I've been really poorly over the last week, most likely because of a serious interaction between two drugs I've been put on for Bipolar that it turns out can be lethal if prescribed together! My GP ordered bloods yesterday, and phoned today asking me to go in tomorrow to discuss the results. There were two points of concern. One was hugely elevated white blood cells, and the second he said was hyperthyroidism because my TSH is suppressed at 0.03. I take 2 grains of NDT, I'm at the top of the range of T3 and have never felt better in terms of the hypo symptoms I've had for years. I decided to self-treat on NDT when he offered me a low dose of Levo to get me back within range, and I was sick of feeling awful.
I have no symptoms of hyperthyroidism at all, and from all the reading I have done, T3 therapy often suppresses the TSH as the body does not need the thyroid to produce the T4 to convert. However, I can't find a single document that spells this out that I can show him, or an article on exactly this. I just find paragraphs here and there interpspersed through many pages of books that I've read. Does anyone have any ideas, or know of any articles that I can present him with that put it simply and consisely so that he doesn't have to wade through pages of stuff. He is a really bad tempered man at the best of times.
I had TSH of 0.01 often and Endo didn't blink an eye. If you email louise.warvill@thyroiduk.org and ask for a copy of Dr Toft's article in Pulse Online. Question 6 you should highlight, but give GP the whole article as he might gain some other knowledge as well
Dr Toft says we can have a low or suppressed TSH. His last para on Q6 lets the whole thing down tho' but it is what many really think when we keep complaining about levo.
Adjusting medication due only to the TSH level and not listen to the patient can cause more problems for patient. Read the first and second questions on this link:-
Thanks Shaws, every little helps! Theyve prescribed me a potentially lethal cocktail of drugs, yet he's grasping that the effects I'm suffering might be due to a surppressed TSH! X
This is very recent research that may also help. It shows that TSH is not a good measure of correct dosage and suggests that some amount of T3 is required for many patients to feel well.
Thanks clutter, I know the score, it's convincing an irritable GP of the same that's troubling me. He can be pretty shirty. I was hoping for an article or something that would spell it out to him. I hope you are well xx
They don't like to think their expertise is being undermined. The fact that you are unwell and he's giving you meds which counteract doesn't give you confidence.
Also they've been told to diagnose only on the TSH and that if it below a certain number, it can lead to serious problems.
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GP still dosing by TSH - help
Suppressed TSH
GP/Endo rant - help on TSH
