For the past two and a half years I have felt "rubbish" since the birth of my second child. I thought initially that it was just a new mum thing. But things have got worse. I lost the weight easily (two stone) following the birth of my daughter and have always been very active going to the gym five times a week, yoga and a personal trainer. But things have got worse. In September 2013, I quickly gained 2 stone, for no reason. My other symptoms, pins and needles in hands and feet, extreme fatigue (late morning onwards), extreme coldness (i sleep in a tracksuit and use a hot water bottle at work), losing my hair, dry skin especially around my eyes, painful and weak wrists, sore achy bones and painful feet, hoarse voice, sore throat (constantly), no sex drive and feel like I am walking around in a dream have been steadily getting worse and I began to realise that this is not something that is normal.
My partner and parents told me to make an appointment with the Doctor. I have had a number of blood tests (FBC, Vitamin B, Iron, Thyroid etc). I have just got back home after receiving the results and have not gone in work as I am so upset. She said they were all fine (my Thyroid reading was 2). She said that there is nothing a GP can do and she wanted to give me presciption strength painkillers and suggested I increase my exercise (I already do an hour every morning before work) and lose weight. She told me not to come back. I find that so patronising and I am so upset. I am at my wits end.
There is a strong genetic link of underactive thyroid - my mum, her sister both have it as so did my Grandma and Great Grandma. I have already had two years of hell, do I really have to live like this for the rest of my life?
Hoping you can give me a sane perspective on the situation as all I am feeling is dispair and anger.
Thanks
Written by
Goggs1
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Hi Goggs 1, I really feel for you and I totally understand. There's nothing worse than finally reaching out for help from your doctor only to be turned away like that.
I don't have much in the way of advice as I'm new to all of this myself (trying to research a lot recently)...but I have been advised to post up the actual results and and reference ranges (I've requested mine and am waiting for them). The girls and guys in here seem to offer a great support and have a lot of Knowledge.
Thank you for your reply. I have taken your advice and just rang the doctor for them. They were a bit recluctant as said why do you want them if the doctor has said that there is no action! But they agreed in the end. Thanks again.
Ahh that's great...it really does start to feel better knowing that you're trying to be proactive in your health. You are entitled to your results they are of course about you. Im waiting for mine to come down in the post! Hate waiting so I've got myself a diary and am starting to make notes if synptoms I've suffered and am trying to research the thyroid and andrenal system to get a better understanding.
And no, we don't have to live like this forever ☺️
I know exactly how you feel. My G.P told me all my symptoms were down to my age. I was 39 at the time. My Endo told me basically it was all in my head and that I was depressed without even checking - said she could tell by the look on my face....
I would suggest a lot of reading on this site and stop the thyroid madness. I felt like I was going insane until I took charge of my own health and now I feel tons better.
I owed it to my kinds after being like a zombie for 12 years, and you owe it to your little one..
I would recommend you also try to change your G.P if at all possible, no medical professional who adheres to "first do no harm" would ever tell you not to come back!
I am assuming your thyroid reading of 2 was TSH. Its pretty meaningless by itself, but I started to have symptoms at that level, although you might also be suffering low B12 and/or low iron, and/or gluten intolerance or 'silent' coeliac disease.
What is certain is that your symptoms are real, you do not need anti-depressants, and your GP is a disgrace!
Getting the right treatment for your Thyroid can be an exhausting process but you can't give up. Firstly you have a right to have a copy of your results so they have to give them to you. Secondly post them up here, the folks are amazing and so, so knowledgeable. I had been diagnosed and was receiving treatment but still felt awful so on the advice from a few on here I asked for a referral to an endo and got the combination T3/T4 treatment I thought could help and it did, I would never have known about that if it hadn't been for the forum. I found going in to see my GP armed with what I wanted the outcome to be the only way forward, I told him what I wanted and I always came away with what I wanted. Thirdly your GP is a disgrace, they should never tell you not to go back, I would change GP. Lastly hang in there, try and use this appalling experience as a positive to start your fight to get yourself back to feeling like you. Good luck.
Goggs1, you have a very similar story to me. I also got these symptoms about 4 months after the birth of my second child and I really feel it has robbed me of a very special time in my life as I just don't have the energy to be the mum I should be.
I've had blood tests come back just within range and a couple outside range but all this means normal to my GP, she shrugged her shoulders and said she was stumped as I listed every thyroid symptom it is possible to have. She decided that the numbness and tingling in my fingers were the one symptom to investigate and I am currently awaiting the results of an MRI scan.
