Test? Private or GP

OMG, everything you said is me! I'm so happy I found this site. For years, I've been feeling like I'm crazy, doctors never seemed to know what was wrong. Just wondering tho, you said you're very tired. That's me also, but what's crazy is no matter how tired I am during the day, I get anxiety at night, heart palpitations and can't sleep. It's so crazy. Can't fall asleep before 3-4am. Do you experience this?

Valt4thomas

Have you had a recent blood test for your thyroid hormones? Ask GP for a full thyroid function test which includes Free T4 and Free T3, plus Vitamin B12, Vit D, iron, ferritin and folate. Just say you want to recover your health and want everything to be at 'optimal level' not just anywhere 'in range'.

Get the earliest possible appointment and fast (you can drink water). I don't think you've been given any medication yet, but if you have leave about 24 hours between the dose and the test and take it afterwards.

Ask for a print-out from the surgery and post results on a new question with the ranges (these are important).

thanks, no tests as yet.

Will get an appointment.

My previous GP wasn't very helpful and this has made me wary of them so I understand your fears

You could try the GP first especially as you have the benefit of this forum to checkout any advice you are given (if you have any blood tests done have them as early as possible and fast beforehand, then post the results here for advice).

If you find it difficult to speak at the GP surgery why don't you write it all down. If you feel the need to explain you can blame your confusion/brain fog.

If you don't get anywhere with the GP you have the option of private testing.

Another option wouldbe to try your pharmacist which may give you more confidence.....A trial run?

It is probably very useful to become as clued up as youcan by reading others' experience on this forum and on Thyroid UK.

Good luck!

Morning Jegg

I am no expert... Like you, I found my way here. I have been diagnosed with Hyperactive Thyroid ... actually Graves Disease.

I had been feeling very bad for a long time .. when , by chance I developed a rash on my face... caused by using steroid cream on my body for a very widespread itch.

My GP told me it was my age ... all due to menopause !!!

I was having hot flushes every hour in the day , including in bed ... sleep was something everyone else got ... but not me !

my breathing was difficult lying down and my heart raced, thumping in my head.

At times I felt I could hardly string two words together , and I would feel my mind

was very confused at times , never able to complete a task properly, my joints were very painful particularly my shoulders elbows wrists.

I was completely exhausted by 2 / 4 o'clock in the afternoon, my hair was falling out and breaking off, I had virtually no eyebrows or eyelashes, my nails shredding at the ends,

actually the list is endless ..........

The worst feeling of all was a feeling of terror ... not just anxiety but terror I was so

afraid... and the feeling that I just wanted Sleep and to die......

back to the itch and the rash on my face (above )

having lost hope of getting help from GP , I paid for an apt. with dermatologist

regarding the rash on my face ... she was lovely, and told me when I explained about being given steroid cream for my itch .... that I Did Not have an issue with

menopause ..... " You have a thyroid condition.... and I'm going to write to your

Doctor .... she did , and he reluctantly tested me ....

He was embarrassed , to say the least to tell me i had hyperthyroidism and Graves' disease .....

I have been taking CARBIMAZOLE since then in high doses first and now declining doses to try to bring my thyroid to a level where I can manage it ...

It may not be the cure I'm looking 👀 for but it's keeping things at bay at the moment

I DO FEEL it's creeping back up again... but go to see Endocrinologist next week

and hope we can keep control of it by my medication still.

Jegg , you seem to have symptoms similar to the ones I have ... you probably

have a few more symptoms too, that you're not really aware of at the moment, but soon will be on here.

More knowledgeable people on here, than me will give you sound advice on what to do next..

I just wanted you to know ... you're not imagining these symptoms ... so don't be fobbed off... dig your heels in and insist on the blood test for diagnosis of Thyroid disease as you sound like you may well have it ...

Stay in this site... and do not lose hope... there's loads to learn on here.. I found

taking in all the info. about supplements very helpful and now take many

supplements as advised by those more knowledgeable than me on here.

I'd have been like a fish out of water if I hadn't found this site , so stick with it

and the Very best of luck.. in your pursuit for better health.

Kind Regards 🌹

Madge

The symptoms of HYPERTHYROID are very different to those of HYPOTHYROID

Hypothyroid people have a LOW temperature and normally weight gain plus the symptoms described by JEGG

Hi really fed up

I wasn't suggesting

That Jegg has HYPERTHYROIDISM

OR GRAVES DISEASE .. I was saying it sounds like maybe thyroid disease of some sort !

