Doctors appointment on Thursday - need a plan of action please

[Justliloldme]

Hi all

Some of you will know my story but here's a very quick recap...

Docs apt - late March 16, I suggested my thyroid was under active. Due to not being able to lose weight. Doc said it was the menopause (I'm 43) but allowed blood tests, she said they were 'all ok'. Greygoose & Suzi said B12 was low.

Horizon blood tests - say TSH is above range but everything else in range (these were posted on another thread).

Since then I've been supplementing with 5000ug of B12 & a b complex hoping that this will help & it has. However, reading more & more about the condition I'm seeing that I have other symptom's that I never even thought were related.

I've printed off hypothroyid & menopause symptoms & many of them are the same but I have some on the hypo list that are not on the menopause one which indicates to me I am showing hypo signs. I plan to take this to the docs but I'm panicking that she's just going to brush me off again. I'm also worried that she's right & that it is the menopause, this isn't a problem as I know it's coming, but would mean that the hypo symptoms are all in my head.

I put 2 stone on in a year and have spent the last 12 months trying to lose it - I have a personal trainer who works on my nutrition with me, I do yoga twice a week & pilates once & my weight is not moving at all - even the PT thinks it could be a thyroid issue.

I have trouble remembering words - I constantly mistype words on my pc at work (thiank god for spell check!). I sent a letter out in a blank envelope a few weeks ago & put 2 letters in the wrong envelopes to the wrong people. I work in compliance so it's my role to ensure everyone is working within rules & regs & I feel like I'm undermining myself when I get things wrong - especially simple ones like posting a letter?!

I don't want to be 'fobbed off' again on Thursday but if she doesn't understand the condition I fear I will be.

Any help gratefully received.

[Justliloldme]

P.S. the spelling mistake on 'thank' really wasn't intentional haha!

[greygoose]

Has she not tested your hormones for menopause? It's simple enough to do.

But, you could have both, why not. Lot's of women do. Menopause is one of the triggers for thyroid problems. I very much doubt that your symptoms are 'all in your head'. In the real world, people don't go around imagining symptoms, that's just an excuse from lazy doctors who can't be bothered to do their jobs properly - i.e. searching for the reason for people's symptoms. So, don't even suggest that!

So, your TSH is 4.66. In my books, that's hypo. Unfortunately, the NHS needs it to be over 10 before most doctors will take it seriously. In a lot of countries, you would be treated when your TSH hits 3, but not on the good old NHS! It's a problem for so many people, and I really have no idea what you can do about it, to be honest. Except keep insisting that you do have a thyroid problem, and don't be brow-beaten into believing that your symptoms are imaginary. Keep getting tested, and after every test, ask your doctor for a trial of levo - to see if it will help with your symptoms - but it needs to be 50 mcg, 25 will probably just make you feel worse! And insist on the symptoms that are unique to hypo, and not shared by the menopause. Play down the menopause possibility - especially if she won't do the tests - and play up the thyroid. That's all I can suggest.

[Justliloldme in reply to greygoose]

Thanks greygoose - she couldn't test for the menopause as I have the contraceptive implant & she said that would need to be removed or we wouldn't get true results.

I think I'm just after a little reassurance that I'm not making it all up. I very rarely go to the doctors & I was brought up to trust the experts & it is now becoming apparent that we shouldn't always trust what they say.

[greygoose in reply to Justliloldme]

Why would you make it all up - either consciously or unconsciously? I'm a great believer in people being sick if they say they're sick. We would be better able to trust doctors is they had more trust in us!

A dentist once said to me that I was imagining my toothache (that without an xray or anything). I told him that if I were going to imagine something, it would be something a little less painful than that! Silly old fool! lol

[bluebug in reply to Justliloldme]

Also the only sure way to know that you have hit the menopause is when you haven't had periods for a while.

If you know the ages your other female blood relations e.g. aunts, mother, grandmothers, sisters have reached the menopause and it is in their 50s make sure you tell the GP clearly that. GPs like saying to women in their late-30s onwards all issues are due to the menopause when in many women its simply not true. It is known there is a genetic component to the age when women reach the menopause.

