post appointment 5th march

[anbuma]

last week I saw a female dr who said my glands weren't up (and also said last year that I didnt have a thyroid problem despite having lost outer edge of eyebrows.)and she said to go back to her if I still think its thyroid related.now I do.my gp isnt recognizing it so should i go back to her ?(not like im going behind his back)but my neck and thyroid are enlarged and swollen.have sent an email to my gp with an article on thyroidism and swollen stomach is related to that plus a photo of my neck.

[Hidden]

Hi, I really don't think you are going to get much further with your GPs if you saw one yesterday who dismissed thyroid problems again, and with the other who has dismissed it before and who examined you last week and said there was no swelling. I really do think if both have seen you recently, and both have sent you away saying you don't have thyroid problems or your neck/glands aren't swollen, they aren't going to change their minds if you go back again. I think Shaws gave you the very best advice some time ago which was to pay for a Blue Horizon blood test (much cheaper than paying to see a endochronologist), measuring your FT3 and FT4 as well as antibodies, B12, folate and ferritin. When you have the results, go back to your GP with them if they show you have thyroid problems. All a private endo will do at this stage is order blood tests which you will have to pay for, but you'll also have to pay for the consultation with the endo in order for them to establish they need to order bloods. That's double the price of doing it yourself first. I'm no expert obviously, but it's the way I'd do it - I couldn't bear the frustration of going back to my GP to get sent away again x

[anbuma]

my neck is more swollen now and my stomach I can feel getting bigger every day so it has to be a growth of some sort or something causing it.im not giving up .even if I have to go back to A&E until i get a proper diagnosis and not be fobbed off.if I go to A&E its a genuine reason .

[Hidden in reply to anbuma]

A&E will not order this kind of blood test as ultimately they are there to treat emergencies. I think you've been lucky to have had all the scans etc through A&E, certainly it's not my experience of hospitals to do this, they normally send you away with an appointment to come back, or advice to see your own GP. I really don't think you'll get anywhere with thyroid problems as an emergency. Do you mean there must be a growth in your abdomen? Because the scans would have shown it...? Please try not to panic x

[Hidden in reply to anbuma]

In fairness Anbuma, you have added that last sentence, our responses to the A&E thing were said when you said you would keep going to A&E until you got answers and wouldn't be fobbed off. To be fair to me and yorkshiregirl, we replied to that. With the sentence you have now added about having a genuine reason puts it in a different context and probably wouldn't have got the same response. It's only fair the full picture is known if you are going to write that anyone has been judgemental towards you - because that is upsetting when someone has tried to help you

[yorkshiregirl44]

Hi,

I fully understand your need t find ut whats wrong but i dofeel that going backwards and forwards to A&E is not going to provide the answers tou need. If i strongly beleived that something serious was going on i would have to pay for a private scan or blood tests if my doctor was not listening. How long can you go on like this,the doctors may be right or they be wrong but that aside what is impotant is your health. I hope you find a way to resolve this but i dont susspect it will be with your Gp at the moment.

[sheenah]

Hello

I have not yet been on the lengthy frustrating journey that you have and I can see that panic is setting in, which is not surprising. I went back to my GP to ask for a morning blood test because of the circadian rhythms - he didn't know what I was talking about. But he agreed to it. I went for the test only to told by the nurse that the Lab would refuse to do it because it was so soon after the other one. A complete waste of time. So I ordered a Home blood kit from Blue Horizon and asked for the advanced thyroid test which includes TSH, freeT3, Free T4 +antibodies + another. It was £118 with £10 off with TUK discount. It arrived yesterday, extremely professional, well explained and very easy to use. I did it this morning at 5am to catch the circadian rhythm, and it was in the post by 8.30. They supply everything you need.

The advantage of doing this at home is that you can choose which time you do it - you could not go and get a blood test at the surgery at that time in the morning when hopefully a fuller picture will be seen. So, obviously I have not got the results yet, but I will be posting them on here when I do in a couple of days. It would be great to go to your GPs and say "there - told you so"!!

Love Sheenah x

[Hidden in reply to sheenah]

I think this is brilliant Sheenah, it's horrible when you don't know what is wrong, and great that you have helped yourself and taken back the control over your own health in this way. At least this way, if something shows up, they can't ignore it when it is there in black and white. I really hope this finds you a resolution to your difficulties and look forwards to seeing how you get on xx

[sheenah in reply to Hidden]

Thankyou - I didn't see any other way forward. I smiled when I read a post from a girl who wants to enjoy the rest of her twenties - I thought well I want to enjoy the twenty or so more years that I may have left!!!! The kit was very good - I would recommend it - they even supply a plaster!! Then you pop it back in it's special bag and away you go - couldn't have been easier - I'll post as soon as I find out XX

[anbuma]

where is my reply.?i just responded to you all and its not here!!

