Well after being told to reduce my dose of Levo from 100 to 75 because my TSH is 0.01 I was very confused.. Considering my gp knows im using ndt .. Turns out its was a different doctor checking the results & knows nothing about me or my medication..
Different doctor: Well after being told to reduce... - Thyroid UK
Different doctor
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Go back to your dose which was reduced. This is a link and go to the date July 15, 2006.
It astonishes me that doctors don't seem to know if a scrip hasn't been filled for ... er ... years. In the past, for IBS, I was left on medication for years longer than I needed to be. Careless much?
Why if u don't use them?
Surgeries have to maintain a thyroid register. This is, basically, all patients on thyroid hormone. If you do not get it prescribed, you will drop off. That affects the apparent level of thyroid disorder across the country.
If you do not have a continuous history of thyroid hormones being prescribed, you might find some future doctor denying you have a thyroid problem. In some circumstances, they might simply not notice that five years ago you used to take levothyroxine (or whatever). Imagine if you get taken to hospital after a serious accident... Going cold turkey without any thyroid hormones is unlikely to help your eventual recovery.
Mind, don't get them dispensed unless you need them. That would simply waste our money.
I didn't realise this. My doctor phones me annually if I have missed my annual blood tests. This is my new doctor who actually knows what he's doing
Will my regular checkups not keep me on the list? I am now getting 25mcg thyroxine prescribed again but the GP didn't mention anything about this register. I shall have to ask him if we need to do something to make sure I don't fall off it.
Had no clue of this.. Thanks for letting me know.. My gp did actualy give me a script on my last blood test.. That must be why.. I work for the big pharma & did not know this!
Data for THY001
The contractor establishes and maintains a register of patients with hypothyroidism who are currently treated with levothyroxine
gpcontract.co.uk/child/UK/T...
Data for THY002
The percentage of patients with hypothyroidism, on the register, with thyroid function tests recorded in the preceding 12 months
gpcontract.co.uk/child/UK/T...
Maybe there should be a pinned post about this. I shall make sure I keep seeing my GP!
In my book, the mere keeping of the register (nowadays a tick in a field on a database) is only a starting point. That they allow people to fall off the register without having a proper review undermines what I think was the original intent.
And that it is restricted to those on levothyroxine regarding the points the surgery achieves.
I didn't realise it was restricted to those on levothyroxine! Another incentive for them to not prescribe anything else.
you wouldn't think they'd miss it & precious funding points??
then again... 1 for Thyroid & was it 12 for Depression? can't remember exactly...
(I can never resist typing my surgery into the organisation box - just impressive to see their
QOF 'results' on-line... )
Yes just read about the 'Levo-only' decree 2010? The site suggested patients ask their GPs for a copy of the 'no NDT' notification to be in their file and have full blood tests to marker levels / monitor adverse effects - for the GP's protection too....
I wonder if that is the reason they still list me as taking Levo? (Not that I've ever told them I'm not - they're not the sort of practice that would take that well).
What constitutes a 'proper review'? A test of TSH, T4 and T3? I was astonished to get more than TSH tested this time. Indeed, I was astonished to be invited to have a blood test at all. It has been, as I pointed out to them, 3 years since last time I rang up and asked for one, which they grudgingly consented to do, of TSH only. Something has changed for the better!
helvella, I was ready to give up on collecting my normal prescription of Levo (I am now on NDT,) if I do forgo levothyroxine would I loose my right to free prescriptions, with my exemption card. ? Or is my exemption card because of my medical condition alone.
Condition alone. But you could find it difficult to persuade someone to sign your Medex form if you have not been prescribed any levothyroxine in, maybe, several years.
You only need to make sure that you get the actual prescribing done - you don't need to collect the medicine!
My prescription is an on going one from the chemist shop they sort it for me every two months, but I still have to collect my Levo to get another prescription printed out, do you have any suggestions what I could do to just have prescriptions printed only helvella. ?
What is a Medex form ? never heard of one.
Medex form = the form that you send off to the medical exemption people to get your Medex card.
Can you ask your surgery to give you paper prescriptions? I have never been offered anything but old fashioned NHS paper! (Sure there are posters mentioning other services such as pharmacy collection.)
Thank you helvella, learn something new each day off TUK :
I get a new paper prescription each time I collect my Levo from the chemist, the chemist shop themselves give me a new printed out prescription, (every two months,) if I did not collect my levo wouldn't someone, either the Doctor or Chemist shop notice i had not collected it ?
You need to get the surgery to give you the prescription - then you break that link with the dispensing.
I can take my paper prescription anywhere I want. And I do - I never get mine dispensed by a UK pharmacy.
Can I ask how often you have to visit your Doctor for your prescriptions of levo and are your prescriptions repeat prescriptions please helvella.?
Mine are repeats.
I order mine on-line and have to collect a few days later.
I get two or three month prescriptions.
I have to get tested every year - but have sometimes had tests at around six months.
so you prefer a continental Levo?
Not sure which way to turn now helvella, thought it would be easy just to slide away from my Doctor quietly without being noticed, though last time Hubby went to see her for his Asthma review Doctor asked how I was, remembering my first name.
Hubby's Asthma is way better since being on vitamin D3 and Vit A, he doesn't feel he needs to take his preventative inhaler each day, so that has been down to self help too.
Such a shame we feel we have to hide self medication from our Doctors. it must be skewering their result tables.
My Doc thinks I am doing well on Levo 125, but I was not, I needed a bit more, so I put myself on NDT, again Doctor thinks I am doing well on my lowered from 1000iu down to 400iu vitamin D3, so the next patients Doc sees needing Levo and vitamin D, will Doc rely on what they think has worked well on me so will be perfect for another patient. ? Just a thought h
I agree Coast - like dishing out anti-depressants and the patient doesn't come back - I wonder....
(not saying ADs don't help depression)
Nice to hear hubby's asthma is better, interesting stuff those vitamins J
I do miss not having a family doctor anymore who knows his/her patients
Still, I'm just being an old fogey I guess
Family doctor was best & far more personal!
Not necessary here - the doc still believes I'm using it. 'patient on Levothyroxine' (or somesuch) was clearly writ at the top of my bloodtest. I haven't asked for a repeat scrip for that stuff for years now.