If your GP refuses to help then do more investigation on the thyroid and consider self-medication so you can live a proper life. There is no point suffering needlessly.

[Justliloldme in reply to bluebug]

Aw thanks bluebug. However, I have the contraceptive implant so I don't bleed at all. I don't know my mother (she left when I was 2), my grandmother has died so I'm kind of stuck with that one.

I thought myself it could be the menopause, albeit earlier than I expected, but the more I read about hypo the more I think this is the issue. I do remember the doc saying 'if I was hypo I wouldn't be hot I'd be cold' But I can go from hot to cold in seconds haha

Think self medication maybe an option if I don't get anywhere on Thursday. It's starting to get me down now so I need to do something.

x

[Juliecmuphy]

Make an appointment with a functional nutritionist as you haven't had it long they may well be able to help before too much damage is done to the thyroid. Good luck

[GM50]

MY sympathies go out to you.The brain symptoms are identical to those I suffered 15 years ago before I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism. It was a very scary time. I was convinced I was developing Alzheimer's. Even so, having no knowledge or people I knew with the condition I had to sit out the "next test in 6 months" malarkey even though my TSH at the time was 6 (back then the range was .5 - 5 and still is in some places I believe!!). By the time I got to the next test I felt totally gaga and my TSH was 13.9. That was when I was officially diagnosed!!

I was referred to the Brain and Memory Clinic where I was told that it was my thyroid causing the problem and once my meds were optimum for me then the symptoms should go away. Apparently it can cause a pseudo-dementia and many elderly people are tested for thyroid at first if they are forgetful just in case that is the cause. That was a no-fun time at all! It was then I realised the condition was not to be sniffed at or treated lightly and so began a really tough time to become well again.

Even now, I only need to start tipping above TSH 1 and I know need to be vigilant so adjust my diet (non-goitrenous foods - is that spelt correctly? Especially watch soya-based foods) and sometimes supplement a little extra T3 for a few days until I start to feel ok again. During periods when it has crept nearer 2 then I've usually spoken with my GP to tweak my dose to help symptoms. Fortunately I have a good GP

[Justliloldme in reply to GM50]

Aw I'm sorry you had to go through that. It's ridiculous how doctors don't seem to know more about this as it seems to affect a lot of people. I bet there are a lot of people out there who don't even realise they have an issue with their thyroid.

I'm not used to going to the doctors & I don't like it. I've always been happy & healthy so this has really thrown me & I just expected to go to the docs & be given a magic pill & feel better again - obviously very naïve of me!

I've done nothing but read about this for months now & I'm still not sure if I am hypo as the blood results don't overtly indicate that I am, but if it isn't hypo I don't know what it is. Your story has made me feel more positive. If I hadn't got myself a personal trainer to help with weight loss I would have never suspected an issue with my thyroid but the fact I'm working so hard to lose weight & nothings happening has convinced me that something isn't right.

I'm hoping she'll run some more blood tests & that will show a rising TSH.

Thanks again for your reply x

[GM50]

You need to be assertive and go armed with as much info as you can which is very hard if you feel like a total space cadet and my speech at the time was so affected it was horrid. So I wrote everything down and went through everything and all my concerns and research on the list, making sure the doc at the time let me. You need to do the same and say 4.66 is too high.

My friend started treatment at 4.5. There are some good books out there which have been my 'bible' and helped me get back to normality (as far as you can with this condition - remember it's something you'll be managing for the rest of your life) especially as I had to fight for T3 when no one even knew about it. My GP at the time at least had the good grace to say she knew nothing about it, did a search and referred me to a consultant who was rumoured to use it.

Whatever you do don't be fobbed off with "it's your age", "it's a bit of depression creeping in". Another friend was treated 3 times for depression before she was finally diagnosed with her thyroid. At least her GP did apologise to her afterwards. Good luck with your appointment