Private medical insurance

I have private med insurance with Westfield. A local PMI company in South Yorkshire. They have there own GPs who will look at medical history/notes. Last year I asked for help from these GPs, but pulled out because I was worried about things going against me with the local GPs.. I wanted them to prescribe Armour but they wouldn't help-hence my request from Westfield. The company use foreign GPs. Now I am wondering if I would have been better off perusing it.

I was given a trial of Armour 2 grains daily, then the endo took me off armour- Accusing me of self medicating. So the GP (from my old surgery )agreed to 120mcg of T3 only which was fine before the weak potency saga.

Since then I have moved house twice and the GPs I have been seeing have drastically cut my T3 to just 40mcg a day.

Not willing to hear my voice Or read my long list of symptoms.

Where do I go from here? I cannot see the endo's because I have not had a great experience with them.

I'm stuck

[Barrister]

You say that you pulled out of seeing the private healthcare GP because you were afraid of this being held against you by your usual GP yet your usual GP isn't helping you? Surely you've answered your own question! If it were me (and I'm not giving advice here) I would see as many doctors it took until I found someone who wold take me seriously and treat me in order to feel better. If you have the means then use them! I have private health care and whenever i feel that my GP can't or won't help me, I just do my research and then ask to be referred to someone who I think can help me. I've never had a problem and my GP has always been fine with that. Clemmie

[Hidden in reply to Barrister]

i had to see nearly every doctor in my practice,and as always it was the last one.. who was open to armour and t3 and actually was more helpful than the endos, it takes time which is very frustrating.keep educating yourself and work your way through the doctors or i dont know if they will give out this info but ask your local chemists if they have t3 or armour in stock which should mean someone is being prescribed it and which doc is prescribing it.

[Hidden]

Sadly, thyroidism isn't for the faint-hearted - as you have discovered! Time for some lists:

a list of medical practitioners to whom you have access one way or another

a list of those (research needed here) who may have something helpful to say about your condition

a list of the various treatments you've had already for thyroidism (and which ones you felt better on)

a list of current symptoms

a list of the outcomes you want.

Then choose your medico, make an appointment, arm yourself with your lists, and take someone with you.

Or, if you can't stand the thought of all that (!) start self-medicating for real. You can get private blood tests done to check how you're doing, if your body doesn't tell you.

To paraphrase an old saw 'don't get mad - get better'. Or, actually, get mad as well.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Tried the list's but they don't look at them.

Tried the different GPs who think I'm a nutcase

And have the cheek to accuse me of trying different GPs to 'get what I want' -this was the response that I had from a 'recommended' GP at the surgery. (The recommendation came from the receptionist) Who told me he would listen. And not waste my time.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

I can see that you are, indeed, hopping mad - and no wonder. It is positively a mantra with docs 'it's all in your mind'. We know better!

You do have to find a way through, though. NHS Docs don't care - they don't have the thyroidism; they know nothing about it and can't be bothered with finding out and the subsequent fine tuning of meds, vitamins and minerals that many of us need to be well. As a smokescreen they chuck insults around and there isn't much patients can do about that. I do know. I've given up with doctors for my thyroidism. If you have the opportunity of seeing someone privately I'd grab it.

[ThyroidThora]

Hiya,

My endo in Sheffield started me on T3 after I'd been on T4 for nearly a year. He gradually reduced my T4 and increased my T3 so that I was on 75mcg of Levo and 20mcg of T3. This has happened slowly over 6 months and he now says that I'm over medicated and last week prescribed Armour (1 grain per day taken in 2 doses) and after just 1 week I'm feeling much better. I never felt right on Levo only nor on the T4/T3 combination and I nagged my endo when I first saw him over a year ago that I needed Armour but decided to keep on the right side of him in the hopes that he would come to my point of view. I'm glad I did cos now I am feeling the difference.

I'm not sure how I can advise you because my circumstances are very different as I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in February 2013 and it's possible that I've been allowed to trial all the synthetic hormones and now the natural Armour thyroid because of this fact and that there is some funding from the cancer drugs fund. However, I have been told by my endo that he could only give me one prescription of Armour and that was advising my GP to continue prescribing but that my GP might decline and I will have to pay for a private prescription. I'm hoping this won't happen because I cannot afford the cost due to losing my job on this long road to recovery.

Good luck with your endeavours and if you want to PM me then please do.

[lucindajethol]

Any GP will refer you to a Specialist you just have to insist, and if you cannot afford to wait as is often the case it costs about £180 pounds for first consultation and about half that amount for any further visits if you required that is. Most decent consultants will switch you over to the NHS after the first or second consultation, enabling you to get your medication through the NHS. We are not all made of money but it is very important to get issues to do with health dealt with swiftly as it is quality of life. Its amazing how many people with spend loads on a new car etc., but will not pay out when it comes to swift treatment for their own personal health issues. Most GP,s will recommend a consultant who they rate themselves you just need to get on the right side of them, firm but polite if you get my gist. I find the younger GP,s fresh out of med school are always the most helpful and willing to please, probably not so job weary either, and more up todate with what is out there.

Good Luck

[waveylines]

I do sympathize -GP's training is not exactly comprehensive in Hypothyroidism and there is this mistaken belief fostered that all you need to do is take a tablet -for a significant percentage this is not the case! They are trained to look at blood test results and little else these days..... Unfortunately there are many GP's out there who are not trained up in the use of natural desiccated thyroid extract so don't know how to manage you with this type of meds -it also not listed in their meds - on top of which they are fed the fodder that we are all better on levothyroxine. Consequently many won't prescribe as they have to do it on a named patient basis -meaning they take responsibility personally if it goes wrong.

I have been through this process myself -and ended up changing practices to get a GP willing to prescribe. However even then it would not have happened if I had not seen a private practitioner who advises the GP -For two years I had to buy it privately but finally when I decided to switch practices I managed to get it on the NHS.

I would ask Louise Warvil for her list of private practitioners and ask your GP to refer you -you are entitled to a second opinion. You can also claim part of the costs back on Westfields -I'm a member of it too!!