List of symptoms : I've been to the doctors at... - Thyroid UK

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List of symptoms

Readytoscream profile image
9 Replies

I've been to the doctors at different times over the past few yrs and every different symptom leads to thyroid

1-feeling drained no energy

2-my neck has different sizes throughout the day

3- I had a tingling in my fingers

4-I can survive all day on a piece of toast as I'm not hungry put still keep putting weight on

5-my feet and palms of my hands itch

6- my eyebrows are getting less and less

7-I sometimes wake up in the night and can't breath ( I don't like that one it always scares me)

8- my voice will change throughout the day from normal to high pitched to deep

9-my calves go rock hard and my legs go like I'm wearing concrete wellies (had to give up salsa and squash)

10-I can't eat a full meal as its like I have something stuck in my throat

11-food I have eaten all my life now gives me deorreha within 20mins of eating

12-I have a film over my eyes daily which I have to wipe away

13-go to bed exhausted but am wide awake after a few hours but still exhausted

14-I have a buzzing in my head it's like I've been in a nightclub and then come outside

15-I get what can only be described as scratch marks on my legs and arms as though I've been attacked they last for about 10 mins then disappear

16-my mum when alive had thyroid problems and my sister got diagnosed in 1980 (the doctor says it not hereditary )

17- I can cry at the drop of a hat -( which is very annoying because I'm not like that normally)

18-one day I'm constipated the next very bad deorreha - the next day normal.

All of the above I've told the doctor about had numerous blood tests all came back boarder line - ive had recently a camera up my nose again came back clear , I'm on slimming world but lost only 1 stone in 10 weeks have lost more inches - even the slimming world woman has told me to get my thyroid checked (I could have punched her lol)

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Readytoscream
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9 Replies

It was recently suggested to you that you obtain a copy of your blood test results, in fact I would go further and say it's a good investment to spend £50 to obtain a copy of all of your medical records.

nhs.uk/chq/Pages/1309.aspx?...

When you've received the blood tests results include them in a new post and members can comment.

Many of us here have had to take 'ownership' of our health as we've been so badly treated by those who call themselves 'doctor' but actually appear to be nothing of the sort.

Readytoscream profile image
Readytoscream in reply to

I'm going to call tomorrow morning and ask for my recent blood results and go from there I didn't no u could ask for them thanks

greygoose profile image
greygoose

Doctors know nothing whatsoever about symptoms. And, as hypo has so many possible symptoms, that leaves them completely at sea, they have no idea. Plus, in their heart of hearts, they don't really 'believe in' low thyroid. Hyper, yes, hypo, no.

But, if they did know anything about symptoms, and if they knew anything about nutrition, I'm sure they would say that some of your symptoms sound like low iron and low B12. Have you had those tested? Do you have copies of those 'borderline' results? Because a doctor's idea of 'borderline' (they don't really know what the word means) often isn't 'borderline' at all. It's really difficult to help someone that doesn't give lab results, because hypo symptoms can be the symptoms of so many other things. They are 'non-specific'.

And, unless you enjoy Slimming World for the social aspect, I would give it up, if I were you. Low/no-fat is not a good way to eat - especially when you're hormonally challenged. And calories have nothing to do with hypo-weight gain.

humanbean profile image
humanbean in reply to greygoose

Plus, in their heart of hearts, they don't really 'believe in' low thyroid.

Agreed. And I'm convinced it is because the vast majority of sufferers are female. Doctors don't believe in period pains either.

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply to humanbean

Oh, absolutely! Nor difficult pregnancies. Their attitude is : it's a natural process, how on earth can it go wrong, typical woman, making a fuss about nothing!!! We all know they don't take our pain seriously.

SeasideSusie profile image
SeasideSusieRemembering

Readytoscream I echo what Hidden says. You know your GP isn't helping you, it was suggested in your previous thread to get the full range of blood tests done and I linked to the Blue Horizon test that you need if your GP won't do them. It was also suggested that you obtain copies of your previous tests from your surgery.

