New GP in practice says over medicated

[meki]

Hi Now back from a wonderful holiday in China. before I went saw Dr G S who said up meds. tried to see my regular GP had to see new GP in practice. She said over medicated would not prescribe and said to reduce to 100mg eltroxin from 125mg whilst away. As I did not want to invalidate my holiday insurance I followed her advice!!!

On my return from China I find a note from the medical practice complete with a script for 50mg eltroxin advising me increase meds per Dr S.

1st July had bloods taken on 100mg eltroxin, 2nd July had a lung function test. Test results say I have lungs of a 51 year old (great as I am 63) so why can I not breathe! Chest Xray was fine.

Saw the'new' GP today asked what the Bloods were told

TSH <0.1 range (0.3 - 5.5)

T3 6.2 range (3.5 - 6.7)

T4 29 range (10 - 19.8) over medicated she says.

So I asked why I still had breathing problems due to test results above. Also asked why I had a note and a script saying increase Eltroxin. Said another Dr in the practice had acted on the letter from the consultant but if I was her sister she would recommend this line of action as never heard of Dr S. Asked if she had heard of Dr J Lowe (still not good enough for her) but agreed to give me a Vit D test.

The 'new' GP says will ask the practice partners if she can send for a 2nd opinion on the NHS. Told her I was back on 125mg as the memory fog was driving me mad. read out all my symptoms and she still says I am over medicated.

AM I OVER MEDICATED OR NOT on 100mg results above taken before that days meds

Dr S wants me to go up to 150 for 4 weeks and then 175 for 6 weeks

[PinkNinja]

That is a tricky one! Personally I would listen to Dr S over a GP with no specialism in thyroid disorders.

Blood tests only test what is in your blood, not what's getting into your cells. This is why going on symptoms seems to work so much better than being a slave to blood tests.

Do you feel better on 125mcg? If so, you are probably not overmedicated. Have you had your iron and ferritin tested? If these are below optimal levels (70-90 for ferritin) you may find the thyroxine is not getting into your cells very well. Sorting this out would hopefully result in a drop of T4 and T3 blood levels because more will be getting into the cells and being used. You would hopefully feel much better too!

I hope you find the answers and can feel better soon!

Carolyn x

[meki in reply to PinkNinja]

Hi Carolyn thanks for this. GP has agreed to test Vit B Will pop in tomorrow and ask for iron and ferritin to be tested. Got to wait for a phone call supposedly to say take meds or refer to local person for 2nd opinion. Bet I am going to have to chase up on this

[shaws]

Very few GP's know how best to treat patients with thyroid gland problems. They have been told to adhere to the blood tests only, whereas doctors trained before the 1970's were trained in clinical symptoms in order to diagnose. That's what Dr Peatfield and Dr S have in common.

In the past patients were taking between 200mcg and 400mcg so Dr S increases your meds to see if that alleviates your symptoms - if not he will try an alternative. You may not have seen the following:

worldthyroidregister.com/Go...

worldthyroidregister.com/de...

[meki in reply to shaws]

Thanks Shaws I have signed the register. I went back on 125mg on Monday and today my breathing has been very laboured

[meki in reply to shaws]

sorry clicked the wrong one your reply is under CarolynB for some reason memory fog , stress or what!!

Thanks Shaws I have signed the register. I went back on 125mg on Monday and today my breathing has been very laboured

[helvella]

Have to ask, how long between taking your levothyroxine and having the blood drawn for that test?

We do so very often see a high FT4 which ends up probably having been because the person took their levothyroxine in the hours before their test. At the very least you should leave several hours.

If you feel so much better on one dose, but GP wants you on another dose, I think the GP needs to explain and justify their opinion.

Rod

[meki in reply to helvella]

It was over 24 hours from when I had 100mg so shocked TSH result

[marram]

meki, your results are almost identical to my last set of results. The T3 looks as if it is sitting comfortably right where it ought to be - at the top of the range but not over. At this point, you are the best one to decide if you are over-medicated. If you feel good and not hyper active or panicky or feel your heart is racing, then you are fine.

[meki in reply to marram]

guess what! decided to make a spreadsheet of my results. Good job I did as I did say to GP on Wednesday that the blood request was for TSH only but she insisted it was not. the results were identical to the last ones so called the surgery this am and sure enough the last bloods were TSH only and 0.4. Seein the same GP at 11.40 this am. reduced meds to 100mg today and will ensure have T3 and T4 tested on Monday with Vit D, iron and ferritin as well. Can you see steam coming out of my ears!!