I have been on this forum for over a year now learning from the experiences that others have been generous enough to share and for me I have decided to self medicate. It has not been an easy decision as it affects another medication I'm on and of course I am not able to inform my GP that I am doing this.
It's early days, just 8 weeks but there have been some improvements. Some hair regrowth on head and body, my skin has started to produce oil and sweat, my nails have stopped breaking and I have stopped feeling like I've been sedated.
Spend some time going through all the old posts on this site and learning all you can about thyroid disease. For example Hashimoto's can have your TSH fluctuate up and down, it might have been at 2 when you had your last test but could now be 5 for example. You can get private blood tests which will check for this, I used Blue Horizon but there are others listed on the thyroid uk site.
It is a long and frustrating journey but you will get lots of support here. Unfortunately most GP's have a 'computer says no' attitude to Thyroid disease so it will be up to you to further your investigations and decide what is best for you and your family.
Hi there, I'm pretty much in the same position. I paid for the blue horizon tests and although they are all within normal range a couple of them are right at the bottom end of normal. I'm going back to the gp next week to ask for an endo referral. Don't let your gp fob you off, there is obviously something going on. Do some research and go to a different doctor if you need to.
Despair & anger - from being ignored? - yes - and I have odds - odds are you will only be taken notice of on the THIRD visit about the same thing - got to be about the SAME thing mind.... specific....
1) First thing you can do - get your (your) results & post them for comments (ranges in brackets)
2) Sort out the vital minerals yourself (as docs won't usually bother) - Iron (ferritin) folate with B12. Vit D - get private tests if needs be (takes 3 months minimun to optimise these) there's others but start with a few... you can always add more!
3) Check if that TSH was done first thing 8 am - circadian rhythm dictates TSH is highest at 3 am - so bloods should be taken first thing every time to compare - otherwise no point really.
We know when we're ill - why would we bother to visit the GP otherwise?
Docs must be conditioned that most of us are making it up nowadays! yet having children takes a lot out of us....
when you get thus far- ask about no. 4 - I will then remember - but I will forget your name - I am really sorry but I will - you MUST remind me in 3 months time (hugs) Jane
Morning, Been there, done that, got the tee-shirt. The best thing to do is get hold of Dr Barry Durrant- Peatfield's book "Your Thyroid" you can get it off of Amazon. Give it a read, I don't know where you live but if possible give his number a ring and get an appointment to see him - he sorted me out - the blood tests that your GP would have done for your thyroid function is the TSH test and this notoriously unreliable. It also sounds like you need to change your GP - sounds like rubbish to me. Don't let the bastards wear you down - you know you have a health problem - all your doctor is doing is being dismissive so don't stand for it. My thyroid gland stopped working in 1978 and it took until 2009 for me to find dear Dr Barry who sorted me out.
That's awful, Goggs! How dare she be so condescending! But it says more about her, than it does about you - she's ignorant!
For a start, a TSH of 2 may not be hypo in itself - because TSH is a rotten test - but at 2 it warrants further testing - which she hasn't done.
Secondly, when it comes to vitamins and minerals, doctors know nothing, but nothing! They will say it's perfect if it's just hanging on to the bottom of the range for dear life! And that isn't perfect by any means. All tests have to have the results in the right place. But doctors Don't know that. Which is why you have to get your results and see for yourself! There are things you can do for yourself, and no,you Don't have to spend the rest of your life like that!!! Certainly not.
Thirdly, not only do they know nothing about vits and mins, but they know nothing about nutrition, weigh-gain/loss, or anything else to do with food. You are more than likely putting on weight because you are hypo. Dieting and exercising will make that worse! The thing that will make you lose weight is correctly treating your hypo. But she's too ignorant to know that.
Don't let her upset you. And do ignore her instructions not to go back! How dare she say that? She's supposed to be a doctor and it's her job to see sick people and make them well. You pay her to do that! It's about time she came down off her high horse and started doing her job! There! Now I've got all upset and angry on your behalf! lol
Here, you will get lots of help and advice that your doctor cannot give you. We aren't medically trained, but perhaps that's an advantage given the state of modern medical training! At least we have open minds! Don't worry, we'll get you well. It may take some time, but then, you didn't become hypo over-night, so it's going to take time to reverse that.
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