What blood tests ???

[Aprilfool]

Hi everyone

I have not been feeling at all well for some time now. Constant feeling of flu, earache, aching neck, pain in chest and back when breathing, whole body aching, pins and needles including around mouth. Exhausted but can't sleep. Anxiety and panic attacks. You name it, I feel I have it !!! This is my one chance to get all bloods re-tested. My thyroid was overactive last year and earlier this year it measured 6 so was under active but GP said they will only look further if it reaches over 10 !!! It's ridiculous as I have a strong family history of both parents having to have theirs removed and both with ongoing issues. I need to know exactly what thyroid tests need to be done as I am sure something is going on and I'm just being fobbed off. I feel so bloody awful but I feel no one takes me seriously as I make am effort to look nice and go to my hectic job every day but I'm really struggling. I'm also gaining weight by the second and am now very overweight no matter what I do. Help please ?!!!!!! So appreciated. April xxx Ps. Also going through bloody menopause !!

[Clutter]

April, a period of hyperactivity is sometimes experienced before the thyroid decides to give up and become hypothyroid. Your antibody results 5 months ago were negative for autoimmune thyroid disease (Hashimoto's) so the only thyroid tests you need are TSH, FT4 and FT3 but many labs won't test FT3 unless TSH is suppressed <0.03.

The 'UK Guidelines for the Use of Thyroid Function Tests' state that, "There is no evidence to support the benefit of routine early treatment with thyroxine in non-pregnant patients with a serum TSH above the reference range but <10mU/L (II,B). Physicians may wish to consider the suitability of a therapeutic trial of thyroxine on an individual patient basis."

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/about_...

Many GPs will diagnose subclinical hypothyroidism and commence thyroid replacement in a patient with TSH >6.0 so it might be worth getting a second opinion from another GP in your surgery or even change GP practice if yours is not prepared to trial you on Levothyroxine to see whether it helps with your symptoms.

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/diagno...

Ask your GP to test ferritin, vitamin D, B12 and folate as hypothyroid patients are often deficient/low and these deficiencies can cause musculoskeletal pain, fatigue and low mood similar to hypothyroid symptoms. Post your results with the lab ref ranges (the figures in brackets after your results) in a new question and members will advise whether supplementation is required.

[Aprilfool in reply to Clutter]

Thank you do much for your detailed and swift response. This thyroid is such a mine field and it appears gp's just don't want to know. I've seen my mum really struggle as her parathyroids stopped working too after her thyroidectomy and she has so much pain in her muscles and weakness in arms and legs and I fear I'm going down this road too !!!!

[Clutter in reply to Aprilfool]

April, you needn't go down that route if you persuade your GP to treat you or find a more sympathetic GP. Don't ignore the vitamins and minerals as they'll help with symptoms which may be non-thyroidal and will help absorption and conversion of thyroxine when you start it.

Is your mother supplementing vitD and calcium and having her parathyroid levels monitored?

[Aprilfool in reply to Clutter]

Thank you. Yes she is but it's a very fine line of getting levels correct. If she gets some sun it really screws everything up with the Vit D etc.

[Clutter in reply to Aprilfool]

April, yes it is a very fine line. A friend has difficulty balancing her vitD and calcium levels.

There's a new drug Natpara which is awaiting licence and has been trialled in the UK. It may be a few years before it is available though.

[Aprilfool in reply to Clutter]

Thanks. Very interesting !

[shaws]

Hi April,

It doesn't rain but it pours!

This is a link:

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/testin...

Make sure they also do antibodies check as you were overactive last year. You may have Hashimotos, which means you swing between high and low. Also in the above link on the left hand side you will see other topics which will help you. If you click on 'About the Thyroid' other topics appear plus signs and symptoms and you can click the ones that you have.

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/diagno...

[Aprilfool]

Thank you so much

[Hidden]

Menopause and thyroidism have similar symptoms and effects (even the weight sometimes). So that really muddies the water. My thyroidism reasserted itself when I was peri-menopausal, and the 3 of us slogged along together for a couple of years thereafter: ghastly! Sympathies.

[Aprilfool]

Lol. That made me smile. It's really rotten to be a woman sometimes !!!