A Must read

[shaws]

How many people are actually diagnosed incorrectly, just because they either don't have a blood test taken for thyroid hormones or if patient still complains they get 'diagnoses' which affect, badly, their whole lives which will be forever on their medical history.

hypothyroidmom.com/13-thing...

[Hidden]

Interesting.

[Jaykanes]

That needs to be read by every 1 on here I was thought to have had ADHD by my mum and always said junk food depressed me and ocd also rage why arnt people tested as a rule

[shaws Administrator in reply to Jaykanes]

First, they don't 'look' properly at patients like doctors used to do: don't know all of the clinical symptoms: if they did take a blood test they cannot diagnose until the TSH is 10 in the UK. They rarely take a Full Thyroid Function Test.

We can have awful symptoms below 5 but they prescribe other medication for the symptom that does nothing at all to ease the patients suffering, as it is hormones we need and we do expect them to have some knowledge of thyroid hormone dysfunctions but they appear to have little or none. I can relate to this personally.

Many patients are thought to be hypochondriacs as they keep appearing in the surgery (even after being diagnosed) and will more readily get a prescription for depression (a clinical symptom) or pain relief etc than increased hormones. Lots of children may also be diagnosed wrongly particularly if they don't do a Free T4/ Free T3.

[shaws Administrator]

It should be basic knowledge for all doctors but the 'guidelines' do not guide the doctors towards relieving the patients symptoms as they're not listened too and the reliance on TSH alone is wrong.

[Coastwalker]

Tell us more Hidden , who was this clever Doctor you are talking about ?

[shaws Administrator in reply to Coastwalker]

Remember that no names of doctors can be posted on the Open Forum

[Coastwalker]

Oops! apologies all, thought the Doctor might be a well known legend, such as Dr K. of the Gt. Cholesterol Con. that I'd not heard about.

Interesting about the clever Doctor though, there was another front page story on an Autism Parenting magazine saying three quarters of Autistic children would probably have low thyroid.

[shaws Administrator in reply to Coastwalker]

That's o.k. If someone would like to know they can Private Message you.

I think they have found some connection with these children, ADD and similar. If doctors only go by the TSH when these babies are tested at birth it might not 'fit' so remain undiagnosed and not progress normally. That's only my guess.

[Coastwalker]

Most interesting eljii, I will do some googling

[Coastwalker]

Far too many thyroid patients (with presenting thyroid symptoms) are falling through the net by either being ignored, (it's all in your head) or by not doing the correct thyroid full panel tests, or Doctors not looking into the test results correctly. If these patients are lucky enough to be diagnosed with low thyroid, how many actually get the correct spot on, optimum treatment ? Not many, I guess.

Also It would be good to hear that those diagnosed or self diagnosed with CFS, ME and Fibromyalgia have also had a full thyroid panel blood test done.

Though we still can't rely on the medics reading the important thyroid blood panel results.

If thyroid patients are lucky to climb up through one net safely, sadly they fall through another, the odds are so stacked against them.

[shaws Administrator in reply to Coastwalker]

Even if CFS/fibro etc had a blood test it would show they weren't hypo but - and I'll give a link below - Dr Lowe was Director of Fibromyalgia Research and he believed it was interconnected.

web.archive.org/web/2010103...

I think I mentioned before (somewhere on the forum) that doctors take no notice of clinical symptoms as used to be the way before blood tests were introduced and patients got a trial of NDT at the very least.

[Coastwalker in reply to shaws]

Good read (your link,) thanks shaws

[Coastwalker]

Yes you did mention it before shaws it stays firmly in my head, not much sticks, but that stayed there thank you.

Dr Lowe was correct, I know that for sure as I too had (self diagnosed, with other TUK members suggesting it too) fibromyalgia/CFS type all over chronic pains and only when I upped my thyroid dose did it go away, once on optimum dose the fibro/CFS pains stayed away.

I also remember telling my Doctor to treat my 'symptoms' not go by my bloods, a bit cheeky thinking about it, but it worked at the time.

[shaws Administrator in reply to Coastwalker]

When the doctor co-perates and sees his patient improving, it open the doors for others who see him. I hope

[Coastwalker]

Yes! Hopefully