[anbuma]

to yorkshiregirl,sheenah and lipbalmaddict

firstly i would like to ask has anyone read my profile which i wrote on advice.and ask not to be prejudged.no offence to anyone

secondly I want to say that I havent gone to A&E without a valid reason not just because

my gp wasn't giving me answers but not being able to get an appointment for a week may have contributed to going.

when I saw the female gp last year I had the first signs of thyroidism -losing the outer edge of my eyebrows though I did not know it was a symptom at the time. I started to lose eyebrow hair(months before I saw her)but I ahd other symptoms-hoarseness,tightness in neck,difficulty swallowing and weight loss -which may or may not be attributed to thyroid.

my gp dismissed thyroid problem based only on TSH of 3.2 -which another member said was too high and should be a lot lower.

the female dr I saw examined me only feeling the sides of my neck but not the lump under my jaw,my larynx and thyroid are all definitely enlarged and very sore feeling like i have been stabbed with a knife.(plus swelling as in photo),another gp confirmed I had alopecia (underarm hair loss).

gps haven't exactly accepted everything I have told them-ie sudden weight loss on 3 separate occasions and that weight gain is all abdominal.-not my fault).BMI gives false representation -saying i was obese when normal size 12/14 apart from stomach .

bmi doesn't differentiate where weight gain is in one specific area.

when I went to A&E it was for a genuine reason-they opted to carryout the search as part of their investigations.i didnt ask them for a scan and i didn't go there with thyroid probs alone.my abdomen at this time is a hard solid mass and not its not thru diet.

as I told my gp and rheumatologist i hadnt eaten cake s biscuits etc for nearly 4 years.(that was in 2011) and only ate breakfast and have to force myself to have a small meal.

I have some thyroid symptoms -query why weight loss-sudden on 3 occasions-but swollen abdomen could be as are hoarseness,tightness of neck,difficulty swallowing etc .the A&E dr 's commented on skin rashes and the size of my stomach and were appalled that I hadn't seen a dermatologist and they wanted to investigate my swollen abdomen hence scans were done.

the ward dr was unable to do a smear test as insertion was just too painful

which is why I haven't had any smears done since the very first one and the internal pain is much greater now -I don't think that is fibro related as GP explained but pain in pubic bone was.

other members have made several suggestions as to why I have these problems(began in 2011 and worse after my gallbladder op last august)-untreated thyroidism,adrenal(fatigue),cushings,and having polyp removed.

three urine tests all showed protein in urine which could be kidney related.other symptoms indicate sjogrens and/or lupus.

Friday 7th march

woke with dry mouth swollen tongue(affecting speech).cold hands and feet the "butterfly"rash across my face etc .stomach discomfort from time got up and dressed wearing clothes is uncomfortable .

[Hidden in reply to anbuma]

No one is remotely judging you, just trying to help because you seem to be very distressed which can skew the way you see everything. No one except your GP is saying there is nothing wrong with you, so you don't need to be defensive on this forum. All anyone is trying to do is help you get answers, and at this stage it seems that the blood tests would be the only way forwards. You have asked for advice and we have given it, I'm sorry if it wasn't the answer you were hoping for. Good luck with getting to the bottom of it all x

[sheenah]

My dear, I am certainly not judging you - we are all unique beings who respond in different ways to different things. I think part of the problem for all of us on this site is that nobody is listening to us, particularly the allopathic medical profession, who after all seem to be only interested in the physical workings of our bodies, and more recently our minds, without nescessarily connecting the two, and let alone seeing the bigger picture of the mind, body, emotional, spiritual equation. If one part becomes unbalanced, it skews it all.

Unfortunately, these are the people who have access to what we need right now, which is physical substances to correct our hormone imbalances. Do you mind me asking you how old you are? You certainly seem to have thyroid problems to me from what you say.

Let me go and see this homeopath on Monday and see what approach he will take. It may be an answer to go to somebody who takes a more holistic view, or it may not, and you could always have a go at the home blood test, but again as I say, I am now waiting for the results of that and we will see what it shows, or if it will make a difference. At the end of the day, if I get no help from the GP, I will go my own way based on what I have read and the huge wisdom to be found on this site.

Love Sheenah x

[scatterbrain]

Can I just ask out of interest if your GP has ever tested for lupus as the butterfly rash you mention is often as symptom of lupus?

[anbuma]

no I saw a rheumatologist in nov 2011 and its taken a year or more to get another appt with him as the letter he sent to my gp contained incorrect info .back then he ddint give me the opportunity to tell him of my symptoms when he asked and went on about diet and weight which is not his dept.i later found out that he had gone on bloods only which were negative.i hoep this time (on 15th)he will let me tell him.plus have other symtpoms of lupus-sore nails and knuckles (bright red skin?)nasal sores,discolouration round eyes (tho that maybe sjogrens)also have a swollen tongue