Undiagnosed thyroid

[paigemclennan]

I need help and advice due to this I'm currently suffering depression which has flares up more now and again due to not being able to lose weight and I've had enough :-(. My great -nan,nan,mum and auntie all suffer from under active thyroid, my nans was undiagnosed for 50 years because her levels weren't high enough. I've been tested 5 times in 8 years to he told that my levels aren't high enough my last test was. 4 I need a. 7 on nhs but a. 2/.3 on Private test but I Can't afford it.

I have all the symptoms but the test doesn't come back high enough I've tried all diets and have introduced exercise and it's still not working.

[shaws]

Welcome to our forum Paige. Your question is a very common one. Before the blood tests people were diagnosed according to their clinical symptoms and given a trial of medication. Nowadays it's all on the blood tests and sometimes our TSH doesn't rise sufficiently for a diagnosis in the UK. In many countries people get medication when their TSH is around 3. in the UK they state we must stagger along until our TSH reaches the magic No.10. Some Gps will medicate as they take into consideration our clinical symptoms, and depression is one of them. Unfortunately clinical symptoms seem to be a foreign language to many doctors who don't know them.

If you can get a print-out of your latest blood test results from the surgery, with the ranges (we have to have ranges as labs differ and it makes it easier to comment). I find it amazing they haven't taken your family's history into consideration.

If you've not had one for a while, make a new appointment for the earliest possible and ask for a full Thyroid Function Test which is TSH, T4, T3, Free T4 and Free T3. They may not be done but ask anyway (Free T3 is the most important as we need T3 in our cells as it is the Active Hormone). Also ask for Vitamin B12, Vit D, iron, ferritin and folate as we are usually low and they can make us feel unwell too.

These are a couple of links:-

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

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

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

Also ask him to check your antibodies.

[Marz]

You may politely remind your GP that Hashimotos is the most common of thyroid issues - so it is important to have anti-bodies tested ( as shaws suggests ) - otherwise how would they know. When I was diagnosed the TSH FT4 and FT3 were in range but the anti-bodies were HIGH. Treatment started back in 2005 at 59 - and I have been on a learning curve ever since

[paigemclennan]

Although I know I need to keep getting checked I hold onto so much hope that they will come up with something that will finally help me, when it comes back with nothing again my depression gets worse and it's another chip away at holding hope that one day I won't to worry or feel like a do.

[Heloise in reply to paigemclennan]

Hi Paige, you will be more depressed to know how inexpensively you could obtain NDT that some are getting themselves. You may HAVE to help yourself. It may not be the best way to approach your condition but under these curious circumstances that are tantamount to emotional abuse by the NHS, you should consider it.

stopthethyroidmadness.com/m...

[Marz in reply to paigemclennan]

You will have to ask for the anti-bodies to the thyroid checked - Anti-TPO and Anti-Tg. You have to politely push for what you need....

[Ruthi]

I can't find the reference right now, but I suspect you aren't depressed at all. Increasingly there is recognition that we show all the same symptoms as depression when we are ILL, and you most certainly are ill. Remember that inability to imagine being better again when you last had flu or a bad cold?

So you are reacting quite normally and logically to being constantly ill, and the symptoms look just like depression.

I had exactly the same problem as you, and suffered until my TSH reached 3.6 (it had been rising slowly but steadily for 10 years but my GPs chose to ignore it). That was when I came across an article about hypothyroidism and demanded to be referred to Dr Skinner. I know you say you can't afford to go private, but my advice would be to save up and go without everything else in order to see someone. It probably won't be a 'normal' NHS Endo, they are nearly all equally useless. But a request for suggestions via PM will bring you lots of help from people on this board. Proper treatment will pay for itself - without my medication I wouldn't be able to work, after all!

[silverfox7]

It may well be worth getting a printout of thyroid symptoms, I think there is one on the Thyroid UK site and tick the ones that are applicable and tell your GP you want it included in your notes. At least that should make him look at the list. You could add your family thyroid connections on as well. I would also say with the family connections could you have a trial as you strongly feel you are going the same way.

If he agrees to the trial then let us know what he is suggesting as he may not be giving you enough to make a difference.

[Redditch]

Do you have a thermometer? If you take your temperature every morning as soon as you wake and before you get up and chart it for a month and weigh yourself every day and then go back to your idiot doctor with evidence that your temperature is below human 98.6F or 37C and your weight is climbing then he/she will have to listen.. They are mostly idiots, let's face it.. Most of us have real trouble. Stop the exercise, you'll just knacker yourself.. Do you take any vitamin C? Have you considered changing doctors?