Any help/advice on latest results and forthcoming endo appt.

[Munchlet]

I have an appt with endocrinology next week due to a goitre, increasing underactive thyroid symptoms and the fact my GP couldn't prescribe as my TSH came back at 3.06.

For my own benefit I've had the Blue Horizon Thyroid 6 done and the results are as follows:-

TSH 3.83 0.27 - 4.20 mIU/L

T4 Total 86.7 64.5 - 142.0 nmol/L

Free T4 12.60 12 - 22 pmol/L

Free T3 4.81 3.1 - 6.8 pmol/L

Immunology

Anti-Thyroidperoxidase abs 12.6 <34 kIU/L

Anti-Thyroglobulin Abs 44.0 <115 kU/L

I'm just wondering is it worth taking these results with me to the appt or do endo's tend to be dismissive of private results?

When I had my TSH tested in Oct it was 3.06 and the time before that it was 2.76 so it appears to be slowly rising. My free T4 has also dropped slightly as it was 12.92 last time.

I have a feeling I'm going to be told it's all fine as everything is still in range all be it just! Does anyone know do endo's tend to be religious about the TSH level which my GP said is currently 4 and over or are some of them more flexible.

I'm no expert but it looks to be like I'm slipping into hypothyroidism even though I'm not quite there yet according to lab ranges but I feel awful and I've started to have additional problems now such as puffy face/hands in the morning, stiffness in joints etc which I didn't have before.

I think if they don't do anything at my appt then I probably will look to go privately as I feel like I can't keep going like this much longer.

Any thoughts/comments greatly appreciated as always.

[gabkad]

Is it possible you could be low iodine? Your antibodies are not elevated. And your fT3 is okay. Depends on what time of day the blood was drawn.

[silverfox7]

Wether or not the Endo will take noice of your previous results he will want to do bloods so go prepared, starve and nothing to drink but water. Ideally blood should be taken as early as possible but we aren't able to arrange that. My endo at the end of each appointment gives me a bloods request to do before a see him so about a week. Eforeci try to get there as early as possible!

Also take a list of what you want to say/ask as often when nervous we forget the important points.

If you look on the Thyroid U.K. site there is a list of symptoms. Print it out and tick the ones you have. You may well hane more that you thought as some you may not have made the thyroid connection. If you can take someone with you then good but I have always gone aloan butcuseful as you may forget some of the things he says.

Hope it goes well!

[Munchlet in reply to silverfox7]

Thank you for the replies, that's interesting about the iodine gabkad I hadn't considered that. I do have Thyroid disease on both sides of the family, a nan and uncle on one side and and Aunt and Cousins on the other side but apart from my Aunt who has graves they have all just said they have underactive thyroids so not sure whether their's is autoimmune or iodine. I did my blood sample first thing in the morning before eating as that's when I've tended to have other bloods done so figured it was best to keep to the same time. Silverfox7 thats really helpful about the list thank you I will do that, I have seen it before and noticed I have a lot of the lesser known symptoms, like enlarged/scalloped tongue and I'm now having to take acid reflux meds which from what I've read is often related and more likely to be less acid than more so I will definitely do that. I just feel like my levels are gradually creeping up and as they do I'm gaining more symptoms. Would have been a bit easier if my TSH was over 4 as my GP would have been willing to do a trial of meds to see if it helped with my symptoms. Hopefully I'll get an endo who looks at the bigger picture rather than just the TSH but if not I think I might look into going private.

thanks again