Previous blood test results and update on treatment

[Barton103]

Went to my GP today and he has put my dose up from 150mg to 175mg. So not my old dose of 200mg but he wants to do it incrementally, and re-do bloods in 8 weeks time. Didn't want to look at T3 dose, wants to see how I go. He did say he had read the latest reaseach before I went in 😳 Which I was pleasantly surprised to hear. He has suggested that if symptoms do not improve will yes look at dose, but may also refer me to a neurologist as he would not want to put all of symptoms down to hypothyroid just in case something else is going on. Seems fair to me. I plan to see how I am in 8 weeks and than maybe seek a referral ( possibly private) to an endocrinologist.

I am angry though, as with any practice there are lots of GP's and I generally just see whoever is available. I decided whilst I was there to get my previous blood results taken in April as ordered by his colleague, to try and see why he came back and said all was normal with my thyroid function. I had reported to him the same symptoms (which are now far worse six months on) and as far as I can see from what I have gleaned so far from this forum he missed some red flags for a patient with no thyroid gland and a 'recently' reduced dose:

April 2016 October 2016

TSH 4.5 mu/L (0.4-5.5) 4.7 same range

T4 16.7 pmol/L (11.5-22.7) 18.1 same range

No T3 done 2.9 (3.5-6.5)

Ferritin 56ug/L (10.0-307.0) 76 same range

Calcium concentration 2.19 mmol/L (2.25-2.65) 2.36 same range

Vit D 37.0 nmol/L 30-50 = vit D insufficiency 105.8 (supplements taken)

Mean cell haemoglobin 33.0 pg (27.0-32.0). 32 same range

Hopefully now on the right path though to getting sorted 😀

[greygoose]

So, in October, your FT4 was 18.1 (11.5 - 22.7) and FT3 was 2.9 (3.5 - 6.5)? And he can't see a problem with that? You're hardly converting at all! And just keep increasing the levo is not going to help. It would have to be extremely over-range to give you enough T3 to make you feel well, and that would cause problems of its own. I think you ought to ask him for an explanation, because I really don't think he knows how this all works.

[Barton103 in reply to greygoose]

There seems to be a constant battle with GP's, and when you are feeling rubbish and are struggling to think and put a sentence together anyway, it's really hard to push for what you know you need😐

I think I am going to leave it two weeks, see how I'm feeling, and I may look to seeing an endo privately

[greygoose in reply to Barton103]

Yes, I know, it's very difficult. And we expect doctors to know what they're talking about. But a lot of them really, really don't, I'm afraid. They're floundering around, totally out of their depth, counting on good luck to find the right solution. But, if a doctor totally ignores a low T3 - or tells you it doesn't matter, or something like that - then you know he has no idea what he's doing.