Can you advise me of exactly what I need to ask/say to my gp on Monday so she will do all the right tests?

[nw230711]

I have family history of hypo and over the years I have checked my tsh level occasionally (used to work in a go surgery so used to do up my own), they always came back normal. However having done some research on symptoms I was shocked at how many boxes I ticked overweight (cannot shift despite training and dieting!), depression, seriously bad concentration! Puffy hands, tiredness/exhaustion regardless of the amount of sleep, constipation, sore neck, pins and needles in hands, fluid retention, body unable to recover quickly from infections (I am on my 6th antibiotic for an infected navel), headaches, blurry eyes (just had eyes tested and they are fine), muscle ache

Maybe these could all be something else but with the family history I'm not convinced it is....don't want to be fobbed off by the gp so would like to go armed with some knowledge.

[Hennerton]

Your symptoms all shout hypo but a blood test showing the right results is the only way to get an NHS doc to prescribe. Best to go with your complete list of symptoms and ask him to do the blood test. Then post results here with reference ranges. He will try to get away with doing TSH only but the only way to get to the truth is if he also tests Free T3 and Free T4 and if possible thyroid antibodies. Sadly you can do nothing without the results.

Whilst he is checking, ask him to look at your iron levels, ferritin, B12, folate and Vit D, as these are possibly low too and may be causing or exacerbating many of your symptoms.

Do hope he agrees to all this. If not and if he will give you a referral to a private consultant, I can give you (by pm) the name of someone who will definitely help you. x

[nw230711 in reply to Hennerton]

Well went this morning and she agreed to do TFT and Thyroid Antibodies, she is also referring me for an ultrasound of my neck. She did not seem to share my thoughts on it but agreed to doing the tests just to reassure me that it's not my thyroid. She said they would only do the free T3 &T4 if the others came back abnormal.

[Hennerton in reply to nw230711]

That is getting somewhere anyway. Do post results under a new post when you have them. Good luck!

[nw230711]

Thank you very much for that, that's just want I wanted so I know what to ask/push to be done.

Very much appreciated x