So today I saw my GP with my latest private blood results and told him I was treating myself with NDT. I fully expected him to either fly off the handle or patronise and belittle me, but instead he asked me all about NDT as he hadn't heard of it.
He said that he was more than happy to monitor my bloods including FT3 and FT4 while I carried on with self-treatment, if that was the route I preferred. The alternative he said was to switch to levo under him and he would refer me to a different endo of my choosing if I'd rather do it that way.
I nearly fell off my chair!! I explained that since he'd said he couldn't treat me when my TSH was 3.8 and FT4 was below range, despite me being seriously symptomatic, I'd ordered the NDT then taken a test on the day I started which put my TSH over range. I told him I didn't think he'd be that bothered even then, but he assured me he would have treated that as hypo.
It's kind of annoying that I've had to fork out all that money, when he is now saying he'd have done a re-test if I'd have asked, and that I've paid for NDT if he would have treated me with levo free of charge...however, I'm glad that I've started NDT, because I like the effect it is having, and I've not read a negative post about it yet. I'm pleased that I told him, it's reassuring to know he is in the loop, but I'm happy to keep trying my way first. Who'd have thought such a reaction from a GP was possible??
Hi jigsawcat. Sounds as if your GP has mood swings! Lol. One of my GPs sounds very similar. Inconsistent springs to mind. Very confusing to guess what reaction im going to get from one visit to the next! Very pleased for you that you are feeling well on NDT. My health authority will not do T3 or T4 testing. Only the TSH, so if I were to try NDT, it would mean having private blood checks done and like you, I have paid soooo much already that my savings would not last for very much longer if I tried NDT. Just paid £ 371 yesterday for another full thyroid panel and an advanced Vit B12 panel, to exclude vit b12 deficiency and pernicious anaemia, due to symptoms etc. I have Graves and I think my grandmother had it too, but will never know now. She also may have had P A due tomany of the symptoms of it. Ie Lost her sense of taste, pinns and needles etc. Two are very strongly linked according to the research of autoimmune diseases. Blood tests are very limited in my area, and active b12 test has been one of them, hence Blue Horizon bloods yesterďay. Hope you keep well on thr NDT. Lynne x
Fantastic (except for the part where you had to pay to self-treat)! I can't decide if this shows we should always be prepared to return to the gp and press for more tests, better care, etc, or if it shows we shouldn't put up with delays and excuses and waste time trying to convince the doctor.
My first thought is that maybe he thinks it is some kind of useless 'natural' dietary thing or homeopathic remedy and he may be caught out when it turns out ndt actually changes your thyroid levels quite effectively! (Apologies for my cynicism.) Do you trust him to know what to do with the low tsh/low t4 which may arise?
I often think that if the diagnosis is the part your gp can't get past (tsh just inside range) it may be simpler for them to work with a fait accompli. If you transfer to a new gp and tell them you need a levo script, they're hardly going to say they need to rediagnose you, right? So if you go to your gp saying 'I'm using ndt now, would you like to supervise that or not' it could be easier for everyone.
(I'm not suggesting that everyone transfers and says they're on levo - I was just using that as an example of something that happens every day that gps don't seem to worry about, whereas everyone seems to get very excited if you're a thousandth of a unit inside the tsh range.)
Well done. I improved significantly when I self medicated with T3 in addition to T4. Was surprised when the endo agreed to prescribe. My GP pointed out that although he agreed with the endo that there is little good evidence based research available it is hard to argue against combination therapy when the patient's health has so obviously improved.
Although your GP will now prescribe Levothyroxine it isn't likely to be as efficacious as the NDT you are taking but at least you may be able to get your TFT via NHS.
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