And most of us know

That we very often have symptoms of either hyper or hypo ...

... Or both ...

I CErtainly did /have.

Sorry if you didn't understand me

I must have written it

Badly ...

My husband 1st had Graves after our children were born then surgery and then Hashis /hypothyroid

one daughter and 4 of my 6 grandkids all have severe Hashimotos /hypothyroid

so I know all the symptoms of both and have yet to see any crossover between the 2

maybe I am lucky or unlucky who knows

All I do know is if I knew my Husband would develop Graves then I would never ever have considered having children

because he is beside himself seeing it passed on to subsequent generations

Ironically I also worked for one of the 1st doctors to give RAI and the stories those patients told me makes your hair stand on end

My personal belief and very strongly from my Husband who has gone through hell between Graves then Hashis is no one with Thyroid Disease should ever contemplate having children

Wow !

In my experience of my Hyperthyroidism or Graves Disease

I know that my GP thought in the end that I may have Hypothyroidism as I had many symptoms of Hypo ..

and I certainly had ten of the symptoms listed in Jeggs

initial letter on this thread ....

Many of my family have this disease

and they also have symptoms from both Hyper and Hypo...

so for ME I have DEFINATELY symptoms of both Hyper and Hypo...

Then I must conclude you swing from Hyper to Hypo with Hashimotos

Wheras my husband went into full HYPER symptoms of Graves in a matter of weeks following Influenza and then into every single symptom of Hypothyroid within weeks of a thyroidectomy but it was 6 yrs before he was diagnosed and we were warned to get our 2 daughters checked

I have had some of those symptoms and was diagnosed with subclinical hypothyroid. The anxiety to the point of terror, loss of eyebrows and eyelashes, nails brittle and fraying (I was told that was because my iron was low, but nothing was done about it.) Exhausted, mentally confused. I think that many symptoms overl.

Mrs Raven

exactly what blood test results did your GP pronounce as Sub clinical and low iron

Because your symptoms are indeed clearly HYPOTHYROID

low ferritin

folate

b12

vit D3

and low levels of all vitamins and minerals are a feature of Hypothyroid

My husband had severe Beri Beri and Scurvy despite always eating stoneground brown bread and 6 oranges a day long before he finally got hypothyroid diagnosed

Hi reallyfedup. This was donkeys years ago when I was first ill and battling to get treated. It took me years. I was told by the first GP I saw I was being neurotic and menopausal. I couldn't eat any bread products because I am probably coeliac, according to the gastroenterologist, and have been on a GF diet for years.

My original GP in the 80s prescribed iron, folic acid, magnesium gluconate, B6, B12, D3, zinc orotate and multi B vits. He said I would have problems absorbing vitamins as I suffered (still do) from colitis. That stopped when he retired. When I became really ill I ended up going to another GP in the practice with a list if my symptoms and after blood tests and long discussions tooing and froing about whether I was hypo or not, he ended up by saying I was subclinical and he'd try me on 25mcg of levo. The improvement was dramatic. He increased the dose until I was on 100mcg and then he said I was being overprescribed. He, too, retired, and things went downhill from there. I managed to change practices after having my pain relief and sleeping tablets were denied me for 2 years, in spite of the replacement GPs support. I have had more luck with the new practice, but they still dont treat hypothyroid by symptoms.

I agree madge you post describes me to a T

A lot of symptoms of hyper cross with hypo

I also have graves the difference with hyper is that it is life threating

If not diagnosed but jeggs symptoms mirror mine right down to liver gallbladder problems I had 3 liver scans before diagnose

And liver didn't return to normal till after I started treatment

How are they incapable of diagnosing thyroid gland dysfunctions? I know as well as I had umpteen diagnoses and even a procedure under anaesthetic which was completely unnecessary.

Eventually it was someone who was not medically qualified who suggested I had a problem with my thyroid gland.I certainly did and it only took about 7 years to get diagnosed - not by one medical professional but by a non-medical person who doesn't even have hypo themselves.

Hi Jegg. Sorry you're not feeling well and you certainly do need to get some tests to check this out.

I would opt for gp testing in the first instant simply because it is free, gp is more likely to take the results seriously and less likely to feel alienated than going straight for private testing.

