how long will i need to wait.

[joyce59]

iam going a bit off track here but would like to know if any-one whose under the mental health service has had a long wait for things to be sorted? i was referred on 12th jan due to visiting the gp on a number of occasions. iam finding it difficult to concentrate at work but iam unable to go off sick as gp said nothing is wrong with me so she wouldnt sign me off. i did however have a visit from the mental health team who are looking into things for me but just wondering how long i should expect to wait?

[shaws Administrator]

joyce59,

I'm sorry you are in a quandary at present. This is a link and I don't know if you will able to afford a private test for your thyroid hormones. Never mind what your doctor says you are unwell

Are you able to get a Private Blood Test, details below if you've not had T3 and T4 and Free T4 and Free T3 from the doctor.

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

If you do have one, do it early in the morning and fast (you can drink water) and if you're on levothyroxine leave about 24 hours between the last dose and the test.

When you are clearly unwell and under strain re work/health. I hope you have some resolution soon through the Mental Health.

hypothyroidmom.com/the-thyr...

[Hidden]

Well, I reported my son for extreme suicidal ideation in november, and we,re still waiting.

[joyce59 in reply to Hidden]

really a friend of mine had to report her son too and she got help right away but having said that my friend herself was also in the mental health system so was one of her daughters so maybe thats why.

[Hidden]

Joyce, are you now being treated for your thyroid? Your tsh was over 10 in 2004...

[joyce59 in reply to Hidden]

iam being treated with levo but as TSH is now around 2 the gp seems to think everythings fine. She said she would only ever refer me if she suspected cancer.

[shaws Administrator in reply to joyce59]

Email [e-mail] for a copy of Dr Toft's Pulse Online article. He was President of the British Thyroid Association and this is what he says and prove your TSH is too high:-

6 What is the correct dose of thyroxine and is there any rationale for adding in tri-iodothyronine?

The appropriate dose of levothyroxine is that which restores euthyroidism and serum TSH to the lower part of the reference range – 0.2-0.5mU/l.

In this case, free thyroxine is likely to be in the upper part of its reference range or even slightly elevated – 18-22pmol/l. Most patients will feel well in that circumstance.

But some need a higher dose of levothyroxine to suppress serum TSH and then the serum-free T4 concentration will be elevated at around 24-28pmol/l.

This ‘exogenous subclinical hyperthyroidism’ is not dangerous as long as serum T3 is unequivocally normal – that is, serum total around T3 1.7nmol/l (reference range 1.0-2.2nmol/l).

Even while taking the slightly higher dose of levothyroxine a handful of patients continue to complain that a sense of wellbeing has not been restored. A trial of levothyroxine and tri-iodothyronine is not unreasonable. The dose of levothyroxine should be reduced by 50µg daily and tri iodothyronine in a dose of 10µg (half a tablet) daily added.

[DumbBlonde]

It can (probably depends where you are and their opinion of severity....?), I am sorry to say.

My experience was an initial referral in August/September (2013), an assessment a couple of weeks later (so September at latest) - and finally started Group Therapy in May 2014. And as far as THAT went (also a 30mile round trip), I attended weekly for the best part of a year (to January 2015) and did not progress at all... maybe because it was a group? and I was not a particularly good fit. I then had to wait for about another five months to be seen individually (despite being in the system already and a suicide risk) - and that has been pretty useless too. (I have now given up, despite GP trying to push me back into it---- because everything that is wrong with me is down to my metal health *sigh*)

I hope others can report better and more optimistic experiences and that you get something moving as soon as possible.

xx

[joyce59]

the psychological therapist has written to the gp and sent me a copy of the letter which was dated 19th jan. she has outlined how iam feeling physically drained. ive not heard anything since.

[budd_james]

Last year I asked for a referral back to the mental health team (had seen them before) as the prescribed meds weren't effective / working for me. 2 months later chased it up & 4 months later my GP got a letter simply saying - "double the patients dosage" . I never actually saw anyone.........

Shocking really..........

Stay on top of it & keep following up / chasing / asking for progress & update reports. Shouldn't need to be done but IMHO you have to drive it in my experience.........

Hope it all comes through quickly for you.

[joyce59 in reply to budd_james]

luckily we have a councellor at the hospital where i work and ive booked a few sessions with her (they always have a long waiting list) and its helpful to be able to talk to some-one.

[Hidden]

I have worked in the community in one of these mental health teams and we were rushed off our feet, just fire fighting emergences and offering what was mostly a very poor service to everyone. I would get back to them but I imagine they will leave you feeling let down.

Your TSH is probably too high for you to feel well. I would get the pulse article by Dr Toft and take to a GP. I would also try a different GP, one who says there is nothing wrong with you when you say you feel ill is not helpful.