Clueless about results

[Meg26]

Hi guys.

I have had symptoms of an underactive thyroid for years now. However over the past 6-12 months it has been incredibly debilitating. I am very into my fitness so I am really struggling with this. Over the years I have have been told that I am just 'depressed' or that I have IBS or that's my symptoms are as a result of having poly cystic ovaries. Despite never having a problem with a period in my life. The newest symptoms are my eyebrows have fallen off, my tongue looks like a scallop, my nails and skin are terrible, I feel utterly exhausted all day. I could go on. My doctor just tells me that I could just be 'unlucky' and refused to refer me to an endocrinologist insisting that I was absolutely fine. She agreed to take bloods when I came in armed with pages of information from this website as well as 2 A4 pages full of my symptoms (which she refused to log a single one) i had loads of blood taken and was then called in for a repeat of my thyroid anti bodies and apparently they came back as satisfactory. The flabotomist told me they must have flagged something to take more blood off me considering she had taken so much off me the week before. The doctor told me unless she was concerned about my blood levels then she would not refer me to an endocrinologist. After hearing that my bloods came back as ok (the receptionist told me) I cried and cried as I feel like a 90 year old and I'm only 27. Yet this morning a letter arrives saying I have now been referred to an endocrinologist!!!!!! After all that palava! Does this mean she sees an abnormality somewhere?

Thanks guys

[Clutter]

Meg, it sounds like there may have been a case review at the practice and your GP was overruled, hence the referral.

The normal range is very broad and its helpful to know your exact results. Ask your GP receptionist for a printout of your recent blood results with the lab ref ranges (the figures in brackets after your results) and post them in a new question and members will advise.

[Heloise]

What terrible treatment you've had, clueless. What is wrong with these people and when are they going to wake up? If you are having all those symptoms, it must be showing up in your blood tests. Request copies and tell them you would like to follow your progress.

Sometimes the adrenals start to fail due to stress hormones like cortisol or glucose problems can weaken them. A saliva test is preferable but perhaps the cortisol blood test showed something. Hopefully your endocrinologist will find the right way to treat you. They should have taken thyroid tests like TSH, free T4 ,and free T3 , which is a better way to evaluate your thyroid than each alone would. There are others as well.

stopthethyroidmadness.com/l...

[abmckf]

Hi Meg I hope you get sorted soon and start to feel better. I know exactly how you feel. Good luck

[cc120]

When you request blood test results print outs from surgery, ask for the complete record of all blood test results over the previous 5 to 10 years to present time. Then it will be easier to see a pattern of tests and how you felt and are feeling.

[shaws]

If you email [e-mail] and ask for a list of NHS Endos and doctors. If you can afford private I would go private just for confirmation of a thyroid condition.

There could be an NHS Endo near you on the list, I hope so. Good, knowledgeable Endocrinologists are few and far between. Some downright rude and horrible people. They have lost the sensitivity of diagnosing a thyroid patient by clinical symptoms alone and use the blood tests as a tool. They now, mistakenly believe, that when results are given by a biochemist, who has never, ever, seen the patient, that when results come back 'normal' then the patient has no thryoid problem - that isn't true.

[Meg26 in reply to shaws]

Thank you for replying. I am meeting a nurse today to discuss results and ask for a print out. So even if my results are normal, should I take it further? I am really lost with all of this as I get so many different opinions from doctors with regards to my condition. Thanks again

[shaws in reply to Meg26]

Yes, even if 'normal'. Before the blood tests were introduced people were diagnosed on their clinical symptoms and given medication. A TSH which varies throughout the day shouldn't be used as confirmation of whether the patient has a dysfunction of their thyroid gland.

You will be like the rest of us on this forum, read and learn and get well. We obviously need a sympathetic doctor (do they exist?) when we have a thyroid problem. You may only be treated according to the BTA guidelines if your TSH reaches 10 when some have severe symptoms around 2. Make sure the ranges are on the print-out as labs differ and it makes it easier for comments.

[Meg26]

Hi guys.

I requested all if my notes but nurse handed me over to the receptionist who said she could only print a 6 month analysis out. There are loads of results on my bloods that I had done this month. I don't know exactly what results you need but I am going to show you some results I wrote down in an earlier appointment vs the results I was given today.

September 2013: TSH was 3.68

T4 was 16.9

Antibody test: negative

August 2015 first antibody test was negative with a result of 24.0

Second antibody test a week later was negative with a result of 31.0

Free T4 was 18 pmol/L

TSH level is 5.53

Do I need to post any others such as liver function, B12, blood count etc?

I don't know what my results actually mean as I'm being told they are all fine.

Thanks again for your helpful replies

Meg