I have my first endo appt in December, should I go armed with anything so I am fully prepared? I am very fed up with my health this year and

[londongemini2705]

am proposing making an appt with my gp. Annual thyroid blood test came back "ok" but I feel so unwell. Very cold, muscles and joints constantly aching, neck pain, lump in neck, difficulty swallowing sometimes, headaches, tight painful chest, extremely irritable and tearful when everything flares up, inflamed hands, numbness in hands at night, and I also often get a very bitter taste in the back of my throat, hoarse voice sometimes in the morning, gaining weight, mouth sores, cold sores - many of these are a weekly occurrence. Apart from that, I feel great!! My resolution for 2014 is to get my health sorted. Any ideas pleaes what I should be saying to my GP to get some action?

[Moggie]

I take a copy of the last two years blood results to ALL hosp appts - whether it be endo or to my first gastro appt on Monday.

Moggie x

[Hidden in reply to Moggie]

good luck on Monday Moggie

[Fruitandnutcase]

Your blood test results may be 'ok' but you don't sound too good. Do you remember when you last felt well (if ever!) and what your levels were then? See if you can get back to there.

What about downloading the TUK thyroid checklists, ticking all the boxes that apply to you plus make a note of anything else as well and take that along with you - there is a checklist for hypo active thyroid and one for hyper active. That plus all your blood test results like Moggie says.

Liz x

[londongemini2705]

Hi Liz and Moggie, I have an underactive thyroid and been on 100mg Levothyroxine for approx 12 years. Felt not too bad after starting meds until about 5/6 years ago. I woke one night and my chest was saturated with sweat and I don't think I have felt right since then. Chest xray all clear. Started gaining weight a couple of years ago. I have recently started keep a record of how I feel each day to see if there is a pattern to it but it is really getting me down now and I feel awkward going to gp as they never seem able to find anything wrong. I will look at the checklist. I have never seen my blood test results and don't really know what I am looking for. I have a healthy diet and am very active when I have the energy! Just don't know what else I can do.

Thank you for all your advice

Carolyn x

[Hidden in reply to londongemini2705]

It's good you are monitoring how you feel, temperature is a key one too - I empathise with the awkward 'never anything wrong' thing at the GPs (what's 'normal'??) - that's why you need to get a print out of your blood tests - post them here for folks to comment (btw you have a right to YOUR blood tests - all your notes actually). At least ask for TSH, FT4, and FT3 numbers (and ranges).

Don't forget vitamins/minerals are building blocks to health - ask for irons, ferritin, folate, B12 and Vitamin D too - they tend to be low in Thyroid sufferers - lots of other tests too, but these for starters.

(Vit D sorted my rib cage pain, all clear on x-ray too; numbness/taste - I'm looking at B12).

If you're on Levo for a while, it's possible it could be a conversion problem too (storage T4 to active T3).

If you have difficulty swallowing the GP should send you to ENT to check.

Also make sure you take your meds away from milk/iron - some say first thing just with water, others prefer last thing before bed. J x