I might be getting somewhere with the GP (dare I say it)

HI all

Well today I spoke to my nice GP. He is the GP that came out to see me November and December when my fatigue became crippling along with the ground moving feeling as I walked.7

I told him my fatigue has got worse recently, and the ground moving feeling everytime I walk is no better and I always feel very weak in my thighs. Maybe anxiety but it has made me a recluse. My anxiety is back which I had got over. I was honest crying, told him I am afraid to even walk around my house I get panic attacks everytime the ground moves or I feel i am about to pass out. I told him my BP is recently a little low too, well low for me 100/70. Usually around 110 or above. Better than high I know

I was honest and said the GP that called 2 weeks ago was rude and branded me with CFS and basically said he had no idea what to do with people like me. My GP said it could well be CFS but he didn't want to label me with that. I told him I had my blue horizon test done, he had no idea so had the GP i wrote to not bothered to scan in my results I sent him? I told him my results and he was shocked. He said 'Julie your TSH is over double what it was in December and its now over the NHS range too'. I said 'yes it was 5.35 in August, 2.96 December but I was told it should be done first thing fasted so I did it before 8am and it was 6.54 3 weeks ago'. He said 'right ok'. I told him the BH GP had commented on it saying it could be raised due to other non thyroid illness or I could be subclinical hypothyroid and he recommended a test in 3 months time, unless symptomatic and then it should be in 2 months time. My GP said 'yes, ok'. He then asked if he could come out to see me THursday, he said 'We can have a chat and make a plan together'. Not sure what that means but I am hoping he is realising just how much I am struggling. I am worried I will have a panic attack in front of him. Right now i am highly anxious because of how ill I feel and I rarely go out and see people so Thursday will be so hard having him here. I am afraid he will think I am an anxious mess and lock me up lol! My husband will be here. I know i have to do this because I cannot carry on feeling so unwell but as they weeks have gone by I am becoming more anxious. It's been 11 weeks since the floor started moving as I walked and the leg weakness, and the fatigue just gets worse and worse every week. I know my anxiety won't be helping but I am just afraid what's wrong with me.

My T4 and T3 are in range so I am worrying what he will say. The BH GP did suggest non thyroid illness affecting my TSH but what could he have meant by that?

I attach my latest BH results. Fingers crossed I get somewhere on Thursday. I am dreading it. I got all hot and anxious just on the phone to my GP. Why is my anxiety so bad? I was agoraphobic 3 years ago for a few months when my anxiety disorder first began but the last 18 months i could go to appointments again and would never call a GP out to my house. Now I am worse than ever, all because of this damn floor moving and loss of confidence.

Thank you all for your continued support.

Julie

[Anthea55]

Many hospitals have a 'balance clinic'. My husband was sent to one. They might be able to help with your feeling that the ground is moving. They do all sorts of tests.

Maybe your GP would refer you to one.

[HarryE]

Your anxiety & balance problems could easily be hypo symptoms, mine were. Please don't be fobbed off, they need to look at the root cause, your hypothyroidism.

TSH can sometimes be changed by a virus or other illness, that's what they mean by non-thyroidal illness. But you have a clear pattern of rising TSH, not a one off blip

[Hidden in reply to HarryE]

Ah right i see. Yes it's been rising since 2013 when my tsh was 4.9 and my t4 was only 10. Now the tsh has gone up and t4 at 14.

[Treepie]

Your TSH is rising andtoo high .It indicates that you are becoming if not already hypothyroid.

Your balance symptoms could well be caused by your thyroid .I believe mine are although mine are minor. Nevertheless there could be other causes of balance and other symptoms.The trouble with thyroid symptoms is that there are so many and many of the symptoms have other causes. Hope your GP visit goes well.

[Hidden in reply to Treepie]

Thank you Treepie. I am not sure what he will do with it being only my TSH out of range.

[Treepie in reply to Hidden]

Well once on thyroxine they generally only test TSH.Wrong but there it is.Most people do fine on levothyroxine so try not to worry.

[Hidden in reply to Treepie]

Thank you. My GP says they don't prescribe until TSH reaches 10 but fingers crossed he will listen to how unwell I am feeling. I can't carry on feeling this fatigued and unwell. I have 3 children that need me.

[Treepie in reply to Hidden]

That is normal for GPs.

Kate a look at ThyroidUK site " Getting a diagnosis and starting treatment" and see if you can persuade him to a trial.

[Hidden in reply to Treepie]

Do you know if you can have hypothyroidism with negative antibodies? my antibodies tested normal so the GP i spoke to said I can't have hypothyroidism.

[Musicmonkey in reply to Hidden]

That is rubbish! The GP is wrong. I don't have antibodies, but I have hypothyroidism.

It means you probably don't have primary hypothyroidism - the most common type (80-90% of people have primary hypothyroidism). Others can have secondary or tertiary hypothyroidism.

[Hidden in reply to Musicmonkey]

I thought that GP was talking rubbish. I seem to know more than him. The nicer GP I spoke to yesterday seemed concerned at how high my TSH was so fingers crossed he helps me. I am just concerned with t4 and t3 in range he won't. My T4 was only 10.2 on the NHS test in December and now has shot up to 14.

[Musicmonkey in reply to Hidden]

I am sorry, but I haven't read all the other posts and don't have time now. But hopefully you have a link to information that indicates that just going by your synptoms you should be put on a trial of Levo to see if it helps.

[SAMBS in reply to Hidden]

Ah that doesn't sound good, what is your dosage, perhaps it's too low. An increase in dosage for me brought my TSH down as my previous reply, but yes I say go with how you are feeling!

[Hidden in reply to SAMBS]

SAMBS I am not on any medication for thyroid.

[Treepie in reply to Hidden]

The short answer is yes. Autoimmune disease thyroiditis ( Hashimoto's ) is when the defence mechanisms of the body go wrong and attack the thyroid gland. High antibodies supposedly show this and is said to be the most common form of hypothyroidism,although Dr Skinner was not convinced as he thought infection was a major cause and i suspect a gum infection was the start of my thyroid problems.There are others: trauma,pregnancy and delivery,genetic and environmental factors,possibly glandular fever etc.

Your GP seems to know little about the thyroid but try not to tell him that directly !

[SAMBS in reply to Hidden]

Jingyd my TSH was 17.? Back in December - it was down to 10 in January - I had been self experimenting with my dosage deliberately and it proved that altered dosage of Levethyroxine does affect TSH for me.

I don't now have my next blood test till April, it may come sooner than for other health reasons, but I'm sure will include TSH as well, it usually does! I shall also ask for the Free T3/4 again, plus others.

So don't panic, stay with where you are till your next blood test is due unless your specific Thyroid symptoms get chronically worse.

If you keep worrying more, you'll only hinder your health in general.

Keep calm

[Hidden in reply to SAMBS]

Thank you Sambs I am doing my best to not get too anxious but it seems to be triggering my anxiety a lot naturally.

[eeng]

I think the most likely thing your doctor will do is to prescribe you Levothyroxine to see whether your symptoms improve. If he does I hope they work for you.

[Hidden in reply to eeng]

Thank you. I kind of hope he does as much as thyroxine scares me. I am not sure if he will though as it's only my TSH out of range.