Hi new to here :-) Is it normal for doctor to just be concerned about tsh level and to treat for this even though i have other symptoms|

[amanda_74]

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK]

Well, normal or not, it is all too common. To the extent of pushing changes in medication onto patients against every other fragment of evidence.

All too many here have found that treating to TSH is the only thing that their doctors will do.

Rod

[Gillybean129]

Yes TSH appears to be the only one they do, despite me asking for others last week....

[nostoneunturned in reply to Gillybean129]

Gillybean, treating by the TSH is wrong, see my reply to Amanda_74

[nostoneunturned]

It might be "normal" among some doctors but that does not make it the correct way of treating you. Your doctor is "treating the blood test", but he is not treating you. Change your doctor! Or educate this one as he does not have a clue.

You can buy Dr Anthony Toft's booklet "Understanding Thyroid Disorders", BMA publication, Dr Toft past president of the BTA, £5 from Amazon/chemists. On Page 88 he says this:

"Judging the correct dose of thyroxine.

Your GP...will usually prescribe a dose of thyroxine that raises the FT4 and TT4 to the upper part of the normal rangeand reduces the TSH level in the blood to the lower part of the normal range.

typical results would be a FT4 of 24pmol/l or TT4 of 140nmol/l, and a TSH of o.2mU/l. In some patients a sense of well being is achieved only when FT4 or TT4 is raised, for example, 30pmol/l or 170nmol/l and TSh low or undetectable. In this circumstance it is essential that the T3 level in the blood is unequivocally normal in order to avoid hyperthyroidism."

Also please note the strong message on the red panel at the bottom of Page 88 regarding the importance of symptoms.

On Page 46 he gives other information regarding the possible necessity of using T4 and T3 in combination.

You can also get a very useful article by Dr Toft from Thyroid UK, you need his answer to question 6. E:mail

[e-mail]

and ask for it. I think she is on holiday until mid-August right now, though.

You will find a lot of useful information on the main site at:

thyroiduk.org

[Glynisrose]

The TSH test was invented to support the use of synthetic T4. I asked my endo why I would need it having no thyroid gland and I was threatened with discharge!!! Appalling. TSH is not accurate for any thyroid disorder.

[debjs in reply to Glynisrose]

I asked the same question ie how is TSH relevant if I have no thyroid gland? I was given a mini lecture on how it is the most sensitive and reliable way of monitoring!

[macangel in reply to Glynisrose]

It is just appalling the way people with Thyroid disorders are treated! I have a similar problem at the moment, where, despite my T4 and T3 being low, my GP still wants to reduce my dose as my TSH is also low! I'm just so thankful for this forum, where I can get sensible (logical!!) advice

[Gillybean129]

Try telling my GP that, they all stick together, feel really despondant about it....

[nostoneunturned in reply to Gillybean129]

No need to feel despondent, just follow my post, how can GPs argue with Dr Toft in a book published by their own outfit, the BMA?

[Gillybean129 in reply to nostoneunturned]

I think my GP would be annoyed to say the least if I give them a book and try to inform them, also I can't get a face to face appointment any more. What happens is they call you on a tel appointment and then if they think they need to see you then they allow a face to face so I would not get the chance to hand over anything...

I checked out Amazon's review of this book to find that although he mentions the bloods and ranges he's not an advocate of alternative treatment, I need something to back up my belief that NDT may be better and would like to be offered a trial at least, unfortunately I know that won't happen, not where I live anyway.

[nostoneunturned in reply to Gillybean129]

I thought I was helping with the problem of GPs using the TSH to treat. others on this forum have sent photocopies with letters to their GPs, though I agree with you, for some of them it is too much for their egos. Yes, Dr Toft is a traditionalist, he got me on to T4/T3. synthetics, and this helped me tremendously, though does not work for everybody.

Have you checked out the main site advice on how to get alternatives like NDT? As you will read, once you have a prescription you can get it filled by any pharmacist.

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/treatm...

and:

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/treatm...

Hope this is of use to you.

[Gillybean129 in reply to nostoneunturned]

Thank you yes I have read and bookmarked these links previously, but I do not have any hope my GP will give me a private script for this.

[tj53]

The main reason GPs behave the way they do is because they risk censure if they don't. See the link below which gives the current guidelines - blood tests are the ONLY recognised diagnostic tool. However, it does say that if blood tests are 'normal', the GP should investigate other reasons for symptoms and this is the piece of the jigsaw that seems to be missing. If GPs did a full investigation of all symptoms, I feel sure they would gradually realise that the guidelines need to be updated as hypothyroidism is often the only thing that fits!

british-thyroid-association...