Have you set the wheels in motion yet for this? If you don't help yourself, no-one else can and your GP won't. At this stage, sadly, the ball is in your court.

sk17rob profile image
sk17rob in reply to SeasideSusie

SeasideSusie Hi Susie, sorry to butt in here, I hope nobody minds. 😉 I've had a private blood test, as you know, and I've followed your excellent advice about B12, B Complex and Selenium - all if which are definitely helping. Thank you so much for your help. However I took the blood test results to my GP who dismissed them saying they were either in range or only borderline and is insisting I see a cardiologist for my sky high blood pressure and not the endo' I requested. I have talked about this in another post so I won't waste bandwidth repeating myself. My comment\question is, so what do you do when the GP is dismissive and un-co-operative even if you have the blood test to support your case?

Readytoscream Both SeasideSusie and greygoose have helped me hugely in the last few weeks. Also @faith63 has pointed me in the direction of a functional medical practitioner. I will be following up on that next week. Thanks faith63 ! I know, you feel lost and suspicious of everybody when you bump into the NHS marshmallow wall of bigoted ignorance when it comes to Hypothyroidism and feel like you're losing your mind but, in the end, you need to trust somebody and, from my experience, these people are one hell of a good place to start - if you can refer to people as a place!!! 😁😁 Good luck. Xxx

SeasideSusie profile image
SeasideSusieRemembering in reply to sk17rob

Hi sk17rob Sorry I missed your other post but I've just read the thread and sorry you've hit a brick wall but not really surprised.

I did read, maybe on this forum but I can't remember, that if you request a referral to a consultant then you can't be refused. However, when I asked 18 months ago for a referral back to a consultant to discuss my lung disease as I was quite poorly at the time and 3 months' worth of 'help' from the GP did nothing to make me feel better, I was point blank refused. My surgery is very good at not referring, also good at refusing blood tests, so it could well be that they don't have to refer you just because you asked.

So what do you do when the GP is dismissive and un-co-operative even if you have the blood test to support your case?

Well, you could email louise.roberts@thyroiduk.org.uk and ask for the list of thyroid friendly endos, see if there are any you can get to, then ask for feedback from members to see whether it would be worth paying to see them privately. Or put up a post asking for recommendations for any in the area you live.

It isn't easy. Doctors generally don't like us understanding our illnesses, for some showing them private blood tests is like a red rag to a bull, occasionally there is the odd one who will be persuaded to do NHS tests after seeing private ones. I can picture the scene:

Patient: Doctor, I've had these tests done and the results seem to point to hypothyroidism.

GP: Why have you had them done, they're not worth the paper they're written on.

Patient: Because I came to you with many symptoms which you dismissed and you only did a TSH test. These results clearly show a problem. By the way, they were done by an accredited lab which the NHS also used.

GP: Well, I'm not going to accept them.

Patient: That's fine, but as the proof is there, would you please arrange for me to have the same tests done through the surgery.

You get the picture, obviously all done in a very polite but assertive way, which I'm not very good at.

You could play your GP's game. Go along with him, accept the referral to the cardiologist, see if the cardiologist will refer you to an endo. I'm not 100% sure but I think the referral should come from the GP not another consultant. But the cardiologist could write to your GP recommending a referral. Many people have had their hypothyroidism diagnosed by seeing a psychiatrist first! Obviously check the thyroid friendly endo list and ask for feedback back first.

And when all else fails, we take advice from here, self source thyroid hormone and self test to make sure we're doing it right.

PS - would you mind letting me know how you get on with the functional medicine practitioner, maybe PM me details.

hebden profile image
hebden

Oh my god I have every one of these identical all but No 16 (my mum passed away suddenly aged 64 and her Mum aged 63) although my Dads mum had many symptoms including weight gain. Last year I was sent to obesity clinic by my GP and after 6 months had put on half a stone and all they talked about was bariatric surgery. Then before that I went to another prescribed weight loss clinic for 12 weeks and lost 1lb. I have the throat problems and choking fits even when not eating or drinking. Voice changes, lump in throat all the time. Endoscope up nose to find nothing wrong with vocal chords (thats because its further down!) Been told many times I have depression (I wonder why?) All these symptoms list getting so long now and still no doctor is listening. Like banging your head against a wall.

I suppose the only comfort we can take is that through this forum we know we are not alone and going crazy!

Gentle hugs Joolz.x

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