Recommendation for thyroid consultant in Oxfordshire

[Crazy_CatLady]

I had some blood tests done a couple a week ago as I've been suffering from a lot of stomach/GI issues. Initially I was found to have low iron, so I had more tests done for B12 and thyroid. It turns out I have anti-thyroid antibodies, and elevated TSH, which I really wasn't expecting when I returned to my GP. Anyway, she seemed unsure about whether I should have treatment, she was asking me what I thought. - whether to have treatment now or wait until my TSH reaches 10 (it was around 6-7), or I get symptoms of hypothyroidism (right now I just have the GI issues and have been feeling pretty fatigued for the last few weeks). I've no idea, I've known about this for 4 days, and have been frantically reading all I can on the internet.

Anyway, as I have BUPA insurance with my job, I've decided my best course of action is to see a specialist who may be able to advise me better on what to do next. I was hoping someone might be able to recommend somebody suitable in the Oxford / Oxfordshire area. Some of my reading here tells me that an endocrinologist may not be my best bet if I'm developing an autoimmune condition.

Thanks in advance for any advice

[GRConwy]

One of my first major symptoms of being hypo (Hashi's) was GI problems, which have cleared since being on replacement thyroid hormones.

[PiggySue]

I have not found anyone locally (I am also Oxfordshire). I would say that you do need to be treated if your TSH is 6-7. My GP said that the guidelines have changed recently, so that symptoms are also taken into consideration and suggesting that you can have treatment if your TSH is less than 5 with symptoms. I am sure that some of the admins will know what the latest guidelines are.

However you don't suggest any Hashi symptoms - only GI, so you may be able to get better without? Again one of the admins may be able to suggest which sort of specialist, (something is whispering rheumatologist for antibody problems to me).

If you do decide to go the endo route and find someone good, I would really appreciate it if you could let me know?

So that I can't offer any help!

Good luck.

[Gerispice]

Dr Ian Gallen, Consultant Endocrinologist at Royal Berkshire Hospital and Circle Hospital Reading is the best consultant in England in my opinion. He saved my life. Believe me, after 3 years of every hypothyroid symptom that exists, including brain fog so bad I couldn't string a sentence together, a constant hypothermic body temperature and on the verge of suicide because of my unbearable existence imposed on me by 8 different doctors who would not believe I was ill because T4 bloods looked OK to them!! Dr Gallen is an angel. He gave me T3, no blood test, no nothing. Just looked at me and knew the answer. In 2 DAYS I was well. Without his help and his belief in my misery, I would not be alive today.

It makes my blood boil that GPs are so blinkered by their stupid inadequate blood test results, they fail to see the incredibly unstable and frail state of the patient sitting right in front of them!!

I lost thousands in income from being off sick and tried to sue my GPs for their incompetence. My case was closed without even getting to court because their expert witness (who was a GP) said any GP would have acted exactly the same way.

So good luck out there guys...

[Olsbird in reply to Gerispice]

Interesting.... thought he was more into diabetes?

[Gerispice in reply to Olsbird]

I don't know on that score. I don't have diabetes.

[Hidden in reply to Gerispice]

Hello, do you know of anyone who has seen Dr Aung in Reading Berkshire?

[Gerispice in reply to Hidden]

I haven't heard of Dr Aung, sorry.

[Crazy_CatLady]

Thank you for all the replies I spoke to my GP yesterday, and I decided that a consultant would probably only tell me the same things that she was saying. i.e. look at the numbers in my blood test and say I was borderline as to whether or not I should be treated.

I did get a copy of my blood results:

My TPo antibodies are 772 (< 60 is normal)

TSH 5.24 (0.3- 4.2 normal) it was 4.04 when I was tested a year ago

Free T4 11.8 (9-19 normal)

So I have loads of antibodies, TSH is slightly up from just about normal a year ago (antibodies were not measured last year), T4 is normal, and I don't have too many overt hypothyoid symptoms.

The doc gave me a prescription for levo-thyroxine to decide whether or not I want to take it if symptoms do worsen. I have to decide what to do now, not sure I really want to wait for symptoms to appear, as I guess this isn't going to go away with those antibodies!