20!

Basically this was the outcome;;

Parathyroid hormone (?) not sure what this is, and calcium blood test to be done.

She is going to speak to the lab about getting my t3 test done.

Booked me in for thyroid ultrasound

Faxing a referral to dr skinner - she didn't know who he was, she agreed she would honour any prescriptions, hope she doesn't look him up.

Sicknote for 2 weeks with assurance I will not go back until I am well.

Not given vitamin d supplements until other test results come back.

Rebooked to see her in 2 weeks for results.

I am happy with everything, she assures me she will get to the bottom of my symptoms.

Phew

[shaws Administrator]

That's good - she sounds a sensible GP

[lare73]

Quick update,

doctor just telephoned, she spoke to the lab and they have agreed to do my t3!

She discussed my case with him and he said he has seen a few women present like me post partum, so want to see t3 then decide of the next step.

she said they had discussed a trial of thyroxine but thought it would decrease my tsh, which is 1.9 and that I would feel worse (?)

[greygoose]

When you see her, ask her why she thinks you would feel worse if your TSH was lowered by taking thyroxine. I would be curious to hear what she has to say.

Congratulations for the rest, Grey

[lare73 in reply to greygoose]

She did seem to be flippant when she said it, i started to mention conversion and she said let's just wait and see what the results say.

She is lovely so need information for my next visit so I can challenge this, she does listen which is in my favour

[greygoose in reply to lare73]

Well, the whole point of the TSH test was to prove that synthetic T4 (levo) works. When they started taking people off NDT and putting them on levo in the 60s/70s people were complaining that their symptoms were coming back. But the laboratories discovered that their TSH was going down anyway whether they were feeling better or not. So they started touting the TSH test as the gold standard saying you must be better because your TSH has gone down, whilst totally ignoring that a) the TSH was unreliable at the best of times because it lagged behind actual thyroid status and b) that once you were on thyroid hormone replacement the link between the thyroid and the pituitary was broken so the TSH became totally unreliable.

TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone) does exactly what it says: it stimulates the thyroid - no more and no less. It has absolutely no effect on any other part of the body. You do not need it for anything else other than stimulating the thyroid. So if you don't need to stimulate the thyroid you have absolutely no use for it. Not having it does not make you ill. It does not affect your heart or your bones. And having it does not, in itself, make you feel any better. No way can lowering your TSH make you feel worse.

I really don't think these doctors have the first idea what TSH is, or what it does. But what gets me is that they don't seem to have the curiosity to find out! They'd rather just cross themselves and mutter magic charms 'oh great and wise TSH... etc'. It defeats me, it really does.

Lots of luck for your confrontation, Grey

[Jackie]

Hi One thing, I found a lot of ignorance re PTH ( parathyroid).GP`s Mine is very high. My good Endo said that t3 tests essential and must be done together Am only , PTH, Corrected calcium and vit D. If all 3 high or 2 high and D high for you. Then you automatically need a nuclear scan of the PTH and a CT, done together nd an ultra sound of the thyroid. These need to be done under a specialised Radiologist at a large teaching hospital.If PTH Scan shows anything, surgery. If thyroid scan does ,then biopsy. i hope that helps but the vital thing is the correct blood tests. My D always very low, Osteomalacia and GP said Your D is good( nearly normal) I said "no" very bad result!I had this and lots of things done when I saw an Endocrinologist ( as I do), not a private doc.who deals just in thyroid.This was a while ago, so may be different now.

Best wishes,

Jackie

[lare73 in reply to Jackie]

Hi Jackie,

I have had vitamin d test and I am very low, at 10 range is more than 30 (I think)

So been told not to take Vit d supplements yet, need pth and calcium doing first.

I have looked up parathyrodism hyper symptoms and they are very similar to hypothyroidism. What a minefield!

S what is the best time of day to get t3, calcium and pth blood tests done? Need a fighting chance here to solve this.

Thanks again x

[Jackie in reply to lare73]

Hi T3 should be done, ideally first thing but any way before taking thyroid meds ,on that day, the tSH, T4 and Free T3 should be done together. That is for the thyroid treatment. PTH, my Endo, seems to be one of the few docs who know, she is very good. Even though you have just had these tests. The essential test is all together and Am for PTH, vit D and corrected calcium,.Unless all 3 high , or D high for you and the other 2 above range, then together if not a PTH problem and nuclear scans etc not needed. My PTH has always been high but Ok. Only when my calcium went above range , did first have to stop the D, the corrected calcium stayed high,only then did I need the specific blood tests. To our surprise the D,, which I had had to stop as it puts the calcium up, came back almost normal. hence then, the nuclear scan etc.If calcium above range any way, frequent calcium bloods need to be done, and all vit D stopped, calcium above range is very dangerous. lots of reasons especially heart and kidney`s, D always puts the corrected calcium up a little.If not seeing an Endo, can I suggest you find a really good one. This is all their field ,especially vit D and calcium as vit D is a hormone. A general Endo deals in all the secretions etc of the body. a huge field. They normally also do all the other tests you need that may be associated, especially well known hormonal and autoimmune ones.

I hope this is clear, sounds a bit complicated, not really.

Do get back to me if I can help you further.

Best wishes,

Jackie