It can be a long and bumpy Road so working together with your gp is always better, although saying that not a lot of doctors actually know that much about thyroid problems but you'll find that out the more you educate yourself.

This is a fantastic site for help, knowledge and research. You can use the search bar to find almost anything. There is also the Thyroid UK website that had loads of information.

I always take notes of my symptons, and a list of prioritised questions when I see my doctor. It felt odd at first but at least I know I won't forget what I need to say and always write down the answers. My doc is now used to me coming in with my pad and folder full of research.

I would ask gp for full thyroid panel

TSH

FT4

FT3

TPOab (antibodies)

and because nutrients levels suffer with thyroid problems also ask for

Vit D3

Iron

Ferritin

Folate

Active B12

Always get bloods done early as possible and do not take medication, eat or drink anything but water before the test.

Always get a copy of your blood test results, (they can't say no but may try) you are fully entitled by law to a copy.

You will probably find out at this point which tests the labs are willing to do and then you'll know which ones you need to obtain privately. I used blue horizon thyroid ten when I did mine as a home finger prick test.

Post the results here with the ranges and someone with great knowledge and experience will help out prior to going back to your doctor, at least then you can get some research together.

yup all the symptoms of HYPOTHYROID

you need tests for

Thyroid Antibodies

TSH

Free T4

Free T3

Ferritin

Folate

B12

Vit D3

write a letter to your doctor

say that its been strongly suggested by other hypothyroid sufferers that its the reason for your symptoms /...............List them all

ask him to please order the above tests so the reason for your continued symptoms can be confirmed

Yes you definitely need to have all the tests that the doctor won't be able to do.....you need

TBG

T3 uptake

t3 t4 free t3 free t4

eat roger testosterone

Vitamin D

fasting glucose

hemoglobin

thyroid antibodies

Show him this. He should redo the rest he should then refer you to an endocrinologist. Insist!

Good luck

You have just described my symptoms, I am Hypothyroid.

I would say you have plenty of hypo symptoms. As for testing it depends how the doctors read them. A GP will look at the TSH not at you. If it is elevated then he will put you on T4 only, not a good idea. You need to find a doctor who understands that the tests are a guide only and looking at you is the answer. I would try Dr Peatfield, you can get his details online.

If you have time, I think this would help you understand the holistic view of hypothyroidism.

Thanks, scary watching that at how much hit home...the gallbladder issue, large liver, sleep problems etc etc

I know, thyroid is a whole body experience but look at it this way, if you can correct that, the rest may improve. Sometimes it all starts with the gut which involves what has happened to the food supply. But as he states, the body is always trying to heal and bring back the balance if it possibly can. Often we don't help it but when we do, it can work. People have improved here, jegg, and you can as well. While it would be good to have some professional help, there are better doctors on the internet than at an office I'm afraid. You want to stay away from pharmaceuticals if possible but supplements can be very effective.

Where do you want to start?

Think I'll get tested, see if there is an issue with the thyroid first, then

I really fancy giving the natural option a go, depending on the results and a lot more reading.

Great jegg, go forward with it. As you may realize, you will have to be a big part of the healing. See what you can get through the NHS and the all important FT3 test for some reason they are resistant to obliging.

If you have been unwell for a while you are more than likely deficient in vitamins and minerals due to low stomach acid.

Dr. Bergman has many videos on You Tube on almost every body function. The one on nerves is really, really helpful.

Here is another functional medicine doctor who has a series of 24 reasons for low thyroid. Neurotransmitters are very affected and here is his first one about serotonin, I think you are noticing that yourself.

Welcome to our forum jegg, don't be apprehensive about seeing your GP (after all if in the UK you have helped to contribute to his studies and degree).

Ask him for a Full Thyroid Function Test (they usually only do a TSH and maybe T4) but we need to know more than this. The Free T3 and Free T4 blood tests are very useful.Some labs only do the TSH and ,if normal range, they don't do the others but if your GP requests they might follow his instructions.

The appointment must be the earliest possible and fast (you can drink water). If you were on any medication don't take it before the blood test but afterwards. This allows the TSH to be at the highest as they nearly all only go by the TSH and ignore the others.

Get a print-out each time from now on for your own records and make sure the ranges are stated and if you have a query you can post for comments.

Thank you all so much, I will see the GP and hope I get to see one of the better ones, as some you are lucky to get them to look away from the screen.